Civic Passport

Finished reading: The Dead Zone by Stephen King 📚

For years I have struggled with prayer. What it really boils down to is a version of the problem of evil, and almost entirely involves intercessory prayer. There are millions of people around the world who live in absolute poverty. It’s not just that they live on little, but they live on nothing. They have kids who are dying of starvation or incurable (or curable) diseases. They aren’t healed or fed. Wives see their husbands and mothers their sons go off to war and killed for territorial gain or the glory of the tyrants. And even in our first world societies, people see loved ones die of cancer, killed in accidents or die on the operating table. In all of these some having prayers offered, and others not, but in all of these that end, not being answered. Yet so many Christians will thank God for answering prayers for getting money to pay for their apartment, or something trivial. They will praise God for cancer cured in a loved one, while someone else’s child dies because their parent had Aids and passed it on to them. Why should God honor my intercessory prayer when another person’s prayer goes unanswered, or someone dies that no one is praying for? None of it seems fair or right. In most cases I find it next to impossible to pray of my own volition. If someone asks me, I will say a prayer because I want to honor their request.

Yes I can at times doubt God’s existence or the resurrection. But those things don’t trouble me like the above does. Frankly, I find both doctrines easier to believe, than intercessory prayer. I read scripture almost every day, and offer various forms of prayers. However, asking God for things and hoping/expecting them to be granted just doesn’t strike me as right. Maybe someday I will find a way to reconcile this inner tension within my faith. For me this is actually less about belief in a loving God. The teachings of Jesus and the demonstration in his own life do actually square that circle for me.

Never Trump conservatives and liberals are often accused of having Trump Derangement Syndrome. This being the case where in Trump supporters eyes, Trump opponents simply don’t like Trump or some policies because they can’t seem to get past the bad orange man whose only problem is the inability to put his phone down. His talk simply prevents those who are opposed from seeing how wonderful Trump actually is.

Those of us opposed to Trump know that that isn’t the case. There are far worse things about Trump than simply his diarrhea of the mouth. However, almost 10 years into Trump dominating the political landscape, I’ve noticed how one particular issue completely clouds the judgment of Trump supporters to an unreasonable extent. That issue is abortion. For opponents of abortion there is no more important issue than ending abortion on demand, and all other issues and politicians are subordinate to it.

The Bible itself is fairly silent on the matter of abortion. Yes, there are a few passages that refer to God knowing a person before they are born. But that is really as far as it goes. There are other passages that go in the direction of indicating that the unborn baby is not a person in the fullest sense. In Exodus 21:22-25, there is a law where a person causing a woman to miscarry by striking her doesn’t receive the death penalty as is the case for all other instances when a person kills another person. Instead the punishment is a fine to make up for the loss of property. In Numbers 5:11-31, a wife is accused by her husband of having adultery. In order to prove her innocence she is required to ordeal the trial of the bitters. She must drink a brew and if a miscarriage is triggered, than the wife is guilty, and if no miscarriage occurs than the wife is innocent of the accusations. Neither of these stories/laws are ringing endorsements of personhood from conception.

I want to say up front though that I don’t think any of these passages give us insight into the morality of abortion or whether it should be legal. There certainly are interpretations of the preceding verses that support the position of abortion opponents. At the very least though what this should communicate to us is that we don’t get a straightforward answer on abortion from scripture. To foist one understanding on all people, regardless of what they believe, is not fair to them.

I for one do not find abortion to be a positive good for society and I don’t think it’s good for Democrats to engage in celebrating it. At the same time those who need to resort to abortion should not be shamed either. It ought to be treated primarily in society as a medical issue and a personal ethical choice. But instead abortion opponents support a party that believes in cutting taxes to benefit the wealthy, while cutting spending and refusing to endorse programs that would aid those people who most need the assistance to provide an alternative to getting abortions.

The Bible is far more clear on caring for the poor, widows, orphans, and foreigners. Those who are outside and in the margins of society. The lease of these, if you will. There is no doubt whose side God is on there. Opposition to abortion completely warps this perspective though.

Simply put, at least part of the reason that Trump is president again, is because of abortion derangement syndrome.

One of the things I want to use this blog for is documenting my thoughts and feelings over the next four years of the Trump presidency. Obviously there is much to be uncertain of as we ultimately don’t know what he is going to do. As Matt Yglesias has pointed out in his latest newsletter at Slow Boring Trump is a liar and his followers know he is a liar and that is part of the reason they like him. I think that a lot of his policies will be bad for the economy and our civic culture. But I’m also concerned as someone who serves in the military with his foreign policy and how that will impact my life and the life of my family.

Today he is expected to sign close to or more than 100 executive orders. Doing everything from declaring national emergencies at the border and energy to changing the names of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and Mt. Denali to Mt. McKinley. Makes me think of Governors of Maine LePage and Mills trading over what the sign at the border of Maine and New Hampshire on I-95 says. Thankfully he also clarified for everyone that there are only two genders, male and female (hopefully the sarcasm there can be detected). The big item that the news media seems to be taking is Trump saying that his inauguration brings to end a period of American decline.

I should say up front that my biggest concerns are less about Trump making himself into an authoriatrian dictator, and more that our political institutions will corrupt from within and the free culture that we have known that is based on our political system will slowly deteriorate. Granted that this has been happening off and on for a while, having a bunch of very rich dudes able to basically manipulate our system with money, while others exploit the people seems like a recipe for disaster. Oligarchy combined with kleptocracy is how many republics have met their fate. Hopefully by keeping our eyes open and thinking through what is happening we can arrest the rot that threatens to overwhelm the system.

