UNFAVORABLE FORECAST ⛈

On February 3, 2017, at about 4:00 p.m. PST, federal court Judge James Robar of Spokane, Washington (appointed by George W. Bush) issued a crushing judgment and immediate nationwide temporary stay (stop) on Trump’s Executive Order banning residents of seven Islamic nations from traveling to or entering our country.  With the Judge’s ruling, all visa holders from those nations can enter U.S. without being interrogated or harassed.  Secretly, while the issue of the travel ban was being decided by the Court, it was widely reported that the Trump administration began to cancel between 60,000 to 100,000 visas from travelers, and had already detained at least 109 travelers at airports around the country.

It has been claimed by some constitutional scholars and experts (like Lawrence Tribe of Harvard Law)  that what  happened in the Judicial Branch of our government on this day may have lasting effects on our governance, including:

1) affirmation of an important role of the states as defenders of the Constitution;

2) affirmation of the constitutional principle of checks and balances between three co-equal branches of the national government;

3) affirmation of the constitutional principles of the establishment clause, the due process provision and the importance of the states as partners in our form of government. 

 We can place some hope in such outcomes, even though the Trump administration has indicated an appeal will be forthcoming.  As I have previously warned and averred, however, this Trump administration, because of the authoritarian and narcissistic bent of its leader, is a threat to our democratic principles and to our constitutional structure of government.  Please bear with me as I review some of those past statements and predictions as they begin to play out, even though this administration is only two weeks-old!

1. This Republican President and Congress, working together, “will act almost immediately⛈ to destroy the Affordable Care Act law by legislation... attempting through the court system to destroy the subsidy provisions of the Law in order to gut its intended purpose of aiding those who could not afford health insurance.  This will mean higher premiums for all of us because we will be right back to where we were before "Obamacare" -- subsidizing the big health insurance companies by paying more (for ourselves and others) and receiving less in health coverage.” (9/21/2015)

Not much more need be said, except to remind ourselves that the Trump administration has adroitly taken the spotlight off this debacle and placed it upon immigration stoppage for Muslims, Iran and the Supreme Court nominee.  Meanwhile, the awful prospect of repeal of the ACA will become reality without an adequate replacement plan, leaving tens of thousands of people without adequate coverage, and the rest of us wondering how large a penalty we will pay for this chaotic approach to health care insurance as well as health care distribution and administration.  Your guess is as good as mine!

2. ⛈“The Iran agreement will be scuttled; sanctions will be restored; armaments and other military supports will be increased to Israel, and oil fields and refineries will again be targets. There will be another War in the Middle East within the first two years of the first term of (this) President, meaning gas prices at the pump will soar; military spending particularly on private contracts will escalate, and the citizenry will once again suffer the effects of a war economy with private enterprise profiting while the poor and the middle-class suffer the same old wage cuts; slowed economy generally (although not so for defense-related industries).”

I don’t know about you, but I think these predictions are awfully close to what is now happening in the Trump administration:  Iran has been officially “put on notice” about their behaviors toward the USA (another detaining of seamen precipitated this Executive Order), even though it was done in such a haphazard way that, according to media reports, not even the military command structure knew much about it nor did they have any orders as to actions they should take.  Worse, there has been no definition of the meaning of the phrase: “put on notice.” 

So, we await further developments with great uneasiness, not made better by the flawed attack of Special Ops in Yemen, again constructed haphazardly (over dinner with political advisors) with no input or knowledge on the part of expert individuals and relevant departments within the federal government.  It seems more than likely that some kind of military action toward Iran will be “trotted out” before Trump’s first two years in office are past.

3. The recent National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC produced another revelation about the intent of the Trump administration, about which intent I wrote on September 21, 2015.  At the traditional breakfast, Trump said:  “It was the great Thomas Jefferson who said, the God who gave us life, gave us liberty. Jefferson asked, can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God. Among those freedoms is the right to worship according to our own beliefs. That is why I will⛈ get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment and allow our representatives of faith to speak freely and without fear of retribution. I will do that, remember.”

The Johnson Amendment sponsored by Lyndon Johnson is “a law that bars non-profit organizations, including churches, from endorsing and raising money for political candidates. If repealed by Congress, it would blur the lines between church and state.” (alternet.org)

I wrote about this intent of his – now a promise – on September 21, 2015:

Beware the “forcing of Christian evangelical religion upon every American by various and nefarious government-backed schemes such as displaying the Ten Commandments on public property, requiring prayer in schools or influencing the curricula of public schools at all levels.
Using the 1st amendment to allow corporations to use religious belief as a license to discriminate against gays or against women who use contraceptives or... perhaps against anyone who had an abortion; how about ultimately against anyone who believes something contrary to the vendor's beliefs?”

Trump’s message at that Prayer Breakfast was to me a chilling reminder of my own words just quoted above, and the reality that they bring to mind.  We are talking here of the destruction of one of our cherished principles of religious freedom: that there be no establishment of religious belief or practice by the government.  That is, Amendment #1 of the Constitution, in its very first phrase, states unequivocally “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion...”  That is followed by a phrase that I have argued is dependent on the primacy of that establishment clause – “or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

I have maintained in other posts on this blog (see 2/18/20123; 12/1/2013; 7/3/2014) that without the establishment clause, free exercise of religion is in danger of usurpation by government-established religion at any time.  In fact, I have specifically cited government actions in opposition to Roe v. Wade as an example of a religious moral doctrine (believed by some, notably the Roman Catholic Church and many evangelical churches) as a government-directive imposed on all, thus establishing one religious doctrine as official government policy.  This is an abominable practice in a nation where the non-establishment of any one religion or religious belief has been cherished as the very hall mark of freedom to worship and to believe according to one’s own inner convictions, not those imposed by government sanctions.

And further, I have argued against the radical Republican concept of allowing individual business owners an exemption from certain laws on the basis of their religious beliefs (mainly about contraception or about sexual orientation); a basic “trumping” the law of the land and the establishment clause of the 1^st Amendment.  We are on the verge of an assault on separation of church and state. 

We are also on the verge of another tendency that I mentioned in that 2015 Blog:

4. “We will be facing ⛈a huge build-up of military forces and armaments under a radical Republican take-over.  While these statements reflect the tendency of Republican administrations to emphasize military build-up so that private investors, rich corporations and private contractors can be assured of some lucrative government contracts and government money to be had in all military-related enterprises, the outcome for the United States will be an increasing national debt, and a militarization that is nothing more than a symbol of "mightiness."  It will not produce the kind of efficient and effective forces that can counter radical Jihadists or radical insurgents.  The build-up will simply satisfy the hawkish tendencies of politicians (and of some wealthy corporation heads) born in another century, and remembering great victories in all-out world wars.  There are no such great victories in modern warfare -- everybody loses.”

