America's Children Are Your Children

 In developing America's economic policy - how we should tax and spend - our guiding principle should not be "What is best for me personally?" but rather "What is best for the people of our country?" This is but one example of the Golden Rule.

If you have children you have probably made many sacrifices for them. You want what is best for them. You take them to the doctor and you do whatever it takes to keep them healthy. You pay for their education as best you can, striving to find them the best schools to attend as well as to pay for extra experiences that lead to growth and that open opportunities for them -- sports, camps, trips, music lessons -- anything that help them to understand and thrive in our society.

But the imperative of love asks more of us. Do you accept that all of the children in this country are your children? No matter where they live, no matter their race or religion, no matter their family's level of income or social status? Is your heart big enough to want all children to have the finest health care and the greatest education you can afford? Does your heart break when children are hungry or cold or unsafe or unloved?

Universal health care and universal education are not luxuries. We now live in an ultra-wealthy society, a post-scarcity civilization, one that can easily afford to treat every child as if it were our own. Given that, it isn't civilized for us to let our children go without.

Love and Truth, Not Hate and Lies

Our guiding principles in politics as in life must be love and truth, not hate and lies.

In assessing what to do about climate change, abortion, immigration, the economy, drug use, education, medical care, and every other issue we must base our policies on as much accurate information we can acquire and by committing ourselves to helping as many people as possible. Hate and lies only distract us from our best version of ourselves.

As to climate change, it is now obvious that the burning of fossil fuels is befouling our planet and that we must transition, as quickly as possible, to other sources of energy. To deny this is to deny our children and grandchildren their rightful inheritance - the same beautiful, bountiful home that our ancestors bequeathed to us.

Regarding abortion, extremists spend much energy on how much they hate the other side, how immoral they are. But that ignores the genuine suffering of those with whom they disagree. Fetal life is precious and worthy of protection. But so is a person's body and the freedom to make decisions about our own lives. Abortion requires compromise between those fundamental imperatives, and the solution will be forged by those who are willing to listen to each other.

Hatred of immigrants is an age-old problem, as are lies about them. Immigrants in America do not eat cats and dogs. They are not rapists and murderers. They do not poison our blood. Christians ought to remember better than any of us what Christ had to say on this subject. To hate immigrants is to hate your own mother and father. The truth is that immigrants are far more law-abiding than native-born Americans, and they are here because they chose to be and because they love this country, which is more than I can say for those who were born here and who despoil the Statue of Liberty and all that she stands for. Immigrants are proof of American exceptionalism. People want to come here because you can live better here, and more freely. Just from a selfish standpoint the truth is that immigrants stimulate the economy and make America wealthier. Welcome them. Thank them. Love them.

When we speak of the economy we must focus not only on our fears ("Bills, bills, bills!") but on our hopes and our dreams. How can we expand opportunity for all? How can we stimulate commerce, support small business, and make it possible for anyone willing to work to rise?

One approach to drug use is fear and anger, and to blame others (like immigrants) for our own weakness and indulgence. It is true that opioids are a curse - over 80,000 Americans die from opioid overdoses every year. People die from other drugs as well - over 30,000 from meth, over 25,000 from cocaine, over 5,000 from heroin. But the problem is far worse when we consider legal drugs. There are over 175,000 deaths annually from alcohol (not to mention the thousands that drunk drivers kill on the road) and 480,000 deaths per year from cigarettes, including 40,000 per year from secondhand smoke and 400 infant deaths from secondhand smoke. If you are angry about drugs, you should focus your anger on alcohol and cigarettes. If you want someone to blame, blame ourselves. No-one forces us to drink or smoke or take drugs. Instead of hate try love. Let's attack the root causes of drinking, smoking, and drug use - people are lonely, people are depressed, people are cold and hungry. And let's not put people in jail - let's treat them, and teach our children how to live productive lives instead of chemically altering their mental state.

Let us make education and medical care universal rights, not  luxuries that people receive only if they pay for it. The truth is that we are the richest country in the world. If other industrialized countries can bless their inhabitants with these basic human rights then we can as well. Stop worrying about whether someone else receives a benefit that our country can easily afford, and start being grateful that we live in an age where it is possible for everyone to live healthy lives and to reach their highest potential. 

