The 10-Point Program Update

The Program

1. Get control of climate-changing gases.
2. Preserve our biosphere.
3. Rebuild our relations with the world.
4. Visualize our children’s / grandchildren’s society, and the implications of that vision.
5. Reform the UN Charter.
6. Get control of armaments.
7. Establish clearly the political dimensions of privacy and of permissible government intrusions into it.
8. Provide health care to our people.
9. Electoral reform.
10. End the "War on Drugs" (or at least give it some focus on the more harmful ones).




These are long-term goals, but it is worth seeing where progress is being made, where potential progress can be identified, and where there is no sign of progress whatsoever.



It doesn't necessarily follow that the effort should go where there is no progress, as perhaps the efficient way to go is to focus where there is potential progress or in the making. Nothing comes on the list, though, unless we take something off: we're pay as you go.



1. Get control of climate-changing gases. This looks like the effort of a generation or more, once it gets started, and in terms of real action, it's started elsewhere but not here. On the other hand, bipartisan support is rapidly developing for the items that are most urgent, certain, and critical from the US. The key will be focusing their mobilization in the short run around these items. In the long run, we can make the difficult decisions, the ones that require more time and research, about types of biofuels, coal liquification, nuclear power, etc. Right now, it's establishing some sort of handle on total emissions and improving vehicle fuel standards, along with appropriating money for research intelligently.


2. Preserve our biosphere. This is one we better well hope will never be taken off the table. That would mean either the collapse of humanity (which would take it out of our hands), or something worse. This one can't be considered to be going well until we start reversing the decline in habitat for virtually every type of ecosystem (excluding living on the margins of human society).

3. Rebuild our relations with the world. This should be the easiest one. It will basically only require the replacement of George W. Bush--any Democrat would be an improvement, and even most of the stiffs currently under consideration for the Republican nomination (excepting Gingrich).

Britain, France, and Germany all have new, friendly leaders dying for us to show some reason. I'm not going to bother suggesting things for the Bushites, but I expect to refer to this objective frequently in evaluating 2008 candidates.

4. Visualize our children’s / grandchildren’s society, and the implications of that vision. Not much going on so far with this one. In the next few years, though, this will necessarily emerge as a key area which will allow quality candidates to emerge.

5. Reform the UN Charter. A long way off, it seems.
6. Get control of armaments. Not going well.
With regard to domestic gun control, I'm worried that many believe that closing a few legal loopholes in tracking gun registration, or improving instant background checks, will do the job. The barn door's already been left open too long. What we need is improved homeland security--the subject of a separate discussion.
Internationally, nuclear nonproliferation will see only unfavorable results for a while, I'm afraid. I suggest we start our efforts by fighting the development of new nuclear weapons in this country.

7. Establish clearly the political dimensions of privacy and of permissible government intrusions into it. This is clearly post-Bushite business. At this point, I want to hear Democratic candidates show how they can use this issue against the party of the Bushites.

8. Provide health care to our people. I expect this to be the #2 issue in the '08 election behind Iraq/GWOT, and a real strong issue for the Democrats. Let's see.
9. Electoral reform. Too late for actual improvements in this cycle, but I would like to hear some ideas from the candidates.
10. End the "War on Drugs". Little to no hope for progress in the short run. What I'm looking for in general from the society is some consideration of what the actual health risks look like--which drugs are causing the fatalities, the ruined families, the suicides? That way we can at least have the focus on the more harmful ones.

By my count, we have short-term optimism around #1, 3, and 8; but pessimism on #2, 4, 5,6, 9 and 10. #7, like the ones where I'm optimistic, and #9, are the ones I'll be monitoring closely for ideas coming out of candidates this time around.