UNIFICATION OR DESTRUCTION

UNIFICATION OR DESTRUCTION

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A unification strategy is not a compromise.  In compromise, differences are satisfied by everyone gets something, while at the same time giving up something.  However, the differences remain unchanged.  A unification strategy is one that inspires a nation behind a common dream.  Presently the United States has no uniting dream we all share.  Therefore, we have no reason to unite.  A divided population, each trying to force their dream down the throat of fellow citizens is not a unifying strategy.  It is actually a divisive tactic.  Divisive tactics, like that, will never produce a strategy that keeps the widening gaps in the United States population from destroying itself from within.  Yet, that is the nature of our present national division.

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The best way to demonstrate this is simply eavesdrop on an ordinary conversation between friends.  The following Facebook response stream to an Abraham Lincoln quote serves this purpose.

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“A” Replied

MAYBE others cultivate it by posts against the president?

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“D” Replied

I don't agree...as you know, I never attack Trump voters, because I understand the sentiment for the alternative, but Trump is now the leader and the President...it is HIS responsibility to help unify the country, not mine.  His speech on Saturday night merely fanned the flames of disunity, and his words--to the Country---matter waayyyyy more than mine on FB.  Moreover, when he sends out a tweet on New Year's Eve (do you remember that one?) where he mocked those who didn't "vote for or support" him as being "among my many enemies," he reiterates his contempt for people like me...and...it's incumbent on him to win me over, not vice versa, and he continues to do the opposite. When he changes (which he shows no signs of doing), then I'll stop calling him out on FB.  That's the way I see it.

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“A” Replied

With a subdued but disapproving “emoji”

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“D” Replied

Sorry “A”...I actually like him substantially less today than when he got elected, I tried to give him a chance but that New Year's Eve tweet set me off...and I assure you,  I'm not alone

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“C” (captjbeppler) Replied

It creates a "dammed if you do and dammed if you don't" conundrum.  If you say something, anything, you increase the destructive division; if you don't you allow the division in our nation to destroy itself.

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“D” Replied

I think attacking Trump voters would be divisive, but calling out Trump on his divisive rhetoric, and holding him accountable as the key person who has responsibility for cultivating unity is another thing...and is good and right! And I have more Trump supporting FB friends (4X as many) than Clinton, so I'm happy to discuss this in a respectful and calm way...anytime, anywhere...and if/when they say they had to "put up" with Obama for 8 years, I always remind them that those who voted for Obama had to see and listen to all manner of criticisms and attacks for 8 years, so I am just doing to Trump what many did to Obama...seems pretty fair to me.

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“C” Replied

Trunp voters are as passionate about their guy as we were, and still are, about ours. Now, they feel just as personally attacked as we did.  Yet, I do agree it would, "seems fair to me."  The problem is attacking Trump just sends his supporters into defensive-mode, widening the division.  It will take cooler heads to find some stratagem, other than WAR, to draw the nation together.  If things don't come together, I predict that just before his reelection time, Trump will pick a fight with a nationally-perceived aggressor to improve his ratings.  Spun just right, nothing brings a nation together like a just war.  Watch and see.

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“D” Replied

I don't doubt that, but Trump, and certain of his core voters, simply cannot expect folks to just shut up and consent...I have had folks say things like "get over it" and "we put up with Obama for 8 years...”  We all have to deal with it in the manner we think best, and I'm not wired to sit still and "shut up" and "get over it" unless/until Trump stops his awful and inflammatory words and behavior.  Did you see his speech Saturday night?  He continues to fan the flames of anger and hostility, and I'm never going to accept that...and standing up to it does not promote disunity nearly as much as the rhetoric he perpetuates.  We may find out in the 2018 midterms what the country thinks about Trump...and if the Ds take over the House and Senate, mark my words, he will be impeached.  I'll take Pence over Trump any day.

