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I am not a superstitious person, but I don’t discount fate. I think fate in most cases is created by something you do or say, resulting in someone reacting to that, and in turn you responding, and suddenly you’re in a conversation that you never expected; suddenly fate is at play, unintentionally created.

Such is the case with my close encounter on the virtual market place of ideas called social media.  I came across some articles on Vox Populi that I found interesting and thoughtful, providing perspective on issues that engaged me despite the source, and I commented.  Vox Populi is in the words of its founder and publisher Michael Simms “… unashamedly progressive in its approach to politics…” Now as I have written before, the political label of “Progressive” to me is ambiguous, at times also exclusionary, and at other times bordering on deceptive to avoid being viewed as synonymous with socialism; labels in politics can be as misleading as those on cereals.

My comments apparently were well received and precipitated a series of exchanges with Michael Simms. So here you have an avowed Libertarian and Progressive connecting because of comments I made about articles he published that I found interesting and engaging. The articles were about the torture the US engaged in on the War-On-Terror, an obviously slanted test posted for readers to take based on song lyrics composed with a progressive message, and the US Warfare State.

So what is the perspective provided to me?  Well for one, this exchange reinforces my concern about labels.  What is a progressive anyway, other than an overused and at times generalized label, same as can be said about libertarian; in that sense we share a similar fate, i.e. generalization for media dissemination.

To some degree this is a self-inflicted wound.  Most who identify with these labels insist on certain characteristics that exclude others who may share many of the same beliefs. A consequence of this syndrome is the inability to define principles that can be communicated coherently. For those who are like me libertarians, do you know that there are those who also share that “label” but are socialists?

To be clear, I believe a libertarian is someone who supports a civil society founded on the core existential reality of the basic natural right that every individual human being owns themselves; from this all other rights are derived, and that this in turn “progresses” to how individuals interact not only in their own self-interest, but as a society.  Politically this means a system that protects individual liberties, and economically freedom in the market place to pursue what each individual sees as their own interests, free of coercion to the contrary.  

What I have found problematic in understanding progressives is ambiguity, and in some cases hostility, in this regard.  What I saw in these articles were connections to core libertarian beliefs, even if unintentional, but nevertheless apparent. I was well aware that Vox Populi was a progressive publication, which made what I read even more engaging.

At one pint Michael invited me to write an article, asking “…would you have an article that is possibly publishable in VP?”, and at another time asking me to write an article for publication on VP for his review to see if it would be “…a good fit for Vox Populi.” 

Those last exchanges were disappointing, an opportunity lost. I think that all Americans, regardless of political affiliation or perspective, would agree that our current environment of tribal polarization is toxic to a productive political discourse. So call me a hopeless romantic, but I thought that a bridge across the political riff could be built based on some common ground like aversion to war, torture, etc.

Michael’s last message was “Thanks, John. I’ll continue reading your posts. Take care, Mike.” That last phrase “take care” is like a closed door, a farewell message essentially signally that we are not open to any ideas we find contrary to our own. I’ll have to live with that, but those at Vox Populi should not. The worst service we can do for our readers is to either cater only to what we think they want to hear, or insulate them from what we think they don’t.

#CLOSEENCOUNTERS

“Once upon a time I was a liberal, ……..”  That’s the opening line by Brandon Straka in his YouTube and FaceBook video of 2018, in which he explains why he walked away from the Democratic Party, alienated by much of what it had become despite all the years he considered himself a Liberal. That video went viral, getting 650,000 YouTube views, over a million on FaceBook, and spawned the “Walk Away” movement.

Then there’s the “Never Trump” movement of disaffected Republicans, alienated by his behavior and chaotic administration. While this is more a movement within the Republican Party than about one leaving it, it is also symptomatic of those troubled with their party’s direction and leadership, and has accounted for a decline in support.

According to the December 2019 Gallup Pool, 28% of voters identify themselves as Democratic and 28% as Republican, whereas 41% consider themselves independent. While that poll leaves 3% unaccounted for, it’s close enough.  Of those independents, 43% “leaned” Democratic and 45% “leaned” Republican.