Another Trump Executive Order has begun the process toward that military build-up, and the consequences of that will be to our detriment, not to our glory.  Let us quickly count some of the ways:

·         More lucrative contracts for big corporations that produce military or closely-related  products or services

·         More unusable or flawed weapons, armaments and equipment because of manufacturing defects, poor design or lack of strategic necessity (example: controversial combat fighter F-35)

·         Fear and resentment on the part of allies and enemies alike;

·         Reluctance of other countries to come to our aid in warfare because of our “America first” and foremost attitude on building and proclamation superiority

·         Renewed arms races, particularly as concerns nuclear weapons; non-proliferation treaties be damned

·         Threats against USA escalate on part of rivals because of our claim to being #1 in military might (everyone wants to topple the “King of the Hill”)

·         Tax increases to cover the costs – up, up and awaaaaaay!

·         The more emphasis on military might the greater prospect for war

·         The national debt increases by largest percentage in history

·         Your pocketbook begins to suffer the effects of higher prices, higher taxes stagnant wages, and austerity budgets at all levels of government

5. Finally, let us call out one last strategy that we too often minimize, but which the Nazi’s in the 1930’s used to their great advantage: the lack of will on the part of the People.  I put it this way in a posting of November 15, 2015:

“Perhaps worst of all was the ability of the Nazis to take over the towns and the nation because of something they helped to create in the hearts and minds of the people: a moral numbness that failed to see how much they had strayed from the ideals of their... heritage.  The promotion of unquestioning patriotism --or rather of misplaced patriotism -- is a force that is invasive and destructive.  In touting American “exceptionalism” no matter the realities of our national life, is to numb us to realities that are destructive of our ideals and of our true patriotism.  We cannot and must not buy in to a cheap and ugly nationalism that makes excuses for educational, social and moral failures while celebrating militarism and mediocrity; that denies reality and settles for standards that denigrate our own heritage.”

We have before us now, not so much a misplaced emphasis on patriotism, but a misplaced emphasis on nationalism; on an America First, America Best, America the Tough and Mightiest!  One commentator has called it the Nationalist White Christian Movement, although that may be too bland. 

There can be little doubt that we have entered a newer, coarser, more ethically-challenged era than previously known.  It is not just that we have fallen prey to a patriotism that automatically denigrates every other country on the planet; we have fallen victim to a moral numbness that sets lower and lower standards for what is acceptable and worthy of emulation and which involves some sacrifices on behalf of others who need help.  
Moral numbness is a state of being that robs a country of greatness, and opens it up to the inculcation of beliefs and behaviors that do more harm to individuals and institutions than one can imagine.  Undermining the functions of a benevolent and caring government, promoting might over right, isolating ourselves from  other nations and cultures, accepting the dubious notion that we can’t “change city hall” or “I don’t get involved in politics” or “I haven’t got time to get involved in your cause – I’ve got enough on my plate” – are all invitations to a morally and politically-flawed nation.  Non-voting, non-involvement, undermining of rights, freedoms and equal justice, non-thinking commitment to an authoritarian leader who will “fix” everything are all signs of that moral numbness.

In my opinion, this welcome opinion from Judge Robar will not deter the Trump administration from attempting further attacks on our governing principles, on organizations who oppose their ideology, on federally-dependent institutions (like public schools) that are supported by federal grants and subsidies, and on individuals who protest and resist their anti-democratic behaviors and actions.

It is the Trump mission, I believe, to destroy certain constitutional principles and provisions so that our form of governance will be forever changed from a representative democracy overseen by a national government dependent on three co-equal branches with checks and balances, to a central government overseen and operated by a much stronger authoritarian Executive targeted toward a limited agenda of military might, foreign domination and “deal-making”: privatization of functions including reversion to private charities and organizations as the mainstay of meeting special and national needs; premiere support for business enterprises, collection of taxes from the lower and middle classes with tax extraction enhanced for all those of wealth, cabinet departments that concentrate mainly on Law & Order, with little regard for consumer rights, minority rights and government “social insurance” for persons with special needs and challenges, plus an overarching dedication to non-regulation of the private sector.   Many functions and programs will be administered and overseen by states with minimal interference and support from the federal government. 

Fortunately, we have now begun to see a🔆Movement of the People🔆 toward spirited resistance to this insane bigoted and empty nationalism; this might-makes-right, misogynistic, homophobic, and unappealing behavior that undermines our moral foundations of freedom, equality, justice and opportunity for all.  That People’s Resistance Movement must grow; more must join.  It cannot stop because if it does we will awaken to a reality that we never thought possible: a dead democracy.    A unique system of governance killed-off by our own apathy, moral numbness and refusal to face the facts of an abnormal, unprincipled leader and a grotesque Alt Right-wing Party that refused to speak out, to act boldly and to overturn an authoritarian Fuhrer-type regime. Let us never forget their perfidy at this crucial time in our history when the Judiciary has stepped-up perhaps to save our constitutional democracy and our moral obligations to each other and to the world.

"Perverse Prevaricator"

Let us begin today’s post with definitions of two words that describe the unprincipled man who now occupies the Oval Office.  Donald Trump is an inveterate “prevaricator.” Not just a liar - which he has been shown to be -  but according to Webster’s New World Dictionary, literally someone who “walks crookedly.” One who “turns aside from or evades the truth.” 

There is another word that applies equally well.  It is the word “perverse” which literally means: “a turning away from that which is right and good,” and may include synonyms like: “corrupt, deviant; or, disobedient or intractable; characterized by “obstinacy or contrariness.”

Taking the two together we could perhaps characterize Donald J. as “a perverse prevaricator:  one who walks crookedly, who consistently turns truth upside down with intractable obstinacy, invariably leaving behind corruption of what is right and good.” 

The following list of some of Trump’s Executive Orders and memoranda, promulgated since he took Office on January 20, 2017, provides a panoramic view of how this perverse prevarication is beginning to show itself upon the political and administrative stage.  Since taking the oath of office, Trump has signed and issued:

• An order that directs federal agencies to ease the “regulatory burdens” of ObamaCare.  It orders agencies to “waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision or requirement” of ObamaCare that imposes a “fiscal burden on any State or a cost, fee, tax, penalty, or regulatory burden on individuals, families, healthcare providers, health insurers, patients, recipients of healthcare services, purchasers of health insurance, or makers of medical devices, products, or medications.” 

