I just finished reading the Jack Smith indictment on Trump’s “Stop the Steal” activities, the third indictment in the last 12 months for Mr. Trump, with one more to go. Three things stand out. First, in 2020/2021 we came a hair’s breadth from losing our democracy. Second, we were saved by brave Republicans, mostly election officials in the contested states who stood up to Trump and refused to act illegally. There were a lot of them, and they deserve awards for bravery. If they had caved, who knows what would have happened? And Pence, not exactly one of the most inspiring political figures, should be ranked high in the next addition of Profiles in Courage. Third, if you read the indictment, there is no way that Trump will be acquitted. The indictment is clear, concise, and loaded with chapter and verse examples of blatant, illegal activity in his efforts to overturn the election. The dude is toast.

But what can happen is that this trial and some of the other trials may not be completed before the election, or, more likely, appeals will be underway. Trump has already told us what he will do if reelected President. He will pardon himself and all involved in the January 6 Insurrection. It is not unthinkable that he would make the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys part of his private security guard.

The polls this week show a head to head matchup between Trump and Biden , each getting 43% of the vote. What? How could this be? How could almost half of the voting public in the United States vote for the Orange Narcissist? To the dismay of his adversaries, now that the indictment is out, Trump’s favorable numbers will probably increase.  He notoriously boasted in 2016 that he could shoot and kill someone in full view on the sidewalk in front of Trump Tower, and it would have not affect his base. Is there nothing he could do that would cause his MAGA base to abandon him?

Yes, I know we are a divided country with racial and class divisions and that there is resentment of “elites” by people who are struggling financially, have trouble adapting to a changing world, and who are offended by Wokeness, political correctness, and gender issues. But still. What is appealing about an arrogant billionaire, born with a silver spoon in his mouth and whose policies during his first presidency did nothing to help the struggling lower middle and white working class? The only way I can explain it is “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” But why are we bleeding heart Democrats who support unions and strengthening the safety net the enemy? Far more jobs were created in the first 30 months of the Biden Administration than in four years under Trump. And evangelicals? How could they see Trump as the New Messiah? Good heavens!

In a word, he must be defeated at the ballot box. We can’t count on the legal system to act in time to force Trump to the sidelines before it is too late.  The future of our country as the longest lasting democratic republic on the planet is at stake. The Germans, Italians, and Spanish were not  fascists before World War II. Yet each country abandoned democracy for authoritarianism in the 1930s. Many advanced countries have gone to the dark side of totalitarianism from time immemorial starting with ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. Yes, it could happen here. We can’t let it.

Last Sunday (July 30) All Souls Episcopal Church was in a desperate situation. Our last rector had walked out in a huff some time ago,  our interim rector had recently taken a new job, and no “supply priests” were available. Our Junior Warden bravely stepped up to lead the service and asked me if I would take on the sermon–or “reflection on the Gospel” as he called it. To my surprise, I enthusiastically accepted. It is true that I had received a Masters of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York in 1968. It is also true that Embry and I have hung in as loyal church people for all these years, but no one had ever asked me to preach a sermon. And for good reason. With regard to  theological matters,  I am  something of an outlier. But these were desperate times.

I did not know what the Gospel reading was until two days before the service. It turned out to be  five parables in the Gospel of Matthew, which talk about what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. (Matthew 13:24-33) Oh my goodness, I thought, how on earth could I ever talk about that? The Kingdom of Heaven was described by Matthew as a mustard seed, yeast, a treasure hidden in a field, fine pearls, and a fish net with the bad fish thrown into a furnace of fire. 

Here is what I came up with:

This reading is about the “Kingdom of Heaven.” What does Matthew mean by “The Kingdom of Heaven”? He uses the term over 30 times and is the only gospel writer to use that term. Mark and Luke use the term “Kingdom of God.” Are they the same? Matthew also uses the term “Kingdom of God” but only eight times, so there must be a difference in his thinking, and scholars have spent many hours wrestling with this question.

So, here are the questions that pop up…

• How is the kingdom of heaven a mustard seed?
• How is it like yeast?
• Or how is it a treasure hidden in a field?
• Or a merchant in search of fine pearls?
• Or a net thrown into the sea with good fish and bad fish with the bad fish thrown out? And if we are bad fish at the end of the age, angels will come and throw us into the furnace of fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth?

Recalling my days as a student at Union Seminary in NYC, I spent a good bit of time preparing for this “reflection” going over commentaries by dozens of Biblical scholars. There does not seem to be any consensus on the meaning of the Kingdom of Heaven parables. The conservative scholars tend to argue that the meaning of the parables is that if we are not true followers of Jesus, we will burn in hell. The more liberal scholars are more nuanced but to me not convincing. These parables of the Kingdom of Heaven—at least for me–remain a mystery.

But there are some clues to making some sense of this.

First, do not make the mistake of thinking that the experience of the writers of what became the New Testament was  like the experience of us 21^st Century humans.

Keep in mind that the Gospel of Matthew was written after the fall of the temple in 70 CE. (Mark was written first probably about 10 years earlier. Luke came 10-15 years later and the Gospel of John much later, probably just before the turn of the century.) The Gospel of Matthew is the only synoptic gospel to use parables to describe heaven.

And all the gospels relied on stories and oral history. The vast majority of people could not read or write, no more than between 3% and 5%. There is nothing written by Jesus, and many scholars believe he was illiterate. Except possibly for Mark when he was very young, none of the writers knew Jesus.

In other words, it can be dangerous to think that what was written over 2,000 years ago necessarily applies to our postmodern world in a literal way. Sometimes it is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

And the world at the time of Jesus was a very different place from what it is now. No video games, no smart phones, no computers, no AI. No Kepler, Hubble or Web telescopes.

But the questions of the meaning of life are just as real now, as I suspect they were then—perhaps more so. And the story of Jesus has resonated over the centuries providing clues to the answers.

Ultimately, the religious quest to find answers involves mystery, and this includes Christianity. We humans are hard wired to ask the question “why.” Why are we here on this planet? A small, blue planet in a run-of-the-mill solar system in a nondescript galaxy.

