5/14/21

Can we stipulate for these purposes that science has made it clear to all that for the preceding months, the wearing of masks was for the health benefit of the nation, and therefore, also for my neighbors, even for my own family; and, secondly, can we stipulate that the wearing of a mask is a very small thing, not a great inconvenience to anyone?  

This much is quite clear to everyone.

So, why has the matter of masks turned into such a feud? Officials are named and shamed for both wearing and not wearing masks, depending on whether you are watching Fox or CNN. This can’t be entirely because there are some minor scientific differences on where and when to wear masks, because there just isn’t much scientific disagreement.

What seems a simple issue has become rancorous, divisive, and bitter, between Republicans and Democrats. This is really hard to understand unless one reflects on the sociological history of the US. Our pilgrims had little government, often none, as they pushed west. They fought their way through all manner of challenges and hardships, with little or no help. They fought through all forms of interference in pursuit of their freedom and opportunity. Even as we grew and needed so much that could only be done by working together, this deep seated attitude has sustained and prevailed.

The answer to the mask mystery must be in our nation’s long history of individualism, the resistance to accepting responsibility for the collective. 

When Ronald Reagan said, “government IS the problem,” he was playing to this sentiment. Government exists for the collective, for the communal good. So abolishing government would be victory for those who want no responsibility for others and feel they are perfectly prepared to go it alone, needing no help from anyone.

When Donald Trump proclaimed, “America First,” he was rallying to this same sentiment—we as a nation can go it alone—we can be self-sufficient—we don’t need anything from the rest of the world. Likewise, we don’t need immigrants. 

There are objections to anyone controlling when my kids can be back in school, and anyone controlling when I can re-open my restaurant or business, and just how I must operate when I do. The police are here to protect me and my property. They’re not here to be social workers for those who should be taking care of themselves.

And on and on.

Fueling this bias is the failure of government to operate in ways seen as in the best interest of the individuals, the citizens of this country. And it’s not just the institutions of government which have lost the trust of citizens. Corporations have also failed the individual. There are few pension plans remaining. “Defined benefit plans” have taken their place, essentially meaning employer abandonment of the lifetime concern for the employee. Employment “at will” prevails, meaning the boss can fire you for any reason without warning. Unions have also failed their workers. Public schools have failed their students and parents.

In quasi-individualist moves, the wealthy have taken to private schools for their kids, and some to private jets and helicopters for their travel. The wealthy belong to private clubs and live in private gated communities. Inequality has skyrocketed and polls show working class Americans don’t care to fix it—many hoping they also can “make it,” and be left to enjoy it without being taxed. 

This is all a reflection of the extreme appeal to individualism, which has been and remains uniquely characteristic of the US. Sociological studies have compared our nation to a variety of European nations and found us at the extreme.

The mask objectors have seized on this symbol of being forced to concern for the collective. They see it as a loss of freedom for the individual. The mask objectors are saying, “no one can tell me what to do—not the government, not the scientists, not the CDC.”

Our unfortunate extreme dedication to individualism has costs. The value of community is lost and starved for resources. Only with community can all manner of shared assets and services be provided—from roads and bridges to Medicare and Social Security. Only with community can we have police, military, and careful protection to our environment. Our dedication to individualism means that all of these (and more) can be seen as somehow infringing on individual rights.

I vote for government, and higher taxes for the wealthy of us. I vote for leaders who respect and appreciate government, want to improve it, not to destroy it.

 

5/10/21

He said America First

Nobody else until we get all we want

No scraps from our table

Until our own poor are fed

And, our dogs are fed too

No shelter from the storm

Until all of us have a shelter

And a good one too

No jobs for anyone else

Until all of us have jobs

And high paying jobs too

And even if you want the dirty jobs

Dig ditches in the hot sun

Clean our dirty toilets

Feed our Alzheimer’s patients

And more stuff like that

And pay taxes

And obey our laws

Doesn’t matter

We don’t want to help you

We don’t want you coming here

Not until every single one of us

Has everything we want

And, that’s not going to happen soon

So forget it

And you, thousands, millions

Standing at the wall

Or the river

Or even the gate

We are America First

We really don’t care about anyone 

Except ourselves

See, this is a nice place

And you’d only mess it up

We can’t allow that

So walk on back to your dictators

Your criminal gangs

Your hunger

Your hopelessness

And your deprivation

It’s not our fault

You should have been born here

And born white

That’s where you made your mistake

We are America First

May 8, 2021

I’ve lost my patience. Looks like the Republicans are going to oust Liz Cheney, one of the few sober and honest voices they have left. The vast majority of Republicans in Congress seem convinced the future of the party is with Trump.

