Honest Questions for a Progressive

I do not understand progressive thought. I honestly don’t. And it’s half of the reason I am not a progressive. This morning in the shower I was thinking about this disconnect. During those ten minutes I came up with most of the list below. It’s not a hypothetical list. Though the questions vary in their degree of practicality, they all deserve a response. I’d like to see them answered, point by point.

I understand the class thing. I do. I don’t come from money. Three times I’ve suffered, rightly or wrongly, to varying shades of gray, under the dictates of wealthy men. I get the justice thing, too. I’ve fought battles against the unemployment system, the healthcare system, even the legal system (just once). I’ve studied many different types of political, philosophical and religious beliefs. I will admit that time and time again I am pulled back to conservative and Christian systems of thought, but only because their positions make sense to me, deep down.

Now here’s an open forum for the Progressive side.

Twelve questions I would honestly like answers to. Answers that make sense. Answers that I can test, even if only through thought experiment. Answers that appeal to both the head and the heart. I list the questions below solely in order that they came to me, and I tried to avoid those of a “loaded” variety.

Ready?

Here goes …

– What is the purpose of the minimum wage? How does raising it help low-end earners over the long term? Why only raise it to $15 an hour? Why not $20? $50? $100?

– If “tolerance” is one of the overriding progressive values in society, why is diversity of thought not tolerated? (i.e., positions that are not completely aligned to progressive tenets)

– Why is a Christian baker not baking a cake for a gay wedding unacceptable, but a fashion designer refusing to dress Melania Trump acceptable?

– How does increasing taxes on the rich help the poor? And how are “rich” and “poor” defined, exactly?

– Why do progressives believe the unborn have no rights?

– Why must the results of an election be accepted when a Democrat wins, but challenged when a Republican wins? In broader terms, under what circumstances are pre-determined rules of a game contestable based on the outcome?

– Is it better to have a single entity supply a product and/or service, or have multiple entities supply the same product and/or service? Why, exactly?

– Which is more important – reason or feelings? Head or heart? Some combination of both? Equal? One over the other? Again – why, exactly?

– Is governing through Executive Order (to circumvent Congress and, perhaps, the rules provided by the Constitution) a valid exercise of power? If “sometimes,” then – when?

– If all value systems (be they religious, philosophical, cultural, political, etc.) are equal, i.e., no one single system can be “better” than the others, how does a society determine for existential reasons what is “good” and “evil”? Does “good” and “evil” exist?

– How do progressives address the inherent contradiction of the statement: “All truth is relative”?

Anyone willing to help an inquiring mind out?