The Election is just the Beginning

While thinking about the election results I have had these thoughts:

The assumtion that Obama would win along with majorities of Democrats in both houses has been established.  I assume that what Obama and the Democrats will be restrained by are myths about "lack of money" and by the conservative segment of Democrats in Congress.  I assume that few people think we can organize a mass movement at this time to advocate meaningful social and political change in an era of possibly unprecedented and governmental realignment.

I assume, rather optimistically, that a large number of people, especially young people and people of color, were activated by the election campaign and that some of them are interested in continuing to be active even now that the election is over.

In this situation what can progressives do to advance the cause of fundamental reform  in the U.S.?

I suggest trying to organize local activists to fight to move the Obama administration to the causes of people not corporations  on specific issues:

1) Government action for full employment and stopping the economic downturn, asserting a "RIGHT TO A JOB" as a basic human right. This should be based on a willingness to engage in very large deficit spending, on the scale of the bailout to the banks already adopted. to support local government in avoiding layoffs, to support infrastructure repairs and improvements, and to develop renewable energy sources.

2) Government creation of a single-payer universal health insurance system asserting a "RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE" as a basic human right. The system should eliminate the wasteful private insurance companies and replace them by "Medicare for all." with its much lower cost and its elimination of exclusions based on "prior conditions." The claim that "entitlements" to medical care will create "unaffordable deficits" in the future is nonsense in an economy capable of doubling the real GNP in a generation, as it did in the period 1946-1976.

3) Government action to insure affordable housing for all, by government guarantee and where necessary subsidy for mortgages to those who want to buy housing, and a large increase in the Section 8 subsidies for rental housing, which is vital for those likely to have to move to maintain employment or who can't afford mortgage payments at their stage of life. The "RIGHT TO HOUSING"  should be clearly demanded. This should include a "housing first" policy for the homeless, regardless of their problems; if their problems involve mental health, drug abuse, or lack of job skills they should have the right to treatment for these conditions but should not be thrown onto the streets for failure to get treatment.

4) The "RIGHT TO UNIONIZE" should be made a reality by adopting the policies currently advocated by the unions, and Federal policy should preempt the ability of state laws to restrict unionization.

These seem to be the high priority rights which the public opinion polls show are popularly supported; there are no doubt other domestic programs which could be made the basis for mass organization of pressure on Congress. On all these issues the people who were activated by the election could be kept active by programs of making demands on Congress and the Obama administration. On all of these issues we can find members of Congress who are willing to stick their neck out with such "radical" reformist laws and appropriations - e.g. Barney Frank on housing, Dermott on single-payer health, and so on. Pressure should be directed at the local Representatives and the Senators, but support should also be directed to particularly active Congress members who can lead on these issues.