Two Ideas for the Democratic Party

Riporto qua sotto un brevissimo commento che ho mandato al Democratic Party (United States), stimolato da una loro email. Ci si prepara alle presidenziali dell'anno prossimo e il partito chiede ai comitati di base e ai volontari di condividere le proprie idee/opinioni con i vertici.
Avendo partecipato alla campagna che ha portato alla elezione di Mr Obama, ricevo news e messaggi. Non so bene cosa faranno di quanto scrivo qua sotto ma spero possa essere uno spunto per il dibattito.

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There are too many ideas I would like to share. I do not want to waste your time and focus on just two. What follows is just a very short summary of my thoughts. Please contact me if you believe, as I do, these to be priorities.

1. It is time to resurrect the NAFTA. The agreement is not working. One of the things that we have learned from the economic crisis is that the U.S. cannot get out of it all by itself. One of the alternatives that are available today is that of obtaining control over international relations that affect economy, trade, and financial markets. Extensive freedom of movement for goods, services, people, and capitals with Canada and especially Mexico could help the economy find the increase in productivity and efficiency that is needed. This could not be done in one or two years. A detailed and well defined timeline is needed, to help partners (Mexico in particular) get ready for a greater and more powerful unified North American market. In doing so, a sort of "Marshall Plan" for Mexico (and for depressed areas in North America) is needed. An economically developed Mexico could help the U.S. in many ways. For example, it could (a) dramatically reduce immigration flows, (b) provide a safer and larger economic market for our companies, (c) help re-establish economic leadership, and (d) reduce illegal drugs trade from the South.  Maybe, it is also time to change the name NAFTA into something more appealing and appropriate to these new goals; what about the North American Union? The U.S. needs to think of its future role in the world and start building it while it still has some power and influence left.

2. Due to recent attacks to basic human rights from Republicans all over the country, I believe that a top priority for the Democratic Party is to push for more compelling legislation on unions. The U.S. should ratify international conventions on laborers' rights, including the one from the International Labor Office (ILO) that proclaims the four fundamental rights of workers. The U.S. signed the convention but never ratified it. This allowed State legislators to trash union rights, even in those states where progressive legislation has a very long and well-established tradition (e.g., Wisconsin). Ratification of international conventions make it impossible to Republican State governors to throw workers rights away. This has become a top priority because it is, at its very end, an attempt to create a newly poor and voiceless class, despite the growing power of corporations and their advocates. It is time to stop Republicans to increase the divide between the poors and riches in America. The first step is to restore basic and fundamental human rights.

Thank you for reading.