1500

This is post 1,500. I guess it should be something special – something incredibly important – something rocking – something elegant!
by Charlie Leck

“A nation that will not care for the least of its children is doomed to fold in upon
itself and it will be trampled into the earth.”

Can you believe it? This is blog #1500. It nearly takes my breath away. What shall I say? Who shall I berate? What shall I praise? Of whom can I make fun?

I am disquieted! I wonder why readers have come here – again and again – to read what I have to say. I hope it is because I have been consistent. Even in my rage, I hope I have been consistent.

I am just an old man!
As a couple of my readers have said, in response to my rather scathing comments about Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, “You are nothing but an old man and a fool!”

I know they got it half right –correct! I hope they are not correct on both counts; but that I leave to my readers to determine. There are several dozen of you out there who communicate with me regularly about my blogs. Boy, do I appreciate you. If I could whisper it (so no one else will hear), “I also love you a great, great deal!”

From the so called writer’s block I have never suffered.

And yet, here – now – I am flailing around for the all the best things to say.

I have struggled for hours over this blog #1500. I deleted it twice and each time went to the computer’s trash container and restored it. Some of you are going to think it is a religious, or scriptural, or biblical, or even a Christian blog. It is not. Rather I have used the concepts of Christian and Judeo/Christian scripture to combat the rising, harsh voice of the right-wing, fundamentalist Christian movement in this country that is so critical of government services to the poor and disadvantaged. Try to read the blog as if it were secular and only uses the language of faith and the prophets.

Why am I so often driven back to the ancient prophets of scripture when I am stuck? Their messages about governance, corruption and national conduct often stir me. Am I naïve to think nations have responsibilities for their citizens and obligations to care for those who cannot care for themselves – to ensure that its entire people are secure, safe, sheltered and fed? Or, is it an old fashioned idea that can only, in reality, be associated with socialism or communism – or idle dreamers?

Social Justice
I’ve looked back over hundreds of blogs to see if I can find a common thread or theme; and I see it there. With scattered blogs about baseball or golf thrown in, a good recipe here and there, a few notes about personal travels and a book review or two, I go back again and again to the responsibilities of those who govern.

And, I wonder! How can there be justice when some of us can have multiple homes, yachts, sports cars, personal chefs, valets and unlimited resources, while others live without shelter and with too little nutritious food to eat? How can we spend so much on our own personal comfort and indulgences while the earth suffers from our abuse of it?

For instance, can we, in good conscience, build sports stadia that cost billions of dollars while there is such rampant homelessness? I do not argue that we cannot do the former, but I do persist in urging that we can do both.

How can America have so much accumulated wealth and such staggering poverty at the same time? Reputable reports indicate that twenty percent of our population is poor. A large number are completely destitute.

We slip lower each year in the ranks of those nations providing the highest quality education for our citizens.

Politicians claim we cannot afford to spend more; yet we now have more billionaires than we ever dreamed we would have.

It seems to be true that one (1) percent of the population now controls nearly fifty (50) percent of the nation’s wealth. I do not begrudge them their wealth, but I do persist in arguing that this group has a greater – much greater – responsibility to care for the bottommost percentage of the population that lives in utter poverty. To neglect that lowest part of the general population is to turn one’s eyes from the loving gaze of God. It is to refuse the wisdom of the prophets and what they have been telling us for a hundred generations.

I am not impressed by lapel-pin American flags! I am not impressed by those who profess to be super-religious or discoverers of salvation. Those with dozens of religious rules are not admired by me. The blindly religious are marked by God’s disdain; for they have not heard Him calling out to them about his neglected children.

I admire those who hear the words of the prophets of old – and understand!

“Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever flowing stream!” [Amos 5:24]

America losing its grip
America once had this dream about the poor and “the huddled masses that yearned to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me…”

Now a whole, massive party of people turn away from America’s great and solemn dream; and they claim it is not a nation’s job to care – to care – to care.

“Leave the poor to care for the poor; and let the diseased care for the ill. We shall build higher fences and mightier gates to separate ourselves from the stench of the oppressed. And God be damned! We shall hide from His will!”

Justice appears now to be for those who can afford it! Yet, we beat our paths to expensive churches, mosques and synagogues to pray to a God who will not hear us because we have ignored his constant message to us.

