Many Americans are buying into the idea that the Democratic Party is moving too far to the left. The thing is, movement is relative. Is the party moving left or is the status quo, in reality, edging right? It does not matter.
What exactly does moving to the left mean? If one listens to the mainstream media, regardless of slant, just about every policy that is proposed by progressive candidates is a left-wing idea.
It is important to understand what the establishment is doing. It is a psychological ploy. When one categorizes a policy as left-wing before it is even explored, the tendency is to view it through that prism from the beginning.
This is the Democratic Message
So let’s review some policies that are considered left-wing and illustrate why they are not, as we create a narrative that even the conservative rank-and-file should be happy to support.
Student Loan Forgiveness
Progressives see loan forgiveness as stiffing the bankers who have wronged many with burdensome interest rates and fees. They also see it as double-dipping. In effect, Americans invest in their education, giving corporations access to a reduced-cost resource to yield a more substantial profit for their shareholders.
But the conservative narrative is that loan forgiveness is a tax break for those who invested, making themselves more attractive to corporations. We will pay for it with the increased economic activity generated by the new spending power of the forgiven.
A woman’s complete control over her body
Progressives believe in true freedom. Men cannot have or carry a child. Why, then, should we even have any say? But most importantly, we know that for a woman (or anyone, for that matter), complete control of their reproductive being is an economic issue. Any demand has a financial impact.
And that leads into the conservative ideology. On every panel that I have served on with folks on the right, the first question they ask when one presents a regulation or social program is how will it impact business. The other thing conservatives hate is unfunded mandates. They want government out of our lives. As such, we should make it clear that their values are satisfied with a “don’t-ask-don’t-tell” policy. They do not want the government to ask, and women have no interest in telling.
Medicare for All, the Democratic way
Progressives want Medicare for All because it is the humane system that is most compatible with health care as a right. Our values also find massive profiting on the backs of the sick, and on people at a time when they have no real control over choices, very obscene. We also know that our tax dollars fund many of the discoveries for drugs and other advances, yet corporations keep all the profits as they turn those discoveries into products.
But here is the angle for conservatives: Currently, purchasing insurance is a choice, especially since Trump made the mandate irrelevant. Whether one has insurance or not, emergency rooms must service patients. Conservatives purport to abhor freeloading. Since we will fund Medicare for All via taxes, everyone will have skin in the game commensurate with what they can afford. In other words: no freeloaders.
Family leave and child care (daycare)
Progressives believe in policies that take care of the home and ensure that everyone has equal access to success. This requires social structures that assist families so that issues like child and elderly care aren’t an albatross.
Conservatives claim they believe in family values. How better to show that they value families? But most importantly, childcare and family leave ensure that mom and dad have a higher chance of staying employed.
Wealth tax
Progressives understand that unless one is directly responsible for a service or a product, wealth is nothing but what was not paid to those who created and produced. One could use reductio ad absurdum to show that the wealthy, the ones who work the least, are the real parasites in society. As such, one should have no problems or concerns when it comes to taxing their wealth, their capital. Don’t you pay a wealth tax in the form of property taxes on your home, car, and other assets? Why should the wealthy not do their part as well?
I tried, but cannot find a conservative spin for this one. So I will leave it as an exercise for you to complete.
Progressives have a lot of work to do. There is an army of accountants an others that are ready to use maximal scare tactics to destroy this necessary movement. In a subsequent article, we will discuss a few hazards we must be ready to pre-empt to ensure the success of Medicare for All and other progressive policies we are pushing for—and must have. Stay tuned.