SAFEGUARDING DEMOCRACY
WKHPRVWVWXGHQWGHEWZKLOHPDQ\RWKHUFRXQWULHVR̆ HUIUHHXQLYHUVL - W\HGXFDWLRQ«,WKDVWKHKLJKHVWLQFDUFHUDWLRQUDWH ZLWKRQO\RI WKHZRUOG¶VSHRSOHWKH86KDVRIWKHZRUOG¶VSULVRQHUV´ 6ZDQVRQFRQWLQXHV³7KH86VWDQGVRXWGUDPDWLFDOO\LQWHUPVRI 86PLOLWDULVP«7KH86KDVQRSHHULQPLOLWDU\VSHQGLQJ WULOOLRQDFURVVDJHQFLHVDQGH[SHQVHVLQ 7KH86PLOLWDU\LVWKH ODUJHVWHPSOR\HULQWKHZRUOG«7KH86KDVEDVHVRXWVLGHRI WKHFRXQWU\ PDQ\KRVWHGE\GLFWDWRUVKLSV«7KH86PLOLWDU\ VSHQGLQJLVZDVWHIXODQGXQDFFRXQWDEOH«7KH86OHDGVWKHZRUOGLQ the number of wars it takes part in, the nations it bombs, the nations it strikes with military drones. … No other countries have done remotely DQ\WKLQJOLNHWKLVOHYHORIZDU¿JKWLQJIDUIURPWKHLURZQERUGHUV´ +RZGLGWKH86EHFRPHVRXQHTXDOFRPSDUHGWRRWKHUFRXQWULHV" )RU VWDUWHUV 86 FRPSDQLHV GLG QRW VKDUH SURGXFWLYLW\ JDLQV ZLWK VWD̆ ²DFRPPRQSUDFWLFHGRQHLQRWKHUGHYHORSHGQDWLRQV3URJUHV - VLYHWD[DWLRQH[LVWHGLQWKH86EHIRUHWKH ± HUDRI5HD - JDQ WD[ FXWV ZKHQ WKH WRS LQGLYLGXDO WD[ UDWH GURSSHG IURP WR 7KLVDFWLRQVHWLQPRWLRQWUHQGVRIERWKLQFUHDVLQJLQHTXDOLW\LQ WKH86DQGH[SDQGLQJKLJKIHGHUDO¿VFDOGH¿FLWVGXULQJWKH\HDUV since then. %DODQFHG EXGJHWV DQG ¿VFDO UHVSRQVLELOLW\ PDWWHUV 7KH ZD\V DQG PHDQV RI UHGXFLQJ GH¿FLWV DQG QDWLRQDO GHEW PDWWHUV $Q\ IXUWKHU GH¿FLWIXQGHGWD[FXWVIRUWKHXOWUDULFKDQGFRUSRUDWLRQVLQWKH&RQ - gressional budget Continuing Resolution 1968 are totally in the wrong direction. The Reagan cuts to a progressive form of taxation, a main FDXVHRIIHGHUDOGH¿FLWVVKRXOGEHUHYLVLWHGDQGUROOHGEDFNWKRXJK unlikely. With the military, intelligence and related spending compris- LQJRYHURIWKH86GLVFUHWLRQDU\IHGHUDOEXGJHWDQGZLWKKDOIRI 'HSDUWPHQWRI'HIHQVHVSHQGLQJIRXQGPLVVLQJLQIDLOHGDXGLWVWKH military sector should be the top target for cost cutting measures, in- VWHDGRIUHFHLYLQJDQH[WUDELOOLRQLQ+5 ([LVWLQJVDIHW\QHWSURJUDPVOLNH61$3IRRGDVVLVWDQFH0HGLFDLG 0HGLFDUH DQG 6RFLDO 6HFXULW\ DQG PDQ\ ZRUWK\ HVVHQWLDO GRPHV - tic programs must be safeguarded, not weakened and sabotaged or dismantled, bearing the brunt of massive abrupt cuts, as is currently taking place. In stark contrast, democratic good governance entails legally vetted administrators strategically setting up and adjusting DJHQF\ V\VWHPV DQG SURFHVVHV WR RSWLPL]H SHUIRUPDQFH DELGLQJ E\ the legislative mandate and in consultation with legislative oversight DQG EDVHG RQ WHQHWV RI ³RUJDQL]DWLRQDO GHYHORSPHQW´ JXLGHG E\ WKH DJHQF\¶VVWDNHKROGHUV 6ZDQVRQ FRQFOXGHV WKDW ³7KH 86 KDV EHHQ GHWHUPLQHG WR EH DQ oligarchy in which the wealthy largely determines government poli- cy.” Over the last decades, thousands of investigative books have been ZULWWHQ RQ WKH VXEMHFW RI V\VWHPLF FRUUXSWLRQ LQ WKH 86 DV ZHOO DV RQSURSRVHGDOWHUQDWLYHVROXWLRQVZLWKGR]HQVRIWKHPRQP\ERRN - shelves. What are the Take-Aways? Several lessons learned emerged from the examples of Bhutan, the 'DODL/DPD¶VYLVLRQWKH1RUGLF0RGHO(XURSHDQJRRGSUDFWLFHVDQG ¿JKWLQJ FRUUXSWLRQ DV DSSOLHG WR WKH PXOWLFULVLV FKDOOHQJHV IDFLQJ America and the world. What these examples have in common is a unifying principle of a universal ethic of our common humanity, val- ues of empathy, caring and compassion that are translated into polit- ical will and action for the common good, coupled with ethical mer- it-based, service-oriented leadership. These key takeaways must chart our way forward: • Strategic planning exercises with participatory input can set policy or program aims and activities for the common good,
with progress measured by indicators.