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“C” Replied

One can only hope your tactic works.  It is the popular approach right now.  But without a unifying strategy, no matter the party in power, these present divisive tactics will produce what Abraham Lincoln feared, "If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

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“D” Replied

I'm afraid we may never be unified again, but shutting up and letting despotic power take hold isn't in me...remember the tea party movement?  That wasn't unifying, but it was successful.  I guess one approach is to be quiet and leave the voices and rhetoric to people like Rush Limbaugh and Alex Jones, but this is still America, and we have a long history of dissent leading to action, and that is my preference, but we all need to approach it the way we see best.  I remember a "voice" on one of your threads a while back, from an alleged former pastor, and that guy and his vitriol and Trump love is part of the problem, and I'm not going to let people like him fill the void that would be left by remaining quiet in an attempt toward unity.

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The Replies Ended…Wednesday, May 3, 2017

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In conclusion, the national conversation ignores a collective dream, leading to a united future, but instead prefers aggressive “payback” and/or spiteful defense.
As long as this discord reigns, a unifying strategy remains inconceivable and we stay a divided nation.  Seek not revenge but a common dream.  Otherwise Jesus, Himself, pronounced God’s verdict on such nations as recorded in Mark 3:24 of the New International Version Bible,

  “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

The Vine-covered Arch

The Tail of the   

VINE-COVERED ARCH

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A story is told of an arch that stood over the doorway of an old chapel.  The inscription on the arch read, “We Preach Christ Crucified.”  For that is what they did.  Over the years, beautiful vines grow up the arch.

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No one was concerned when the foliage eventually covered the word “crucified.”  By that time, the redemptive necessity of Christ’s death on a cross was less important than the moral virtues expressed in Christ’s life.  After all, they remained faithful to the message that read, “We Preach Christ.”

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Eventually, the lush vines obscured all but the words, “We Preach.”  However, the church didn’t mind, because they had long since grown weary of the “does and don’ts” of the ethical teachings of a cross-less Christ, and now preached civic obedience, self-reliance, moral armament, financial prosperity, cultural superiority, and  national exceptionalism, achieved through political reform.

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That is where the story ends, but the vine is still growing.  That is fine, I suppose, because a vine-covered arch looks perfect over the doorway of an old chapel that houses a political action headquarters.

SMELL OF TAX PROPAGANDA

 

SWEET SMELL OF TAX PROPAGANDA

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The proposed border tax is an attempt to find a new revenue source to offset tax cuts for corporations and the very wealthy without increase the federal deficit. The goal is economic vitality without adding additional burdens on the poor.  That is good…right?  My father, a great businessperson, used to say, “Every good has its own bads.”  In his case, financial growth meant prosperity but more work.  Ideal changes are those that lead to more “goods” and less “bads.”  However, when you must settle on a balance between the two, the change may not be worth the effort. 

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New Koch Brother TV ads oppose the proposed boarder tax.  Their group, Americans for Prosperity, is broadcasting the message that a border tax is bad for the economy.  They prefer an offset of federal spending.  Of course, according to the New York Times they object because a border tax, “would lead to huge new taxes on the petroleum and coal products industry, which includes some of Koch Industries most profitable subsidiaries.”  So, stopping the border tax is good.

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Other funding sources to offsets corporate tax relief include reductions in such things as the mortgage deductions, the deductibility of employer-sponsored health plans, and charitable deductions for individual income taxes, says Stanford University Hoover Institution’s tax policy expert, Tammy Frisby.  Further offsets considered are cuts to education, research, federal disaster relief, international aid, poverty assistance, food stamps, Social Security, the VA, as well as health services.  So then, stopping a border tax is bad.

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Originally, the border tax was part of multipronged tax reform effort to bring expatriated dollars and industries back home, to provide for large-scale infrastructure projects, and pay for a border wall.  Nonetheless, I thought the tax reform was a serious attempt to close tax loopholes, simplify returns, and even an odd notion of closing the IRS.  Changes of some kind are coming and they all carry a host of bads and goods.

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However it shakes-out, the worst “bad” of all is the stink these contentious changes will raise.  The next few months the air will fill with the odor of tax overhaul arguments.  An indication of how odious the results will be is the expensive public TV ads perfuming the upcoming ranker.  It must be bad, because the public has no direct say or vote on the matter.  So, get prepared for the “sweet smell” of propaganda.  Think of the perfumed stench as part of the “good” that comes with the “bad.”

