A Thanksgiving Message to the Democratic Party

Yes, you, Democratic Party. I know it doesn't seem like you have much to be thankful for this year. Things...aren't great. It kind of seems like ever since the election, you've been going through an identity crisis, laying blame and arguing over the way forward. But take a deep breath and relax. Things aren't as bad as they seem. In fact, you have a lot to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.

You lost an election, but you did not lose your soul. More people voted for a candidate pushing your platform of racial, social, economic and environmental justice. Trump's message of fear, hatred and bigotry lost by over two million votes. Yes, you were screwed once again by the Electoral College, a racist and antiquated vestige of an earlier America that nonetheless continues to decide, against the popular will, who should lead our country. But the Electoral College cannot stop the tide of human progress. The last decade has seen enormous leaps forward in both policy and public support for progressive causes. President Obama has set the mold for the modern Democratic president and enjoys record approval ratings in his final months in office. Liberal is no longer a dirty word. These are achievements of which you should be proud. Yes, Trump has the potential to stall this progress. But he, like the Electoral College, cannot reverse it.

Listen to Bernie Sanders: Racial and economic justice must go hand in hand. At the end of the day, we are all living in a world indiscriminately rigged to benefit a select few. Racism and the wounds it causes are real. But your message needs more: a common enemy that can help heal these wounds or, at the very least, keep them closed until it is defeated. Thankfully, that common enemy exists and you are the one major party in America who has been fighting it on both these fronts. You just need to find a way to bring your wings together; to explain to each disparate group how and why their interests are intertwined and what they stand to lose. Many of these factions experienced tremendous gains under President Obama and will be chomping at the bit to ensure this progress is not reversed. Once you are united, you must resist and do so without shame. Political opposition is not only your right, but your patriotic duty, especially when the party in power is intent on imposing a divisive and dangerous agenda against the will of the people.

In short, Democratic Party, do not waste a second of this Thanksgiving on unwarranted soul-searching. You didn't lose this election because you had the wrong message. You didn't spend too much time focused on racial and social justice issues. These are extremely important issues. Keep focusing on them. You do not need to be more accepting of the ignorant or more tolerant of the intolerant. But you must coalesce your many voices into one unified message of people power to span across the diverse racial and socioeconomic spectrum that is America. You have the message. You have the platform. You have the support. Now go enjoy your turkey and come back ready to act like it.

The Silver Lining

What's done is done. Despite having lost the popular vote, Trump will be president. Don't get me wrong, 60 million votes is nothing to laugh at. But that's only 25% of American voters. Which probably says more about the state of American democracy than anything else. But I digress. If you share my reasonable concern that a Trump presidency could lead to regression and destabilization in an already regressing and destabilized world, here is my attempt to offer some consolation.

That consolation is truth. If anything, this election did away with the bullshit that has fed voter apathy for decades. Trump's victory has forced those of us in our blue-state bubbles to finally see the truth around us. The truth that old divisions upon which this country was founded still endure. The truth that hate and fear exist and persist. The truth that America and its people have never been united in the purest sense of the word. The truth that Tuesday's election laid bare for the world to see: America is deeply divided and conflicted at its core. Anti-establishment rage and globalization anxiety fail to sufficiently explain our current situation. Issues have been trumped by identity politics. We are not living in a post-racial America. We are living in America.

We can blame the electoral college. Or the Clinton campaign's failure to get out the vote. Or voter suppression in swing states. Or the DNC. But, once again: 60 million votes. That's WAY too many people who at their core responded to a message of racial and ethnic division from Donald Trump with enthusiastic endorsement, even if they didn't totally agree with it. Not every Trump voter is a terrible person, but every Trump voter aligned themselves with a lot of terrible people. Even if you think he could be the greatest president ever, you can't deny that he ran a campaign based largely on stoking tensions between insiders and outsiders, and I'm not talking about the Beltway. What's new this time, or at least new in recent American history, is that he did all this in plain sight. And millions of Americans responded.

The days of the dog-whistle politics formed in response to the Civil Rights Movement are over. For years, Republican candidates have stoked the flames of racial resentment using coded, nebulous language. Trump's explicit call to our worst instincts threw this playbook out the window. But that playbook allowed racists and bigots to hide behind a veneer of respectability. No more. Once again, they are confident enough to operate in the open. As scary as that is, it makes them much easier to spot. And for this we should be grateful. But the question remains- now that we know what we're dealing with, what will we do about it?

Happy Election Day!

I'm not here to tell you who to vote for, but I have some thoughts on the election and beyond if you're interested/bored. This election...has been terrible. But I don't think the country itself is not in is as bad condition as some media outlets and candidates would have you believe. Yes, we are in a time of social, economic and demographic change and such times of change breed uncertainty and fear. This is especially true when that change involves the real or perceived threat of a historic majority losing its protected status in society. But we are not falling apart as a nation, we are entering a new period in our history. 

