Phony political outrage

When reading the outrage professed by our politicians about the assault on democracy by the Russians supposedly interfering in the election I sometimes snicker, and on occasion guffaw, maybe even cackle. The legacy of the U.S. government in covert interference in other countries is stunning. We were heavily involved in seven successful coups (Iran '53, Guatemala '60, Congo '61, Dominican Republic '63, South Vietnam '63, Brazil '64 and Chile '73). The list does not include any U.S. military interventions against hostile regimes and U.S.-supported insurgencies or the plan to kill Fidel Castro with an exploding cigar. Our disdain for democracy is exceeded only by our hypocrisy.

Night Thoughts on Trump and America

MONDAY, AUGUST 7, 2017
By Robert Reich

With Donald Trump away vacationing at one of his golf resorts, the rest of us may have a chance to relax. But in truth it’s more like a short break in a continuing nightmare. Just enough time to turn on the light, look at the clock and ponder where we are, before the nightmare envelopes us again.

What can we ponder that will make all of this a bit less frightening? For one thing, it could be far worse. Trump could have fulfilled his campaign promises to repeal Obamacare, lock Hillary up, build a wall, and throw out all immigrants without papers.

By now he might have confused so many Americans about the truth that most of us would believe the words coming out of his mouth. Hell, by now he could have incited another civil war.

Actually very little has happened. He’s huffed and puffed, threatened and fumed, yet almost none of it has found its way into concrete laws. And it may not: The typical “honeymoon” enjoyed by new presidents is over for him. His first hundred days came and left, almost without a trace.

Another thing is Trump’s “favorables,” as pollsters call them, continue to tumble into territory never before seen at this stage of a presidency. Only about a third of the country still supports him; the opinions of the rest range from bad to awful. And his credibility is shot. 

Even Republicans in congress are now more willing to buck him (some are even talking about fixing what needs fixing in Obamacare). Meanwhile, special counsel Robert Mueller has impaneled a grand jury with the power to subpoena Trump’s financial records. Didn’t Trump hint he’d fire Mueller if he did this? Wouldn’t firing Mueller be the beginning of the end?

Trump has also ignited a prairie fire of grassroots activism, almost all of it against him. Across the country, people who were never politically active are rolling up their sleeves and getting involved – attending congressional town meetings, writing letters to the editors of their local papers, organizing for the 2018 midterms. Some are even running themselves.

This outburst of political effort resisting Trump has no parallel in recent history. John F. Kennedy asked Americans to ponder what they might do for America; Donald Trump is getting them to actually do it.

In the middle of the night one’s thoughts also turn to where we are in life.  Trump was born in 1946, the same year Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and, coincidentally, Clinton’s own special prosecutor, Ken Starr were born. And yours truly. We are all, shall we say, beyond our prime. There’s only so much damage a septuagenarian can do from here on.

To put it another way, a few weeks from now I’ll be returning to the classroom and a new crop of college freshmen. They were born in or around 1998. Chronologically, they’re as far removed from Trump and the rest of us early boomers as we were, when we went to college, from Americans born in 1894. Which is to say, a very long way.

So unless Trump brings on a nuclear war that ends life as we know it on the planet, he is unlikely to have much influence on the lives of my upcoming freshmen. His first (and perhaps only) term in office will be over when they’re just 22. Think of being 22 years old and having your whole life ahead of you, without Trump.

At the same time, Trump has been a boon to ethicists, moral philosophers, and the rest of us who tend to wake up in the night and think about big scary things. Trump has brought the nation back to first principles.

Most presidents spur debates over things like whether the economy needs a more stimulative fiscal policy, or whether America should support the expansion of NATO to the Baltic states. Trump has made us debate whether the U.S. economy can exist separate from the rest of the world, and whether we should even belong to NATO.

Some presidents get us talking about civil rights and civil liberties. Trump has got us talking about democracy versus tyranny.

I don’t mean to minimize the damage he’s already done. I don’t remember America so angry and divided – not even through the battles over civil rights and Vietnam. Trump has also demeaned the office of the presidency, licensed bigotry, appointed absurdly incompetent people to his Cabinet, violated every ethics and conflict-of-interest rule imaginable, reduced America’s influence and moral authority in the world, and may even have conspired with a foreign power to rig a presidential election.

That’s a lot in just under seven months. He deserves a vacation.

But taking the slightly longer view, the nation is still functioning. Our democratic institutions have so far stood the test and remain strong, just as the founding fathers intended. Presidential power is checked and balanced so the current occupant of the Oval Office is hemmed in. Plus, our friends and allies around the world understand that our condition is temporary. America will be back.

