Another exchange of letters

A reader responded to my column:

Rich,

I am sorry I did not respond to your letter you sent awhile back. I didn't mean to be rude-I just couldn't get around to it. I should also say your points were well-taken and argued.

I may have liberal views, but there are some things I am concerned about: if I favor government programs in some cases (as in the case of health care), I also am concerned we don't get rid of social programs once they have outlived their usefulness. Ag subsidies, for instance. These support the system of industrial agriculture that have destroyed the small independent (family) farm, and the land and degraded the quality of our food supply and ruined our hopes for a truly ecologically, economically, and culturally sustainable agriculture in this country.
There should also be limits to government even though we do not agree on those limits. And, yes, the Constitution should be amended if it needs to reflect the times we live in without violating its basic integrity. One needed amendment: a land ethic, which should be second in importance to freedom of speech and religion, the central right from which all other rights extend. The Founding Fathers could never have anticipated the terrible abuse and damage we have done to the environment.

Sorry, but talk radio is downright venomous, especially since it reaches a much wider audience and inflames passions by demonizing liberals. It has done it’ part to divide our country, making it impossible to have a productive discussion on the critical issues of our time. We should be talking to one another rather than listening to talk radio, we might even learn something. I stopped going to peace rallies, because it seemed they were as much about Bush bashing (although I was very critical of the Bush Administration) as they were about, rightly, questioning the whole neo-con policy of pre-emptive war. I find liberals sometimes to be as arrogant and close-minded as true-believer conservatives.

Despite my liberal views, I subscribe to and am an avid reader of Imprimus, a conservative speech digest out of Hillsdale College. There, I encounter intelligent conservative discourse on a range of issues from respectable (mostly) academics, public intellectuals, historians, policy makers, foreign policy experts, think tank members (with the exception of featuring Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin-and I voiced my displeasure to them for including those two). I often do not buy their arguments, but I find the pieces stimulating and thought-provoking.

I do not share your faith in capitalism. Capitalism is just another flawed (and unsustainable) economic system; it works for people who are gifted entrepreneurs and business people, but everyone's gifts do not lie in those areas. Some people have to do the world's work, and these people often feel the brunt of capitalism. Capitalism coupled with our culture of radical libertarian individualism has resulted in real suffering for some people in this country, and it has done some real damage to the environment (as did Soviet communism-both systems are industrial economies that have been brutal to people and the land). My preference is communalism, that is, living in a voluntary association known as the community where we look out for each other and help each other out.

I really do not think the two party system works-some of our Founding Fathers were suspicious of parties (or "factions") and rightly so. I favor a NO party system, maybe a Constitutional amendment stating that every candidate for political office has to run as an independent pledged to solve our common problems, work with people who have other views, and uphold our Constitution. Private donations to political campaigns (THE corrupting force in American politics) should be banned-I would gladly have our taxes pay for political campaigns (to the extent that it gets the message out there and pays for travel and debates, etc.), which should be limited to a period extending from the day after Labor Day to the day before Election Day (anymore I anticipate every election season with dread). I refuse to donate to political campaigns because I oppose private donations and I am not afraid to say this when I am solicited. I do NOT belong to any political party.

The two party system, partisan politics are destroying or at least seriously damaging our country-no terrorist could do the damage that the two party system has done. Our country is nearly hopelessly divided.

Yes, I do believe in a post-ideological politics and I do point this out to my liberal friends. I see my own liberal views as something I bring to the table, but I most believe in the Politics of the Third Way-synergy-where debating and pooling our ideas results in solutions that are even better than what we bring to the table.

As far as making private donations to charity or to help people out-I do what I can within the scope of my limited resources-I haven't gotten exactly rich. I believe we each must do whatever we can to bring some goodness into the world. I should also add that neither conservatives or liberals (if your figures are accurate) tithe. Also lower income people give a higher percentage of their income than wealthy people.

Finally, what is insurance? It is paying my money for someone else to use. Is this socialism? No, but it operates on a similar principle and I think it is reprehensible that health insurance companies can drop coverage or deny coverage on the basis of preexisting conditions. Moreover, I think it is criminal; it is swindling.

Canadians and Brits are baffled and dismayed by the way their healthcare systems are getting trashed in this country, especially the lies and propaganda and distortions we hear. They are actually reasonably satisfied with these systems, more than Americans are with theirs. We cannot get the truth about those systems in this country. Maybe single-payer is not the way we should go, but we haven't even had an honest vetting of that option.

The direction healthcare reform is now taking is going to prove disastrous, I think. Congrats on your new column. I'll look forward to reading it. I hope someday you can come around to being an advocate for the politics of the Third Way. Conservatism has its shortcomings, too, not just liberalism. I was not one of the people who applied to be a columnist-it's enough to get out that occasional letter to the editor!