Thank you for writing a perceptive critique of our dysfunctional political system! It is also refreshing that you, unlike many, provide advice to correct the situation. I have a few comments.
“Even before the industrial-scale money unleashed by the 2010 Supreme Court decision legitimizing unlimited donations, the system was already awash in money.”
The Citizens United Supreme Court decision did not legitimize unlimited donations to a candidate or his campaign. It allowed corporations and unions to create super political action committees that blanket the news media with attack adds of an “unfriendly” candidate or support adds of a “friendly” candidate.
Another problem is that our members of Congress have to “pay to play”. Internal party rules require members to raise funds to be on committees. The more important the committee the greater the sum of political party funding the member must raise. This is a source of corruption since it is much easier for a member to raise party contributions from lobbyists than from the general public.
“Progressives trumpet democratic socialism, as if Denmark — a tiny economy with a small population — has a model that can be applied here in the U.S. Conservatives react with horror since they fear whole-scale income redistribution.”
Even if the wealthy are taxed at 70% there will not be enough revenue in the U.S. to fund democratic socialism. If corporations are excessively taxed they will just relocate to less punitive countries. The burden of democratic socialism will be on what remains of the middle class.
“The comparison completely misrepresents Medicare for All since it is primarily a payment mechanism, while the government in the U.K. is both a payer and the operator of hospitals — a far cry from Medicare for All.”
Although it has been concealed until recently, I think Medicare-for-All proponents advocate elimination of existing private health insurance and private medical facilities. They envision a system comparable to the Veterans Administration medical system of the past with long wait periods to schedule an appointment with a physician and substandard facilities.
“Remove the barriers to entry to alternative candidates or parties. The public must insist that politicians carefully review ways of getting alternative candidates on to ballots and to give them access to media outlets to get out their ideas. In many respects, our current parties have failed us. We must be willing to support new ideas and new political movements.”
The Constitution protects the right to assemble which applies to political parties. However, too many citizens vote for their favorite party candidates with no evaluation of the individual’s qualifications. Many states provide the ballot option of a straight party vote. While it saves time in the voting booth it allows citizens to indiscriminately vote. With more convenient voting methods (early voting and vote by mail or internet) wait times will be less of an issue. One possibility to reduce political party influence is for the states to eliminate the option of candidates declaring their affiliated party for the ballot.