I hate, I despise your feasts
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and cereal offerings,
I will not accept them,
and the peace offerings of your fatted beasts
I will not look upon.
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever flowing stream!”
                                                               [Amos 5:24]

The message of the prophets is clear – even today: A nation that will not care for the least of its children is doomed to fold in upon itself and it will be trampled into the earth.

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Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There is a Season) – made into an enormous, international hit in 1965 by The Byrds.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant
                                                                     a time to reap that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal, a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together,
                                             a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

                                                                             [Ecclesiastes 3]

You can hear The Byrds singing the famous hit song at this You Tube address.

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America as Oligarchy

For this blog, I take my cue from my wife, who keeps talking about America as oligarchy!
by Charlie Leck

Your morning reading assignment is to read Paul Krugman’s column, Wisconsin Power Play. As you read, keep in mind that a lot of money from the Koch Brothers (Kansas billionaires) went into the election campaign of Wisconsin’s new and very conservative governor. Here’s a NY Times story about that, too, if you’re interested.

In his column, Krugman is suggesting a developing oligarchy in America. My wife has been saying that to me for over a year now.

The wealthy are “feeling their oats” and testing their wings in America’s political currents. They and big corporations are finding they can have major influence in American politics. The U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows corporations to make enormous contributions to political campaigns is already wreaking havoc on political outcomes in national and state politics.

An oligarchy is not a tool of democracy. It is a replacement, or substitute, for democracy. Under an oligarchy, the pretense of a democracy can be kept alive while the democracy really doesn’t function.

Too wild a concept? Keep your eyes open!

Think about this comment that Krugman makes…

“...For what’s happening in Wisconsin isn’t about the state budget, despite Mr. Walker’s pretense that he’s just trying to be fiscally responsible. It is, instead, about power. What Mr. Walker and his backers are trying to do is to make Wisconsin — and eventually, America — less of a functioning democracy and more of a third-world-style oligarchy. And that’s why anyone who believes that we need some counterweight to the political power of big money should be on the demonstrators’ side.

“…In principle, every American citizen has an equal say in our political process. In practice, of course, some of us are more equal than others. Billionaires can field armies of lobbyists; they can finance think tanks that put the desired spin on policy issues; they can funnel cash to politicians with sympathetic views (as the Koch brothers did in the case of Mr. Walker). On paper, we’re a one-person-one-vote nation; in reality, we’re more than a bit of an oligarchy, in which a handful of wealthy people dominate.

“Given this reality, it’s important to have institutions that can act as counterweights to the power of big money. And unions are among the most important of these institutions.”

Ladies and Gentlemen and Children of All Ages…
the gap between America’s wealthy – its super wealthy – and our middle and poorer economic classes is growing wider and wider; while, at the same time, the very wealthy individuals and corporations are assuming more of a prominent role in politics. That could otherwise be called an oligarchy. Certainly, it is a serious weakening of the democratic institution about which our nation has long boasted.

For this, you can send a thank-you-note to the five conservative members of the United States Supreme Court. In our form of democracy, there is nothing – no single event – that can do more damage to the basic system of fair government than a poor Supreme Court decision.

Of course, the least you can do is read the two pieces I recommend to you above.

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Why not become a follower?
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A Camel through the Eye of a Needle

Some of the rich are even better than we could imagine or hope. Thank goodness!
by Charlie Leck

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a need, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24)

“A wealthy person who uses his wealth generously is also likened to a fertile field in which rice grows abundantly for the benefit of all.” (Most Venerable Dr. M. Vajiragnana Nayaka Thera Sanha Nayaka, a Buddhist)

Bernie Madoff stands as a symbol of the greedy rich – people who just can’t seem to get enough and who want more and more and more. It is sad!

Here in Minnesota, there is a similar story right now. A young man, who seemed to have the world in his hands and was handsome, popular, articulate and bright, and made many, many millions of dollars, wasn’t satisfied and had to push it to billions. Tom Petters crossed way beyond the line between ethical and unethical and then went way over to totally dishonest, immoral and illegal. Like Madoff, he created a wild Ponzi scheme that bilked huge amounts of money out of innocent investors. Like Madoff, he now sits in prison awaiting his punishment. Too bad!