 Truth: the “regulatory burden” is not placed on recipients of this all-important coverage for health-care, but they just happen to be the main reason for this Act.  Enrollees receive the benefits of the Law, including enabling subsidies, and thereby are no longer a burden to the middle-class taxpayer who had to pay extra high premiums to support the uninsured in their very expensive use of emergency rooms and other expensive ways to obtain care.  Only those who don't have coverage, those who make a profit by restricting access, and those who don’t pay their fair share or who attempt to make huge monetary gain through outrageous pricing of drugs or equipment are regulated.  Once again, the Right-wing, represented by D.J. Trump, withholds the truth and tells a perverse Lie.

• An order imposing a hiring freeze for some federal government positions meant “to shrink the size of government.”   This excludes the military, as Trump noted at the signing. 

More Truth:  un-targeted hiring freezes, not based on data and evidence of waste and over-hiring, produce crises in departments of government in terms of delivery of services, protection and safety of the People, and unregulated cheating of our citizens by those who hold most of the money. Untargeted freezes produce lack of research into various fields, the diminution of investigations, a noticeable lack of first responders and the inability to monitor and oversee disasters and frauds of many kinds.  Such shortages are often declared ‘fixed’ by either issuing exemptions to the freeze or by hiring outside contractors who immediately raise costs by delays and overruns.  Contracting-out functions of government to the private-sector, although it appears to be a shrinking of “government,” is simply a conservative Republican code word for dismantling national government and turning over certain functions either to the states or to the private sector.

Republicans are not successful at shrinking the budget (or the government for that matter).  Their major fault is they don’t know how to temper ideology with pragmatic approaches for solving problems.  Their bumper-sticker mentality has produced extra cabinet departments, over-spending on grants and private contracts, major tax reductions for wealthy individuals and corporations.  Thus, under every modern Republican President since Eisenhower, we have seen an increase in the federal deficit when they left office, not a reduction, and large increases in the rate of growth in the federal debt.  

What’s more, and what Republicans will never tell you, but the Wall Street Journal will, as noted by Salon:  The highest growth rate ever for the federal debt was under Ronald Reagan at 13.4%. Compare that to the slowing of the national debt to 10% by the Obama administration’s gradual deficit reduction of $1 trillion-dollars over his two terms!  In fact, no Republican president in modern times, with the exception of Dwight Eisenhower, has cut the deficit.

 Salon writer concludes:  “along those lines, the recently introduced tax plan of Republican Donald Trump would explode the deficit by as much as $10 trillion over a decade.”   And here’s the kicker as reported by Salon: no Republican President has ever even dared to do what President Obama did,  to propose and sign into law in February 2010, the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act, which mandates that new spending be offset with spending cuts and new revenue.  A Democratic President and a Democratic Congress passed that Law, and guess how many Republicans voted for this Act?  ZERO.  Not one.  It’s not just Trump who is perverse in prevarication.

• Trump signed a notice that the U.S. will begin withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. Trump called the order "a great thing for the American worker."  In addition, Congress voted on its first day to stop U.S. payments to U.N. Programs.

Some Considerations:  Denying the existence of a global economy and the need for uniting nations rather than working toward divisions in an ever-shrinking world, is neither wise nor prudent.  The truth is that isolating our country from the global marketplace and ignoring the necessity for united nations working to save the planet and to preserve and enhance rights and freedoms for all human beings, is not negotiable.  We must participate or our isolation will result in dangerous outcomes like regional wars, outbreaks of ravaging diseases, and human rights abuses that are cataclysmic, to say nothing about nuclear arms increases, deaths of those fleeing belligerent and dictatorial countries, as well as a not-so-slow death from neglect of the environment.  We will suffer trade debacles, more loss of jobs and companies, products we can’t afford anymore, inflation and falling wages.  There is no such thing as a “one world conspiracy” that seeks to undermine our country, its economy and its democracy.  There is only the truth that we are strengthened as a nation when we learn from others, assist others, work with others and become partners in preserving and advancing the rights of all.  Bi-lateral agreements are not going to forge that kind of world.

And about all those manufacturing jobs that Trump promised to return from overseas, and that will stay here when he confronts the manufacturers who want to move their plants abroad:  don’t be bamboozled!  It’s not going to happen to any great extent. Ask him what robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing and drones are going to be doing to his premise of more jobs.  If the experts are correct, the unemployment rate is going to be skyrocketing because more and more jobs are going to be done by technologically adroit non-human entities!

• Standing out today is Trump’s executive order on immigration that indefinitely barred Syrian refugees from entering the United States, suspended all refugee admissions for 120 days and blocked citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, refugees or otherwise, from entering the United States for 90 days: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.  Although changes to the Order appeared in various venues, the basics were:

The order unleashed chaos upon the immigration system and in airports in the United States and overseas, and prompted protests and legal action which basically put a stay on the orders. The order does not affect naturalized United States citizens from the seven named countries.

After the order was signed, students, visitors and green-card-holding legal permanent United States residents from the seven countries — and refugees from around the world — were stopped at airports in the United States and abroad, including Cairo, Dubai and Istanbul. Some were blocked from entering the United States and were sent back overseas.

Thousands of people protested the executive order in cities across the country on Saturday, many of them at airports. Those protests continued Sunday, and a large rally was held outside the White House.

On Saturday night, a federal judge in Brooklyn blocked part of Mr. Trump’s order, saying that refugees and others being held at airports across the United States should not be sent back to their home countries. But the judge stopped short of letting them into the country or issuing a broader ruling on the constitutionality of Mr. Trump’s actions.  Federal judges in three other states — Massachusetts, Virginia and Washington — soon issued similar rulings to stop the government from removing refugees and others with valid visas. The judge in Massachusetts also said the government could not detain the travelers.

On Sunday morning, the Department of Homeland Security said it would comply with the rulings while it continued to enforce all the president’s executive orders.

Take-Aways:   Mr. Trump and his Trumpettes just do not seem to understand the intricacies of government.  They failed to vet sufficiently their own promulgation on immigration and may well have created a constitutional crisis that could impact the U.S. domestically, as well as having a negative impact on U.S. foreign policy. They also failed to understand the role of Congress and the Judiciary.

