#History provides us with the enormous opportunity as both individuals and society to learn and adapt. Take the presidency of Jimmy Carter, who was tasked at reviving a morally corrupt federal government, while tackling stagflation & global multiple conflicts. 1/4 #ClimateChange
From a new #biography on the 39th president: "Carter proposed investing in clean energy, imagining a U.S. independent of Arab oil. His constituents just wanted to know when the pumps would start flowing again." 2/4 #ClimateChange#BookReviewajc.com/life/jimmy-car…
Instead of adapting to new economic conditions, placing #sustainability at the forefront, America chose the politically more digestible Republican argument. Today, we face a similar choice that is geometrically more consequential. 3/4 #Election2020#ClimateChange
Humanity sits at the abyss. Fascism and authoritarianism have enveloped much of the world. Anti-intellectualism is normative, with scientific illiteracy reigning in America. For humanity to survive we need leaders who embrace #science and morals. We need a new Jimmy Carter. 4/4
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Modern Liberal Democracy entails: 1. Effective participation 2. Voting equality 3. Enlightened understanding by the electorate 4. Control of the legislative agenda through voting 5. Inclusiveness
Does American democracy meet any or all of these criteria? #election2020 1/9
In a real democracy the person who wins the most votes wins. In America the EC/SCOTUS handed the election to GWB, in a nakedly partisan manner, then Trump. The Democrats had 16-yrs to rectify the situation, but did nothing, b/c impotence is their M.O. 2/9 nytimes.com/2019/02/28/opi…
Under Obama @TheDemocrats "share of seats in the United States Senate has fallen from 59 to 48. They’ve lost 62 House seats, 12 governorships, and 958 seats in state legislatures." How was that possible? 3/9 vox.com/policy-and-pol…
Liberal democracy is predicated on pluralism & effective participation. For example, in Europe, no one ever shrieks that your vote belongs to any faction. In fact, the Greens are a major party in Germany and France. Europe has PR & multi-round voting. #SusanSarandon 1/4
Would critics prefer these people not vote altogether? Did Democrats say Ross Perot couldn't run? Did any DP leader say Bloomberg -a Republican- had no right to run in DP primaries? Unless you live in a swing state, 3rd parties have no impact on the EC. 2/4
The Democratic Party & GOP are right wing business parties, disinterested in progressive politics. There is no left wing party, despite the majority agreeing with left wing policies. The DP sandbagged @ewarren & crooked @BernieSanders (2x) to protect corporate interests. 3/4