In the Midst of Our Deep Polarization, We Desperately Need to Develop our Spiritual/Political Discernment Skills

Almost everyone agrees that we are living in the most profound polarization in the United States since the Civil War. New issues emerge every day that divide us. Here is just a sample of the most recent topics:

U.S. Air strikes on boats off the coast of Venezuela: legitimate defense against drug trafficking or war crimes ordered by Secretary of Defense Hegseth?
A video in which six Democrat elected officials urge soldiers to not obey illegal orders: a helpful restatement of the military code or an act of sedition that merits death?
Common vaccines administered to children cause autism and other severe problems: dangerous non/scientific myths pushed by RFK and others or gospel truth?
Opening protected land to new oil drilling: A boost to the economy or a rapid, dangerous increase in global warming?
Massive tariffs leveled against most of our trading partners: a necessary leveling of the playing field or a factor contributing to an increase in inflation?
The legal case against James Comey: a necessary action to pursue justice or a personal vendetta of a childish president?
The best college football team in the country: Ohio State or Indiana?

In the midst of competing claims, how can we discern what is true from what is the noise of propaganda? Although it is hard work, there are steps we can take to cultivate our moral/political discernment skills.

Most of us like to think that we are “open-minded”, at least I am open to the truth. There is an academic exercise that helps us test our openness. Every semester at the last institution where I taught (Whitworth University) we would team-teach a course on “Worldviews and Public Policies”. We would ask the students to choose a policy and analyze it, by completing the following steps.

Articulate a public policy (example-the morality and legality of the war in Iraq according to Just War Theory), your position on the policy and how your own worldview (ethics, ideology, etc) applies to the policy. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of your position. What major sources do you use to justify you position? How do you know they are reliable?
Articulate a rival position regarding the same policy and defend that position and why some people are attracted to that position. What main sources are generally utilized to defend the rival position? Are they reliable? Why or why not?
Very important – What evidence would you be willing to accept as sufficiently strong to get you to change your position? (If students did not answer this question, it suggests they were not as open-minded as they thought.)
If you would change your position, would that require other changes in your life (example -reconsidering what “patriotism” means)?

There are additional “common-sense” suggestions for healing our national divide:

Be humble. Your rivals might be right and you might (occasionally) be wrong.
Double check your facts.
Don’t exaggerate the truth (even use hyperbole and sarcasm sparingly).
Think outside the box.
Find common ground.
Acknowledge bits of truth wherever they are found.
For those in the U.S., the Constitution is the rule book.
The courts are the referees. If you think they are wrong, appeal to a higher court, but don’t ignore them.

May we bring a small bit of healing to our country!

In the Epstein Case, the Most Damaging Evidence was Volunteered by Trump Himself

The last two weeks have not been kind to President Trump regarding the Epstein case, but the most damning testimony was caused by Trump himself. Let’s see why.

Fifty days after her special election victory, Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva was sworn into office. Her first political action was to sign the Massie-Khanna resolution that triggered a vote to release the Epstein files.
President Trump aggressively pressured Republicans to vote not to release the files. The pressure was so intense that it raised suspicions that Trump was trying to hide evidence that would be embarrassing, at least, or even worse, incriminating. It soon became evident, that dozens of Republicans were going to vote for the release of the files. Seeing the writing on the wall, Trump flip flopped and changed his position. He then urged Republicans to vote in favor of the release of the files. The vote then passed almost unanimously in the House (with only one negative vote).
In the Senate, the same bill was approved by unanimous consent. There were no changes made to the bill, even though House Speaker had hoped the Senate would change the bill to make it “better”.
According to information released by the White House, Trump signed the bill into law (although the customary pictures of the presidential signing did not occur).
And now the damaging evidence volunteered by Trump himself. On Monday he gave a press conference in which he was asked about the Epstein case. He responded, “As far as the Epstein files, I have nothing to do with Jeffray Epstein. I threw him out of my club many years ago because I thought he was a sick pervert.” Let’s hone in on this last sentence.
According to various emails, Epstein and Trump were “best friends” for ten years. Trump has tried to distance himself from Epstein, saying he barely knew him. Trump previously affirmed that he had barred Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club over a business practice. Allegedly, Epstein had persuaded pretty female employees from Mar-a-Lago to leave Trump’s club and to come work for him. That was Trump’s official explanation. The recent press conference goes much further. He identifies Epstein as a “sick pervert”. Trump thought he was improving his own image by distancing himself even more from the evil Epstein. Quite the contrary. If I know that my best friend, or even an acquaintance, is a sick pervert, of course I should not become complicit in his sexual crimes. But, if I have any moral compass, I should do much more. Perverts, like Epstein, do horrific damage to their victims. To protect young women and innocent girls from sex trafficking, a truly ethical person would report the pervert to the police. Trump did not do so. When did Trump become aware of Epstein’s pedophilia and human trafficking? According to the President, “many years ago”. Trump thought he was improving his standing among the American people. Not true. It turns out he is his own worst witness.