Perhaps Trump and many of his people, just don’t understand that government can’t be run like a business, issuing orders from the top, expecting everyone to obey those orders or be fired. Since Congress and the Judiciary are meant to be co-equal with the Executive branch of our government, they also have important roles to play, and protecting the integrity of each individual branch may now become an obstacle the Donald did not foresee.  In business, you don’t have to worry a lot about such “interference”, but in government, it’s wise to do a lot of research, consulting, negotiation and vetting to gain support before taking pen to paper and issuing Executive Orders that disrupt the entire system of governance.

A third take-away may be clearer if we remind ourselves that Trump also signed an Executive Order on January 27^th that will result in a great rebuilding of the armed services and of weapon’s systems.  He told a crowd at the Pentagon that this action would provide planes, ships, along with other resources for the men and women in uniform.  As the SNL ‘Church Lady’ used to say: “Isn’t that Spesc-i-a-l.”

Here, in a nutshell is the underlying foundation for what Trump wants to do and will do: the privatization of many of government functions through contracts for private manufacturers and other groups.  Trump will use this ‘trump’ card for any negotiations with manufacturers that become necessary.  He will first make sure that he and his family benefit from whatever projects they can develop as Trump Enterprises, whether as legitimate payments for sub-contracting or kick-backs that can be hidden from the public as legitimate payments.  He will then reward his sponsors and his cronies and his supporters (some of whom may become new supporters in exchange for the contract!).

Taking a step back to other Orders like the repeal of the ACA, the building of the two pipelines, the building of the great Wall along our southern border, the federal hiring freeze, plus some lesser known orders like construction of detention facilities along that walled-off southern border, and the government-wide freeze on new regulations until a review process for all regulations can be in place under each new cabinet appointee.   

Labor leaders met with Trump in the White House (1/24/2017) and appeared on MSNBC with Chris Matthews.  They appeared impressed, joyful and very enthusiastic about Trump’s plans for jobs related to infrastructure refurbishing.   I hope their enthusiasm is justified.  However, Trump is not looking to enhance the stature of unions or Labor.  He is in business and has proven over and over that labor is a tool and a device to be used, manipulated and swindled out of a fair payment. Witness a recent headline that focused on his real attitude and technique: “Trump to Be Sued by Contractor for Unpaid Workers.”  He is not on Labor’s side and that is why he met with Labor so early in his term, because he wants to gain their trust and respect so he can draw them in to the greatest scam of this century.  He will use labor to enhance his own fortune and the fortunes of the upper class.  The latter are his main concerns and whatever symbols and actions he must pursue to make that happen, he will pursue.

 Anti-labor legislation will be surreptitiously supported in every Republican-controlled state.  Watch out for those government contracts for infrastructure development – labor doesn’t control them; businessmen negotiate and control them. And, Trump is what? – a businessman!  You are dreaming of something that will not happen – Trump on your side, and Trump working on behalf of Labor.  He never has and he won’t now, you have been taken in!     That is a false premise, just like so much of the Trump agenda and Trump approach.

And that brings me to my final point: the primary thread that I see running throughout these Orders, Memoranda and Tweets and/or press Releases during these first few days of the Trump administration.  It is Trump’s uncanny ability to base almost all his agenda on false premises and outright lies.  That’s right.  The Donald is on-course to become the most obvious manipulator of truth ever seen in the Oval Office – which will also end up being the underpinning of the legislative agenda about to be foisted upon us all.  It comes under the varied headings of “Fake News” “Alternative Facts” and the “Big Lie.” 

A recent New York Times article by David Barstow seems to back up this thesis by reminding us that “throughout his business career, Mr. Trump’s most noteworthy deceptions often did double duty, serving not just his ego but also important strategic goals attracting lucrative licensing deals built around the Trump brand.”

In a Blog dated June 1, 2012, I wrote about the stark differences between a community organizer’s skill sets and those of a capitalist CEO as related to being President of these United States. Let me recall a few of those differences for you:

“Overall, Capitalism is not democracy; in fact, it is more dictatorial and oligarchic than democratic, operating on a top-down model, not on an electoral, people’s will, model.  Free enterprise is not based on broad legislative guidance as representative democracy is -- it is based on the guidance of a relatively few “officers’ and board members, and shareholders, most of whom share a certain ethos and ideology.”

-- an ability to work closely with unions and the Civil Service is necessary to ensure positive results that must be accomplished by the federal workforce, not by a bunch of people hired to obey the CEO’s every order.

--an ability not to deceive, mislead, convince by half-truths, deceptions and outright lies; perhaps this is part of a skill set that enables capitalists to hide their motives, keep secrets, or denigrate their rivals.  It certainly seems to pervade the capitalists at equity firms and banks, and big oil.  In government, one’s constituency expects transparency, honesty, integrity, stability, pragmatism, and common sense.  A President, unlike a CEO, must answer to the people for violations of their trust.” 

What underlies the Trump agenda in almost every area: The Big Lie, supported less and less by a tiny kernel or glimmer of truth.  The source of the Big Lie technique is this passage, taken from Chapter 10 of James Murphy's translation of Mein Kampf:

“All this was inspired by the principle—which is quite true within itself—that in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods.

It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying. “

— Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, vol. I, ch. X^[

 We are being used, lied to, manipulated and bamboozled every day of this Trump administration.  We must not abide it; we must resist it; we must overcome it – because too much is at stake:  our whole way of life and governance is in jeopardy.  DON’T BACK DOWN and DON’T GIVE UP!

Resistance Speech

Today's Post is a speech I gave at a Resistance gathering in Utica, NY as part of the demonstrations that were held in the United States - and in several countries around the world - to protest the inauguration of Donald Trump to the Office of President of the United States.  I hope it reminds us that we have a duty to protest and resist whenever democratic values are threatened; that we also have a duty to use that right in a bold, positive, reasoned and effective manner.   This POST is also meant as a thank you to all the participants around the globe yesterday, especially those at the three events that took place in Utica, NY.  

The challenge facing us now is how to keep the Resistance alive for the next four years.  That will be the test of our commitment to democratic values as Citizens of this nation, and to human rights as Citizens of this World.    

  

Anti-Trump Unity Rally

January 21, 2017

Utica, NY

This talk today was advertised as being about resistance.  And indeed, we must be ready to resist whatever Donald Trump and his followers – including our new congresswoman – attempt to do that is harmful, hurtful and demeaning of people and destructive of our democracy.  We must be prepared to counter that which leads us away from our constitution, away from our moral underpinnings and away from our mutual responsibility for each other.

