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Sally Buxbaum Hunt is a Sexual Education, Sex-Positive, Separation of Church and State Activist and Organizer, and a Progressive. Here we talk about demarcating the lines between progressive and non-progressive for 2019.
When we opened the conversation, the main purpose was to focus on progressives and the definition of modern progressivism. Hunt stated how, to her, this meant advocating for the most overly burdened, marginalized, and struggling citizens.
Some of whom would including the poor, the minority populations, the middle class, and the working class. The point is to be willing to advocate for policy change better suited to those populations of the country.
Hunt stated, “I think this is the difference between progressives and moderate Democrats who would not necessarily identify as progressives. I think we have to be both. I think we have to be a progressive and liberal democrat. But the progressive part is the most important part.”
The advocacy for the changes in the society at those needed levels characterizes the fundamental basis of modern progressivism to Hunt. Because the current status quo benefits the rich while also haring the poor, the working class, and the middle class, and simply overburdening them even more.
When I asked about some specific policy changes now, Hunt remarked, certainly, on the increase in taxes on the rich. Other items that came to mind were Medicare for all and universal healthcare.
She notes that the United States as a very wealthy country could afford it.
It means that we are advocating for changes in policy that will benefit people who need changes, who are hurt and suffering because of the status quo. The status quo favors the richest people in the nation.
It causes more suffering in the working class, the middle class, and the poor; it makes them poorer and even more burdened.
“It would not be too difficult. It would be like every other developed nation in the world. It has to happen. People are sicker and more in debt, poorer than they have to be, which burdens employers as well,” Hunt said, “It is the employers having to cover healthcare for their employees. It makes the employees feel as if they have to be employed and not be able to leave a job that they do not like. They feel as if they cannot become self-employed and entrepreneurs because they’ll lose their healthcare.”
Hunt re-emphasized the need to raise the taxes on the rich in addition to the legalization of marijuana and the cessation of the “War on Drugs.” All these are “destroying lives” while universal healthcare and universal mental healthcare could help the nation a great deal. In addition, these could include rehabilitation programs as well.
Hunt concluded, “It needs to include drug rehabilitation programs. If we were to end this war on drugs and legalize drugs, instead of treating it as criminal activities, we would, actually, treat people and help them to get past their addictions and mental health issues leading to the drug use in the first place. The education inequality, education should be federally funded and equally. It should not depend on property taxes.”
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- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the Preamble, Article 16, and Article 25(2).
- Convention Against Discrimination in Education (1960) in Article 1.
- The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966) in Article 3, Article 7, and Article 13.
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966).
- Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979).
- Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984).
- The Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and the optional protocol (1993).
- Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), Five-year review of progress (2000), 10-year review in 2005, the 15-year review in 2010, and the 20-year review in 2015.
- United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000), and the UN Security Council additional resolutions on women, peace and security: 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2013), 2122 (2013), and 2242 (2015).
- Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children (2000).
- The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa or the “Maputo Protocol” (2003).
- Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence or the Istanbul Convention (2011) Article 38 and Article 39.
- UN Women’s strategic plan, 2018–2021
- 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
- 2015 agenda with 17 new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (169 targets for the end to poverty, combatting inequalities, and so on, by 2030). The SDGs were preceded by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) from 2000 to 2015.
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