Other areas I would suggest: IP reform, tax code simplicity, science curricula and corporate subsidies. Really, there are tons of things progressives, neoliberals, leftists and libertarians can cooperate on.
Wait I’m confused, are they for or against those things?
In my experience while progressives and leftists (is there a difference?) are in principle for tax code simplicity and against corporate subsides, they’re also for the government making “smart investments in our future” which tend to look suspiciously like tax code loopholes and/or corporate subsidies.
As for improving science curricula I don’t think the groups in question would agree on what an improved science curricula would look like, in particular a lot of libertarians would argue that government should get out of the business of setting school curricula entirely.
I wouldn’t be hesitant about applying your assumptions about progressives in general to progressives on Less Wrong.
, in particular a lot of libertarians would argue that government should get out of the business of setting school curricula entirely.
That doesn’t mean they can’t also have opinions about what should be in a science curriculum given that local governments legislate such things as a matter of fact. If groups are going to refuse to join in any political action that is inconsistent with their idealized world than probably no cooperation is possible at all. The whole point is to find narrow issues of reform where there can be temporary alliances. You can oppose the teaching of intelligent design in public schools while also wanting voucherized education and a you can favor eliminating the mortgage tax deduction while also wanting a social welfare state that ensures everyone has housing.
Wait I’m confused, are they for or against those things?
What Multiheaded said, basically. Generally speaking: for IP reform, for tax code simplicity, improving science curricula, against corporate subsides.
In my experience while progressives and leftists (is there a difference?) are in principle for tax code simplicity and against corporate subsides, they’re also for the government making “smart investments in our future” which tend to look suspiciously like tax code loopholes and/or corporate subsidies.
As for improving science curricula I don’t think the groups in question would agree on what an improved science curricula would look like, in particular a lot of libertarians would argue that government should get out of the business of setting school curricula entirely.
I wouldn’t be hesitant about applying your assumptions about progressives in general to progressives on Less Wrong.
That doesn’t mean they can’t also have opinions about what should be in a science curriculum given that local governments legislate such things as a matter of fact. If groups are going to refuse to join in any political action that is inconsistent with their idealized world than probably no cooperation is possible at all. The whole point is to find narrow issues of reform where there can be temporary alliances. You can oppose the teaching of intelligent design in public schools while also wanting voucherized education and a you can favor eliminating the mortgage tax deduction while also wanting a social welfare state that ensures everyone has housing.
Presumably they’re for improving efficiency and government competence in the areas of each of those “things”.
The problem is that these groups have very different ideas for how to go about doing that.