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We can walk and chew gum
There are two factions on the left. One wants to focus on the existential threat posed by Donald Trump (and he does pose one) and the other wants the Democrats to push a bold, domestic agenda. Which way should we go? We can do both.
We’ve been here before. During World War II and the Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt turned his attention to the war and away from his domestic agenda. That was another existential crisis that couldn’t wait. Eleanor would not be deterred. She pushed and that pushing led to the continuation of the New Deal programs they implemented in 1933. Republicans have been trying to undo them ever since. That was met with some resistance from FDR’s advisors.
But it is proof that we can be bold. This is truly a “go big or go home” moment for the United States. We need to raise taxes on the wealthy and corporations. In the 1950s, which seems to be where the GOP wants to live, the corporate tax rate was 40 percent. Under Reagan, that paragon of conservatism, it was 46 percent.
If we do that, we can pay for infrastructure (it needs to include environmental stuff), a single-payer health plan or Medicare for all, and good schools. We can do it.
The Trump threat cannot be overstated. He wanted to send Covid 19 patients to Gitmo, which he thought was an island we owned. His supporters stormed the Capitol and he thinks he will be back in the White House in August. His party is passing laws left and right that can make it harder to vote and easier for state legislatures to overturn elections. If that doesn’t scare you, you aren’t paying attention.
We can walk and chew gum and handle all of this at once. We have done it before.