 Astronomers with the help of the Hubble, Kepler and Web telescopes now estimate there are over 100 billion stars in our galaxy and over 200 billion galaxies in the universe. A significant number of scientists now believe our universe is simply one of an infinite number of universes, which they call “the multiverse.” Astronomers estimate that there are in our galaxy alone over six billion rocky planets, about the same size as the planet Earth, which orbit their star in the “Goldilocks zone” where it is not too hot or too cold—the same kind of conditions that allowed our planet to develop life.

If understanding what this all means is impossible for us humans today, it was surely the case 2,000 years ago when everyone believed the Earth was flat and the sun and stars circulated around it, and that all of creation happened in six days. Trying to understand the world and the universe and our place in it and what it all means, I believe, is where science and religion begin to merge.

 And the big questions we ask today are what humans have been asking from time immemorial– what is the ultimate meaning of our lives? Of life itself? Why does evil exist? And how do we connect with the Divine, the spiritual dimension of life “which passes all understanding”?

So, is there even such a thing as heaven? Christianity seems to be clear on this. The creeds we say tell us that yes, there is eternal life and there is a heaven where  life continues (in some form) in the presence of God. But the skeptics in the room would ask, ok, where is it. Over 2,000 years ago when the New Testament was written, of course, there was no understanding of what all those twinkling lights overhead in a clear sky meant or why they were there. The powerful new telescopes we have now may show us distant galaxies, but no specific place that we could call heaven.

Perhaps we are framing the question wrong when we think of heaven as some kind of specific place where we—or at least some of us—supposedly go after we die. Rather, perhaps it is a dimension of life where we get hints of the Devine  in our Earthly lives– if we pay attention.  This dimension of human experience—the experience of the Divine– is present and accessible in the here and now– something we can experience while we are alive—in a mysterious way. It is a feeling of connectedness with something far greater than we can begin to articulate but deep down know is real.

In other words, heaven can best be described as  connection with the Divine, for some rarely experienced in their lives on Earth but still real, and for others a more central part of their lives. And where faith comes in is the belief—and hope– that in some mysterious way this connection with the Divine will continue even after we die.

And who is to say definitively that in this vast, expanding universe, a relationship with God, the Creator, is not possible? Who is to say that there is no such thing as a spiritual dimension to life? Who is to say that there is no eternal aspect of this spiritual dimension? The fact is no one knows all the answers. How do we explain the Big Bang? How do we make sense out of the over 100 billion stars in our galaxy? How do we make sense out of the over 200 billion galaxies in the universe, and that just maybe our universe is part of a multiverse? These become religious questions alongside the scientific ones.

Could there be room in this vast universe for something we humans call heaven? Could there be room for something we call eternal life? This is where faith comes into the picture. And as long as we are alive on this small, blue planet, the answer will be shrouded  in mystery. But where there is mystery, there is also room for hope.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The polls tell us the Democrats have lost a large share of what used to be part of our base—white people (a majority being men) with no college degree, in other words the white working class. Many evangelicals, subject of my last blog post, fall into this category. For the reasons noted in my last blog post, a large percentage of the white working class has bolted to Trump and are now MAGAs. While it is unrealistic to think that we will be able to bring a huge number back—especially the evangelicals with their culture war agenda– every vote counts. Plus, other than providing a platform for airing complaints about the world, the country, the economy, Hunter Biden, wokeness, DEI, the President, and all Democrats, the Republicans have no message or platform. There is nothing positive or hopeful in anything they say or do.

Most important, Republicans have done nothing to help working class, lower income people. Their trickle-down economic policies favor the rich and the privileged. The Republican message is a classic bait and switch: vote for us if you hate the liberal elites, the privileged, and the woke agenda, but don’t ask us questions about how the trickle-down policies championed by us Republicans helps you.

We Democrats have done a poor job of promoting how we are for the Little Guy. But despite all the complaining by Republicans, under President Biden the Democrats in Congress have accomplished a lot in Biden’s first 30 months.

Here is what the Dems need to do to recapture the white working class (or at least some of them):

1. Broadcast the accomplishments under Biden which help the struggling working class:
   • Lowered healthcare and drug costs (part of the Inflation Reduction Act).
   • Job creation in fighting climate change (also in the Inflation Reduction Act). Over nine million new, good paying jobs will be created over the next decade, many blue collar.
   • Huge investments in mental health (part of the Safer Communities Act)
   • Huge investments in American Industry and Manufacturing focusing on high tech manufacturing like microchips, which also produce good paying, blue collar jobs (the CHIPS and Science Act).
   • Massive help to working families during and post covid. (The American Rescue Plan) This act provided $1,400 to most working families and expanded the child tax credit payments plus provided billions for beefed up unemployment benefits, food assistance, subsidies to small businesses, and money for rental and childcare assistance.
   • Creation of construction jobs through new infrastructure projects in every state. Almost 7,000 specific projects will happen this year and beyond, and some Republicans are even bragging about this to their constituents even though they voted against the bill. (The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act). Over the next several years 2,800 bridges will be repaired, 3,000 airports expanded, the power grid modernized, resulting in thousands of new, good paying jobs.
   • Financial assistance to over 15 million households to enable them to get high speed internet. Republicans who voted against this are also taking credit for the subsidies in their rural red states.
   • Reduction in the cost of gas and energy costs for everyone by releasing oil from the National Strategic Reserve. Without this action, gas prices would have gone through the roof.
   • Improved healthcare for veterans affected by Burn Pits. (PACT Act) affecting over 3.5 million veterans.
   • Steps toward making Big Business and Fat Cats pay their fair share by establishing minimum taxes that all profitable, big corporations now must pay.

Most working people either do not know about or have forgotten these accomplishments. And Biden gets poor marks on how he has handled the economy.  A majority of Americans think that the economy is in bad shape, and many say they think a recession is beginning. These attitudes are due to  the negative messages by Republicans and rightwing media. They are deceiving and inaccurate.

We Dems have done a bad job in setting the record straight. Unemployment remains near historic lows, and the incomes of lower paying jobs have increased over 20 percent during the Biden Administration—the first significant increase in 40 years. Yes, inflation has been a factor, but our inflation is lower than the experience of most developed countries, and at last it appears to be going down and getting close to the Fed target.

