Aug. 21, 2018 A House Divided Cannot Stand
I write to you in a spirit of respect and cooperation. We are all Americans, and I think it is better for our country if we can try to work together. Abraham Lincoln was quoting the Bible when he said a house divided against itself cannot stand. The letter below reflects my recent trip across the country–see the “road trip” section of this website— included meeting different Americans of all kinds, and listening carefully to them.
I listen to Hannity on Fox and the other pro-Trump pundits on Fox, Medium, etc. and am alarmed at how off the mark they are. Their descriptions of Democrats, Hillary voters, the media, and “libtards” are simply bizarre. Do they care that they are getting this so wrong?
Why is it that Hannity finds Trump perfect in every way, and changes the subject to Hillary Clinton if any question about Trump is raised? This seems fishy to me. On the other hand, on MSNBC and CNN, there seems nothing that Trump can do right, offending my conservative friends who want Trump to succeed.
Before the 2016 election, the mainstream media and the Democrats failed to understand how angry and conservative many Americans were. Polls show that most Trump voters don’t love everything about him (despite Hannity), but they want to stand by him as a warrior for their economic and cultural issues. By excusing every sin he commits, the people showing up at Trump rallies are acting more like a cult than a smart group of citizens. No politician deserves this fervent level of uncritical support.
It’s time to get past the labels to something more authentic. Here is my try at respectfully understanding Trump’s supporters:
- I don’t think you are “stupid” for supporting Donald Trump. I respect that there are issues you want him to push.
- The Democrats haven’t offered you the solutions you want or the candidates you trust.
- Trump is a warrior who seems to care about the “little guy,” who has been pushed around.
- If he is shaking up the Establishment, it’s okay with you. You don’t think the Establishment powers (political parties, the media, Wall Street, government, etc.) have been on your side.
- Trump seems fearless, rather than beholden to money interests or traditional political allies. You like that he is rich and think that he can therefore be more “independent” from special interests.
- Some of you believe that Hillary Clinton was dishonest, and endangered American security with her email server. You think that this is worse, or equal to, anything Trump is accused of doing.
- Some of you feel that immigrants are getting a better break than you are. That goes for minorities, too. You think they are getting unfair advantages, provided by “liberals.”
- Some of you are unhappy with the way Hollywood, the mainstream media, and global culture have overwhelmed old-fashioned values of marriage and gender.
- You see global trade deals as hurting American jobs and sovereignty. It’s time to cancel those alliances and build a wall at the border. Same thing for military alliances—other countries should bear more of the burden of defense and not sponge off the USA.
- You believe liberals want you to feel guilty. You want to feel proud.
- You believe liberals want to take away your freedoms, and give the government way too much power.
- You believe government should get out of the way, and let business do its business. This is how you get jobs and make America great again.
- You love it when Trump berates the media and the Establishment. You think the media are out to make money and promote a liberal agenda. The Establishment doesn’t do anything for you.
Do I have it about right?
Now let me describe my side. Please try to keep an open mind. It is an honest effort.
- Some of us are as frustrated as you are, about some of the same issues. We think there are different causes and solutions.
- We think there is way too much money in politics. The Supreme Court decision that money is “free speech” was nuts.
- We know that while American business is the heart of creating jobs, it’s main focus is making a profit for its investors, not the welfare of its employees or our nation.
- Unlike business, government is set up to represent and serve the American people, not make money. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than the alternatives. That is why we all have to contribute by paying taxes and keeping a close watch on the government.
- We understand that the mainstream media are not perfect either, but good reporters are actually trying to check the facts for us and hold the powerful accountable. (Did you know that the New York Times’ Jeff Gerth actually started the Whitewater investigations, that led ultimately to the impeachment of Democratic President Bill Clinton? Ask yourself: why would the New York Times do that if they are just a “liberal bias” news organization?)
- Liberals are not about feeling “guilty.” They are about being generous. They draw on a powerful religious tradition of caring for the weak, the poor, and the stranger at the door.
- Liberals care about fairness. They recognize that all people, including minorities and majority white people, together make America great, with their blood, sweat and tears. If you think minorities are getting unfair advantages, try walking in their shoes for a day. You’ll see the reality of what is unfair!
- We do not see being gay as a “lifestyle choice” that threatens anyone or any religion. It is a physical fact. We do not see gender orientation, religion, poverty or ethnic background as sins. We see hatred and discrimination as sins.
