Who Needs Protection?

As rumors fly today that Trump will go around Congress to reduce the taxes on capital gains I wonder what the hell we are doing.  Who are we promoting?  Who are we protecting?  Who is benefitting from a year and a half of policy reversals?

I suppose the first real question is, should the federal government ever intervene with rules and regs in areas of concern?  I know libertarians and many conservatives say “no” to this question.  They argue that the government should govern less, not more.  I believe they are wrong.  If the federal government governed less we would still have slavery, we would still have segregation, we would not protect workers, we would not ensure the food we eat and fluids we drink are safe, we would not serve children with disabilities, we would not have allowed women to vote, we would not ensure that children do not starve, we would not ensure that workers receive at least some sort of minimum wage, we would not have ensured that minorities have the right to sit anywhere on a bus or in a diner, we would not have provided some sort of health care for the poor, we would not have monitored the environmental impact of business practices, we would have allowed the majority religion to enact laws promoting their beliefs, women would have no say in their own reproductive rights, women could be harassed, and on and on and on.  In fact, it has always seemed to me that libertarians and some conservatives must oppose all the advancements in our society, or that they do not see treating all humans the same as a good thing.  So my answer is hell yes the federal government must intervene to ensure equal treatment of humans regardless of wealth, race, sexual identity, religious belief, etc.  To not do so means we do not believe all men (sic) are created equal, but we believe that the strong and wealthy should rule.

So, who are we protecting now?  Who are we watching out for?  The answer is clear to me.  We are watching out for wealthy, white, Christian, heterosexual, men, corporations, banks, finance institutions and shareholders.  We are not watching out for poor people or people of color.  We are not watching out for our environment.  We are not watching out for groups who have historically experienced discrimination.  We are not watching out for women’s rights, or the rights of people with different religious views or the rights of people with non-heterosexual orientations.  We are not watching out for labor.  We are not watching out for public education.  We are not watching out for those who have no health insurance.  We are no longer saying, “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”  Nor are we following the words of Jefferson, “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost”.

What is most interesting to me is the notion that the government that governs least governs best is quickly forgotten when promoting government rules and programs that help the conservatives.  As the economy crashed in 2008 it was the stock brokers and banks and auto industry who were first in line to receive handouts, and now as the tariffs hurt our farmers we quickly consider throwing money at them to help them.  Meanwhile, Flint has unsafe water and Puerto Rico continues to suffer from Maria and the President is threatening a government shutdown if he does not get funding for his wall.  Handouts to the wealthy are OK, just not for the poor.  Building walls is OK, but not building bridges for those who suffer elsewhere.  Giving the wealthy more money and policies to help them is OK, just not those who need it the most.

We are protecting those who least need protection.  We are protecting those who seek power and control without limits.  We are protecting those who are wealthy but still want more.  We are protecting the wrong groups.  We are protecting liars and sexual predators and con men.  And in doing so, we are losing what it means to be America. 

Congratulations Trump Supporters!

As children are separated from their parents at our borders, as Trump prepares to add another conservative to the Supreme Court, as the tariffs begin to backfire, as unemployment begins to rise, as interest rates begin to rise, as our allies turn more and more against us, as it has become OK to attack anyone who is different or thinks differently, as prejudice and misogyny become acceptable, as key leadership roles are doled out based on who you know and not what you know, as we return our policies and practices to the 1950’s, and as the wealthiest of Americans grow ever more so, it occurs to me we have not as a nation stopped to thank those who continue to support this President and praise those supporters for their accomplishments.  So this is my salute to Trump supporters.

First, congratulations on your decision to be born in the United States of America.  The number of people world-wide who did not make this decision vastly outnumber those of you who chose so wisely.  You are to be commended.  Further congratulations should go to Trump supporters whose lineage does not include any immigrants and were obviously placed here by God on the 6^th day.

Congratulations that you chose to be born an Anglo.  The number of people in our country who did not make this decision are our fastest growing segment, so you are to be commended for making this choice as well.

Congratulations that you chose to be born to an English-speaking family.  So many Americans did not make this decision and continue to be handicapped in our country by their language skills.  Once again, you chose wisely and are to be commended.

Congratulations that you chose to be raised in a “Christian” family, or that you have had a “born again” experience.  It is not everyone who is able to claim Christianity while supporting anti-Christian policies and for your mental ability to do so should earn you praise and recognition.  Further, your ability to support Supreme Court decisions and enacting laws and policies that make your particular religious beliefs the law of the land is equally remarkable considering one of the fundamental values of this country.  It is truly remarkable that you can simultaneously claim Christianity and patriotism when your beliefs are the antithesis of both.

Congratulations that you chose to be born a male.  That is clearly a stellar decision and positions you for all sorts of perks that women do not receive.  And congratulations if you did not choose to be born a male but as a woman chose to support male hegemony, misogyny and use of women as sex objects.  That is a remarkable mental and emotional position to hold and few women world-wide are able to be so submissive.  You are to be commended.

Congratulations to all Trump supporters who clearly support making profit over protecting the only planet we have and the humans that live here.  Non-Trump supporters cannot understand why we would allow oil companies, pharmaceutical companies, and the like to do what they wish despite the evidence that it harms us all.  Non-Trump supporters cannot understand why protections for workers in the work place should be decreased because it helps profits.  Non-Trump supporters cannot understand how our nation can fund Trump’s properties and a military parade, but not fund aid to American citizens in Puerto Rico and cure deadly drinking water in Flint.  Once again, the ability of Trump supporters to support such policies is well beyond anything non-Trump supporters can understand.

Congratulations to all gun-loving Trump supporters who are able somehow to witness 154 mass shootings in 2018 and believe that we do not need more restrictions on gun purchases despite the evidence that such restrictions work.  It cannot be that Trump supporters support killing innocent people, and yet their ability to oppose anything that might reduce such horror is intellectually beyond the understanding of non-Trump supporters.

Congratulations to all Trump supporters for the fact that you have achieved a rarefied intellectual position whereby you can support a liar, a racist, a misogynist, a con man, a narcissist, and a person ignorant of economics, US history, US traditions, our constitution and our fundamental human rights and somehow think this is best for our nation.  Few non-Trump supporters can even begin to grasp how you are able to do this so it is, in fact, a rarefied position.  The ability to live with such cognitive dissonance is beyond most other Americans and you should be commended for such.

Congratulations to all Trump supporters who have helped establish that whites rule, conservatives rule, men rule, the rich rule and big business rules instead of a government of all the people, by all the people, for all the people.  You should be proud.