What would it take for the "Great Society" to return?

[DerekG]

I am deeply disappointed that only few of the Democratic nominees have openly addressed the plight of the destitute. Repealing Bush's egregious tax cut will do so much; only Kucinich, Braun and Sharpton have spoken of the need to reduce the military budget. As many of you know, more than a quarter of our children lives below the poverty line, and yet the Democratic heavyweights can do nothing but address the fears of the dwindling middle class (i.e. social security, pensions). In short, I fear that the future presidential candidate will follow in the footsteps of Carter and Clinton.

Frankly, I'm appalled that the Democratic Party has not sought to reach out to our most desperate citizens since the 60's--more than three goddamn decades ago!! What would it take for another Great Society program to occur?

[StandWatie]

1. another Great Depression

[WilliamPitt]

2. A rolling victory in 2004 that sweeps liberal Dems into Congress

with a good majority, and a President adept at riding herd over that crew.

So get to work. :)

[sierrak9s]

3. How about

Evidence that the first one worked.

[jagguy]

4. you have to warn people

I almost fell out of my chair I was laughing so hard !

Touche !

[edward]

5. Yes, we are all tired of equal rights.

Silly Johnson helping african-americans in the South to vote.

[DerekG]

10. It WAS working...

A good portion of its programs were a success. Lyndon's war against Vietnamese peasants killed it, however. It turns out that you can't be a savior and a sadist--LBJ's role in history will probably be of the latter.

[cprise]

6. It needs to be better than that

The Great Society was A) half-hearted B) overshadowed by red-scares C) did not secure a truly public media.

It is time for us to learn something from others, and this time it will mean implementing 1) coalition-building and social-democracy 2) real public media like the BBC 3) universal healthcare. In other words, a re-assertion of the value of public enterprise to American life (although not to the exclusion of the private sector).

[PATRICK]

7. A "Great American Public"

That is wise enough not to get sandbagged by a Depression and wars like the "Greatest" generation did before it was able to win it all- temporarily. We might be the "lousiest generation" because we should know better, are better educated, have no horrid crises to justify our fearful lurches to extremism. (Though NOW we do.)

[LoneStarLiberal]

8. A Time Machine

The only thing that will bring about a new Great Society or New Deal will be a time machine to travel back to visit these times.

It can never work today. The people who must be convinced to buy into it are too selfish and too self-interested to believe that anything besides imprisoning people and bombing other countries solves problems.

[Proletariat]

9. When was our society great?

Just wondering

[edward]

11. When great?

Before the Democratic Party became a wing of the Republicans.

[DerekG]

14. A fair question..

This country was founded on a campaign of genocide directed towards its native inhabitants; this country's prosperity was solidified due to the enslavement of the Africans.

Nevertheless, America was gradually becoming a more liberal society as the decades rolled on. The 60's were the pinnacle of the progressive movement: politicians were forced to accomodate the demands of its citizenry. It took LBJ's decision to sell his soul to the war machine, and the systematic murders of our prophets, and the Reagan revolution, to negate this.

[dolstein]

12. Four things

First, eliminate the national debt, and restore the United States to a position of unparallel economic supremacy over the rest of the world.

Second, restore people's faith in effective, honest, responsible government.

Third, put into the White House a president with the political skills of a Lyndon Johnson.

Fourth, give the Democrats a working majority in Congress and replace the current right-wing leadership of the Republican Party with moderates.

[sangh0]

13. What would it take

to get a progressive to look at the future and not at the past?