Another local fellow, who didn’t cross the line as far as Petters and Madoff, went too far nonetheless, when he post-dated stock options he signed and drew off nearly 200 million dollars in bonuses from a HEALTH CARE DELIVERY COMPANY… Let’s talk about why health care is too expensive.

Anyone remember Ken Lay – yes, that Ken Lay – of Enron fame?

We’ve gone far enough down that corrupt and ugly trail. What we need to be thankful about is that not all the rich are corrupt and that some of them are downright creative about the way they use their wealth to benefit society and people in need. There are so many good examples and thank goodness there are.

Locally, I am so proud of so many of our rock solid, wealthy families. John Andrus and his family put together the Surdna Foundation (Andrus, spelled backwards) and I have been intimately enough involved with the Andrus family to know how deeply important that work is to them. The MacMillan family, founders and heirs to the Cargill fortune, have been equally involved in the community and shared their wealth generously both here in our state and around the world (see the Cargill Foundation). The Crosby family (General Mills) and the Pillsbury family (Pillsbury) have also been incredible examples of giving and sharing with the community. There are dozens of local families who could be mentioned.

Nationally, Bill Gates, who recently returned to the top of the list of the wealthiest people in the world, is a prime example of sharing one’s abundance. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is active all over the world and donates fantastic amounts of money to vital causes. It’s a treat to spend time browsing through this foundation’s web site.

Timothy Egan recently wrote an interesting blog about the father of Bill Gates and his daily efforts to distribute the fortunate accumulated by his son [read Greed and Need by Timothy Egan]. The senior Gates is a child of the depression. He doesn’t look at all like his son. I was amazed when I saw him once on a golf course in Palm Springs. He towered over me in height. I’ve been in the company of his son a number of times and he’s far shorter than I. However, the senior Gates is big in other ways also. He regularly lobbies for fair tax laws that won’t so favor the rich and will relieve the burden on people of little income. He favors the retention of estate taxes and thinks family accumulation of wealth (“economic aristocracy”) is unfair.

Warren Buffet, who until very recently was considered the world’s wealthiest human being, is of like mind with the Gates approach. He wants fairer income taxes that don’t so favor the rich and will unburden the middle classes. He also opposes the elimination of estate taxes. He’s committed the bulk of his wealth to the Gates foundation mentioned above.

Egan quotes Andrew Carnegie, an American philanthropist of another era: “No idol is more debasing than the worship of money!”

I think there are likely as many good examples of the wealthy using their fortunes in generous ways as there are of the Bernie Madoff type. I hope so.

This 2007 San Francisco Chronicle story about the founder of Gap is a good one. A billionaire, this 80 old gentlemen uses both his wealth and his clout to improve education, health services and the status of the not-so-well-off.

There are many, many dozens of stories like this to be found all around the nation.

One scholar has written that Jesus was trying to be funny when he made the comment about a rich man trying to squeeze through the eye of a needle in order to get into heaven. Perhaps so, but the comment emphasizes the struggle that the wealthy have to turn away from greed and the temptation to accumulate just for the purpose of accumulating.

There are ways to use wealth to produce a better world and I am anxious for the day when more of the wealthy will step up and lay out plans to make life better for all people, whoever and wherever they are on Mother Earth.

“The purpose of wealth is to facilitate the development of the highest human potential. Wealth is only a means to an end, not an end itself; it creates the conditions under which spiritual progress may flourish. If the creation of wealth is regarded purely as a selfish occupation, then the results will often lead to unhappiness because this activity is self-centred, based only on ideas of "me" and "mine". We should, however, regard wealth as something to be shared with other people. If human beings could expand their love to all other people, irrespective of their class, colour or creed, rather than confining it to their own people, then they might be able to part with things without expecting anything in return, and experience more satisfaction in doing so. This satisfaction comes not from tanha, a desire to obtain things to make ourselves happy, but from chanda, a desire for the well-being of others. In decisions dealing with every sphere of economic activity, whether it is production, consumption, or the use of technology, we must learn how to distinguish between the two kinds of desire and make our choices wisely.” (Most Venerable Dr. M. Vajiragnana Nayaka Thera Sanha Nayaka, a Buddhist) [click here to read entire address]