The way you hear some Republican politicians talking, you would think that Progressives envision the United States of America as some kind of potential atheistic, socialist utopia, where the universal values of freedom, liberty, drive, self-reliance, personal responsibility, and accountability, are all sacrificed on the altar of a “one size fits all” Castro-colored jumpsuit of big-brother-type surveillance, intrusion, and enforced mediocrity, with the nation’s populace cowering in fear, like District 12 in the Hunger Games.
I would like to use the epithet recently used by Rick Santorum in response to this drivel, but my Google P.C. filter would probably delete the whole post, so I will just say that nothing could be farther from the truth.
Progressives tend to get lumped in with a few nut jobs on the extreme left who rant and rave and kvetch about everything and everybody and see conspiracies behind every door. The emptiest vessels make the loudest noise. These are not Progressives. These are idiots, just like the loudmouth idiots on the extreme right.
But, I am warning you right now, if you read below, you might discover that you are secretly a Progressive too. You won't have to tell your friends about it or change your status on Facebook but…
Almost every Progressive likes money and vacations in Aruba as much as the members of the Chamber of Commerce do and is willing to work his or her butt off to earn it. Progressives are all about reaping the rewards that come from personal responsibility, entrepreneurial drive, self-reliance, and motivation. Do any of you know a Progressive who actually lives on a commune? Didn't think so.
But, as with anyone else who starts their own business, getting a tax incentive for hiring vets and/or covering employees' health insurance would be nice.
A streamlined process of patents and paperwork would be nice.
Acquiring investors without a mountain of red tape would be nice.
Being able to truck products by way of an interstate highway system of decent roads and bridges would be nice.
(Readers inner dialogue)
I feel the same way? Uh, oh. What’s happening to me! I look the same, but...
All Progressives want their kids to work hard and compete successfully for a big old slice of that global economic pie in the 21st century.
And so, they want our public schools retooled, upgraded, and modernized, not dumbed down, outsourced, and de-funded.
Progressives want a government that is smart enough, not just to let economic events play out into a catastrophe and then sell off the pieces to the highest bidder, but a government that can anticipate those events, prevent what is preventable, and better prepare us for other circumstances beyond their immediate control.
Progressives believe in jobs, jobs, JOBS! Not in China, or Mexico, or India, or Brazil, but American jobs, right here in our own country, and they think that it is pretty dodgy that the same folks who shipped all those jobs overseas are the ones who are about to spend $1/2 billion supporting the anti-progressive candidates in the next election.
(Reader’s inner dialogue)
Oh, wait! Weren't jobs supposed to be created by letting the rich conservatives trickle em down to us? Oh right, that never worked. Oh crap, I really might be a Progressive! My Dad will be so disappointed...
Every Progressive loves their “Freedoms” just as much as Sarah Palin.
Progressives want to live, work, and love, without some government politician spying on/in the doctor’s office, forcing probes (TV monitors included) inside the private parts of women and children.
Like anyone else, they don’t want some billionaire politician-buyer telling them to hold an aspirin between their knees and then publicly branding them whores and prostitutes, if they elect to go aspirin-free. The 16th century has come and gone. Pleasantville was just a movie, not a blueprint. When you think of Progressives, think, uh, progress...
Like anyone else, Progressives want their personal business to be their personal business, not their boss’ business.
Progressives want to worship their own personal God, or not, without some government politician forcing some state-sanctioned religion down their throats.
Like anyone else, Progressives don’t want some politician telling them how they must dress while walking down the street or whom they can love or hate or ignore. That's called liberty. It's an American invention.
Just like anyone else, Progressives would prefer to walk down the street in their own neighborhood to get some candy and a soda without getting arrested by the police or shot by an HOA toady.
Most older Progressives (just like in the Tea Party) want the politicians in government to keep their damned dirty ape-paws off of Medicare and Social Security. Entitlement? You bet they are entitled! They worked all of their lives for it and, by God, they've earned it!
(Reader’s inner dialogue)
Hey, I’m all about not getting trod on by the government and I don’t like the idea of getting cheated out of what I paid for, or shot over my new JZ hoodie and a bag of Skittles. Oh, gosh, I just know my friends will start to notice the change!..
Most Progressives are plenty conservative.
The government is supposed to collects taxes. Then they are supposed to spend that money on what Americans need, in a fiscally prudent, conservative way, without having to be babysat by their constituents who elected politicians specifically so that they could get on with their own lives without feeling like they just got fleeced. We generated a budget surplus under Bill Clinton, you know. We can do it again. The Congressional Paul Ryan Plan would add $5.4 trillion to the national debt over the next decade.
Progressives also think that we should conserve $4 billion of our tax dollars that Congress is currently giving away to the richest corporations on earth and spend the money instead on fixing roads and bridges and schools. No more bridges to nowhere. No more pet projects for political donors. No more pork. Period.
Progressives would have preferred to have conserved the trillions of our tax dollars that were blown by some politicians in government on wars based on made up reasons. As only one example, the administration under President Bush/Cheney literally lost $8-billion in cash in Iraq. Eight giant pallets worth. Filled a whole C-130. Gone. Can’t find it. Oops!
Much more importantly, every Progressive thinks that we should conserve the precious lives of our sons and daughters instead of giving the government an automatic green light to make our kids fight and die overseas in wars based on made up reasons. We had a Progressive president during WWII, but we had a real reason for that war.
Progressives believe that it’s the government’s friggin job to conserve the quality of our air, food, and water, so that all of our kids and grandkids have a livable world in the future, even if it costs a little more to keep it that way. They feel it’s worth it but wonder why some corporations don't feel the same way.
Most Progressives also take personal responsibility by steadfastly adhering to the laws of the land, remaining fully accountable, even when it hurts, but wonder why some politicians let those big “corporations are people, my friend” do everything to avoid any responsibility at all.
Progressives believe that it is NOT okay to allow for billionaires to buy their own personal politicians and Supreme Court Justices. Just ain’t American. Period.
(Reader’s inner dialogue)
That does it, Brandeis! You have ruined me for life!
Sorry.
Seriously, this is not an exhaustive list, but, if you are reading any of the above and saying to yourself, “hey, even though I’m a Republican or Libertarian, or Independent, or just plain Unaffiliated, I agree with a whole lot of that stuff,” don’t be alarmed. You were probably a Progressive all along. No one will notice if you just quietly use your head, listen to your heart, tune out all that fear and smear garbage, and vote your conscience.
J. Brandeis Sperandeo