I’m not sure what “leaned” really means, but in a more general sense, even accounting for the variances with polls, it’s pretty much a dead heat. In a Pew Research Center study, the percentage of independents has about doubled since 1944. These polls are for 2019 and they and the studies about them are on a national level, with the percentages within prior time frames and in each state varying substantially, but clearly the largest growth politically has been with independents.

For the Democratic Party, which considers itself in general to be “liberal”, the polarization/fracturing within the party is most striking especially when viewing the primary debates and elections. The DNC has expressed understandable concerns about this, but there’s something that until recently was not so apparent, and that is this growing number of Democrats leaving the party. In 2018, as the midterms elections showed, those percentages for the two main parties were 32% Democratic and 23% Republican; two years later, we have a different situation.

Now there’s understandable concern in the RNC also with the “Never Trump” movement, but it does not seem to have as much of an impact as does the “Walk Away” movement for the DNC.

I do not subscribe to political labels per se, but there was a time when true liberal thought spawned the Age of Enlightenment, a movement that helped to create many of the world’s democracies, including our own. Measured against that standard, neither of our two major political parties is truly liberal at all as overtime they devolved into power brokers, grooming their candidates and spinning their platforms to attract a base sufficient to absorb or exclude other parties, until they were the only two left standing.

What is reported in the media as polarization is not entirely accurate or informative.  It is more about tribalism versus individualism, it’s about selling guilt and blame, it’s about negativity versus productivity, it’s about class warfare, the warfare and welfare state, it’s about racism, homophobia, misogyny….it’s about all that but ultimately it’s about ignorance.  It is not a coincidence that the hate factors rise as literacy in America declines.

What the two main political parties are not about is addressing that; what they are all about is power and what it takes to win it. At this point they are so fractured and polarized that regardless who wins you will have either a more authoritarian administration or something more like the myopic stagnation we currently have, or some dystopian combination of both.

Perhaps this is the end of the Democratic and Republican Parties, at least as we now know them, and the beginning of the rise of a multi-party political landscape where political power is decentralized, allowing other voices to be heard, diluting the ability of the super parties to dominate, forcing them to seek coalitions to win majorities.

Perhaps that can lead to a decentralized political system where the people at a more local level call the shots, and not some bloated Leviathan in DC. Let’s not forget that there used to be such an America, and maybe we need that back.

#FRACTURED

If you watched the Democratic Presidential Primary debate on 02/19/20 you witnessed a poorly moderated chaotic event, more similar to a prison riot than civil discourse. While there was plenty of name calling, principled debate was for the most part absent. It is difficult to pick a “winner” based on coherent and principled platforms of the candidates as the bloodletting consumed so much time to really allow for that, and differentiation in this regard remains ambiguous.

Appalled as I am by Trump’s actions and behavior, I was looking for a decent Democratic alternative to voting for a Libertarian as I always do; having seen the debate, here are my takeaways:

1. Michael Bloomberg can’t debate.  He was stiff and pedantic, as if presenting at a technical corporate event. He was unable to handle what he should have known was coming his way regarding his wealth, misogynistic history and stop-and-frisk policies as mayor, not to mention his opportunistically flipping party loyalties. He may stumble into the convention as a possible “centrist” or “moderate” alternative hoping for a brokered win, but he failed miserably in this debate and will likely fall in the polls and do poorly in the Nevada primary.
2. Elizabeth Warren is repulsive, like Nurse Ratched from “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”. She lent little to the debate as far as policy or ideas are concerned. Probably because she has fallen so dramatically in the polls she felt compelled to viscously attack everyone else, especially Mike Bloomberg, who admittedly was very vulnerable, and ill equipped to respond effectively. It was a desperate scorched earth approach in the hopes of remaining relevant long enough to get to the convention. 
3. Bernie is…well, Bernie, the proud honeymooner in the USSR, Soviet loving and table thumping avowed socialist. He is making huge inroads with the younger electorate to become the current leader of the pack, so if you are a socialist there’s no need to vote for any other party if he wins the Democratic ticket.  The DNC leadership is scarred he will do just that and is desperately looking for an alternative, but based on this debate there may not be one. I did see that some of the other candidates hit Bernie with concerns about the violent approaches by some on his staff and supporters; alarmingly, Bernie’s responses were at best unconvincing.
4. While Sleepy Joe was more awake than usual, he put forth a performance based on platitudes and association with Obama, in effect looking like someone who needed an intellectual walker to get through the debate; no, it will not be Biden, as a candidate he looks like a dead man walking, even though he’s likely to make it to the convention.
5. Pete Buttigieg is an intelligent talker in these kinds of political debates where substance is a low priority.  FDR was also a good political debater who once said that the trick is to never really take a position you can’t change, and never provide any real detail to what you propose. In that regard, Mayor Pete is his heir apparent, spouting grand hyperbole with interpretation wide open.  His shallowness was most apparent when he attacked Amy Klobuchar for forgetting Mexican President Obrador’s name. Making togetherness a presidential platform is more effective for kids watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
6. Amy Klobuchar came across as the most sincere, decent and intelligent of all the candidates.  She made an honest attempt to actually answer moderator questions and showed poise and humor in responding to attacks. She should be that potential DNC choice for a moderate or centrist candidate, an alternative to Bernie, but unless she continues to rise in the polls and win more delegates, she may not make it to Milwaukee. That would be a real loss for the Democrats from a decency perspective, but I doubt that’s what their looking for.