 

While I stand firmly on the side of resistant actions that display our objections to injustices and to inequality of access and opportunity, I want to accentuate the positive approach that was an important part of President Obama’s farewell speech on January 10^th. 

And let me begin where he began – with us.  Change happens when people of hope and good-will engage with each other to forge that more perfect union that was set in motion over 2 and 1/4 centuries in our past.  We can handle dire current challenges by working to make people’s lives better with greater economic opportunity, by upholding laws and policies that prevent discrimination, separation and denigration of people, and by knowing that the long sweep of our history has favored a progressive advance toward realization of that ideal of equal justice-for-all forged centuries ago.

Fear-mongering, contempt, intolerance, bullying and the attitude that might makes right are not helpful in the quest to expand the rights, the liberties and the opportunities for every member of this society.  Walling off portions of our nation and protecting privileges of a small percent of our population, pulling back into protective enclaves is not the way toward inclusion and unity out of diversity. 

President Obama pointed out that the worst threat to our democracy is when good people choose to do nothing; taking Democracy for granted.  We must throw ourselves into the work that strengthens democracy; And we must certainly seek to enlist others in this cause because, as President Obama said:  the most important office in our democracy is that of Citizen.

 He even laid out for us some of the necessary attitudes and actions we citizens must cultivate:

• We must Reject attempts to enfeeble our sacred ties to one another for it weakens the underpinnings of Democracy when we write-off certain people and deny our responsibility to care for one another.

And those first attempts have already begun in the new Congress: our new congresswoman recently voted in favor of cutting off funds to the UN; she also voted for a budget resolution designed to repeal the Affordable Care Act.  And we face the approval of cabinet nominees who basically reject the mission and purpose of their assigned departments and seem poised to eliminate some vital functions that will more than weaken our democracy. 

·       Run for office.
  While Democrats ignored local politics and needs, the Republicans took over school boards, town boards, county legislatures, college curricula, state legislatures and a hefty portion of Governorships.  It is necessary for us to be candidates, find candidates, train candidates and win local elections, and even to help fill empty Party Committee seats in other towns and cities where some party committees don’t exist right now.  We have to build from the bottom up; not from the top down.

·         What President Obama said about the Constitution was very meaningful: “The Constitution is nothing but a piece of parchment that has little power of itself unless the people give it force” – the force of progressive ideals and values.

 

Let no one misunderstand.  The word “force” does not mean the use of violence, but it does mean the reasoned use of power.  The use of Economic Boycott, for instance, is a tactic that has been employed when nothing else worked.  We may have to consider well-researched and well-planned boycott actions against businesses, services, non-profits, and even some individuals if they insist on supporting immoral, non-democratic, unjust actions of Trump and his followers.  Let it be plain and very clear that no one should be boycotted just because they may have voted for Trump or Tenney.  Boycotting must only be used as an economic wake-up about attitudes and actions that deliver hurt or harm to people.

The repeal of the ACA for over 20 million formerly uninsured and under-insured citizens may not respond to the usual tactics of protest, and targeted boycotts may turn out to be necessary. So, be prepared to be innovative; to be forceful but reasoned about tactics.

However, we must become BOLD; in the spirit of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and the Anti-Viet Nam War movement of the 1970s. And so, I’m going to conclude today with a few of the thoughts and ideas that are occupying my mind lately:

·       Those who attack equality and justice-for-all must be made to feel the loss of privileges that too many politicians and office-holders believe they deserve.  If Congress and Trump insist on destroying affordable health care insurance operated out of government exchanges with federal subsidies, then we must find ways to abolish free clinics at the Capitol and subsidized surgeries for members of Congress at army & navy hospitals.  And, we must advocate for Congressmen and Senators to have to follow every provision in whatever they legislate to replace the ACA. No exemptions! Just for the record:  I would much rather my taxes be used to cover subsidies for people who can't afford healthcare insurance than to have my taxes used to subsidize the health care and insurance plans for members of Congress, 40-50% of whom are millionaires.

·       The Electoral College has always been a way for an elite group to hold some sway over elections for president.  It must be abolished.  And one way to do that is already a Movement across the country worthy of your consideration, called the “National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.”  Its premise is that once states containing more than half of the total electoral votes pledge by law all their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote, the Electoral College will become simply a rubber-stamp of the popular vote.

·       Recently, a coalition of agencies supported the City of Utica in a press conference held at City Hall featuring a joint agreement between the Mayor and the Common Council that opposed repeal of the ACA.  Such local participation in national issues is a necessity, and we must support and promote just such a model elsewhere.  What’s more--

·    We must develop coalitions of progressive organizations;

·    We must have rapid response teams trained in creative ways to react immediately to the errant proposals and actions of the Alt Right;

·   We need people to utilize and scrutinize social media, as well as writers of Letters-to-the-Editor (LTEs);  

·     In-depth education of the public is indispensable.

· Therefore, we must be holding training for candidates and writers and activists of all kinds like today’s Rally.  But we also need individuals who can call and post and text and write from their own homes.

So, Dive in; stay with it; have faith in the power of ordinary people to bring about change. Let us resolve to put our opinions, our values, our ideas to work, for we are the Hope, the Change and the Resistance that we need at this point in our history. Let us act with the determination and the audacity of true believers in a new and stronger social contract with each other. Let us have faith in the power of right over might and build up the protection and expansion of our rights and freedoms like voting, elections, healthcare and public education.

Let it be said as we pass the torch to a new generation that we met the challenges of authoritarianism, expanded our concept of democracy, and left a stronger more progressive nation to our children and our grandchildren, who themselves can then once more proudly proclaim:   YES, WE CAN!

NOTE:  read the previous Blog Post dated 1/10/2017 for more on the non-viable Republican alternatives to the ACA. 

Sounding the Alarm on "Obamacare" Repeal

It is certainly no secret that Donald Trump and the ultra-conservative Republican Congress are gearing up for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act – “Obamacare” as they like to call it.  It is also clear to many of us that they have an unbridled ideological obsession about this which is hopefully going to result in a wide-spread negative reaction (and perhaps torrents of protest) because they have no alternative measures with which to replace the health coverage of over 20 million enrolled in the ACA (not counting perhaps 10 million more who were able to enroll in Medicaid under expanded income eligibility guidelines).