- We are not afraid of immigrants. We find compelling evidence that today’s immigrants are contributing more to our country than they are taking away. How do we know this? We look at the actual economic data. We respect that immigrant ancestors helped build America. However, we do believe America’s borders should be secure and immigrants should go through a process.
- We want everyone to have a job. We are on the side of anyone who is doing the best they can to survive economically and make America great, including every American worker struggling to make a decent living.
- We want America to be the land of opportunity. We don’t want regulations to strangle the economy. But we want safe air, food, water and streets. To pay for this, we support reasonable taxes and fair government regulations.
- We don’t like “welfare queens” but see that this is largely a myth created by politicians. We see many poor people working at jobs that don’t pay enough to support their families.
- We would like a fairer tax system, rather than one that simply allows the rich to get richer while starving our public treasury.
- We do not believe in “political correctness.” We believe in being “polite” and “respectful.” We are dismayed that some think it’s okay to call people slurs and ugly names, charging that people with better manners are “politically correct.”
- We don’t think Obamacare has worked perfectly, but we believe that the private health marketplace was worse. We want everyone to be able to afford health care. We want to have our pre-existing conditions and adult children covered by health insurance. We don’t see this happening under the Trump-backed GOP proposals.
- We know that those who work for the American government are essential to our nation’s safety and prosperity. We honor their service, whether they are in the military or a civilian job.
- Our public spaces—including our national parks—are sacred and should not be plundered for the profit of a few. Trump is privatizing some of our public lands and offering them for sale to big business.
- We are determined that our political leaders should follow the law, no matter what office they hold or what party they represent.
We are appalled by Donald Trump. It is not because we disrespect you, or think your concerns should be ignored. It is because:
- We think Trump is a corrupt politician who wants to use you to build up his ego and his bank account. How do we know this? Check out his past bankruptcies, his failure to pay his bills, the way his family businesses are now using government to make more money. Don’t just take the media’s word for it, look at where they got it: in public court records.
- We think Trump is way over his head, and has no idea what he is doing. This is why he changes his mind and flip-flops what he says from one minute to the next. Ask Tony Schwartz, the man who co-wrote Trump’s book, “The Art of the Deal.” He thinks Trump is dangerously unstable.
- We think Trump’s deal-maker personality is fake, a character made up for his TV show. How do we know this? We see him being outplayed by Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jung Un, and Benjamin Netanyahu on the world stage.
- We do not believe Trump has your back or is working in an effective way to help “the little guy.” For every American business that may have benefitted in the short run from his trade war, he has hurt as many or more American workers in another industry. How do we know this? Check out the actual economic data, including for example, the losses to American soybean farmers, Harley Davidson motorcycles, and metal nail manufacturers.
- We see Trump creating the swamp of corrupt people in his administration who want to use our tax dollars to make themselves feel good and get richer. The many examples of his Cabinet’s first-class vacation travel, business contracts and other sleazy practices on the taxpayer’s dollar are unprecedented in the modern era.
- We see our freedoms disappearing fast under Trump. Except for the military, he has attacked literally all the checks and balances on his power: law enforcement, intelligence experts, the courts, the media, independent agencies, independent political officials, international allies and respected experts.
- He claims to be against big government but he supports the GOP platform directing the government to regulate how women deal with their bodies, ending their basic freedom to decide whether or not to have children.
- Trump is about the past, not the future. Trump is promising you that American will return to a world that is long gone, or never existed, instead of helping us all take advantage of new opportunities. Example: solar energy instead of coal mines. If America goes backward, instead of forward, someone else—China?—will dominate the new global economy.
- Hillary Clinton’s private email server, and questionable Clinton Foundation donations, are disappointing. But they are minor in comparison to the security breaches and corruption we see in Donald Trump’s administration. So far, the highest US legal authorities agree that Clinton’s so-called “crimes” were not crimes. Yet Trump and Fox pundits always change the subject to Hillary Clinton. She has been off the stage for two years! Are they still trying to discredit her because they are insecure about the 2016 election results?
- For criminal activity, let’s take a look at how Trump and his friends are making money off the presidency! Example: The Saudi government’s use of Trump hotels since he became president. China giving Trump business patents that they previously denied before he became President.
- The Russia problem is real. The probe is not a witch hunt, but a matter of the utmost US national security. If the President is not willing to protect us against Vladimir Putin’s cyber attacks, for whatever reason, this is dangerous weakness that puts our country at risk, and may even be treason.
Thank you for listening. We need to find ways to hear each other, and compromise, because a united country is a strong country. That is the only way we will ever make America great again.