Come on, Democrats! Get the message out. Let working class Americans know the truth—let all Americans know what has been accomplished. Hey, Joe Biden and the Democrats have done a great job given the hand they were dealt!

Now there are other important things that have been accomplished under Biden like stronger gun safety laws, reforming the US Postal Service, the Respect for Marriage Act protecting same sex and interracial marriages, protecting women from domestic violence (Violence Against Women Act), appointing the first black woman to the Supreme Court, pardoning people from simple marijuana possession charges,  standing firm behind Ukraine, helping unite NATO, and policies to fight global warming. These accomplishments also are important but not the most important message to the alienated, white working class, which is this: “It’s the economy stupid”: jobs, jobs, jobs.

2. Present a clear and compelling vision of the future and how this vision will help working people.

 Identify the major initiatives that Biden and the Dems hope to accomplish in a second term. Most important in my thinking would be these:

• • Tax Reform reducing income inequality and cutting the deficit. The big hitters must pay their fair share.
  • Continuing initiatives spurring job growth.
  • Support for Education Reform and education equity including free community colleges and expanding trade skills and apprenticeships.
  • Strengthening labor unions.
  • A national minimum wage that makes sense and is a living wage. The current $7.25/hour is so far out of line that it is rarely even used anymore.
  • Breaking up the monopolies and encouraging more competition.
  • Expanding support for working families including affordable childcare and funding more affordable housing.
  • Continued focus on curbing climate change.
  • Fair elections and strengthening the election process—and assuring democracy will survive.
  • Efforts to bring the American people together. (I know, fat chance.)

All these initiatives could benefit from being simplified around themes and “grand ideas,” which I will leave to the experts. (Remember the New Deal, the Square Deal, the New Frontier, and the Great Society?) Biden has gotten a good start by his expanding the economy “from the middle out and the bottom up.”

3. Challenge Republicans to Offer Alternatives.

The biggest weakness of the Republicans is that they do not have an economic plan. Traditional conservatives promoted trickle-down economics, but the MAGAs do not appear to have any plan at all. Their focus is all about culture wars. Make them show their hand and tell the American people what they are actually for, other than fighting culture wars.

4. Go to the mat on culture war issues that Democrats can win and downplay the ones we can’t.

Despite how awful the Trump-packed Supreme Court is today, they have embraced two culture war issues where the Democrats can win white working class votes: unreasonable restrictions on abortions and affirmative action based on class/income rather than race. Now I am not suggesting that we Dems abandon racial equality and civil rights issues or that I agree with the Supreme Court decision, but rather this is an opportunity to expand the issue of justice and fairness to social class and income. This will be tricky, and expert help will be needed to get it right. And as for abortions most Americans are uncomfortable with the draconian restrictions that are now in place in many red states. We can beat the Republicans on the abortion controversy.

We should not retreat from sexuality issues either, just not make a big deal of them at this time if we want to get the white working class vote. The key is to fight hard on the culture war issues we can win and where Republicans are weak.

I am sure focus groups with working class voters will be used a lot and probably are already underway. There may be other areas like gun safety that might have support, especially from working class women. 

5. Make the election about saving democracy.

I know, it sounds dramatic. I also concede that this may not be a big winner with the working class voter, especially those who are hard core MAGAs, who will never vote for a Democrat anyway. Yet the message of saving democracy is probably the most important of all. On January 6. 2021 and all the failed, stolen election accusations that followed, we came a hair’s breadth from losing it.

Paint the Republicans as extremists, which they are. Their  anti abortion and  anti gender identity initiatives are not popular with a majority of the American people. I know their anti woke and anti DEI issues have more support, but still  I believe the majority of Americans want us to make progress in these areas. They do not want to see extremists from the Left or the Right imposing their values on the rest of us. 

We find ourselves at a time in history where we are dangerously close to losing democracy as we have known it and that we have taken for granted. What if Pence have caved on January 6 and had sent the election results back to conservative state legislatures to decide? What if the mob had hung him and Nancy Pelosi as some say they intended?

We do not know who the Republican candidate will be, but even if it is not Trump, DeSantis and most of the others could be as bad or worse. It certainly will be the highest stakes election in my lifetime.

And there is one more thing, which applies to all target audiences not just the white working class: Give Kamala Harris more exposure to the American public. Biden is old, and age is an issue for many, like it or not. If DeSantis or another younger person is the Republican candidate, it will be a huge issue. People will be quietly wondering who Kamala Harris really is; and if the worst happens, does she have what it takes to take over should Biden not make it.

However, despite the ominous clouds on the horizon, as one who tends to be pessimistic from time to time, I am leaning optimistic on the next election and on the future of our country. I believe that if Biden and the Democrats can mount effective campaigns, the Democrats will win the Presidency, and we have a good shot at taking both Houses. I believe we will move forward as a country and as a planet, despite the grave threats of global warming.

Of course, nothing is a given, and all kinds of things could happen before the election (and after). What if Biden has a serious health issue? What if the Ukraine War widens into involving NATO, or if the Russians take over Ukraine? Or in desperation Putin pulls the nuclear trigger? What if the adversarial posture with China worsens? What if natural disasters due to global warming become far worse than expected? What if another pandemic arrives? What if the extremist, hate groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers grow and become more violent? And what about AI and how that will affect our lives? What if? What if…?

Yes, we face big challenges, but I am optimistic we will come through them. The future generations of Americans who will be taking the baton from the Silent Generation and the Boomers offer great hope. We humans are resourceful when we put ourselves into tackling tough challenges, have good leadership, and work together. And Lord have mercy, there are plenty of problems to solve.

Some years ago, I remember talking to a good friend, a classmate from Union Seminary and a famous civil liberties lawyer, now retired, who said this: “The thing that I fear most about dying is not being around to see what happens next.” Now as an octogenarian I know exactly what he meant.

 

 

Over a decade ago, before the MAGA movement and The Donald, I had a warm spot in my heart for evangelicals. Once while deplaning in San Juan on my way to a week of sailing in the British Virgin Islands, I was sitting a few rows behind a large group of teenagers who were all wearing bright red “Jesus Saves” t-shirts and white hats with the sign of the cross. Their leader, a guy in his mid 40s, about my age at the time, and dressed like his charges, saw me and headed toward me, smiling broadly. He embraced me with vigor and proclaimed, “I love you, brother, I love you!”

