Our Human Family

            At this time of year I sit down to write my Christmas letter to distant relatives, friends, and former neighbors that I don’t get to see much anymore. When I drafted this year’s letter, I had to tear it up, because I couldn’t send out a letter that was mainly full of good news. Not when 2017 has been a year of disasters affecting so many people. Not when a letter from my wife’s cousin Ronald in Puerto Rico detailed the horrors inflicted on his family by Hurricane Maria. Not when images of fire-ravaged California fill our TV screens every day.

            We all strive for happiness in our lives. We naturally feel blessed when we are free of pain, of debt, of sorrow. But even the most fortunate cannot be blind to the tragedies suffered by victims of natural disasters, crippling diseases, senseless killings, and human-inflicted cruelties. The holidays should be a time to enjoy the loving bonds of family, to share with the less fortunate, and to give thanks for all our blessings. But we should also be mindful that we are part of a universal family; that we join hands with allies against those who would do us harm; that we deplore depravity and corruption wherever it exists; that suffering and death near and far affect us all. If it is in our nature to love those close to us, the Christmas spirit must also extend to our entire human family.

Scandals and Corruption

            On a single day last week newspapers reported on an NFL Steelers-Bengals game that got ugly with deliberately-inflicted injuries, a suspension of a Patriots star for a gratuitous body-slam of a defenseless opponent, and an entire country (Russia) being barred from the upcoming Winter Olympics for government-sponsored doping. This came on the heels of the on-going sagas of NFL players disrespecting our flag and three incredibly stupid UCLA basketball players caught shoplifting in China, of all places. Sports are supposed to be for our entertainment. This is entertainment?

            In Washington, Congressional sex abusers continue to be outed. So far, it has been an equal opportunity debacle with three Democrats (John Conyers, Al Franken, and Ruben Kihuen) and three Republicans (Joe Barton, Trent Franks, and Blake Farenthold) facing an ignominious end to their legislative careers. The word is that as many as 40 more will follow.

            Fighting for space on the front pages is another scandal of even greater consequence for the nation, the growing evidence of corruption in the FBI and the Justice Department. People like Peter Strzok, Jeannie Rhee, Andrew Weissmann, and Bruce Ohr (not to mention James Comey himself) have already been identified as having played a role in the exoneration of Hillary Clinton, the production of the salacious Trump dossier, and the unmasking and persecution of Trump supporters. Further, Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation has been totally compromised by the extreme bias of its agents. Critics go so far as to accuse the FBI of having become a shadow government accountable to no one. Judging by the FBI’s refusal to cooperate with Congressional investigative committees and Mueller’s use of the agency as a political weapon, they may be right.

            What is most worrisome is that the abhorrent behavior in sports, the exploding sex scandals in Congress, and the corruption in the FBI all have one thing in common: the shredding of our country’s moral fiber. Unfortunately, I don’t see our President, himself tainted by multiple accusations of abuse and addicted to hyperbolic slogans and malicious tweets, as the one to lead our nation out of the morass. Who will?

             

Flushing the Swamp

            Situational ethics has for a long time now been the governing standard of morality in Washington. For the last 30 years politicians and their supporters have assumed that whatever helped their situation was ethical. This has been especially true in how they judged people who were guilty of sexual transgressions. Bill Clinton and Ted Kennedy were sexual predators, but liberals excused their behavior because they were on the right side of the issues. “Politics outweigh the personal,” said the feminists, because, as reprehensible as their behavior might have been, the cads advanced their interests. If any of the victims spoke up, they were defamed, degraded, and trashed (Mary Jo Kopechne, of course, could not speak up—she had lost her voice forever in Chappaquiddick). Situational ethics defined morality.

            Not anymore. Victims of sexual assault are speaking out, even after 20 or 30 years, even longer in the case of Judge Moore. And the stalwart defenders of abusers are changing their tune. When Nancy Pelosi was crucified in the press for defending John Conyers and calling him an icon, she quickly discovered that situational ethics no longer prevailed: after several members of the House called for his resignation, Pelosi was forced to reverse herself and also call for his resignation. Conyers, as of this writing, still has not gotten the message and vows to fight on. But he’s fighting a losing battle.

            The Congressional Swamp is just beginning to be drained of men who, like Conyers, were confident they were immune to the consequences of their actions by virtue of their position of power. One by one they are finding out that they were wrong. For years abusers were protected by rules contrived by their fellow-members to discourage victims from filing complaints or to purchase their silence with slush funds paid for by the taxpayers. Victims, however, are finding they do have a voice. So far, only a few abusers have been identified. But once Congress finally gives in to the public’s outcry and grudgingly reveals all their names, the Swamp’s drain plug will be pulled and the malfeasants will be flushed out.

            Personally, I don’t care who gets flushed from which side of the aisle of which chamber. I say Good Riddance and take your situational ethics with you.

Sex in the Swamp

            Has there ever been a greater volcanic eruption of news on a single topic than the one on sexual abuse in Hollywood, the media, and the Washington Swamp? To use an apt metaphor, the lights have come on and the cockroaches are scurrying for cover in all directions.

            We’ve always known, I suppose, that the movie producer’s couch was used for more than interviewing star-struck ingenues.  But did we know that the abusers in the media included so many of our trusted icons?  Rose, Halperin, Zimmerman, Oreskes, Steele, Fish, Wieseltier, Thrush, Ailes, O’Reilly, Bolling.  The list grows every day and will keep growing, as victims of abuse now realize they can speak out without fear of being ridiculed, disparaged, or fired.

