So I need a bit of hopeful thinking.

I like to play the “if I ruled the world” game in my head. Here’s some of the things I would do if I got to magically rewrite the laws that govern our country.

1)Eliminate unemployment insurance and welfare and roll them into an expanded social security program that also would cover family leave for things like child birth, adoption, and elder care. This would eliminate all the bureaucratic cost of having a zillion state agencies that handle these things, plus it would wipe away the class boundaries that keep welfare a cesspool of ineptitude. It’s a lot harder to cut programs for the poor when everyone benefits from them.

2) Bodily autonomy would be a constitutional right. This means that not only would abortion be safe, but we would clear out jails of casual drug users and crimes committed against the body (i/e rape, domestic violence) would receive stronger penalties.

3) Universal childcare and universal higher ed. You can’t survive this world without both.

4) Eliminate ALL agricultural subsidies to big agribusiness. Put the savings into the food stamp program so that quality food is available to everyone.

5) Tax the fuck out of oil. Use the taxes to fund green energy start ups.

So if you ruled the world, what would you change?