SAILING IN POLITICAL WINDS

SAILING IN POLITICAL WINDS

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Taking on a new administration is like tacking a sailboat.  As a nation, we have practiced this maneuver 45 different times.  We are actually good at it.  It goes like this:

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“Ready About” calls the helmsman.  A crewmember, at the leeward winch, swings the loose jib-sheet twice around its barrel, inserts the winch handle, and shouts, “Ready!”  The windward member, still controlling the taut opposing line, gives his signal, “Ready!”  They remain poised, waiting for the command to come-about. 

 The command “Hard-a-lee!” propels the sailors into motion.  The vessel arches into and through the wind, until her sails catch the breeze on the other side.  When the crewmembers complete their tasks, (one casting off his line, while the other secures and trims his), they both spring to the newly uplifted rail to help right the heeling force of the wind.  The maneuver sends the boat in a new direction, about 30-45 degrees from its former heading, yet ultimately, beating toward the same mark.

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So then, here we are.  During the campaign, we all heard the preparatory command, “Ready About!”  Everyone knew the directional change was coming.  Those on the windward side (the right), responsible for managing the winds force after the turn, moved into possession, and shouted, “Ready!”  Likewise, from the voting sailors’ station on the leeward side (the left), the shout came, “Ready!”  However, neither the casting off side (the left) nor the tensioning side (the right) was actually ready when vessel came about.    

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I have been in a number of races when this happened.  It is never good.  1) It looks sloppy.  2) It slows the boat down.  3) It causes tension among the crewmembers.  4) It almost certainly means winning is out of the question.  

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Nonetheless, there are several good things about a poorly executed tack.  1)  Sloppy tacking will not sink the boat; IF when it comes-about, the casting-off members actually cast-off their line, otherwise, capsizing is possible. Let go.  2) The boat can continue the race; IF those who are trimmers will in fact trim the sail properly.  Try not to get in the way.  3)  The boat can not only round the mark, but also finish the race: IF the new course is not much more than 45 degrees off the previous heading.  Crewmembers must all cooperatively coordinate their actions, without approving harm or danger.

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Finally, don’t forget; 1) rounding the mark is still a ways off and will require several more tacks.  2) Shortly, we will hear the command again, “Ready About!”  Instead of simply nodding “Ready,” each crewmember needs to do his part, even if that is nothing more than casting a vote.  3) The race is not over even when we round the marker ahead, which in this case is, midterm primaries, and elections.  4) We should concentrate far less on winning or losing and more on joyfully finishing the race.  Therefore, don’t give-up, and neglect your duty, rather do your part, and SAIL ON. 

BREATHLESS DREAM

BREATHLESS DREAM

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Sailing a grand old vessel from L.A. to a Sand Diego boatyard marina, constricted my breath, and put pressure on my tear ducts.  This precious timeworn 52 footer, damaged by age, hapless retrofits, and repairs was the retirement fixation of an ex-counselor and landlubber along with his wife.  They were not buying a boat, but a dream of sailing around the world in their old age.  I told them that, though I would never buy a boat with all of its problems, that after appropriate repairs it might meet their live-aboard aspirations.  They boat their dreamboat, with all of its flaws.  However, as far as I know, they never sailed it off the dock.  Eventually, they put it up for sail.

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I experience the same breath restricted sensation, with its excess tear production as I assist the property owner, repairing the house we are renting to fulfill our dream of living in a mid-century modern home in the tree covered foothills of Eugene, Oregon.  The home is so precious, yet so damaged that it not only lifts me with delight on one hand, but also dips me into the reality that one day this dream will be lost forever.

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These are the same feelings that accompany my dream of our nation leading humanity toward a single globalized race of men and women that live cooperatively, harmoniously, and peacefully with each other.  Unfortunately, I am too old and weak to effectively repair her, myself… let alone make the needed upgrades.  If those with a like mind cannot work together, I must content myself with enjoying the dream of her as a precious yet broken nation, until she or I are no more.