The Beginning of the End: How a “Chicken” Became a “Lame Duck”

Many Americans woke up this morning to some strange news: Late last night President Trump published on social media that he was urging House Republicans to vote in FAVOR of releasing the Epstein files in a vote scheduled for this Tuesday. This is a complete reversal of Trump’s position for the last few months in which he fought tooth and nail against releasing the files. So, what happened?

During the lead up to last year’s presidential election, Candidate Trump promised that, if elected, he would release the Epstein files. He had alleged that the Biden “good ole boys’ club” was corruptly blocking release of the files to protect rich, influential Democratic leaders and donors from prosecution in this infamous sex trafficking case. His MAGA base enthusiastically supported Trump in this quest to drain the swamp.

Once he occupied the White House, Trump changed his tune. There was nothing more to see here. His Attorney General, “Puppet” Pam Bondi, claimed the Epstein case was closed. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The MAGA folk rose up and demanded the files be released. Four brave GOP congressional representatives (Kentuckian Thomas Massie, former ally Marjorie Taylor Greene, and two others) signed on to a discharge resolution that required the House to vote on a bill releasing the files. Trump called it a “Democratic hoax” and branded Marjorie Taylor Greene a traitor. He tried to bully her by mockingly changed her name “Greene” to “Brown” which is the color green plants become when they “rot”. She stood her ground and appeared yesterday on many Sunday morning talk shows (like CNN) to defend her case. Many GOP Representatives grew a backbone. Massie estimated that over a hundred Republicans would defy Trump and vote for the resolution. Trump ordered his Attorney General to re-open the investigation, targeting Bill Clinton and other famous Democrats. Bondi obediently did so, although this contradicted her previous claim that the case was closed and there was no client list of pedophiles. Faced with a rebellion from his MAGA base, last night Trump did the unthinkable. He backed down and published on social media that he now wanted the GOP to vote in FAVOR of the bill on Tuesday! A complete reversal! Why did he back down?

On other issues (like tariffs on China and standing up to Putin), Trump has backed down so often that he has earned the nickname “Taco” (Trump Always Chickens Out). These are usually international issues, and up until now, Trump has deflected criticism by asking more time for his tariffs or diplomacy to take effect. But, releasing the Epstein files is different. The MAGA base is Trump’s heart and soul. To be defied by this base is a fate worse than death. To be defied by a previous ally like Ms. Greene means she must be banished as a traitor (in this sense, Trump shows tendencies of a religious cult leader). Trump could not permit his MAGA Representatives vote against him in a House vote. By his shocking announcement last night, MAGA will vote WITH Trump because the President has changed his position. This does not mean he wants the files to be released. He still has three ways to keep the Epstein files locked up: (1) Senator Thune does not have to bring the resolution to the Senate floor even it passes in the House; (2) Given that the Epstein case is open again, legally the files cannot be made public, at least temporarily; (3) Trump could veto the bill. In these three instances, a sizable majority of MAGA will realize that Trump is now a lame duck. His power to use the “bully pulpit” will largely have evaporated. Ms. Greene and Mr. Massie have become more powerful brokers than Trump. So, Representatives in the House, vote your conscience and get the pedophiles and sex traffickers off our streets.

