Sunday Roundup December 28, 2014 - Closing Time

"There is no way to peace. Peace is the way."

- A.J. Muste

This is the last post at The Left Bank Café.  For those of you who've stopped by over the years, thank you.

I started this blog in November 2010 - outraged at the distortions of truth and at the right-wing propaganda that led to the Republican victories that year. Since the blog's inception, I've tried to separate fiction from fact in the events of the day and, from time to time, to share my thoughts and passions on non-political topics.

Three hundred posts and four years later, it's now closing time at The Left Bank Café.  

Here are some thoughts, inspirations and sentiments that have informed this blog.

The universe is a wondrous, vast place.  The Earth is home to the only known intelligent life in that universe.  This is an awesome responsibility.  As the Native American proverb has it: "Treat the earth well.  It was not given to you by your parents.  It was loaned to you by your children."

The peoples of the world are our brothers and sisters.  The children of the world are our children.  Let's always remember that.  "I wonder how foreign policies would look if we thought of all children everywhere as our own. Then we could never wage war anywhere, because wars, especially in our time, are always wars against children, indeed our children." - Howard Zinn, A People's History of the United States

Government has a responsibility to develop just policies and provide for the common good. Given the complexity and scale of today's issues, government plays a vital and necessary role. To say that the richest nation on Earth cannot afford the common good, that it cannot provide for the vulnerable in our society, is a lie.

Racism, militarism, and all forms of oppression must be protested and resisted at every turn. Pacifist and activist A.J. Muste spoke of a "revolutionary pacifism" that confronts the injustice that lays at the heart of wars: "We cannot have peace if we are only concerned with peace. War is not an accident. It is the logical outcome of a certain way of life. If we want to attack war, we have to attack that way of life."  A pacifist, Muste was, of course, speaking figuratively.  Without justice, there is no true peace.  We must address, resist, and correct the causes of injustice built into the system.

Violence and force of arms are the easy but soul-damaging means to achieve certain ends. Diplomacy is more difficult but, in the end, produces more lasting and more satisfying results.

The distorted "exceptionalism" that places our nation above international law and in violation of our own democratic principles is a repudiation of our values. Our country, if it chooses, can play an "exceptional" role in making the world a better place. What nation is better equipped to address the poverty, disease, and hunger that plague so many?

The American experiment in democracy is in danger - not from any external threat or from foreign terrorists but from within. Racism, militarism, and a distorted concept of American exceptionalism pose, each in its own way, a threat to America's highest ideals. Political spending, given corporate "personhood" and an unlimited ability to influence elections by the Supreme Court, provides an amplifier for the voices of the powerful while muting the voices of the less advantaged. Special interest groups influence domestic laws as well as foreign policy. Legislation for the common good is blocked by right-wing extremists. Laws protecting the rights of all are dismantled by an ideological judiciary, and the essential right of democracy, the right to vote, has been subverted. Such is the state of affairs and such is the degree of disillusionment that, in our last elections, two out of three voters chose not to exercise their most basic democratic right.

Until money is removed from the political system, until the concept of the Other is banished, and until, in the words of President Kennedy, "the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today", inequality, injustice and war will be with us. That should not stop us from trying or caring or working for peace and justice. We need to take our victories when and where we can.

As the outlook for action at the national level becomes bleak, activism and initiatives at the state and community levels become necessary. Already we are seeing the effect of some of the successful state ballot initiatives from the November 4 elections.  For example, just two days after a successful California ballot initiative reclassified some non-violent offenses from felonies to misdemeanors, people were being released from detention.

Where do we go from here?  There is now a website that contains references and resources for the topics covered in the blog - where to go for further information, if you want to become active in an area, etc. The website also has The Left Bank Café posts indexed by topic, which I hope will be helpful.  I'll periodically update the website as new information becomes available. The address of the website is https://sites.google.com/site/leftbankresources/ .

Peace.

(The most recent update of The Left Bank website was on January 19, 2018.For more recent news, comments, and articles please visit the What in the World? website.) 

"On God's Side"

[This is the second part of a discussion of Jim Wallis' On God's Side. The first post (September 17, 2013) can be found at this link.]

"Common good is the whole network of social conditions which enable human individuals and groups to flourish and live a fully, genuinely human life, otherwise described as 'integral human development.' All are responsible for all, collectively, at the level of society or nation, not only as individuals." - Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, The Common Good and the Catholic Church's Social Teaching

In the second part of On God's Side, Jim Wallis discusses "practices for the common good." What actions and behaviors will help our nation achieve the common good so necessary for a democracy and so essential to the Christian view of the world? The first step, Wallis believes, is a return to civility in our political discussion. Indeed, one of the drivers for writing this book in 2012 was the dysfunctional and bitterly partisan politics that had undermined "the people's deep desire for hope and change." How do we return to civility? By all parties focusing on the those ideas of our political opponents that work for the attainment of the common good. Only then will we be able to solve problems rather than assign blame for them.