How nice, I thought, but good heavens, what is going on?

“Your shirt,” he said. “We are brothers.”

I was wearing a shirt with the insignia “Amazing Grace” on the front pocket. I sheepishly thanked him but could not help telling him that “Amazing Grace” was the name of my sailboat.

“Oh,” he responded with an embarrassed look. “Well, I guess I love you anyway.” Then he quickly returned to his group.

While my religious beliefs are about as far a as you can get from what evangelicals believe, I admit that in those days of innocence I appreciated their enthusiasm, commitment, joy, sincerity, and authenticity. If they got involved in rightwing extremist politics, I was not aware of it. And for me anyway, they seemed like basically good people. Many probably still are. (Remember Hillary’s unfortunate comment that all who support Trump are not “deplorables”?)

So why have so many white evangelicals become MAGAs? Why do so many believe that the election was stolen? Why do many support the January 6 insurrectionists? Why do some carry arms and threaten to use them? Somewhere along the line, something happened. Of course, it is not just evangelicals who support Trump. Afterall, he got almost half the vote in the last election. Yet evangelicals are the religious group that has jumped in whole hog.

The answer to the question of why so many are following Trump is that their behavior has little to do with their religious beliefs. It has to do with their human nature. We humans are a flawed species. Homo sapiens may be at the top of the food chain, but we are still creatures like every other mammal.

 What do our brothers and sister creatures of the animal world do when they feel threatened? They—and we— do one or more of three things:

• We run away and hide. Maybe it’s not under a rock, but it is some safe haven to avoid a predator or unfriendly creature. When we recently adopted our seventh–and I suspect last—cat, it took us three days to find out where he was hiding, and our two bedroom apartment is not all that big. (He was behind the luggage in a closet we hardly ever use.) This instinct, for example, is what drives immigration.
• We fight back. Think about what lions or tigers do when cornered. They roar and swat. Before we humans figured out how to use spears and rocks for weapons, a good roar from a lion or tiger fighting back usually meant a good meal to follow, but that was many thousands of years ago. This instinct, however, remains with us humans.
• We group together and follow the leadership of an Alpha Male. This is what our closest ancestors, the Great Apes, still do. Many other species do as well. We humans are essentially herd animals. Without strong leadership, countries fall; and when a country has a terrible leader, the results are often catastrophic. With strong leaders, we humans tend to fall in line. When they turn out to be authoritarian and oppressive, that is when things can go south very quickly. Think of rulers over the centuries that have done great damage. Think of authoritarian leaders in our lifetimes– Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Franco, Mussolini, Castro, Kim Jon Un, Putin, and Xi. The list is long.

In other words, while evangelicals and other people of faith may claim that religious beliefs and Christian faith are their primary motivator, they are wrong. When feeling threatened, we run and hide, we fight back, or we form groups and follow an Alpha Male. Often we do all three.  Evangelicals and other MAGAs are only doing what  humans do when threatened.

(Yes, it can go both ways. With strong, compassionate, and enlightened leaders, our better and gentler nature can come out. Think of Gandhi, Mandela, Churchill, both Roosevelts, Kennedy, King, and Obama. That list is also long. Unfortunately, that is not what is happening with the MAGAs.)

So why are evangelicals feeling threatened?

It has more to do with social class and education than with belief in God or adherence to religious dogma.  It has to do with feeling they have been left behind by social changes over which they have little control. The primary factor—but certainly not the only factor—for white, working class supporters of Trump is that they have had to compete with minorities for good paying jobs with benefits. The old jobs which used to be secure and paid a living wage are diminishing. Lifestyles have also changed, and social norms have been turned upside down. They see a country where white people will soon cease to be the majority and where “unacceptable behavior” on sexuality issues abound. Churches of all types have lost members, and it is harder to claim we are a Christianity country. They see a country run by the rich and the liberal elite, who they believe look down their noses at them. They believe they have been dealt a bad hand and are mad about it. The shared grievances of those in the white working class and others who feel threatened by social change are what unites them. It has little to do with religious beliefs.

They have found in Donald Trump their Alpha Male leader. Trump is not the cause, just an immoral opportunist who has been able to exploit the anger of those who feel cornered to advance his own ambitions.

However, the America the MAGAs want to make great again is history. As they say, “That train has done left the station.” We are not going to return to the “good old days” of Jim Crow, segregated housing, segregated schools, segregated institutions, and intolerance of people who are different from us in race, ethnicity, immigration status, or sexuality. We are not going to return to Victorian era manners and decorum.

The election of 2024 will determine the outcome of the path our country chooses to follow. There is no assurance right now as to how it will turn out.

Stay  tuned for a follow up on what the Dems need to do…..

 

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Did you see Biden’s Chicago speech on “Bidenomics,” which happened last Wednesday, June 28? I happened to turn on the TV around noon just to check on what was going on in the world just as his speech was starting. I watched the whole thing and thought it was terrific.

Now we all know that Biden is not an inspiring speaker. Now in his 80s, his voice is hoarse, and he tends to slur words and occasionally stumble through sentences. Part of this may be due to his childhood stutter, which he has struggled with in the past and mostly overcome, and part to his age.

(I am nine months older than he is and know what aging is like. Would I consider a run for president, assuming incorrectly that I was qualified? Heavens no! Nor would anyone I know who is my age, but, hey, we are not going there in this blog post.)

In any event, Biden is surely no John Kennedy or Barack Obama. However, if you can get past his delivery and listen to what he is saying, he often makes sense. And in my view, he has been an effective and good president. Actually, taking into consideration the hand he was dealt with all the MAGA backlash and Republican Trump-sycophants and election deniers, I would say he has been a great president. And in this speech on economics, I believe he nailed it. We Dems finally may have a message which might be a compelling rallying cry going forward.