As you must know by now, the repeal process is underway. A Resolution was passed last week that instructed two relevant committees in the House and two in the Senate to draft legislation within their particular purview that “would cut at least $1 billion from the deficit over 10 years.” (NY Times).  Their legislation is due by Jan. 27^th and will be in the form of a reconciliation bill which can be adopted under fast-track procedures, and which will require no more than 51 votes to pass the Senate because, in the Senate, the filibuster rule will be curtailed.

The seemingly innocuous language of the resolution will allow the four committees to propose budget cuts that will affect the functioning of the Affordable Care Act, something with which the House already has some familiarity, having voted more than 60 times to repeal “Obamacare.”  Some parts of the ACA law may remain intact, such as the prohibition on insurers denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, and those under age 26 being able to remain on their parents’ insurance. Since Senate rules require that reconciliation bills must have provisions that have some effect upon spending or revenue, the committee bills will address those issues in perhaps the following ways:

·         Eliminate the tax penalties imposed on people who do not have coverage and on larger employers who do not offer coverage to employees

·         Eliminate the billions of dollars that go to states each year to cover expanded eligibility under Medicaid

·         Repeal the subsidies for those obtaining coverage under the marketplace exchange plans

·         Could possibly repeal some of the taxes and fees on certain high-income people, on health insurers, and on certain drug and medical device manufacturers

    Republicans have taken every opportunity to indicate that the effective date of repeal will be delayed for two to four years to avoid disruption and to provide time to craft replacement legislation.  But, make no mistake:  There are some thorny problems left to address.

1. If the Republican Congress has failed to produce a credible alternative health care bill over the last 6 years, is it plausible that they can do so over the next 2-4 years?  Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan, Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee when the ACA was signed into law, has said that “the American Academy of Actuaries has highlighted concerns about premium rate hikes” under the GOP non-Plan.  In a letter to Speaker Ryan, the Academy made clear that: “Delaying the effective date of repeal while a replacement is worked out likely won’t be enough to assure the stability and sustainability of the individual market.”  Health Plans, hospitals and researchers have all echoed the same worry, says Mr. Levin.
2. Since Trump expects to issue Executive Orders to undo some of the ACA provisions and policies, what will be the effect on an alternative plan, and how will the newly insured under ACA be affected?  According to some reports, Trump is more concerned about shoring up the stability of the insurers than of addressing the devastation of the about-to-be uninsured.        
3. According to a NY Times article at MSN.com, Mike Pence indicated last Wednesday that the replacement would “probably encourage greater use of personal health savings accounts and make it easier for carriers to sell insurance plans across state lines.  Also, it would encourage small businesses to band together and buy insurance through ‘association health plans’ sponsored by business and professional organizations.” Trump has endorsed some kind of state-run “high-risk pools” for people with pre-existing conditions. None of which answers the question of how millions of people unable to afford these before they got ACA coverage will be able to afford these measures after repeal!
4. The thorniest question, of course, comes down to affordability and mandated coverage. The latter can perhaps be put off, but the former is going to determine what the millions of former ACA-covered clients are going to be able to afford during the interim period and beyond it.  Without adequate subsidies, millions of people will again simply not be covered.  And by the way, guess where many Republicans want to put that money they will save on no more subsidies?  According to the Tax Policy Center, the primary recipients will be those earning over one million dollars annually.  Another use will be to shore up large insurance companies that lost money during the first few years of operation in the ACA exchanges (because of their own miscalculations, by the way!).
5. Another tremendously important dilemma is the fact that certain provisions of the ACA depend on other provisions in the law to work effectively.  This is one more reason why many health care professionals are warning against repeal.  Doctors, hospitals and even some insurance companies are warning against repeal because of what the absence of certain provisions will do to them and their livelihoods.  Medicare and Medicaid will be affected by the ACA repeal and that could affect payments to hospitals and doctors.
6. Not only are there provisions within the law that work with other provisions, but repeal would likely affect the entire healthcare system and professional groups like the American Medical Association are sounding the alarm. For example, repeal could have an effect on Medicare recipients who could lose access to free preventative care and more affordable prescription drugs.  
7. No one has taken the time or made the effort to address the one thing in the law that was included to protect consumers and to advocate for reasonable changes and adjustments in the law.  That is the section on consumer advocacy and protection.  (Please see my posting of 9/29/2013 for details).  Republicans despise consumer advocacy and oversight boards, but they don’t want you to realize that so they keep quiet on that matter while they surreptitiously try to eliminate every such entity they can find!  Soon, you will have zero such groups to advocate for your needs, while the favored 1% of wealthiest citizens will continue to reap every possible government dole-out that becomes available.
8. Another thorny issue that repeal of the law portends is that its successes will be thrown away with repeal, which is something that Republicans cover-up by telling the Big Lie that the ACA is falling apart from the inside out.  Not so.  In fact:

·         enrollment for coverage is at a higher pace than last year at this time or in any other year; the navigator provision has been of great help in this enrollment

·         the percent of Americans without insurance coverage is at an all-time low and so is the rate of rise in premiums

·         over 20 million depend on the law for health care coverage (and about 10 million more signed up for Medicaid under enhanced eligibility rates)

·         there is also increased access to primary healthcare and a reduced reliance on emergency unit care

·         Seniors on Medicare are experiencing the disappearance of the “doughnut-hole” and a reduction in their cost for prescribed medications

·         Large numbers of young adults up to age 26 are being covered on their parent’s policies

·         Women are experiencing more equality in rates and treatment, and benefiting tremendously from ACA provisions directed at their circumstances

I want to conclude today with something unusual.  I want to conclude with sort of an exercise; perhaps a way to look outside one’s own situation.  Picture, if you will, a person who has multiple health problems, in this case, let’s say heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and skin cancer.  Any one of these, allowed to go untreated, could result in a fatal conclusion - death. 

Just think of the expense involved in treating this person who would require a primary physician versed in watching for the worsening of any of the three conditions.  A cardiologist would be very important, as would a cardiac surgeon, a neurologist, and a plastic surgeon.  Of course, numerous lab tests would be required to monitor the effect of medications, the complications of these diseases such as blood thinning, edema, loss of balance, loss of fine motor coordination, removal of some skin cancers, and even some mechanical equipment such as stents, a valve replacement in the heart perhaps, a pacemaker and/or defibrillator, and perhaps an operation on the face to remove what were becoming  worrisome growths.  
Then there would be the therapies: physical mostly, but perhaps speech as well for complications from Parkinson’s.  Of course, one cannot forget the expense of hospital stays and perhaps a few ambulance rides. Have I forgotten anything major?  How about a gastroenterologist needed to monitor the effects of certain drugs on digestive system, liver, kidneys, etc.? Oh yes - how about all those necessary medications -- as many as 15-20 separate pills. I’m sure there must be more items involved, but let this serve as a broad overview of this (real) person’s health picture, and his/her overwhelming need for a very adequate health insurance plan. 