It has been an incredibly stressful time, but most of us are okay. In fact, I’d venture to say most Americans remain optimistic – especially my upcoming college freshmen, who have their whole lives ahead of them.

robertreich.org

Christian "victims" employ alternative facts

Sherm Johnson's March 2 letter to The Indianapolis Star about religious freedom and the victimization of Christians is misleading at best  and is possibly dishonest and deceitful.  Mr. Johnson compares the deaths of Christians (900,000) worldwide over a 10-year period to the deaths of civilians (31,257) in one predominantly Muslim city in a four-year period; a blatantly obvious false equivalency. And how was that figure of 900,000 Christian deaths determined?

 Mr. Johnson cites his source as the Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC). The CSGC "estimated" that approximately one million Christians were killed between 2000-2010. That number  was derived by again "estimating" that of the over four million killed in the civil war of the Democratic Republic of Congo DRC), at least 900,000 were Christians. The report failed to mention that it was a civil war not a religious war and that the  DRC is a Christian country, so it was Christians killing Christians. The Director of the CSGC, Todd Johnson, admits they have abandoned this statistic in recent years, stating that, "That's a weakness of this approach." The International Society for Humans Rights puts Christian deaths at about 7 to 8,000 per year worldwide. Certainly not a small number but one that Mr. Johnson could compare to the 8,000 civilians killed each year in just one Muslim city. 

I agree with Mr. Johnson that "religious freedom should be an ideal for all people." The truth, not alternative facts, should also be something to which we all aspire.

Trump's economic boom myth

In today's (6/21/2017) editorial cartoon, The Indianapolis Star's Gary Varvel depicts Donald Trump riding a rampaging bull as it jumps over the moon. I guess we're meant to give thanks to Trump for the Dow's record-setting pace. The only problem is that the majority of Americans are not invested in the stock market. As of a few years ago, the top 20% of Americans owned 92% of the stocks leaving just 8% for the remaining 80%. And Varvel wants those 80% to be thankful for Trump? Is Mr. Varvel unaware of the wealth inequality gap or does he just not care? Either way, his cartoon is a slap in the face to the majority of hardworking Americans.

Illegal immigrants have earned tax credits

Rep. Luke Messer recently wrote in a letter to the editor that taxpayers are paying billions of dollars in refundable tax credits to illegal immigrants. Messer fails to mention the obvious: that to claim a Child Tax Credit, one must file taxes with the IRS. It is not necessary to have a Social Security number to file taxes. An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is sufficient. To be eligible for the tax credit, children must be U.S. citizens and live with the claimant for a minimum of six months.

The Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy estimates that households headed by unauthorized immigrants pay an estimated $12 billion in taxes each year. Out of fear some immigrants use fake Social Security numbers, paying an additional estimated $11-13 billion in Social Security taxes per year for benefits they will never receive. Those monies go into the IRS Earnings Suspension File and add to the cash flow for the Social Security Administration. In 2010, these unauthorized immigrants paid $121.6 million in personal, property and sales taxes in Indiana. So, illegal immigrants contribute to the well-being of the economy at the local, state and national levels.

It is a shame that Messer begrudges children who are U.S. citizens a paltry $2.74 a day credit when he makes $174,000 for approximately 138 legislative days each year and his wife receives a $20,000 a month stipend from Fishers.

Yes, Messer is right when he says hardworking families are being punished. And I agree with him that "most Hoosiers get it."

Voters excuse Trump's behavior

In an Aug. 1 letter to The Indianapolis Star, David Nealy bemoans the "...chaos exhibited by the Trump administration..." and he goes on to state that  the "...president's personal character is beneath the dignity of the office -- and dangerous to the nation as a whole."  Yet Nealy said he voted for Trump and "...would probably opt for that position again..." Perhaps Trump is just a symptom and the root problem is the voters who would reward "disregard for constitutional constraints," undignified character and dangerous behavior.

Congressman deceives voters

Recently the Indianapolis Star published a letter by U.S. Congressman, Luke Messer (R-IN), who dog whistled that taxpayers are paying billions of dollars in refundable tax credits to illegal immigrants. Messer fails to mention the obvious, that to claim a Child Tax Credit, one must file taxes with the IRS. It is not necessary to have a Social Security number to file taxes. An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is sufficient. To be eligible, children must be U.S. Citizens and live with the claimant for a minimum of six months.

The Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy estimates that households headed by unauthorized immigrants pay an estimated $12 billion in taxes each year. Out of fear some immigrants use fake Social Security numbers, paying an estimated $11-13 billion in Social Security taxes per year for benefits they will never receive. Those monies go into the IRS Earnings Suspension File and add to the cash flow for the Social Security Administration. In 2010, these unauthorized immigrants paid $121.6 million in personal, property and sales taxes in Indiana. So, illegal immigrants contribute to the well-being of the economy at the local, state and national levels.

 It is a shame that Messer begrudges children who are U.S. citizens a paltry $2.74 a day credit when he makes $174,000 for approximately 138 legislative sessions each year and his wife receives a $20,000 a month stipend from Fishers, IN regardless of the work she does from her suburban Washington D.C. home.

Yes, Messer is right when he says hardworking families are being punished. And I agree with him that "most Hoosiers get it."