• A competitive free market of productive capitalistic enter- SULVHVWKDWD̆ RUGJRRGMREVXQGHUJLUGVHFRQRPLFSURVSHULW\ YHUVXVVHWWLQJWDUL̆ VRQWUDGHWKDWDUHEDVLFDOO\DVDOHVWD[RQ foreign goods. • Strong trade union representation is well suited to promote DQGSURWHFWWKHULJKWVRIZRUNHUV0HPEHUVKLSLQWUDGHXQLRQV LQWKH86KDVIDOOHQIURPLQWKH ¶VWRDURXQG today. Laws for labor rights and protections can be informed by standards of other developed nations. • Progressive taxation both ensures funding for healthy levels of government public services and a social safety net, and low- ers income inequality. • 'DUN PRQH\ DQG FDPSDLJQ GRQDWLRQV IURP ZHDOWK\ VSHFLDO LQWHUHVWVLQFOXGLQJIRUHLJQLQWHUHVWVFUHDWHDQRXWVL]HGLQÀX - HQFHRQRXUHOHFWHGṘ FLDOVPDNLQJFDPSDLJQ¿QDQFHUHIRUP and countering the &LWL]HQV8QLWHG court ruling a topmost pri- ority. • The compromised actions and poor system of elections by po- litical parties need to be evaluated for election integrity, with election reforms enacted like those of the campaigns of Rep- UHVHQW8V . • Adopt and enforce anti-corruption and transparency legal measures and codes of conduct for government, corporations and business alike, starting with the reinstatement of Inspec- WRUV *HQHUDO DQG GUDZLQJ RQ ¿QGLQJV IURP DQWLFRUUXSWLRQ groups like Transparency International and Corporate Ac- countability. • Counter and stop us-versus-them thinking and negative label- LQJRIWKHRWKHUSDUWLHV¶PHPEHUV,QVWHDGHQJDJHLQUHVSHFW - ful, constructive dialogue and debate as modeled by Braver Angels. • Find common ground along the lines of the Third Way initia- WLYHVHHNLQJWRGH¿QHDFHQWULVWSRVLWLRQUHFRQFLOLQJOHIWULJKW politics by merging components of the economically liberal PRGHODQGWKHVRFLDOGHPRFUDWLFSROLFLHVOLNHWKH1RUGLF0RG - el. • Reclaim the peaceful foreign policy President John F. Ken- QHG\HQYLVLRQHGZKHQKHIRXQGHGWKH3HDFH&RUSVDQG86 $JHQF\IRU,QWHUQDWLRQDO'HYHORSPHQW QRZODUJHO\GLVPDQ - WOHGDORQJZLWKWKH0LOOHQQLXP&KDOOHQJH&RUSRUDWLRQ UH - GXFHPLOLWDULVWLFVSHQGLQJDQGPRELOL]HZLGHVSUHDGDQWLZDU movements. The democratic Constitutional principles, rule of law and norms of basic fairness and decency that are the foundation of good gover- QDQFH DUH XQGHU H[WUHPH WKUHDW E\ DQ XQṘ FLDO HQWLW\¶V DUELWUDU\ QRQWUDQVSDUHQWDQGLQHSWSURFHVVHVRIEODQNHWVWD̆ OD\R̆ VKXJHFXWV and closing of federal agencies established by Congress, leaving us all ZRUVHR̆ 7KHVHJURVVYLRODWLRQVE\WKH3UHVLGHQF\DUHEHLQJDFWLYHO\ RSSRVHG LQ FRXUW DQG FDOOHG RXW E\ HOHFWHG Ṙ FLDOV DQG E\ SHRSOH¶V FROOHFWLYHDFWLRQVLJQLWLQJD¿UHVWRUPRIUHVLVWDQFH /DXULH 7LPPHUPDQQ LV D UHWLUHG JOREDO GHYHORSPHQW VSHFLDOLVW with prior experience managing food aid and livelihood programs IRU\HDUVLQ$IULFDQFRXQWULHV:LWK,'(LQ'HQYHUVKHVXSSRUWHG VPDOOIDUPHUOLYHOLKRRGSURJUDPVLQ$VLDIRU\HDUV$VDQ$IULFDUH SURJUDPPDQDJHULQ'&IRU\HDUVVKHDVVLVWHGFRRUGLQDWLQJUX - UDOKHDOWKDQGZDWHUSURMHFWDFWLYLWLHVLQ$IULFDDPRQJKHUPDQ\ RWKHUDVVLJQPHQWV6KHFDQEHUHDFKHGDWSODQHWDU\FLWL]HQ#SURWRQ - PDLOFRP
PATHWAYS—Summer 25—37
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