For many such people dealing with multiple diseases or conditions, Medicare, a very good Medicare supplement, and perhaps extra coverage for dental, vision and hearing treatments and devices is a necessity.  It is not an exaggeration that some kind of insurance – perhaps Medicaid – will also be needed at the end stage of this person’s life as nursing home or hospice care may be inevitable but personal resources will have been gradually exhausted.

Now please do what many people are failing to do - switch from your vision of this person with multiple diseases and with adequate health insurance coverage to meet the demands of these conditions to a vision of a person who has no health insurance coverage and can't afford it – and has no help to manage these conditions and their resulting side effects.  Millions of such people exist in this country, with more about to be forced back into that reality.  They could not afford the medical insurance coverage, they could not even get adequate coverage because of insurance company restrictions on pre-existing conditions and long-term pay-outs.  Some who got very basic cheaper coverage also got a lifetime cap on expenses, and higher costs for co-pays and limits on certain treatments.  If they were eligible for Medicare, they also got stuck in an expensive “doughnut hole” which affected their treatment because they could not afford the expensive drug costs. 

What did they do?  They overloaded our emergency rooms, community health clinics and public health services trying to get treatment to save their lives – all of which services were not equipped to handle the onslaught of chronically ill people.  Rates of medical insurance climbed every year for all those who were covered in order to pay for those public services for those who weren’t covered.  That was before the passage of the much-derided “Obamacare” that was set-up to cover the uncovered or inadequately-covered persons so that their right to adequate health care would not be compromised, and so that the rest of us could reasonably expect to be free of the out-of-control rising rates we were being forced to bear by insurance companies in order to balance their costs and maintain their rather lucrative profit-margins.  And now, radical Republicans are determined to repeal the ACA so that we can go backwards to allowing insurance companies their large profits made possible by their undue and unfair restrictions, unreasonable rates and unwarranted caps.  Unwitting proponents of repeal are about to get what they have been asking for – along with the rest of us -- health bills that we can’t afford and bankruptcies we didn’t expect and cannot endure.

 As usual, unscrupulous politicians in the Congress have bamboozled you.  They directed blame for initial flaws and hiccups in the ACA to one person – Barack Obama – when it was Republican inattention, delay and outright opposition to providing adequate health care coverage for an uninsured segment of our population that played a key role in rising health care costs, rising deficit-spending and rising difficulties for small hospitals and for folks who are sick, often with multiple diseases.

Repeal of the ACA is not only irresponsible; it is immoral because care of the sick and vulnerable is an integral part of the ethical code inherited and embraced by this nation.  Congress is about to bring real harm upon millions of individuals -- including children, women and Senior Citizens -- who have gained health care coverage, and assistance for medication costs, under “Obamacare.”  Those who vote to repeal should be declared ineligible to hold public office because they will have violated their oath of office by bringing direct harm to real people, and abandoned their fiduciary obligations by directly abrogating the constitutional principle of the General Welfare of the People and the obligation in Article 1, Section 8, to do all in their power to execute the responsibilities named therein. 

Stop these anarchists.  Go on www.barackobama.com or to www.indivisibleguide.com and join the anti-repeal movement in a meaningful (and well-guided) manner.  As our President said in his farewell address last night: we weaken democracy when we write-off certain people and our responsibilities toward them and toward all.  We must constantly work - for a lifetime - to improve our great nation and its ideals. Being an involved Citizen is the most important Office in a democracy, because self-government is the underpinning of our democracy. In a phrase that I shall ever remember, he declared that the Constitution - a piece of parchment with writing - has no power or meaning unless We the People give it force and meaning.

So, he concluded: "Dive in.  Stay at it.  Have faith in America and in fellow Americans.  It is in the power of ordinary citizens to bring about change with our hearts, our ideals, and our enthusiasm. Believe in your ability, and in the Creed at our Core: "Yes, WE CAN!"  

Thank you, Mr. President, for your grace, your determination, your capacity to focus on the good, and your undiminished commitment to the fundamental values that have nourished, sustained and inspired us for centuries.  I am committed to grass roots activism to bring about meaningful change in our democracy and will continue that quest in the spirit you have manifested throughout your Presidency.  I am also committed to preserving your distinct legacy in any way I can because the successes and the achievements of your terms must be preserved for the edification of future generations. May many blessings be yours in the next phase of your life of service.

A PRESENT FROM the PAST

PLEASE NOTE:  I just found a draft posting from five years ago that was never published for readers to view.  I regret that error and that omission.  It is almost Christmas 2016.  This is most certainly a season of new birth, of joy, of caring, of inner peace and of hope.  In this particular year, on the political scene, it is seemingly also a season of nervous anticipation, actual fear, disgust, hypocrisy, division, anger, lies and bigotry, to say nothing about belligerence, intolerance, hatred and racism.  We are caught in a dilemma of our own choosing and of our own making.  One side of that dilemma expresses the virtues of love, family, faith, goodness, kindness peace and hope.  As with many of the events of Jesus’ life (birth, death, resurrection, ascension), there is great meaning within the events themselves, and a certain spiritual power or grace that emanates from that event into the celebration of it.  That's why we wish each other a "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays."

But, we cannot ignore the other side of our dilemma – also something of our own making and of our own choosing. We have allowed the creation of something frighteningly unfamiliar: the inside out, upside-down, value-threatening world of the President-elect of our country and of those leaders who will follow and support him. Donald Trump has, for many people, come to symbolize that inside-out Christmas, represented by the Grinch, (or perhaps -- Beelzebub).

So, in the midst of this dilemma, I am re-presenting this posting as a quick look at one of our most important Judeo-Christian values or beliefs that is being turned inside out - a PRESENT from the PAST! Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas!

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One of the major themes of the Bible is clearly the treatment of the poor and oppressed.  In fact, if someone wanted to be a one-issue candidate or voter, the Bible would lend itself to supporting that particular value as the one for which it speaks in no uncertain terms.  Perhaps as far back as the thirteenth century B.C., the Hebrew Law institutionalized assistance to the poor:

“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.  You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God.” 