So what is Bidenomics? This was originally a derogatory term, coined by the Wall Street Journal when referring to Biden’s economic policies, which they despise. The scary thing for us Democrats is that polls currently show a majority of Americans agreeing with the Wall Street Journal, think our economy is in bad shape, and give Biden low marks on his economic agenda and on his presidency. Not fair if you ask me but also not a good sign if you are trying to get reelected. The Biden speech on Wednesday transformed the negative and pejorative meaning of the word to a positive one and directly challenged the Republicans on the economy.  He compared Bidenomics with the “Trickle Down Economics” of the Republican Party. Here were his main points:

• Biden’s economic agenda, Bidenomics, involves funding large projects which address our aging infrastructure like roads, bridges, and mass transit, which among other things create good paying jobs for blue collar workers. It means making investments in new technologies like microchips. It means funding climate change initiatives like wind and solar farms, which also produce new, green jobs. And it means getting the rich to pay their fair share to support these programs and social programs for the disadvantaged.

 Miraculously, in an era of extreme division along party lines, Biden was able to get enough support from Republicans to get three major laws passed–the Inflation Reduction Act, a huge infrastructure bill, and the CHIPS Act. These legislative accomplishments are just beginning to produce tangible results that will help average Americans. During Biden’s 30 months in office, 13 million new jobs have already been created. Despite dire forecasts, the economy has grown at two a percent this year, higher than expectations of around 1.5%.  Over 800,000 new manufacturing jobs have been created– more than double in two years what happened under Trump in four years.

• The Republican’s alternative to Bidenomics is Trickle Down Economics, which has been the Republican approach starting in 1980 under Reagan and continuing under every Republican president. This approach subsidizes big business and the wealthy by cutting income taxes for the rich and for corporations, cutting regulations, getting rid of inheritance taxes, while assuring the average American that somehow the benefits will “trickle down” to ordinary people. Biden proclaimed that this has not worked.

I fully agree with Biden on this. Trickle Down Economics has produced billionaires but hurt ordinary people, who have gained very little in inflation adjusted income. Many good jobs have been shipped overseas while corporate profits have soared. The average income for working families has remained stagnant since 1980 when adjusted for inflation while the incomes of the top 10 percent have skyrocketed. In 2021 the median wage was just under $57,000. In 1980 in today’s dollars, it was $54,000. The difference in pay between CEOs of Fortune 500 Companies and the average worker in these companies was about 50 to 1 through the 1970s, a number that was considered high at the time. Now it is more than 200 to 1. For all corporations it is even higher—400 to 1. Now the gulf between the rich and most Americans is the most extreme in U.S. history.

The huge $1.5 trillion tax cut passed under Trump in 2017 did not produce huge numbers of new jobs or help his base. It created more wealth for the rich. To cover the cost of public investments which produce good paying jobs and grow the economy and to reduce deficits, tax revenues need to be increased—but not on  households with incomes below $400,000 under Biden’s plan. Bidenomics targets the  super rich and the big corporations. They are not paying their fair share. CEOs of a Fortune 500 Company typically pay a smaller percentage of their incomes for taxes than their secretaries and security guards. This is not right. Under Bidenomics the super rich and the big corporations would pay their fair share producing funds to reduce the deficit and to encourage economic growth and fund important new initiatives like subsidies to fund childcare and affordable housing.

• Bidenomics is also about strengthening labor unions and giving the average working class American more power. Trickle Down Economics is all about keeping wages low, profits high. It has done and will do little to help the average worker.

The best thing about the speech for me was the mantra Biden used many times in his speech: Bidenomics expands the economy “from the middle out and from the bottom up,” not from the top down!

Biden did not talk much about inflation, which, of course, has been the huge downside to the post covid, economic recovery made in the last two years. Inflation, however, has started to go down, now averaging around 4.5%, but it still has a long way to go to get to the Fed target of 2-3%.

Will Biden’s populist message make a difference to white people without a college degree and to many in the white working class who have moved into the Trump camp? Doubtful. For the time being the Republicans seem to have abandoned any serious talk about the economy—except to harp on inflation, balancing the budget, and reducing the deficit. Their focus is on divisive social issues—anti woke, anti LGBTQ, anti-trans, anti-abortion, anti-affirmative action, anti-books that talk about racism or sexuality, anti-climate change initiatives, anti immigration, and anti-essentially all progressive programs. Scariest of all is the autocratic leaning of the  Republican party. In 2024 democracy itself may be at risk.

While it is not a sure thing that Trump will be Biden’s opponent—he could be in jail by the election—the other contenders are not a whole lot better, and some like DeSantis are even scarier.

But the “build the economy from the middle out and the bottom up ”is a great slogan and a good start, and Bidenomics is surely a better direction than another round of Trickle Down. Way to go, Joe!

Why write about a high school graduation? They are all pretty much the same, right?

Not at Casco Bay High School in Portland ME.

Our daughter, Jessica, and her husband, Peter, have two children who attend this extraordinary public school. Jo has just completed her freshman year, and Jasper graduated two weeks ago. The Ellis family moved to Portland four years ago. Their reason for moving from Mt Rainer, MD was due in part to their kids getting into this school.

Embry and I arrived from our Hawaii wedding trip in time to attend the awards ceremony the day before graduation. The graduates wore their caps and gowns and were seated in several rows facing the audience of parents and friends. There are only about 100 students in the graduating class—very small for a public high school. And the students are quite diverse. The school uses the lottery system to assure that the student population matches the Portland population according to several categories including class, race, and income. Forty-four percent are minority students, and forty percent will be the first in their family to go to college. About the same percentage are from “economically disadvantaged” families.

 I can’t remember what all the awards were—I counted 38 presentations in all with many students receiving multiple awards. (Jasper was tied for the most awards, five, along with several other students.) But what I will remember for a long time were the roars of approval and cheers that erupted from the class when the winner of each award was announced and the hugs and high fives among students once the ceremony was over.

My goodness, I thought, these kids really love each other. What is going on? How many diverse public high schools in the U.S. are you going to find with this kind of camaraderie and bonding? How many schools of any type—public or private?

