Why are Republicans, especially right wing Republicans so mean? I am of course using the word 'mean' in its most technical sense, that is, 'not nice'. Let me start this discussion with my old friend Barry Goldwater, since he can be credited with initiating the current conservative movement in America. Whether he actually said it or not I'm not sure, but he certainly was considered to belong to the crowd who believed that 'The poor have a helluva nerve being poor'. That's a pretty mean statement but of course as a fan of Goldwater I never really believed he meant it the way it sounded. I certainly didn't consider myself mean, so I'm sure today's Republicans may consider themselves righteous, correct, just, patriots, or many other things, but definitely not mean.
Yet let's look at some of the basic positions being espoused by Republicans today. Let the banks fail - no bailouts. Let the auto companies fail. Send all illegal immigrants home. Stop awarding citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants born here, even though that would be unconstitutional. The twenty billion dollar fund provided by BP is a shake down that we should apologize for. Don't provide extended unemployment benefits to out of work Americans. Don't regulate coal companies, oil companies, corporations or banks. Discontinue extended Cobra health benefit subsidies. Most of all, lower taxes on corporations and the wealthy. The list could easily go on and on.
Of course there are many legitimate arguments for these positions that don't involve being mean. The free market system will fix everything. Interference, especially by the government will distort the realities of what is going on and make things worse rather than better. If you want to help the 'small people', as BP does, you need to focus on advancing the interests of big business so benefits will at some point trickle down to these small people.
These arguments, however, tend to promote a culture of corporate welfare. We need to provide businesses with subsidies, tax breaks, free reign to operate in the market place, but we have no money to try to make things better for those in need. The deficit is a problem if we want to provide health care, unemployment benefits, or job training. Yet the deficit is not a concern if we need billions to fight wars overseas or to provide subsidies to small businesses. We want to tighten our belts because of the deficit, but if we need tanks and missiles somehow the money is there. The answer to every policy question is to reduce taxes and then reduce them again. It doesn't matter how many or what kind of services need to be cut as long as they don't include weapons for war or support for wall street. Recent data indicate that as many as 115 million widows in the United States are currently living in poverty, but this is not an issue that would create a blip on the radar screens of Republicans.
The question goes deeper than just a difference of opinion about ideology or philosophy. It too often reflects self interest. I have health care so I have no interest in making sure that others have it. I have a job so others must not want to work or they would have jobs too. I'll be fine in retirement without social security so don't ask me to support it with my money. Also, the idea seems to be that he who has the power makes the rules. I'm a powerful CEO and therefore government needs to do my bidding. Even the Supreme Court sees no problem with giving these powerful giants of finance and industry unfettered power to spend as much as they choose to control and ulimately dictate how government should operate.
Yet many Republicans, especially religious conservatives do tend to have a social consience and can even be quite generous in making contributions to help the poor. Their problem is with government, and they tend to feel that helping those in need is a job for the Churches and individuals. These conservative Republican policies, however, are hurting real people. In one of my recent blogs, "Accountability is Not for the Powerful", it was pointed out that we have the lowest record of distribution of wealth of any western country in the world. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Do these Republicans care about that? Is the goal to create a better world where everyone can earn a decent living for their family, or is it to make life more comfortable for those who already have more than they need?
It is true that government programs don't always accomplish what they are intended to, but maybe that's why we need Republican ideas to make programs better. I believe this president has genuinely been seeking that kind of cooperation. What we need to get away from, however, is Republicans designing programs only designed to help business. We need to agree that a balance is needed. Of course we need to support the success of business because the success of business is necessary if the 'small' people are to succeed. This was the real reason for the bailout of the banks. But we also need to design programs that will not make life harder for the people on Main Street but will instead actually assist them in being more successful too.
So Republicans, if you are not really 'mean', and do care about what happens to all our citizens, let's work together to craft policies that will further the interests of big business, but will also ensure that the rest of us get a fair shake as well. We could start by acknowledging the value and necessity of social security and medicare, and further recognize that even if the new health care bill is not all that it should be, reform is needed and working together it can be made better so that all our citizens can have affordable and beneficial health care.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Immigration Revisited
Clearly if there was ever an issue that cried out for more light than heat it is the issue of immigration. I recently heard a comment from someone on the radio that might perhaps shed a little of that light we need. This person pointed out that illegal immigrants from Mexico and Central America are not coming to this country to walk on the beach or live the good life. They are coming to eke out a slightly better living for themselves and their families under very difficult circumstances, but circumstances that are still a little better than what they currently have. This individual, however, went on to say that the solution is to pass legislation that would discourage immigrants from sneaking into the country for this purpose. In other words he advocates tougher and more punitive restrictions such as those that are part of Arizona's new immigration law.