That being said, I don’t think this has to mean the end of the American experiment in self-governance. This country has gone through many dark periods in the past and I see no reason why it could not emerge from this as well. I also don’t want to just offer up cynical takes either and disparage everything the new administration does. I want to tell the truth as I see it with full honesty. That is what any thinking person ought to offer at this time where there will be so much lying and deceit.

I like to share on thanskgicing proclamations from Presidents of the past. Usually it’s Presidents Washington and Lincoln, and this year I’m sharing the post by Abraham Lincoln from October 3, 1963. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving in America and enjoys time with their friends and family.

Washington DC, October 3, 1863

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

William H. Seward, Secretary of State

I was reading Taeggan Goddard’s excellent Political Wire and he had a great piece of analysis, called “Out of Touch”. It’s behind a gateway I believe, but he highlighted that the one thing that all the pieces by Democrats trying to figure out what went wrong have in common is that Democrats are out of touch with the people whose votes they need. I think that is the smartest piece I have come across so far. Democrats haven’t been able to truly connect with people they need for a long time. This is why they didn’t believe that Vice President Harris genuinely had their best interest in mind. Why they think that Democrats are more focused on trans-rights than the working class voters they need to win. As others have pointed out, this isn’t a matter of policy to the extent that President Biden had many policies that were good for workers. But he was not a good spokesperson, and any good was overshadowed by the inflation that lasted for two years.

I don’t think there are easy answers here, but clearly new leaders are needed that can connect to people in a new way. It’s not just a matter of formulating a new message and pandering. Because Democrats believe that government can be used to do good for people, policies should be able to be formulated that can meet people where they are at and the problems that they face. Democrats need to prioritize policies that will open doors to allow people to move up in society and encourage economic growth that redounds to the benefit of all Americans. As important as redistributing that growth is, growth in itself needs to be a priority. People don’t just want to feel like they are dependent, they also want to feel like they are getting ahead.

I really enjoy the work of Aaron Ross Powell. His work for liberty has been tireless for many years and he has had some wise words about the election. I want to highlight this blog post of his in how to approach the coming period where the freedom of minorities and the vulnerable may be under threat. We need awareness, mindful awareness, and compassionate awareness. The cause of pushing freedom for ALL people never ends. Remember, it’s not about ME. Don’t tread on ANYONE!

One other thought I have is that President Obama wanted to be a transformation president who ushered in a new Democratic majority. Instead, with Trump’s win it feels more like Obama was actually the last president of an old order. We have a new one that Biden never actually fully rolled back. Democrats will be pivoting from here and we will see how things unfold.

So Donald Trump has been elected president once again. I have had a feeling for a while that this would happen, but was hoping it would not be the case. It turns out the sense of doom felt by Democrats was justified. Mr. Trump will take the presidency having most likely secured the popular vote for the first time for him, as well as the first time for a Republican in 20 years. It troubles me the extent to which the American people have been so clearly willing to entrust themselves to a man who is so fully unfit for office, especially when there was a person running against him in Harris who was plenty qualified for it. What I want to do though here is step back and take a look at the election and what might be gleaned from it. I think an important aspect here is how much Biden was disapproved of by the electorate primarily because of inflation, regardless of how much blame he actually bears for that.

But it does bring me to what I think is an important observation about people and their motivations. People crave security. I’m definitely not saying that this is the only reason Trump won. People are complex and there are all kinds of motivations going on underneath. However, I do think that security is a unifying theme that bridges the reasons that people voted for Trump. I think people are primarily motivated by concerns about security, whether that be economic or otherwise. The pandemic itself was a massive breach of peoples feelings of security of their health, and then inflation brought fears of peoples’ feelings of security in regards to the economy. Add massive migrant flows to the equation and the recipe is ripe for people turning to someone who pledges to bring them the security they are craving. Democrats did try to play on another aspect of peoples security, and that would be the security of our form of government, but ultimately that is an abstraction that just doesn’t cut through to most people. When Biden was elected people were hoping to go back to the way things were before the pandemic, and unfortunately, they don’t feel like he did that. So they hope that Trump will be able to do that. Color me skeptical.

The best opportunity Democrats would have had would have been for President Biden to have announced in 2023 that he was not running for reelection and allow an actual primary to take place that would have been competitive and have brought candidates who had no ties to the current administration. It is still possible though that Trump might have been any Democrat in hindsight, but that’s a tough counterfactual.

People turn to government for security. They always have, and always will. When there is an absence of legitimate forms of power, then illegitimate forms will take its place in a vacuum. Democrats failed to address those concerns, and we all pay the price now. Liberalism must find a way to return to addressing people’s needs for security in a way that marries the principles of liberal democracy and capitalism, to their immediate needs. Somewhere along the way that plot seems to have been lost. It is no longer to enough just to say “Trump bad” and “GOP bad”. Lord willing, this is the last time Trump is able to run anyway. Democrats lost ground across the board and will need some extensive soul searching to repair itself and win back people’s trust.

I don’t care what they say about the Celtics being boring to watch. They play excellent basketball and are so much fun. Derek White is a beast out there.