I think the philosophy behind the school plays a big role. Casco Bay High School is what is called an “expeditionary learning school.” There are about 150 such schools in the U.S., which are based on the philosophy of a German educational visionary, Kurt Hahn, who also founded Outward Bound. By design the schools are small, and their approach emphasizes empathy, respect, hands-on experience, cooperation, teamwork, exploration of the natural world, and a host of other similar concepts including diversity and inclusion. On day one of your freshman year, you are assigned to be in one of the six or seven “crews” where you will remain a member with 14 or 15 other students and a faculty crew leader for all four years. Each crew reflects the diversity of the student body. The crews meet often throughout the year and together go on adventures such as camping, kayaking, canoeing, travel, mountain climbing, and hiking. While nothing is ever perfect and it is true that there are often conflicts within families and close groups, it seemed to me that a lot of these students over the four years had bonded as brothers and sisters.

It would be hard to top the awards ceremony, but the graduation event the next day came close. Each 14-member crew sat together on the stage of the downtown Portland performing arts theater, which was almost full. Three things stood out. The first were the short “speeches” of four or five words that every student made before they lined up to accept their diplomas. Cheering from the audience was so loud that I had a hard time hearing what was said, but I got the gist. The second were the diploma presentations. Polite handshakes with the principal were replaced by embraces, and as graduating seniors approached the principal, who was awarding the diplomas, there were several back flips, numerous cool dancing moves, and three or four graduates who crawled or “alligatored” to receive their diplomas. Decorum quickly morphed into raucous joy and borderline chaos.

 What impressed me most, however, were the PowerPoint-like slides that appeared on a large screen behind the students as they received their diplomas. The first image included their name and where they were going to college (or for some taking a gap year). The second image was a short paragraph describing why this person was special. Each description was thoughtful, often amusing, and always positive and affirming. There were no cliches or ho-hum descriptions.  A lot of thought had gone into each one. Crews were responsible for preparing the comments about their fellow members though I suspect the faculty crew team leader was the person who pulled the comments together.

I could not help noting that only a handful are going to a prestige college or university. Almost half are going to the local community college (probably because it is free), several to the local college, the University of Southern Maine, and more to the University of Maine. Not a single student was going to an Ivy League School, and only about 10-15 percent were going out of state. Why not more? These students seemed fabulous to me, and Casco Bay has the reputation of being academically rigorous.

 I compare this with the experience of both of our children who attended private—and, yes, elite—prep schools in Washington where in both schools it seemed to me that about half the graduating students were going to Ivy League or other highly selective colleges. Andrew went to Penn and Jessica to Brown. Certainly, while these are great high schools, the students couldn’t be all that much better than the Casco Bay students, could they?

Getting selected by admissions committee at highly selective colleges when applying from a public high school seems a heavier lift compared to the prep schools—even from excellent and academically rigorous schools like Casco Bay. There is also the issue of cost and affordability by working class families. I know that this issue has been the focus of higher education reform initiatives aimed at leveling the playing field (and that these efforts are the focus of pushback). Still, it seems to me  there is a ways  to go.

But then  again, as Embry pointed out to me,  there is way too much emphasis on the benefits of so  called “elite” colleges and universities, much of which falls into the category of educational snobbishness, a charge which I have to admit, sadly, that I am guilty of. One could argue that you can get a good if not better education at schools which are not “highly selective.” And they are right. It all depends on the teachers you have, the philosophy of the school, and what each person puts into the experience. What is important in our world today, however,  is to get that college degree.

And in that regard Casco Bay High School has succeeded big time. Every single student  graduated this year, and every single student got into college. The school has opened up a world of opportunity for  many who otherwise might have fallen through the cracks at a conventional high school.

 

The Ellis family–Jo, Jes, Jasper, and  Peter

(Our grandson, Jasper, is going to a great school, the University of British Columbia, which is listed among the top 60 universities in the world, though it is not well known or considered “elite” by most people in the U.S.)

The other thing that made this graduation special was that the Casco Bay High School Class of 2023 was “the covid class.” Because of the pandemic, the school closed in early 2020, requiring the students to take classes online for 18 months. All the graduating classes of 2023 all over the planet Earth have been through a lot. They have good reason to celebrate at graduation time.

Over the weekend, Jessica, turned to me and asked, “Now, Dad, do you understand why we moved to Maine and now do you understand why it was the right choice?”

I nodded yes.

 

Back in Washington after a two week journey, first to Kuai (in Hawaii) for the wedding of my first cousin (once removed), which was my seventh and most likely final officiating role. Then Embry and I headed back to the East Coast where our grandson, Jasper Ellis, graduated from Casco Bay High School in Portland ME. This was a great journey, which involved seven different flights, six time zone changes each way and remarkably no disasters. For a change every flight was on time.

The two events were special. My cousin, Jackson Cole, married Tori Nakamatsu, who grew up on the island. They had met in college in Seattle where they still live. The guests at the wedding were a mix of Anglos, mostly from Nashville (mainly family) and Hawaiians from Kuai. The event was fabulous: gorgeous bride, handsome groom, warm and loving friends and families. The weather was perfect, and the venue was in one of the most beautiful spots on the planet Earth.

 The rehearsal dinner attended by about 40 people was in a public park overlooking the Pacific with food provided by a food truck. To get to the wedding rehearsal, you had to walk past several five-star resorts with Mercedes lined up to accommodate the rich and famous from all over the world, many attending their glamourous destination weddings. Guards could be seen protecting the resorts to keep out the riffraff.

 I was so glad that this wedding event was in a park—not in a resort– with locals gathered around tables nearby with kids kicking soccer balls and playing Frisbee.

There were about twice as many attending the wedding the next day on an old plantation available only for use by native Hawaiians and also overlooking the ocean. Fabulous music by a guitarist not much younger than me followed (playing mostly 60s rock and roll music) under a big tent where the wedding reception and feast occurred. The event was magical.

The only glitch was that I had failed to fill out all the paperwork that the state requires from the officiant. In fact, I was not aware that any paperwork from me was required other than signing the marriage license. On my six previous weddings I never filled out anything except to provide bona fide evidence of being an ordained minister, which, of course, I am along with millions of other Universal Life Ministers.

A few days ago, however—over two weeks after the wedding– I got an email from  Jackson politely informing me that someone from the state had determined the marriage was not legal because the officiant had failed to fill out the forms within the required five day period following the wedding. To be legal the wedding would have to be repeated in Hawaii—this time with all the forms properly filled out. When the notice from the state was received, Jackson and Tori were back in Seattle and we were back in Washington, plus repeating any wedding—especially one as special as this—would be a non-starter for anyone. What to do…?