The person mentioned is clearly right in his analysis of what is going on. Immigrants, many desperate to feed their families believe that despite the dangers, the United States offers the promise of a better life. They have no illusions. They know it will be tough, and they know it won't be a land flowing with milk and honey for them. Their desperation however, propels them to try the only solution available. What should we do to 'discourage' their coming as this commentator recommends? Well, maybe North Korea provides an example. Their border is truly closed. Anyone approaching the border will be shot. That's pretty effective discouragement. We have seen what hapens when unsuspecting travelers wander across their border accidentally. They have been quite effective in securing their border.
It's good that we have a dose of reality. Knowing why these people are coming is useful. Assuming we are not interested in the draconian solution I mentioned above, how about another dose of reality? The vast majority of these people who are coming to our country are not bad people. They are not out to do us harm. They are part of the same human family to which we belong. No law can change the fact that they are entitled to the same human rights as the rest of us. And the reality is that they are here. At least 12 million are currently in our country. Again, for the most part they are working hard, and providing services to the rest of us.
As far as being illegal, illegal covers a lot of ground. We break laws every time we drive 50 in a 35 mile per hour zone. Underage drinking is a phenomenon that is rampant on college campuses - and it is illegal. Some of the rhetoric portrays many of these hard working immigrants as hardened criminals, which is not exactly accurate. Those who have come here and are committing criminal or violent acts should of course be prosecuted and returned to their country. But there are also plenty of legal citizens who are committing criminal acts and need to be prosecuted as well. The issuse of illegal immigration needs to be dealt with, but all people need to be treated with respect and dignity and not lumped in with terrorists or other dangerous criminals. Whatever our political leanings I doubt that there are many of us who don't find something wrong with the separation of parents and their children because of their immigration status.
One notion that is also mentioned by those opposed to immigration reform is that these new immigrants are not interested in learning English. This notion makes no sense. Of course they want to learn English. How could it be that they don't want to look out for their own interests, be able to understand what's going on, or even be able to order a hamburger at a local restaurant. Those of us who have studied a language other that our own know this is not the easiest thing to do - especially for older people. I think, however, what is galling to some Americans is that these new immigrants may not want to be fully assimilated. They may not want to completly abandon their own culture. As an Italian American I went through the famous melting pot, and I melted. I can't speak Italian, I have no Italian culture to speak of other that eating Pizza and Spaghetti which is part of American culture. That is not a good thing. We should welcome the Hispanic culture and incorporate it into our own. Maybe more of us would actually be able to speak another language. What a great benefit that would be.
We are told that we must secure the border first. Some are disillusioned that when reform was tried many years ago the government failed to secure the border. All the more reason to work together to implement comprehensive reform that will be effective. Hopefully lessons have been learned and pitfalls can be avoided this time around. The missing link remains a willingness to work cooperatively to solve the problem. Too many want to use the problem to attack others, perhaps win elections, and maybe further their dislike of people different from themselves. The loudest voices seem to be winning the argument. They are winning so well that reasonable people, particularly those in the congress are afraid to even approach this hot potato issue.
Yet, these loudest voices are not voices of solution. They are only voices of anger, hatred, frustration, and distrust of any government solution. Some of their feelings may be justified. Their refusal to be willing to craft a compromise is not justified. Their way produces only more opportunity for continued heated rhetoric. It extends the time period for inflamed passions. It happened prior to the last election when they were able to shoot down the comprehensive plan proposed by President Bush and Senator McCain. They won. But we are no closer to a solution. The anger continues. Can that really be the goal? It is time to solve the problem. It is in fact the soluion of comprehensive reform that will help us identify and monitor those who are in our country, and this will provide greater protection for all of us. Let's take away one reason for the anger and destructive rhetoric in our midst. Let's craft comprehensive immigration reform that will work and that will remove one of the sources of disunity in our country. Opponents are correct that the federal government has failed to act. Yet many of these same opponents have worked hard to prevent the federal government from acting. You can't have it both ways. Congress, it's time. Step up to your responsibilities and solve this immigration crisis.