Both conservative and liberal philosophies have critical contributions to make in solving our problems...The best big conservative idea is personal responsibility...Doing the right thing, the moral thing, the ethical thing in personal decision making is key not only for individual well-being but also...for the common good...The best big liberal idea is social responsibility...Compassion is an essential social virtue and should not be confused with political systems. Hubert Humphrey... expressed it well: "Compassion is not weakness, and concern for the unfortunate is not socialism."... The question of who will take responsibility [for those, in Humphrey's words, in the dawn, twilight and shadows of life] is a soul-searching one from liberals, especially if those in need are outside of our own families and groups.

Wallis gives two examples of areas where liberals and conservatives could work together to restore the common good- strengthening marriage and ending poverty. In emphasizing his call for a return to civility, he reflects on the shooting of Gabby Giffords, "the least likely person to be targeted by an angry and unhinged man." Wallis contends that the way to get back to civil discourse is by framing it as a moral argument - it's a religious issue, we always speak the truth ("Much of our worst political rhetoric these days is based on outright lies that go viral"), and hold to the early American statement E pluribus Unum - one out of many.

After calling for civility in our political discussions, Jim Wallis writes of the need to redeem democracy (from voter suppression laws, from the Citizens United decision ("one of the most disastrous judicial decisions in American history...which...virtually overturned the beginnings of campaign finance laws") and from the control of money over elections), to restore economic trust (the current global economy is "unfair, unsustainable, unstable, and [makes people] unhappy"), and to have a "servant government" ("the purpose of government...is to protect its people from the chaos of evil and to promote the good of society: to protect and promote").

Besides civility and focusing on solutions, Wallis points to two other necessary elements for making things right - that is, for changing and correcting injustices. The first element is grass-roots movements or post-candidate advocacy. "There are systems that undergird and shape the limits of the political agenda, and challenging those limits to get to root causes and real solutions is always the prophetic task....It is always movements that "change the wind," and only a change in the political wind can change the political policies in Washington..." The second element is healthy households. "Our households are critical places for the practice of human flourishing and for teaching the next generation the meaning of the common good." Wallis sees strong families and the home as the place to nurture values rather than encourage "appetites" (i.e., consumerism, materialism).

Focus on solutions rather than partisanship, encourage movements, and teach values and the common good to your children. Good advice at any time. God bless your optimistic heart, Jim. I hope you're right. 

 

Ten Decisions to Change the World

 

Want to get started on changing the world?  In the Epilogue to his book, Wallis provides "Ten Personal Decisions for the Common Good" and he re-lists these ten decisions in a Sojourners' June 30 post.  Check them out.  Jim's intro to the post reads: After traveling the country this spring — while keeping an eye on Washington, D.C. — I am more convinced than ever that our personal decisions, choices, and commitments will change the world more than our politics. The message in the Epilogue to On God’s Side says this as well as I could do again. It’s short and very practical.

 

Food Stamp Cuts

 

The day before the House of Representatives passed its draconian cuts to the food stamp program, Sojourners issued a press release concerning the call from religious leaders to reject the proposed cuts.  The leaders are from the Circle of Protection, a coalition of more than 65 heads of denominations and religious organizations, plus more than 5,000 church pastors. They have been working for more than two years to resist federal budget cuts that undermine the lives, dignity, and rights of poor and vulnerable people.  From Jim Wallis' letter to Congress: “These immoral cuts are incongruent with the shared values of our nation. They demonstrate the triumph of political ideology and self-interest over sound public policy and concern for the general welfare. Actions like these foster cynicism and distrust of government in the everyday Americans who struggle to meet their families’ basic needs and create a better life for their children.”  The common good took a beating this time but perhaps the pressure from religious and other community leaders will help reduce the size of the cuts (or eliminate them altogether) when it goes to the House-Senate conference. 

Jim Wallis' "On God's Side"

I've been reading On God's Side by Jim Wallis. The book could well serve as a moral compass for politicians of all stripes. The title, of course, refers to Abraham Lincoln's famous quote: "...my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side."

Jim Wallis has long been one of my favorite writers. He is an evangelical preacher, social activist, public theologian, the founder and president of Sojourners ("Faith in Action for Social Justice") and the editor of Sojourners magazine. On God's Side continues his fine tradition of badgering political and religious establishments. In the first part of the book, he discusses inspiring the common good; in the second part, practices (i.e., actions and behaviors) for the common good.