Our best version of ourselves is achievable by adherence to the truth and commitment to love.

Is Trump Right in Asserting that the Foreign Sanctions Statute is Unconstitutional? Yes and No.

On August 2, President Trump signed H.R. 3364, the "Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act," a law imposing sanctions on Iran and North Korea and prohibiting the President from lifting existing sanctions on Russia. However, President Trump also issued a signing statement (actually two signing statements) in which he asserted that the law was unconstitutional. Was he right?

In part the President is correct: the provision of H.R. 3364 that declares that it is the policy of the United States not to recognize Russia's sovereignty over Crimea and eastern Ukraine is unconstitutional. The Supreme Court has ruled that the Constitution implicitly gives the President has the sole power to recognize what territories are subject to foreign governments. In contrast, the sanctions imposed by Congress on Russia on account of its actions in Ukraine and the limitations on the President's power to lift those sanctions are constitutional, because the Constitution expressly vests Congress with the power to regulate foreign commerce.

Clinton, Trump and the War on Women

For many years Democrats have claimed that Republicans have been waging a "war on women." Republicans have angrily rejected both the metaphor and the reality behind it. With the ascendancy of Donald Trump as the leader of the Republican Party, the reality of the war on women can no longer be denied. I had thought that this election was like all the others I have lived through - a dispute over policy. But it is more, much more. It was only recently that I realized the true significance and scope of this election. It is no less than a revolution - a watershed in the history of the human race.

What Should Republicans Do Now?

What can the Republican Party do to redeem itself from the racism, sexism, and xenophobia of Donald Trump? In a discussion on 538 entitled "Is This What It Looks Like When a Party Falls Apart," Nate Silver said,  "This isn't just a crisis of party leadership. It's a crisis of the party's voters." Trump is enthusiastically supported by about 40% of Republicans. Republican voters nominated Trump because of his racism, sexism, and xenophobia. He rose to political prominence by loudly proclaiming that Barack Obama is not a citizen and launched his presidential campaign by rudely calling undocumented Mexican immigrants "rapists." The vicious misogyny of Trump recently displayed on tape has been obvious throughout the campaign ("Blood coming out of her ... wherever."). Most Republicans are appalled by him, but what can they do? I have six suggestions for what they can do as individuals, but I'm not at all sure they can salvage the Republican Party.

Supreme Court's Decision in Zubik v. Burwell

Last December I wrote a loooonnnngggg post about the issues in Zubik v. Burwell, the contraceptive mandate case. This case promised to be one of the most significant decisions of the Supreme Court's 2015-2016 term. Today, the case closed softly, in what the media is calling a "compromise" resolution. (Today's decision of the Court in Zubic v. Burwell is available here.) But make no mistake -- the winners are employees who are now guaranteed contraceptive coverage at no cost.

Why I Do Not Support Bernie Sanders for the Democratic Nomination

I have several reasons for opposing Bernie Sanders as the Democratic nominee for President.

Clinton/Trump (3): The Race as of May 8, 2016

The latest national polls give Hillary Clinton an average of a seven-point lead on Donald Trump. How would this affect the electoral map and control of Congress?

Clinton/Trump (2): Donald Trump Is a Person of Appearances, Not a Person of Substance

Donald Trump is a person of appearances, not a person of substance.

Clinton/Trump (1) -- Will Donald Trump Defend Ukraine Against Russia?

Is Donald Trump caving in to Russia on Ukraine? It sure looks like it. There are strong indications that Trump opposes President Obama's policy of steadfast resistance to Russia, and would prefer to downgrade NATO, abandon Ukraine, and forge an alliance with Vladimir Putin. Donald Trump has chosen Paul Manafort -- an apologist for the Russian puppet Viktor Yanukovych -- as his campaign manager. This is deeply troubling. It calls into question Trump's loyalty to western Europe, his commitment to democracy, and his willingness to stand up to Russian expansionism. Why is Trump doing this? Trump is not a leader who has the best interests of people at heart. Trump is an opportunist who wants to make money.