-Global Warming: The bottom line is that Exxon-Mobile and Bush won’t be making too much profit when New York and Amsterdam are under water.

-The Welfare State: Capitalism is dependent on risk taking and investors feeling confident to sink their money into new, job-creating business endeavors. Because of this, capitalists should welcome progressive initiatives such as healthcare and free college education. When such programs are in place, investors are more likely to take these risks because they know that even if their business fails, they will still have healthcare and their kids will still go to college.

-After school programs: Come on….if you were rich, which would you prefer, spending tax dollars on programs that shape children’s futures or get a tax break and have your house tagged with graffiti by some kid who has nothing better to do?

-The Death Penalty: Do you think this is what Jesus would want? After all, he too was executed. Furthermore, American democracy is founded on “equal justice before the law.” (14th Amendment). Empirical studies show that blacks are disproportionately executed in America. Therefore, there is no equal justice before the law. This is un-American.

-Inner-city investment: This is rather plain and simple. All of those conservatives won’t have to be afraid of the ghetto anymore because inner-city investment creates jobs for all of those “would-be muggers” that they fear so much.

-Recycling: Not only do recycling plants create jobs, they also create more cost-effective companies. I once watched a documentary on a Japanese factory that installed an elaborate mechanism for turning their excess waste into energy. In turn, the new source of energy drastically increased the plant’s operating efficiency. The CEO was laughing about how much money his corporation saved by recycling.

-Air Quality: This is another no-brainer. Air pollution affects everyone from Bill Gates to Dave Chappelle to President Bush. We all breathe the same air so let’s make it a bit fresher.

Sweat Shops: “They’re stealing American jobs!”

Education: This is another real simple one. Do you want stupid workers with no critical thinking skills or smart kids with fresh ideas? The 19th century capitalist would prefer the dumb one to work in his plant, but today……it’s the new economy baby!

Free Trade: Let’s face it. All of those corporations that move their operations overseas or create offshore mailboxes to dodge US tax laws- they’re just flat out unpatriotic.

Truthfulness in Text Books and Grade Schools: All of those brave Americans who died defending our country were defending not only what is great about America, but what isn’t. Yes, we’ve done a lot of good, but we’ve also done a lot of bad. If we sugarcoat everything and fall into hollow hero-worship, then we are dishonoring the memories of all those who died. If we are to move forward, we must tell the truth about Columbus, the Native Americans, Vietnam, etc. A strong country is one that can admit its past mistakes and look forward to future accomplishments.

Gay Rights: It’s a religious issue! Quakers and Unitarians wish to marry homosexuals. Therefore, if we hinder them from doing so, we are abridging their freedom of religion. If their freedom of religion can be suppressed, then so can yours!

It’s very important that we progressives consider positions such as these, because this is how a lot of Americans think. Using arguments such as these are so much more effective than yelling at someone about how evil Bush is, which of course, he is- but that doesn’t get us anywhere. It would be better for them to arrive at that conclusion on their own.