C.S. Lewis' character of Aslan the lion, the creator and leader of Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia), is given as an exemplar of a leader working for the common good. Aslan makes "every decision and action in the best interest of the people and the land...always paying special attention to the weakest and most vulnerable." The concept of the common good, writes Wallis, is "something that has been lost in an age of selfishness."

Wallis takes both Republicans and Democrats to task for not serving the "common good". At first, this bothered me: what's he talking about? Surely the problem with not serving the common good is on the right end, not the left end, of the political spectrum. After making this general statement, though, Wallis gradually clarifies his position. Not only are Republicans defective in their ability to advance the public good; Democrats do not go far enough!

In the first section of his book, "Inspiring the Common Good", Wallis provides the heart of his biblical and theological argument for a "gospel of the common good." He writes of the Beatitutdes ("Blessed are the poor in spirit...those who mourn...the meek...those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (justice)...the merciful...the pure in heart (have integrity)...the peacemakers...those persecuted for righteousness' sake") and the Sermon on the Mount as the place to begin to understand what is meant by Jesus' preaching of the Kingdom of God.

After briefly relating his college and activist experiences in the late 60's and early 70's, Wallis dicusses the "Judgment of Nations" in Matthew 25, probably one of the most challenging texts of the New Testament. It's one of the few places where Jesus makes a point of saying who better be watching their backs at the Last Judgment. "Jesus, unlike our religious institutions, continually speaks out against judgmentalism. But the only time Jesus is judgmental himself is on the subject of the poor." The condemned, the goats, are shocked by what Jesus will say to them at the Last Judgment. "When did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or without clothes, or a stranger, or sick, or in prison?" He will answer them, "Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me." [Click here for a link to Matthew 25.  The text of the "judgment of nations" is in verses 31 to 46.]

Wallis makes two particular points in his discussion of Matthew 25. The first is that "nations", as well as individuals, are being judged. This is about collective as well as individual decisions about who or what is most important. The second is that "Christ's judgment here is not about having the wrong doctrine or theology; it's not about sexual misdeeds, or any other personal sin or failure. The everlasting judgment here is based on how we have treated the poorest and most vulnerable in our midst and in the world...[The] good or ill we have done to them [is]...the moral equivalent of how we have treated him."

The interests and well-being of the poor are not represented well in American politics. Today it is the rare politician who goes out of his or her way to advocate programs for the poor or working class. Poverty doesn't play well in American politics and "pollsters tell both parties that talking about 'poor people' and 'poverty' will not be popular." There are even those in our nation who stigmatize the poor and blame the victims of social injustice, rather than the system that has made it so. For examples from today's headlines, one needs only look at recent attempts to slash the food stamp program. On an upbeat note, Wallis relates the mostly-untold story of how "faith community leaders protected low-income entitlements in the sequestered automatic cuts agreed to in the August 2011 debt-ceiling deal." Two years later, it looks like it's time to gear up again.

When discussing the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan, Wallis writes: "The basic ethic from the Good Samaritan parable - that there are no boundaries for our definition of "neighbor" - needs to be the moral guide and compass for us now in an increasingly globalized world." He further develops the theme with a discussion of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King's "beloved community," the spiritual and philosophical vision that inspired and drove his efforts for civil rights. The beloved community is one which "welcomes all tribes." Quoting Dr. King: "All I'm saying is simply this; that all life is interrelated, that somehow we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly."

On God's Side forces us to reexamine many other issues in light of Matthew 25 and the parable of the Good Samaritan - including immigration reform, the global nature of "our neighbor" (for example, how our clothes and mobile phones are made), the dangers inherent in American exceptionalism, and the war on terror. On the war on terror, Wallis calls for the application of the principles of conflict resolution. He writes of "forging alternative and more creative responses to issues of injustice and violence and rejecting the cycle of terrorism and war that marks Washington's failed strategy and failed moral logic." He excoriates what he calls the theology of war "coming from some political leaders...and even from some...religious communities...Effective campaigns of fear too easily convince anxious people and could lead our nation to decades of virtually endless wars."

Will Jim Wallis' theological and biblical argument for the common good and Martin Luther King's wish for the building of a "beloved community" resonate with today's political leaders and citizens? Or have we gone too far down the road to divisiveness and fear of the "Other"? Will we need to wait for the next generation of political leaders to bring about a truly just, equal and democratic society? The second section of Jim Wallis' On God's Side, "Practices for the Common Good" attempts to provide an answer. I'll take this up in a future post.