Democrats are finally discussing progressive values
I’m watching the DNC convention on CSpan in order to enjoy every minute and not be distracted by commentary. As much as I like the political chatter on MSNBC, I think I can decide for myself which speeches are priceless and which are “not so much” as Rachel Maddow would say.
The videos and short talks by unknowns are as fascinating to me as the longer speeches by the firebrands and the First Lady. I’m watching for words and phrases that reflect progressive values and give voters an honest look at why Democrats are a better choice at the ballot box this November. There have been times when I might mix and match GOP and DEM candidates on a ballot, but not any more. Today’s Republican Party has been hijacked by extreme free market true believers who would rather destroy our country than give an inch of ground.
Coincidentally, I read George Lakoff’s The Little Blue Book yesterday, so I was watching the convention speeches looking for and taking notes on what the underlying message themes are. The first few speeches were mostly a list of things that have already happened and high praise for President Obama. But, as the evening progressed (pun intended,) I couldn’t keep up with the note taking and was blown away by how effectively the connections were made between our beliefs and our goals.
Short summary of the differences between a progressive worldview and a free market one:
(paraphrasing from Lakoff)
Progressives believe that a democratic form of government depends on citizens caring about each other and taking responsibility for themselves and others. The moral mission of government is to protect and empower all citizens equally. The mechanism for accomplishing this is through what we call the Public, a system of public resources necessary for a decent private life and robust private enterprise. (You know the list.)
Free market conservatives hold the opposite view – that democracy exists to provide citizens with the maximum liberty to pursue their self-interest with little or no commitment to the interests of others. They believe there should be as little of the Public as possible, allowing only for the necessities such as roads, a standing army, courthouses for record keeping, etc. No one should have to pay for anyone else’s needs or opportunity for advancement. Citizens are free to sink or swim on their own abilities or lack thereof.
Although this sounds harsh to us, this emphasis on individual freedom and responsibility has a moral underpinning in the minds of radical conservatives. Fortunately, there are fewer of these true believers than we are led to believe, but they have been successful at selling their ideas by using the right words and phrases.
Lakoff says we learn about being governed by the kind of family we come from. The idealized conservative family is structured around a strict father who is the natural leader and who metes out favors and punishment as needed. He teaches that the world is a dangerous place and uses tough love to teach his children self discipline. This self discipline is the most likely path to financial and social success.
Based on this philosophy, people who have prospered deserve their prosperity and should not be punished with taxes or have to pay taxes to support those who are not morally disciplined enough to become prosperous. Issue areas of concern include a free market with maximal privatization, sexual morality controlled by a strict father, harsh punishment in the courts and a strong military.
For progressives, the values of empathy, social responsibility, and excellence lead to a concern with issues of safety nets, public education, public health, humanitarian foreign aid and a nurturant society rather than a punitive one.
What we progressives have been doing is allowing the radical conservatives to frame the issues we debate and then trap ourselves by always rebutting instead of initiating the conversation. For example, we’ve been forced to discuss health care in economic terms instead of in moral terms. Lakoff says even using a term like “single payer” implies that the most important frame of reference is economic – who is going to pay? He much prefers “Medicare for all” because it reflects the value of caring for each other. There are many more examples in this little book, and I hope many of you will buy it, read it, and practice using progressive frames of reference in your conversations, emails and letters to the editor.
Back to the convention speeches – - of course Michelle Obama made my heart sing, but I already admire her so much it would have been hard for her to let me down.
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