What concerns me is that in this time of great change, the impulse of millions has not been to communicate and open dialogue with one another but to retreat into corners of ideological isolation. I'm sure this approach is comforting at first, but ultimately it only serves to divide people and stall progress. This instinct does not represent the better angels of our nature, it represents a mindless defense mechanism in response to unwanted change. But change is good, and even if it's not, change is inevitable. I'd like to live in a country where people collectively rise above this instinct and reject anyone who tries to prey upon it, regardless of our differences. Clearly we have some work to do. 

Divisions are distracting and America loves distractions, but they become dangerous when they interfere with the business of governing. There is too much at stake to allow political divisions to become personal and prevent us from working together to better ourselves and our country. Through all the distractions, we forget how much power we have and as a result put way too much faith in individuals to solve our problems. Neither of these candidates will be your savior. True progress boils up from the ground, it doesn't trickle down from above. Working together, thinking critically, considering new ideas, taking risks, failing, learning from our mistakes- these tried and tested approaches are not valued in a highly divided and unequal society. So society must change. 

Final thought- we are nothing without empathy. It has become cliché to point out the shocking negativity of this campaign and our society in general, but I think it bears repeating. Empathy is another natural human emotion but, unfortunately, it doesn't come as naturally as fear. It's not reflexive, you have to work at it. But you don't need money or privilege or status. You just need to be willing to hear another human being out and accept that you might not understand what they're going through, it might not be what you went through, but that's ok. All you need to do is listen to and acknowledge their words and give them the opportunity to change your mind. This kind of communication is validating, constructive, priceless and sorely missing from our national discourse. We will always have problems, but if we can't even discuss them, how will we ever begin to solve them? 

That's all. Have a good election everybody, and relax. You'll be fine.

Americans and Taxes

So Obama finally released his jobs plan. Here are the basics. Lots of tax cuts, mostly for small businesses, and a good amount of spending on things like schools and infrastructure. Sure to be gripe-inducing on both sides, but ultimately it looks like a winner. That said, all that matters in this bill is the part at the end indicating it will be fully paid for by whatever fiscal plan results from the debt reduction super committee's meetings and hearings, which Obama says must include revenue increases, which Republicans say they will oppose at any cost. And the American Jobs Act becomes yet another footnote to an issue as old as America itself: taxation.

I know you don't want a history lesson, so suffice it to say our founding fathers were against the idea of taxation without representation. Not taxation of any kind. Sure, some had views from the fringes of the spectrum. Some of whom would probably fit in today. (I'm picturing Joe "You Lie!" Wilson in a powdered wig.) And most saw taxes as strictly a state, not federal, issue. But, as a whole, the framers viewed the ability of a country to determine and carry out its own system of taxation as a noble and necessary component of independence. 

Times have certainly changed. Our founding fathers would probably have a hard time recognizing things like the federal income tax or the power of the Federal Reserve. They also probably wouldn't be familiar with the concept of off-shore accounts or the clout held by modern corporations. But this is the world in which we live and with which we must deal. America's tax policy should reflect these modern realities in order to provide the most effective, efficient, and equitable system of taxation for our citizens and corporations. We need to look forward, not back, in order to make America economically stronger.

As much as I disagree with the Tea Party's message of revisionist history, I also find myself at odds with Obama's partisan tactic of frequently singling out millionaires and private-jet owners. He is above this. While he should try to fire up the base and appear tough, he should also avoid appearing divisive. This approach will offend and alienate those whose contributions our nation's coffers sorely need. However, he is right- the tax code needs to be reformed in part so that more of the wealthiest citizens and corporations in this country truly pay their fair share. Those with the ability to help have the responsibility to help. There is nothing un-American about that. And if certain citizens or corporations try to resist paying their fair share, they should be called out for it. But it should be from a position of civic duty and not as a dictate from the masses.

The tax code is one part of this economic mess that both parties may have some level of agreement on. It is far too complex, indefensibly bogged down with redundancies and unnecessary loopholes. Members of both parties recognize this important fact and it seems like a rare opportunity for compromise, and on the economy no less. This is what Obama should be focusing on. His bill is a step in the right direction, but he needs to actually sink his teeth into something long-term and systemic in order to take down our long term debt and revenue problems.

If Obama truly wants to reach the pantheon of great presidents, he will find a way to bridge the gap between the super-rich and influential and the rest of the country instead of widening it. The help of every American is needed right now. A significant and symbolic way for the president to get this message across is to push for lasting reform of the tax code.

Read my lips: No new (posts about) taxes.