Anybody else out there feeling depressed about what’s happening in our country? Frightened? Angry? All of the above? 

Well, join the crowd!

Although the fire hose of disturbing news can be overwhelming, panic and despair cannot be options, not on Memorial Day and not ever.  The smart people I’m listening to suggest at least three courses of action: 1) Support the ACLU and others who are fighting Trump in the courts; 

2) Focus on taking back the House, and perhaps even the Senate in 2026; and

3) Help figure out what Democrats stand for, rather than playing the parlor game of arguing about the strengths and weaknesses of Gretchen Whitmer, Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, JB Pritzker, and others.  Parlor games and being against Trumpism aren’t enough; it wasn’t enough in 2016 or 2024, and it won’t be enough in 2026 and 2028 either.

#3, Figuring out what Democrats and the Democratic Party stand for could lead to ‘Project 2029,’ which should be the opposite of ‘Project 2025,’ the GOP’s blueprint for dismantling much of the federal government.  In sharp contrast, ‘Project 2029’ has to be forward-looking and positive, even as it seeks to undo the damage Trump has done and is doing.

So….what should be in Project 2029?  For openers, I would argue that Democrats should support almost anything that has the word ‘public’ in its name: public libraries, public parks, public schools, public transportation.

AND: Bring back the draft…for men and women….to require two years of universal National Service. This could be compensated service in a branch of the military, the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, a state’s Civilian Conservation Corps, or other similar organizations.  And this time National Service includes an additional reward: Two years of tuition or training credits, at an accredited institution.  JFK famously said “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”  Let’s ask BOTH questions.

ALSO:

A) Fiscal and monetary policies that help people buy their first home;

B) Higher taxes on the wealthy, a ban on trading by Congress, and other reforms of the tax code;

C) Community schools, not just stronger public schools.  These schools welcome parents and take full advantage of whatever the community has to offer. 

(And while we are at it, let’s make it harder to become a teacher but easier to be one. Higher entry standards and better training, and then more trust and better pay);

D) Rebuild our aging infrastructure;

E) Aggressively combat climate change;

F) Resist autocrats and support NATO and Ukraine;

G) Health care is a right. Make that a fact as well.

That’s my two cents. What would you add or subtract?