The person mentioned is clearly right in his analysis of what is going on. Immigrants, many desperate to feed their families believe that despite the dangers, the United States offers the promise of a better life. They have no illusions. They know it will be tough, and they know it won't be a land flowing with milk and honey for them. Their desperation however, propels them to try the only solution available. What should we do to 'discourage' their coming as this commentator recommends? Well, maybe North Korea provides an example. Their border is truly closed. Anyone approaching the border will be shot. That's pretty effective discouragement. We have seen what hapens when unsuspecting travelers wander across their border accidentally. They have been quite effective in securing their border.
It's good that we have a dose of reality. Knowing why these people are coming is useful. Assuming we are not interested in the draconian solution I mentioned above, how about another dose of reality? The vast majority of these people who are coming to our country are not bad people. They are not out to do us harm. They are part of the same human family to which we belong. No law can change the fact that they are entitled to the same human rights as the rest of us. And the reality is that they are here. At least 12 million are currently in our country. Again, for the most part they are working hard, and providing services to the rest of us.
As far as being illegal, illegal covers a lot of ground. We break laws every time we drive 50 in a 35 mile per hour zone. Underage drinking is a phenomenon that is rampant on college campuses - and it is illegal. Some of the rhetoric portrays many of these hard working immigrants as hardened criminals, which is not exactly accurate. Those who have come here and are committing criminal or violent acts should of course be prosecuted and returned to their country. But there are also plenty of legal citizens who are committing criminal acts and need to be prosecuted as well. The issuse of illegal immigration needs to be dealt with, but all people need to be treated with respect and dignity and not lumped in with terrorists or other dangerous criminals. Whatever our political leanings I doubt that there are many of us who don't find something wrong with the separation of parents and their children because of their immigration status.
One notion that is also mentioned by those opposed to immigration reform is that these new immigrants are not interested in learning English. This notion makes no sense. Of course they want to learn English. How could it be that they don't want to look out for their own interests, be able to understand what's going on, or even be able to order a hamburger at a local restaurant. Those of us who have studied a language other that our own know this is not the easiest thing to do - especially for older people. I think, however, what is galling to some Americans is that these new immigrants may not want to be fully assimilated. They may not want to completly abandon their own culture. As an Italian American I went through the famous melting pot, and I melted. I can't speak Italian, I have no Italian culture to speak of other that eating Pizza and Spaghetti which is part of American culture. That is not a good thing. We should welcome the Hispanic culture and incorporate it into our own. Maybe more of us would actually be able to speak another language. What a great benefit that would be.
We are told that we must secure the border first. Some are disillusioned that when reform was tried many years ago the government failed to secure the border. All the more reason to work together to implement comprehensive reform that will be effective. Hopefully lessons have been learned and pitfalls can be avoided this time around. The missing link remains a willingness to work cooperatively to solve the problem. Too many want to use the problem to attack others, perhaps win elections, and maybe further their dislike of people different from themselves. The loudest voices seem to be winning the argument. They are winning so well that reasonable people, particularly those in the congress are afraid to even approach this hot potato issue.
Yet, these loudest voices are not voices of solution. They are only voices of anger, hatred, frustration, and distrust of any government solution. Some of their feelings may be justified. Their refusal to be willing to craft a compromise is not justified. Their way produces only more opportunity for continued heated rhetoric. It extends the time period for inflamed passions. It happened prior to the last election when they were able to shoot down the comprehensive plan proposed by President Bush and Senator McCain. They won. But we are no closer to a solution. The anger continues. Can that really be the goal? It is time to solve the problem. It is in fact the soluion of comprehensive reform that will help us identify and monitor those who are in our country, and this will provide greater protection for all of us. Let's take away one reason for the anger and destructive rhetoric in our midst. Let's craft comprehensive immigration reform that will work and that will remove one of the sources of disunity in our country. Opponents are correct that the federal government has failed to act. Yet many of these same opponents have worked hard to prevent the federal government from acting. You can't have it both ways. Congress, it's time. Step up to your responsibilities and solve this immigration crisis.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