What I think what was missing or scarcely and/or poorly addressed in the debates, which is significantly due to a really poor performance by the moderators, were issues such as:

1. The budget deficit and national debt were hardly mentioned and only obliquely.
2. Answers as to where the trillions of dollars all the candidates, with the exception of Amy Klobuchar, where throwing at all the various issues raised was going to come from, as if spending from an empty pocket was a rational and responsible approach.
3. Ending the senseless, immoral and endless wars the US has waged, wasting lives, money, assets, not to mention good will.
4. Ending the war on drugs that has done nothing in addressing addiction, but has created the largest proportion of incarceration in the world, especially among poor minorities, squandering trillions of dollars, and enabling rampant corruption.
5. The senseless, polarizing and irrational class war rising in this country due to a lack of economic and civic education, where being rich and/or successful is deemed evil.
6. The lack of respect for individual rights, especially those as guaranteed in our own constitution; the most glaring example is free speech suppression, especially in our universities.
7. The lack of financial accountability, not only in government, but among our banks, businesses and consumers who have created the largest debt burden in US history, clearly unsustainable.

These are just a few of the issues that I think the moderators should have focused on for the candidates to have addressed.  The moderators should also have provided the opportunity to have done so by deflecting the vicious attacks and redirecting the debate to issues of substance as that’s their job.

While there was significant talk about the need to beat Trump, it remains talk as this debate was more blood sport than a show of potential leadership. If this is the best that the Democratic Party has to offer, then they have a long way to go if they want the White House come November.

#BLOODSPORT

On February 13 the Senate passed a War Powers Resolution regarding the President’s ability to use military force against Iran. Although it had bipartisan support, it lacks the votes to overcome a veto.  It is not entirely clear why such a measure is required given the Constitution’s clear and unambiguous language of Article 1, Section 8 that only Congress has the power to wage war. 

Further, we already have a War Powers Resolution with the force of law passed by both chambers of Congress in 1973 that requires the President within 48 hours of using military force to advise Congress and explain what has happened.  Without Congressional approval for making war, any military action is limited to 60 days plus time to disengage from the conflict involved.

The recent Congressional resolutions, which apparently are not the same in the House and Senate, were a reaction to the killing of an Iranian general, increasing the threat of war between the US and Iran. The resolution was not a reflection of the Constitution’s requirement for congressional approval, but a specific act regarding a singular confrontation. The 1973 resolution was a reaction to the Viet Nam War, and it became law regarding all military actions.

The recent impeachment proceedings and subsequent trial were a reaction to the use of coercion in withholding military funding for Ukraine against Russian aggression.  What was lost in this tumultuous but ultimately futile process was the incorrect presumption that the US is involved in any way in some alliance or treaty with Ukraine obligating us to throw $391M in military aid into that conflict. That Trump is guilty of an abuse of power is apparent from his own words and actions, but that must be differentiated from the foreign conflict involved.