            Scandals in Hollywood and the media are bad enough. But now the sex-abuse volcano is about to blow the lid off the Capitol Dome. Revelations that Congress has shelled out $15.1 million in taxpayer money to shut up victims of its members’ predations have produced outrage across the land, and the people demand answers. Who were these guys? What did they do? Who were the victims? Will they be allowed to come forward now? Why did taxpayers have to foot the bill?    

            At the heart of this scandal is a system of rules designed to shield culprits from accountability by first preventing victims from filing timely complaints and then maintaining strict secrecy on who the abusers were and how much hush money was paid to keep victims quiet. Who designed that system? Who, among the sitting senators and representatives signed on to it? The answers to these questions should be made a matter of public record, and the guilty should be made to reimburse the taxpayers.

            And more. Congressman Conyers is the first to have been caught with his pants down (figuratively and literally). He should resign immediately, followed by Senator Franken and every other member of Congress unmasked by this scandal. Open the books! Drain the Swamp!

Stop Digging

            An old adage says that if you’re in a hole, stop digging. Democrat politicians don’t seem to get the essence of this simple truth.

            A November 14 editorial in the Wall Street Journal starkly demonstrated how Connecticut, New Jersey, and Illinois, all Deep Blue states with high taxes, have driven high income earners out of their states. These taxpayers, fed up with soak-the-rich policies, have escaped in droves to low-tax states. With revenues from millionaire taxpayers falling, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Illinois have all chosen to get themselves out the revenue hole by doing the one thing that got them in the hole in the first place: raising taxes even higher.

            Now, high-tax states want Congress to get them out of the hole. They favor a clause in the tax-reform bill that would allow their citizens to continue to deduct high state income taxes and mortgage interest from their federal income taxes. This, in effect, would have low-tax states subsidize high-tax states. Instead of encouraging high-tax state profligacy, Congress should say No: It’s time you learned that when you’re in a hole you should stop digging.

            Common sense can be applied to other parts of the tax reform bill. Lowering the corporate tax rate from 35% to 20% will stem the outflow of corporations to countries with lower taxes and put out a welcome mat for those companies that would like to come home. Similarly, lowering tax rates on small businesses, who create 80% of the new jobs in this country, will help them grow and prosper.

            One thing that Chuck Schumer and his cohorts on the Democrat side of the aisle still don’t seem to understand is that, in the end, raising taxes even higher on high-income earners does not result in greater revenues for our Treasury. When rich people keep less of their income, they have less to invest in new businesses that create more jobs and “raise all boats.” Wealth redistribution policies preferred by the Democrat party can never lead to greater prosperity: it can only stifle growth and make the hole deeper.

            Growth is the only way out of the hole. But first you have to stop digging.  

The Swamp

            Is it any surprise that American voters are disgusted with both political parties? Washington is truly a swamp.

            Look at what is dominating the news these days. Republicans, one after the other, are disowning a holier-than-thou Senate candidate who is facing credible accusations of sexually molesting teenagers. Many other sitting senators and representatives have chosen to retire rather than face a furious electorate that sees Republicans as incapable of passing any meaningful legislation.

            On the other side of the aisle, Democrats are grimacing at their lowest popularity ratings ever, as facts emerge about their party paying for and distributing a pre-election dossier packed with lies about a tawdry Trump escapade in Moscow. Worse, party darlings Bill and Hillary Clinton are being investigated for their role in the scandal that gave Russia control of 20% of our country’s uranium, a deal that got the stamp of approval from then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, while millions were flowing into the Clinton Foundation. Even Special Counsel Robert Mueller, FBI Director at the time, may be implicated for turning a blind eye to what was going on.

            Can a swamp so full of liars, crooks, and incompetents ever be drained?

Keeping Paris Secure

           

           When I was in Paris last week I learned of the terrorist attack in New York—not from a news announcement on television, but from a Frenchman who was eager to communicate his sympathy for our loss. Parisians, of course, have suffered much more from terrorism than we have. And they are doing much more about it than we are.

            Paris is the most visited city in the world, and that presents special problems for those charged with protection against terrorists. Soldiers armed with automatic weapons are present near all popular attractions, ready to respond forcefully to any emergency; tourists entering all museums and government buildings go through metal detectors and bag checks; some buildings, like the Hotel de Ville, are closed altogether to tourists “for security reasons.” Worse, entry gates are shut at the least hint of trouble, as we saw at Versailles and the Pantheon, which were closed as a precaution against possible actions by strikers. When 200-300 bikers threatened to demonstrate in front of the Madeleine, 60 members of the French National Guard showed up…just in case. Parisians are serious about protecting their city.

            After incidents in other cities like London and Brussels, authorities know that subway systems are very vulnerable: you simply can’t bag-check every passenger without bringing the system to a grinding halt. Instead, Paris has installed monitored security cameras everywhere in Le Metro. Heightened security seems to produce other benefits, as well. Stations are virtually trash-free, and graffiti artists don’t dare spray station walls. In fact, many stations have bright, colorful artwork on their walls. One station near the Louvre even features niches with Greek and Roman statuary. Best yet, music often fills Le Metro, as amateur musicians serenade commuters; I heard enough musical instruments on the cars and in the passageways to assemble a small orchestra: a jazz trumpet, a saxophone, a violin, a flute, a baritone, several guitars, two accordions playing “La Vie en Rose,” and lots of singers with little boxes of recorded background music.

            The daily commute may be drudgery. But for Parisians it doesn’t have to be entirely unpleasant.