How Will You Pay For It?

The first question (after congratulations) a reporter asks the newly elected official with ambitious , progressive plans is: where is the money to pay for all this? This is what they are asking AMLO, Mexico's new "populist" president and it is what they will ask the young, idealistic candidates I met at the recent DSA statewide meeting held in Helena. While campaigning, the rhetoric is filled with new programs to help all the disadvantaged people, all wonderful reforms that would make working class life and/or poverty more tolerable. But in a capitalist democracy the money has to come from somewhere, from an "already tight budget".

You can propose to expand the pie, and most politicians do. More economic growth for everyone will produce a new surplus! It's a win win! Till Capital looks at your "progressive proposals" and decides to go on strike, create a little downturn in the "business cycle", and poof! there goes your surplus, time to tighten belts. Or the Climate Folks start harping about the fossil fuel it takes to bring on your economic growth and you have to lie there at night, knowing the bargain you are making with the devil.

The old song by Alvin Lee goes: Tax the Rich, Feed the Poor, Till there are no, Poor no more. I'd love to change the world, but I don't know what to do.

The DSA has embarked on an ambitious "electoral strategy" because they believe power lies in the government of by and for the people. Democracy at work. Self rule. Leftists and "Progressives" are gaga after the primary win of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez but she will quickly run into the question of "balanced budgets" and raising taxes and the coalition gets strained. This is where you have to bring in all the millions of new "green" jobs to keep the economy humming.

When asked "What is a socialist?", NY state Senate candidate Julia Salazar said: "To have a vision of a world where everyone is taken care of...in which people are valued over profit, in which everyone has access to the things they need..." This is the idealist version, with no mention of ownership of the means of production.