Ukraine is not a member of NATO or any alliance or treaty with the US.  Also, Congress has not to the best of my knowledge declared war with Russia which would legitimize aiding Russia’s adversaries as we are doing. It is also historically factual that Ukraine has been an integral part of Russia for centuries and that the language of the country is not Ukrainian, as few Ukrainians even know how to speak it, but Russian, and demographically, culturally and in large part politically closely tied to her.  It was not until the collapse of the Soviet Union that this began to change, but this is an issue for Russia and Ukraine to resolve; the US should not to be a party to this conflict any more than those in Syria, Iraq, Libya, etc.

We should not confuse this situation with reference to Russian cyberattacks aimed at the US elections.  Russia has been using propaganda tools to destabilize foreign politics for a very long time; social media is just a modern tool it now has in its arsenal, but it is not the only country to do so as China and the US do the same thing.

I have been given arguments such as Ukraine has been interested in joining NATO, but the fact is they are not a member, therefore it is irrelevant until such time as they are. 

Another argument is that the assistance to Ukraine has been to provide defensive weapons as compared to offensive, and therefore there is no  need for a declaration of war. It is irrelevant what the nature of the military assistance is, i.e. defensive or offensive weapons, as the distinction is one without a difference in regards to armed conflict. That Russia is the aggressor or Ukraine the defender, foreign military aid to either party constitutes a priori an alliance in the conflict, a de facto declaration of war. The question remains, has Congress voted an act of war with Russia?  If not, our aid is illegal.

Yet another argument that has been offered  is that we provided military assistance to England in WWII before a declaration of war against Germany under Lend-Lease, formally titled an “Act to Promote the Defense of the United States”, enacted March 11, 1941.

While that is factually accurate, it is not a justification, but bringing up Lend Lease does raise a larger historical context that must involve WWI and the genesis of Hitler’s rise to power, which was in turn the cause of WWII. 

Lend Lease was FDR’s work-around to the 1934 “Johnson Debt Default Act” that forbade US assistance to any government that reneged on debt to the US, which the UK did regarding its debt to the US during WWI. In fact, it was that very debt that was the basis for Lord Keynes’ insistence on the infamous Article 231 in the Versailles Treaty specifically because the US refused to forgive the UK its war debt. Initially Secretary of State Dulles rejected Keynes article as dangerously punitive as it would contrarily raise Germany’s thirst for revenge to another violent level, and history proved him right.  However, good old war mongering Woodrow Wilson pounced on Dulles and the US eventually supported Keynes. Subsequently, Keynes got the UK to renege on its war debt anyway.

Military assistance to either side in a conflict is in fact a de facto declaration of war on the other.  Germany didn’t respond to Lend Lease as such because strategically it was not in their interest to do so. You may recall that they never did declare war until after Pearl Harbor, and also that Germany was understandably irate with its Axis ally Japan for precipitating America’s entry into the war.

Keep in mind that the US entry into WWI was based on propaganda promulgated by Wilson’s administration, specifically that Germany killed Americans in the sinking of the Lusitania, a British ship.  Disregarded was the fact that the Lusitania’s manifest included war munitions that the UK had purchased from the US, and was also carrying passengers, including Americans.  The British were using passenger ships as cargo ships in getting war supplies; Germany was not afforded that opportunity.

Decades later FDR, desperately wanting to be a wartime president, cursed with the same blood lust as Wilson, needed a way to get involved.  He knew that America wanted no more to do with the constant blood feuds of Europe, and he was obstructed with the Johnson Act, so despite domestic opposition he devised the work-around we know as Lend Lease.  It was not FDR’s motive to fight Fascism, or anti-Semitism, it was his statist lust for power.  Not getting Germany to take the bait, he pushed for and got onerous policies regarding trade with Japan which led that fool to attack Pearl Harbor.

Now by no means do I propose that the US should not have defended against the AXIS, but understand that was a monster of our own creation, and we have continued to create such monstrous situations as we sink into the imperialist trap of a Warfare State.

I have little empathy for either the Republican or Democratic view regarding Ukraine as I see little difference between the two.  What they are fighting about is Trump’s use of foreign aid as leverage for domestic political advantage as corruption and abuse of power, but not the constitutional legitimacy of that foreign aid to begin with.

#WARatWHIM