The hillsides have been luminous of late, bathed by the slant afternoon sunlight. The deep evergreens stand out on the slopes now, but enough patches of color remain to paint an enlivening tapestry of hue and texture.
The first snowflakes have already startled us; most garden tools are in; all but two water barrels are emptied until next spring. We are eating down a bumper crop of carrots by feeding all our friends and visitors warming carrot and ginger soup, just the thing for the nip in the air.
For the avid gardener, the idea of next year’s garden seeps in, even as we finish the last chores of this year. We begin to dream and scheme: Which crops were best and why? Which are not worth repeating? What worked well? How can we do it better next time? It’s satisfying, almost comforting, to sort these thoughts of a new, more successful garden.
It is not so easy to contemplate the state of our democracy which looks like a place where a crazed animal has dug up, trampled, scratched and crushed much of our governmental system; scorned our legal system; and eroded our social connections. Legal and constitutional norms have been stomped over; human dignity and kinship have been assaulted; “freedom” has been twisted into free reign to terrorize, abuse and diminish, but nothing new has been constructed or even offered. The sulfurous fog of hatred has been spread to obscure the efforts to dismantle crucial institutions and to rig our system to benefit the richest and meanest among us. Many have been betrayed, some are still confused or unaware, many more are furious.
Right now, surveying the intended field of destruction, is the time to plan the new garden. The ongoing egregious, illegal, unconstitutional and inhumane actions are well-documented casting dark shadows over every day, trying to obscure the light of our best aspirations. This is the time for bold honesty about what has not worked well and how to do better. Our efforts to prevent the dismantling of our democracy need not assume everything should be reset just as it was. Here are some areas for action; each warrants extensive discussion, but let’s start with a few key items.
Cure health care: Start with Medicare for All, restore research, and remove profit motive from all aspects of the system. Check out Paul Krugman at https://tinyurl.com/4b5zs4m3 and Katelyn Jetelina at https://tinyurl.com/5e5uu6jh.
Secure Social Security: It is simple but not easy to fix this: remove the too-low cap on payments into the system by the highest income people.
Tame the cost of living: Housing and rental costs need a hard look (why are so many houses used for vacation rentals, or bought by investment funds looking for quick profits? Our food system is riddled with outmoded subsidies and methodologies, largely driven by monopoly companies and industrial-scale operations. Remove illegal tariffs (any declared by the president without consent of Congress); realign trading partnerships; and implement fair taxes across the board to support universal child care, health care and other key needs.
Justify the justice system: Protect courts from frivolous cases; hold judges accountable to standards and protect their independence; restore the Roberts Court to a Supreme Court by expansion with new accountability rules; strengthen independence of the Department of
Justice.
Settle immigration: This country was built by immigrants and has long thrived as new groups settle in. People afraid of those with colored skin should not govern. Make the system well-managed, fair, merciful but mindful. Get it done!
Bond with allies: Rebuild and support key alliances; stay strong though peaceful leadership, not bullying.
Elevate education: Not everyone needs a college degree, but the relentless campaign to undermine higher education is about having fewer people thinking critically and creatively. Ideally federal support should strengthen local schools while achieving universal competence in key areas.
Prioritize the planet: None of this will matter if we continue to trash our planet and ignore global warming caused by fossil fuels. We have the capability right now to fix this; big oil/gas will fight, but lies and greed are not the answer.
All these areas need intense work. Heavy lifting? Yes, indeed. If we dig and shovel (oh my aching back!) we can build an America that is strong, peaceful and prosperous, where no one is left behind, where our stewardship of the planet and our democracy will yield fine sustenance for all, especially the children now and future.
Judy Wagner lives in Northfield.