Summary of political beliefs

[JA]

Ideology
Social: Social Justice, Left-wing
Economic: Progressive, Social Democratic (Scandinavian Model)
Foreign Policy: Realist
Environment: Environmentalist, Green

Social Policy
Abortion: Pro-choice, legal partial birth
Same-Sex Marriage: Strongly support
Drugs: Legalization of marijuana; decriminalization of all other drugs with the focus on rehabilitation instead of punishment for offenders
Death Penalty: Strongly oppose in all situations
Gun Control: Support background checks, mental health screening, closing the gun-show loophole, a mandatory firearm safety course, and strict ban on all automatic and semi-automatic weapons
Affirmative Action: Support as a way of improving the socioeconomic position of disadvantaged groups and representation of these groups in all industries and fields
Prostitution: Strongly oppose. While I do not oppose it as a personal choice, per se, it cannot be legalized since it would further objectify the human body to be exploited for profit. We must end the existence of situations that would compel a person into prostitution, not legalize the practice
Euthanasia: Strongly support. Should be an option for a terminally ill patient of any age
Immigration: Grant amnesty to all non-violent undocumented immigrants. Dramatically increase our refugee intake and slash the cost and regulations associated with immigration, while focusing on increasing skilled immigration and decreasing unskilled
Black Lives Matter: Strongly support
Transgender Issues: Legislate against any discrimination aimed at LGBTQ persons. Gender and sex are not the same; one is a socially constructed identity, the other is a biological reality. No one is born a boy/man or girl/woman, but they are born a male or female
Political Correctness: Sometimes it goes too far by censoring, harassing, intimidating, and bullying anyone who may not be aware of the most recent sociological findings. However, it has been an overall net good as it has encouraged us to be more empathetic, polite, and sensitive
Muslim Ban: Pure Islamophobia arising from a total misunderstanding and fear of Islam and the Muslim community

Economic Issues
Minimum Wage: Establish a national living wage of $15 per hour set to rise with inflation. Also establish a basic minimum income of a negotiable rate – ideally 25% of the median personal income for a county
Welfare: Safeguard and expand the welfare state. Ensure food security for all Americans, provide adequate living assistance, paid maternity and paternity leave of at least 1 year each, paid sick leave, 2 weeks guaranteed paid holidays, and subsidized childcare
Social Security: Lift the taxable income cap and protect it from misuse of its funds by Congress
Healthcare: National single-payer system based on Medicare-for-all. Open the market to drug imports from abroad
Trade: Opposition to corporate controlled “free trade” deals such as TPP. Renegotiate our trade agreements to ensure our trade partners meet minimum standards for environmental regulation, labor rights, workers’ safety, fair wage laws, no currency manipulation, and no unfair regulations on American businesses
Deficit/Debt: Maximize efficiency, streamline all governmental agencies, consolidate agencies and eliminate redundancies, abolish the NSA, gut the military and defense budget, focus on implementing cost saving technologies, and make it publicly available and readily accessible to see where all funds are going, the budgets of every agency and department, and who voted for what funding
Campaign Finance Reform: Overturn Citizens United and pass a Constitutional Amendment limiting campaign donations to individual contributions of $100 or less (set to adjust for inflation)
Unions: Strongly support. Completely overturn the Taft-Hartley Act, strengthen public and private sector unions, and abolish all right-to-work laws
Energy: Invest heavily in green energy with the intent of revolutionizing our energy sector. Incentivize businesses and individuals to go green with tax breaks, implement cap and trade, partially nationalize all companies exploiting our natural resources, and begin reducing fracking and offshore drilling
Job Creation: Invest in a massive infrastructure redevelopment program; create the world’s largest green energy industry; incentivize businesses to create jobs in underprivileged areas (inner cities and Appalachia especially); dramatically increase investment in STEM, research, education, and creating the world’s best internet connection and distribution
Education: Tuition free public universities, refinancing of student loan debt, universal pre-k, end school segregation that further disadvantages lower income and minority students, implement an educational system modeled after Finland’s, and ensure all students are extensively taught the science behind anthropogenic global warming and evolution, critical thinking rather than rote memorization, budgeting and finances, civics, empathy and tolerance, and sexual education (beginning in kindergarten)
Taxes: Institute a steep, but gradual progressive income tax with the maximum rate of 60%; increase taxes on unhealthy foods and drinks, alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana; implement a VAT on par with that of most European countries; implement a strict 60% tax on speculation and income derived from investments; maintain the current corporate tax rate, but eliminate all loopholes and save deductions only for specified domestic, positive investments

Foreign
ISIS: Focus on providing humanitarian aid to the region in cooperation with the UN. Continue targeted tactical airstrikes intended solely to weaken their infrastructure without endangering civilian lives. Pressure the Gulf States and Turkey to cease any potential cooperation and business they may have with the terrorist state
Russia/NATO: Reaffirm our commitment to the NATO alliance, pursue international condemnation against Russia for their domestic human rights violations and war crimes in Syria, and arm the government in Ukraine to combat the Russian foreign fighters
China: Address the country’s currency manipulation and rampant human rights violations. But pursue this agenda strategically, without trying to anger a country with which we would benefit more from trade and cooperation
Cuba: Completely normalize relations. Close Guantanamo Bay
Iran: Pursue international condemnation of Iran’s rampant human rights abuses. Protect the Iran Nuclear Deal as the best safeguard against Iran obtaining nuclear weapons
Israel/Palestine: A two-state solution is the only option. Israel must be pressured to cease all new construction in the West Bank, reach a mutually beneficial agreement over Jerusalem, and recognize the human rights and dignity of the Palestinians. The Palestinian leadership must accept that the Israeli state will continue to exist and gain control over its citizens who engage in terrorist acts
Syria/Refugees: Alleviate the pressure on Europe and Syria’s neighbors by taking in at minimum 200,000 Syrian refugees. We must also negotiate using our leverage for the Gulf States to take in refugees or at least provide funding for host countries (which we should as well). Iran, Russia, and Syria must be pressured to act in accordance with international laws of warfare and allow humanitarian aid. The situation in Syria is too complex for external players to make any positive contribution by picking sides; we should only ensure the minimum number of civilians suffer as a result

[JA]