Winter is officially here

But despite the disaster of the Trump presidency, progressive ideas are winning. More and more Americans want the minimum wage to be a living wage. They want to create millions of good jobs rebuilding crumbling infrastructure. They want a Medicare-for-all health care system. They want to make public colleges and universities tuition free. They want to transform our energy system away from fossil fuel. They want the wealthy to begin paying their fair share of taxes. They want criminal justice reform and comprehensive immigration reform. Real change will not be led from Washington, DC. It will be led at the grassroots level in 50 states throughout the country. Just keep up the pressure, and it will transform the country.

But it's not just for the country - the world would be fine if it wasn't for capitalism. Productivity sets the limit of population growth.  As we all know, politicians and business lead the calls for "growth", because this is the measure of a successful economy. Only problem is the issue of population increase is conveniently forgotten in this argument.

As is clearly demonstrated, we are desperately seeking another planet. Why? Because we know we are consuming all the world's resources but we are unwilling to question the fundamental tenets of advanced capitalist society. The failure of the socialist revolution of the 20th century has tarnished the natural alternative to capitalism; socialism. We must again begin this discussion, with lessons learnt from past mistakes, to create a viable alternative to neoliberal capitalism.

The terrain is vast and open, the tools of change have already been created. Our will can create freedom while still building a cage. Personal freedoms can exist in so many ways and I see capitalism as a prison for many of these.

By caging capital forces we can subordinate them to our needs, and never again be an appendage of the machine. We can engage in activities outside of wage labour and consumerism without fear or shame. Personal choice would be increased at the same rate as decreased dependence on wage labour. There would be an alternative, a baseline existence, a place for everyone. Enter the cage to compete to top up and succeed.  That is my dream.

OK so how does this translate to votes? Let us throw a few policy ideas out there:

1. A 4 day standard working week with a view to reducing this to 3 over time.

2. The regulation of the illicit drug market and an end to the "war on drugs". This will signal an ideological revolutution.

3. Lifelong education as the centre piece of our new world, and learning that extends beyond the limitation of the market.

4. With prison capacity high due to the end of ideological drug incarcerations, real criminals who inflict harm on others can be dealt with appropropriately. Domestic violence would be targeted as the number 1 priority of a new system.