Republicans, I guess you’re betting on America First, which translated, means blaming immigrants and foreign countries like China, for all our problems. It means we don’t care about those abroad who are starving, persecuted, or in danger. It means we are not global citizens, but simply a populist and nationalist country. It means we don’t care about climate change, and we don’t trust and don’t choose to involve our nation in international governance organizations.

It means your Congressmen continue to claim a “stolen election,” along with thousands of fact-checked lies and misinformation your demagogue spewed through Twitter and Facebook, both of which have justifiably suspended him.

It means you don’t believe anything is wrong with policing in America or in the proliferation of all kinds of guns. It means Black Lives Matter is really the cause of the riots and property destruction, and not white nationalist and far right domestic terror groups. It means those who stormed the Capital resulting in deaths were just some patriotic Americans who wanted our flawed election systems to be repaired.

It means there is no systemic racism in the US, none at all. It therefore means the US is already fair to all, but clearly China is not. Since we’re clean, we have the right and obligation to meddle in China’s human rights issues.

It means we never have enough military or budget for them. If it comes down to it, we’ll take the money from education and welfare and build more rockets.

It means constant complaining by Mitch and the Fox anchors and guests about President Biden being disingenuous in promising to try to be bipartisan. Can they really hope Americans don’t remember how Mitch and Republicans treated Merrick Garland, Barack Obama, and have now promised to treat Biden? “Nothing gets approved!” Seems “bipartisan” means one thing—do it my way or you’re not bipartisan. Do it my way even if I won’t compromise. 

Being Republican used to mean believing in austerity and small government, but there was none of that during Trump’s four years, only now that he lost, it turns out to be a good opportunity for criticism of President Biden’s progressive budget proposals.

Oh, and it means it is not necessary to wear masks–ever.

With your sudden about face dedication to austerity, it means the infrastructure proposal, the jobs proposal, and the American Families proposal—they’re all far too generous, aren’t needed. Furthermore, paying for these with higher taxes on the wealthy is unfair to the wealthy.

Sad. Stupid. But, OK, go ahead and destroy your party. You are lemmings, who will follow Trump into oblivion.

Contradictions and hypocrisy abound. This week has weak jobs and increased unemployment, yet Fox argues that no additional stimulus is needed—these sudden austerity hawks seem without a good argument this week, but they plod on. Last week, it was that all is fine, economy growing, no stimulus needed. Oops, well, no stimulus needed, no matter what.

Take my state: Gavin Newsom will face a recall election. The arguments starting it were about Gavin keeping kids from returning full time to classrooms. But guess what—California now has the lowest level of Covid cases in the country now, thanks to Gavin’s measures, and kids are returning to school and restaurants can now safely open. Good luck, John Cox and Caitlyn Jenner!

This is all good news for the Democratic Party in 2022 and 2024. The majority of Americans do not really want the Trump/Republican agenda described above. Trump will (has) flame(d) out and will never recover. The Biden agenda is going to offer revitalization to America, increased jobs and increased wages. That alone is a winning formula. 

Think about this: Most Americans want some police reform. Most want some controls over gun rights. Most want to keep abortion legal. Most support a path to citizenship for our illegal immigrants. And, certainly, the vast majority want all the benefits promised by the huge progressive Biden budget. All of these, most Trumpian Republican congressmen oppose, against “the will of the people.” Not a good formula for election success.

And while the “crisis” at the border is providing lots of fuel for Sean Hannity, Judge Jeannine, and four of “The Five” on Fox (not including Juan Williams, the only sane voice of that five), the border problem will get resolved within these two years, before the next set of Congressional elections.

I join the many sane Americans who lament the absence of a healthy two-party system. But the Republicans are not headed toward creating their part of it. 

Well, Republicans, it’s no fun to have no control whatsoever in the three chambers of government, is it? But you brought it upon yourselves and you don’t even now seem to “get it!”