Sam and Emma host Harvey Kaye, professor emeritus of democracy at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, and Alan Minsky, executive director of the Progressive Democrats of America, to discuss their recent mission statement published in Common Dreams, the 21st Century Economic Bill of Rights. However, Emma and Sam first dive into yesterday’s mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas, walking through the mass boom in gun sales over the past two years, the common link between mass shooters and violence against women, and the ahistorical neoliberal view that gun control is a revolutionary concept in the US. Then, they’re joined by Professor Harvey Kaye and executive director Alan Minsky as they dive into the history of economic bills of rights, first proposed in the US by FDR as a centerpiece to his 1944 State of the Union, built on his economic declaration of rights and his concept of the four freedoms (speech, worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear), and looking to support the rights people wanted to see enumerated after World War II, seeing healthcare and jobs, particularly, as central to defeating the constraints of need. These concepts were then picked up by the democratic party under Truman, and even framed as the party platform in 1960 ahead of JFK’s candidacy. Next, Kaye and Minsky walk through the 10 rights present in the 21st Century Declaration, including universal healthcare, the right to education and the internet, affordable and accessible housing, a clean environment, support at birth and in retirement, a fair justice system, sound financial services, and a right to recreation and participation in democratic life, all of which, as they walk through, are tied to current legislation supported by Bernie Sanders, the squad, and other progressives. Next, they dive into the rhetorical element of this fight, perhaps the one in which we have the longest to go, first looking at the relationship between liberty and governing powers, before diving into what a productive future for a progressive left in the US would look like, both in terms of changing the conversation and building on the CPC’s existing role in the Democratic Party.

And in the Fun Half: Emma and Sam talk with John from San Antonio as he dives into the more hopeful elements of the state of our politics, from unionization to Jessica Cisneros’ continued hope, before they address Nancy Pelosi’s robocall in support of an anti-choice anti-gun-control candidate, the massive Georgia turnout, and how we could see a positive drive for Democratic turnout in the midterms. David from Grand Junction discusses corporate America’s refusal to hire amid their mindless drive for efficiency, teacher Lauren calls in on rising COVID rates in schools, and Isaac has an extensive conversation on Saudi Arabia’s conflict in Yemen. In returning to the shooting, Sam and Emma discuss Beto O’Rourke performing maybe his first genuinely emotional political stunt, Newsmax pitching more cops in school once again, despite the myriad cops that were at this school who just decided to get themselves out of danger and leave it to the teachers, and Matt Walsh hails State Farm while Crowder goes full fash, plus, your calls and IMs!

Check out Harvey and Alan’s work here: https://www.commondreams.org/views/2022/04/25/time-has-come-progressives-rescue-and-renew-american-democracy

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