Seems somewhat trivial in our high-powered capitalistic world, doesn’t it?  Leave something for the poor and alien from your harvest; but, it not only set a precedent in Israel, but carried over into other countries and cultures as well.  
England, for example, for a long time, allowed the poor to glean wood from forests owned by the rich and to have a “commons” where they could allow their animals to graze because it was held “in common” by all the tenants of the lord of a manor, and by villagers who settled nearby.  It was a rule followed right into the 17th and 18th centuries, until the rich began to push for “enclosure” of their lands so that their holdings could be protected and held inviolable.  Many of the poor were adversely affected by such a reversal of the custom of providing “gleanings” from the forests and the commons.

This message about helping the poor continues throughout the Old Testament, and is found not only in the Torah, but in the Psalms and Proverbs (songs and sayings), and in the Prophets.   It is found again in the New Testament as Jesus and some of his writer-followers reiterated the admonitions and content of the Old Testament.  Moreover, Jesus during his ministry, came back to his hometown of Nazareth and proclaimed something quite remarkable:  that he would be the fulfillment of God’s concern for the poor and downtrodden. 

“ He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read (from Hebrew scripture, of course)….’ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he appointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord…’ Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21)

Then, Jesus went a step further to make clear that God, and his own ministry, is on the side of the poor and downtrodden, by defining salvation as depending on how individuals and nations treat the poorest and most afflicted in the rather alarming parable or allegory of the Sheep and the Goats.

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on his left.
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in; naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty, and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked, and clothe you?’
“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me’.”

Of course, we all know what happened to the goats who didn’t see God in their brothers, and who didn’t offer their help; they went away into eternal punishment, while the righteous gained eternal life.

  
This was a startling message for Jesus’ day, for the prevailing belief was that wealth and position were signs of God’s favor, and poverty was God’s punishment for sin.  Jesus rejected that idea most clearly in the parable or allegory of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31).  The rich man ended up in hell because of his lack of compassion toward the beggar Lazarus (obviously, his wealth was not a sign of God’s favor), and Lazarus ended up in heaven (his great poverty was obviously not a sign of sinfulness or his own folly). 

Is it possible that there is a strong undercurrent of such attitudes existing today that allows our corporations and our government to justify economic and social policies that favor the rich and prosperous while undermining and zeroing- out programs that help the poor? Certainly the attitude that the poor, and even the handicapped, have done something to deserve their condition is much too prevalent.
In both the Old and New Testaments, helping the less fortunate is a message without caveats; it is simply something that must be done: a duty, an obligation, a way of life. And the overwhelming message in all these sources is that God wants it this way! Rather than quote hundreds of passages to prove a point, let us simply take a few samples to remind ourselves of the content of these messages:

1) It is incumbent on all to help the poor and oppressed:

“You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him.” (Leviticus 19:13).

“If there is a poor man among you…in any of the towns of the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand to the poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks.” (Deut. 15:7)

“When you have finished paying the complete tithe of your increase in…the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan and the widow, that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.” (Deut. 26:12)


“Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.” (Jeremiah 22:3)

2)  The Lord God is on the side of the poor and He protects and defends them; He identifies with them.  In fact, God is called by many names throughout the scriptures and many of those names emphasize His great love for the poor:



“Defender of the fatherless and widows” (Deut. 10:18; Psalm 10:16-18; Jeremiah 22:16)
“Protector of the poor” (Psalm 12:5)
“Rescuer of the poor” (I Sam. 2:8; Psalm 35:10; Isaiah 19:20; Jeremiah. 20:13)
“Provider of the poor” (Psalm 68:10; Isaiah 41:17)
“Savior of the poor” (Psalm 34:6; 109:31)
“Refuge of the poor” (Psalm 14:6; Isaiah 25:4)

3) Those in positions of authority - Kings, Judges, representatives; and those who are rich -- are all responsible for the care and protection of the poor:

[A Commandment to kings] “Open your mouth for the dumb, for the rights of all the unfortunate.  Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.” (Prov. 31:8ff).

“Woe to those who enact evil statutes, and to those who continually record unjust decisions, so as to deprive the needy of justice and rob the poor of My people of their rights"(Isa. 10:1-3)

“He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who are hungry. He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed.” (Luke 1:52ff)

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew t6:24-25)

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth… but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” (1Timothy 6:17,18)

4)  Care for the poor brings rewards; oppression and indifference bring other outcomes:

“He who despises his neighbor sins, but happy is he who is gracious to the poor.” (Proverbs 14:21)


“He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses.” (Proverbs 28:27)


“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:13-14)


“But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1John 3:17)

What might we conclude from all this?  Too many ultra-Conservatives have already concluded that the scriptures simply call us to recognize that the poor will always be with us and that the best way to approach poverty is to have faith communities handle their needs, but not to burden government with this task.  Many of them have also concluded that the poor and indigent, the immigrant and alien, those who receive welfare payments from government are lazy, illegal, undeserving, and are defrauding the government. 

However, the Book that has given us so many tenets related to human rights and dignity, to liberty and equality, and even to democracy, is unequivocal in its admonition that the poor and oppressed, even the stranger and alien, must be cared for; that officers of government and the rich have a solemn obligation to seek justice and to stand on the side of the downtrodden.  The Bible actually equates helping the poor, the widow, the orphan, the alien, the oppressed with aiding God.  That is, the lives and well-being of the most vulnerable in our societies are directly bound-up in our relationship with God.

While I do not contend that the Bible is to taken literally, or for that matter, as an Absolute of some kind, I do take it as a very important source of the Judeo-Christian ethic and thus for democratic ideals and institutions.
 
I

It is perhaps not too harsh, then, to conclude from that source, that American society is headed in the wrong direction as it turns over its administration to the rich and powerful; as it diverts the taxes of the middle and working classes to further enrich the already prosperous; as it tolerates the efforts of lobbyists and lawyers to gain clear advantages for the rich and powerful in our laws and regulations, without regard to the consequences for the less fortunate; as legislators cut needed programs that assist the less fortunate under the guise of reduction of government debt.


We would not be amiss to conclude also from that source that government is not exempt from providing for the poor, the downtrodden, and the less fortunate; that government, and churches, synagogues and mosques, as well as individuals, all have an equal obligation to stand with the poor and to give absolute assurance of opportunity, safety, security, protection and justice to all in need. To do less is to deny our God, our patriotism, our sacred honor and our obligation as citizens of this great Democracy.