I expressed my astonishment and dismay via email to my cousin, apologized, and said I would try to do what I could to satisfy their requirements without having to repeat the wedding in Kuai. Within minutes his email reply came: “Hey, Joe, no problem. We are having a reception in Seattle anyway. We will just get remarried there when we have the reception.”

Not exactly the way I would like to see my marriage officiating career come to an end, but a wedding experience is spiritual as well as it is legal, and that is what counts. There is nothing the state of Hawaii can do to take the spiritual part away. (And thank heavens for the reception opportunity in Seattle!)

Our grandson’s graduation was also special—and quite unusual. Stay tuned for the next blog post.

 

Embry and I are in Hawaii, on the small and lush island of Kuai where on Saturday I will officiate the wedding of my cousin, Jackson, and his fiancé, Tori, who grew up here. Four days ago all my credit cards and bank accounts were shut down. I spent the better part of the last three days trying to straighten things out before I became “homeless and penniless.” Here is the story:

To break up the long trip out here—over a dozen hours on two flights covering six time zones—we spent two days in the Bay Area where we visited Embry’s friend and namesake, her three year old child and family, then three days in Honolulu where we visited another  dear friend from our college and graduate school days. No problems with using an ATM or paying with a credit card. Then in Honolulu when I tried to pay for dinner with my PNC Visa, it was rejected. The second effort, using a PNC debit card, was also rejected, but my Bank of America debit card was accepted. Two hours later I got an email from Bank of America stating my B of A account also was shut down. I did not have any other access to credit and no cash left in my pocket.

Now to be honest, this was not a real  problem because Embry’s cards were all working. But still. And picture the implications for someone who was traveling alone.

Before the ordeal  more or less  ended late yesterday, I had tried and failed six times to  get the matter fixed. Half of the agents announced that the accounts were now working, which unfortunately turned out to be wrong. The other half gave up since without a working password they could not access the account. I was at the point of tearing out what little hair I have left on my head, when it occurred to me that a different approach was needed. Here is the conversation when I  explained the situation for the seventh time:

Me: You have got to help me. I do not have a valid debit or credit card. I am on the remote island of Kuai. I have no cash. Plus  I am homeless and penniless.

PNC (female voice): All you have to do is go to PNC.com and change your user name and password.

Me: I have tried and failed six times. It always rejects my password.

PNC: No, it doesn’t. You must be doing it wrong.

Me:  You try it.

PNC: Tell me your password.

 (It was pretty long.  Since I was hacked a couple of weeks ago, I was determined to come up with a password no one could guess. It was RXMcAG476CB35%SW3131%*$– not the real one of course, but close.)

PNC: It does not work. I am afraid that without a valid password, the only way that your account can be unfrozen is to go to a local PNC  branch.

Me: The closest PNC branch is over 2,000 miles away.

PNC: There is nothing that can be done. You must go in person to a branch and show proper identification.

Me: But you do not understand. I am in Kuai. I have no cash and none of my cards work. I am not able to stay in a hotel. I am not able to call an Uber or taxi. I am not able to eat. I am starving. I am elderly–Joe Biden’s age.  (Admittedly mostly lies, but I was desperate.) Please help me!

PNC: Certainly, there must be a homeless shelter somewhere on the island.

Me: But how do I get home, how do I eat? How do I even get to the homeless shelter with no money?

PNC: Provide a legitimate password.

Me: I am taking all my money out of PNC and moving it to Bank of America.

PNC: Not without a valid password, you aren’t.

The PNC rep then hung up.

You might conclude that this was not one of my better days. But after regaining my self-control, I decided to call yet again, starting with the homeless and penniless sob story and when my password was rejected demanding to speak to her supervisor, then another and then another supervisor until I finally reached the President of PNC Bank. Ok, maybe he was not the president of the bank, but he seemed to  know what he was doing, was able to access my account and unfreeze the debit card. The Visa remains locked. In all I think it took about eight hours on the phone with about a dozen reps. Most were polite and cordial, but only one was (partially)  able to solve the problem. And, oh yes, I now have a new password, which is only eight characters long.

Question of the day: what if I had been traveling alone? What if I did not have the persistence and faith that I ultimately would prevail? What if? What if? And will they ever get the Visa to work?

Stay tuned….

 

 

 

 

Scene: The cloak room of the Senate, often used by Republicans.

Republican Senator One: “Well, since there seems to be a good chance that Trump  might be behind bars when the next election happens in 2024, I think we should have a backup candidate, and my vote would go to George Santos. He’s the guy to carry the torch.

Republican Senator Two: I agree. I favor him as much as you do. He has all the qualities we want and need. He has a fabulous resume, a true Horatio Alger story, plus he stands for everything Trump does and will fight hard.

Republican Staffer: Are you sure? I have been responsible for investigating all the controversy surrounding this man and have done some fact checking. I have some questions.

Republican Senator One: Well, for starters he went to a great college. Baruch College . Hard to get into, terrific school.

 Republican Staffer: Except he didn’t. No record that he attended the school.

Republican Senator One: He had to. He was a volleyball star there plus he has an MBA from NYU. You can’t have an MBA if you don’t go to college.

Republican Staffer: No record of an MBA from NYU or attending the NYU graduate school. In fact, no record of a college degree anywhere. Also, no evidence that he ever played volleyball, not that it is all that important.

Republican Senator One: Well, you are right. That isn’t all that important. Just look at his successful career. He was a high level executive at Citi Group and at Goldman Sachs and worked at Blackstone.

Republican Staffer: Would be great except there is no record of his being employed at any of these firms. I talked with HR people at each firm and no one ever heard of the guy.

Republican Senator Two: Maybe they did not keep good records. And what about his real estate career? He was a big time landlord in New York City and complained about all the deadbeats who owed him rent money.

Republican Staffer: Unfortunately, there is no record of Santos owning any property in New York or anywhere else. But there are numerous court records of Santos being brought into court for failing to pay rent.

Republican Senator Two:  Well, that is a minor item, and I for one do not believe he wouldn’t pay rent.  He has a lot of money, right? Hey, he lent his campaign over $700,000, so he must have a lot of money.

 Republican Staffer: His tax returns showed an income of only $55,000 in 2020. Plus, he applied for and received unemployment benefits from the Covid relief funds of $24,000 in 2020 and 2021.  He may have made around $100,000 during that period when he worked for an investment firm in Florida, but it coincided with the time he claimed unemployment insurance during the covid pandemic. 

 Republican Senator Two: Well, the money had to come from somewhere.

Republican Staffer: That is one of the reasons he is being investigated by the FBI.

Republican Senator One: Partisan attack by scum bag Democrats, who have weaponized the FBI. Who are you going to believe, Santos or the FBI? Plus, he has an inspiring personal history. This makes him a compelling presidential candidate. His Jewish grandparents were Holocaust survivors, for goodness sake! They came to the U.S. penniless.

Republican Staffer: When his mother immigrated from Brazil, she listed her parents as being born in Brazil. And there is also nothing about being Jewish or ever living in Europe.

Republican Senator Two: Well, being a Jew is not all that helpful anyway in a national election as it is in New York City. So, what if he is not Jewish? Think of all that he has been through. Take the Nine-Eleven attack on the World Trade Center in 2001. His mother was working there as a high level business executive in the South Tower and died from the toxic dust. Tragedy, real tragedy. Tear jerker. The American public will relate to that.

Republican Staffer: Except his mother was living in Brazil at the time and listed her occupation as “housekeeper and home aide” on her immigration papers, when she immigrated to the U.S. in 2003.

Republican Senator One: Not all that important. And another inspiring part of his life was his championing animal rights. That should be compelling. He started his own charity, a nonprofit, tax exempt organization called “Friends of Pets United.” He personally rescued 2,400 dogs and 280 cats. This will really go over well with the animal lovers.

Republican Staffer: The part about the nonprofit company appears correct except it was never registered with the IRS as is required, and there are multiple accusations that he stole money from the nonprofit for his personal use. This is another item under investigation by the FBI.

Republican Senator One: Well, another positive factor is that in his first run for office in 2020, his election was stolen just like what happened to Trump that year. Republicans will rally behind a candidate who experienced election fraud and who supports Trump’s proven accusations of election fraud. Look, we all know the Democrats cheat all the time and that Trump won in 2020….Son, you might have tried to find the facts, but all you have told us amounts to a “he said, she said” deal. Believe who you want to, but we know that all this is a  plot by Democrats to keep this likely candidate at bay. What we need now is a strong backup candidate should Trump end up in the slammer, and Santos, frankly, is the best we have. Kevin McCarthy loves him. Lindsley Graham loves him. Mitch loves him. He’s the best we got.

Republican Staffer: Did you know he has been charged with seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of making false statements to the House of Representatives?

Senator Number One: So what? Accusations happen in every election. No big deal. He hasn’t been convicted, has he? That is the only thing that counts. All made up charges, if you ask me. Besides, son, you better watch yourself. He may end up being the next President of the United States.

Staffer departs from the cloak room with no comment. Senators rush off to vote.

 

 

As I write on Saturday, May 20, there is no assurance that the debt ceiling will be raised. To the contrary, the negotiations ceased when the Republicans left the room on Friday evening in a huff hinting that there was no hope for a compromise. The required “compromise,” as they call it, would mean Democrats holding federal spending steady for discretionary items with no increases from the FY 22 budget– for eight years! It also would mean huge cuts in federal subsidies for health care and the social safety net along with gutting environmental initiatives and firing IRS staff. Cuts would average 18 percent on year one for all items not related to defense or national security. The federal bureaucracy would be gutted, support for veterans cut drastically, climate change initiatives blocked. Medicare and Social Security would also be on the chopping block. When the Democrats give into these “reasonable” demands, then and only then will the Republicans agree to allow the proposed programs in the 2024 budget to move forward by raising the debt limit.

These demands, of course, are outrageous and unacceptable to Democrats and to the Administration. The Republicans, however, believe they are coming from a position of strength. They believe they have the poison pill—the law that prevents any spending above the congressionally authorized debt ceiling, which is expected to happen on or around June 1. The average American expects both sides to make concessions and for a compromise to be reached. 

 The crazies have taken over the Republican Party.  I am not hopeful.

I say, Hold your course, Democrats. What is happening now is the equivalent to hostage taking. And make no mistake. This has nothing to do with balanced budgets. No Republican gave so much as a twit when Trump’s laws cut revenues and provided giveaways to the rich through tax cuts. The tax cuts pushed deficits to record highs. This is about an unconditional surrender by Democrats to give Republicans the chance to destroy virtually all that they and President Biden have been able to accomplish in the first two years of the Biden Administration and much more. Plus if they are successful in getting their way now, they will surely pull this trick again. And again.  Mr. President, you can’t let this happen. Dems, you can’t let this happen.

So what to do? So, yes, make compromises, small ones, but do not cave on what is important. If reasonable compromises can’t be reached, accept that  the non essential part of the federal government will be shut down, but do not default on Treasury Bills. We have been through government shut downs before. They are painful, unfair, and totally unnecessary,  but usually are worked out eventually. Not honoring our financial obligations is a bird of a different feather. Economists and historians tell us the results would be catastrophic. Mr. President, continue to pay interest and return principal. The Fourteenth Amendment has a provision that states the following:

“The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.”

Argue the law about the debt ceiling is unconstitutional and honor the debt. This would, of course, end up in the Supreme Court. Would the current justices put a stop to  this action by Republicans to set off a catastrophic event? I know, long shot. That is why we all should be concerned.

A “discharge petition” (which I confess I do not understand)  has also been recommended, which would get around the debt ceiling deadline but would need at least five Republicans to sign on, also unlikely.

The situation is in effect a duel at close range where both sides shoot each other dead. It is the financial equivalent of a nuclear war. Yes, the budget deficits need to be addressed by cost cutting combined with raising more revenues. This needs to be a priority going forward but not now, not under the threat of killing all the hostages. Only eleven days are left before the triggering event.  For now, however, the Dems must not cave. Should the Republicans win on this one,  Doomsday comes to mind.