Some Democrats Caved…, I Didn’t Like It, But There Are Some Positive Results

As readers know, seven Democrat senators (plus Angus King, an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats) voted on Monday together with 52 Republican senators to end the six-week long federal shutdown. This Continuing Resolution will now go to the House of Representatives and will be voted on (possibly Wednesday).

I did not like it that these eight senators gave in to the compromise (=caved). They broke their word. Six weeks ago, Democrats had voted against the Republican Continuing Resolution funding bill. This led to the federal government’s shutdown. Given that Republicans control the White House and both chambers of Congress, the Democrat vote on funding was the only leverage available to the Democrats in their struggle towards getting an extension for healthcare insurance subsidies (The Affordable Care Act, ACA known more widely as Obamacare). I understand why these 8 senators caved. The shutdown was inconvenient for many people and extremely painful for others (ex. those who depended on SNAP for food and those federal workers who were fired). Nevertheless, the election last Tuesday and recent polls all indicate that a strong majority of Americans were willing to endure this temporary pain in order to keep their vital health care. (“No pain, no gain.”) The eight senators received promises from Republican Senate Majority Leader, John Thune, promises that might not be fulfilled (see below). Nonetheless, there are some positive results. Republicans, perhaps unknowingly, also made concessions (=caved).

Fired Federal Workers – During the shutdown, thousands of federal employees were fired (not merely temporarily furloughed). President Trump bragged about these firings, falsely claiming that the shutdown gave him the legal authority to implement the firings. The new resolution requires that these fired federal employees get their jobs back, including full back pay.
Obamacare Subsidy Extensions – Senator Majority Leader Thune promised the Democrats that there would be a vote in Congress regarding an ACA subsidy extension bill to be written by Democrats. This is good and appropriate. Thune can guarantee that a vote will be taken in the Senate, but not in the House of Representatives. Supposedly, Thune had conferred with the Speaker of the House, Mike Brown, to ensure a vote would be taken in the House. Brown has since walked back that promise. Time will tell if Thune or Brown is lying.
Rep. Adelita Grijalva – Ms. Grijalva was elected to the House of Representatives in a special election back in September. Speaker Brown refused to seat her, falsely claiming that he could not do so while the House was “in recess”. This claim was a lie because Brown did seat two Republicans who won special elections in Florida while the House was “in recess”. To lift the shutdown, the House must now go back in session and approve this amended Continuing Resolution. (Brown had previously refused to do this. He caved, too.) One of the first actions in the order of business MUST be to seat the lawfully elected Adelita Grijalva.
The Epstein Files – As a corollary, Grijalva’s vote will force the government to release the Epstein files. Although President Trump campaigned on releasing the files, he has fought tooth and now against them becoming public. Even many in the MAGA base are demanding that they become public. This sure gives the impression that the president is hiding some very bad information. At the very least, some of his friends, who are pedophiles, are walking freely on our streets.
Trump’s Lies – Many of his lies are quite obviousto most of us. Nevertheless, some of his supporters don’t like to acknowledge his lies. For example, during the shutdown, Trump affirmed he could not legally pay out full SNAP benefits for November. That lie will be made obvious by the end of the shutdown.
Schumer Might Be Out – Senator Schumer has not been as effective as Democrats has hoped. It is a tough job, but they wanted to see a stronger fight against Trump’s policies, especially the cruelest ones. Mr. Schumer, thank you for your service, but it is time to go.

The Election is Over and It Brought Very Bad News for Trump: Is He Mature Enough to Change His Ways?

Yesterday’s off year election held relatively few major contests of national importance, but in all of them we get insights into how Americans evaluate the Trump 2.0 administration: the governor races in Virginia and New Jersey; the mayor’s race in New York City, and Proposition 50 in California. In 2024, President Trump’s main campaign issue was the economy. He promised to lower prices, which means an inflation rate of under 0%. Polls consistently show that the economy is still the main issue for most voters. Democrats ran two moderate female candidates for these two governorships: Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger in Virginia. Both Democrat candidates painted their Republican opponents as defenders of Trump’s economic policies. The president strongly endorsed the Republican candidate in New Jersey and mildly endorsed Winsome Earle-Sears, the GOP candidate in Virginia. Trump had lost New Jersey by only 6% in 2024 and Republicans hoped they could win the governor’s race this time. Their hopes were dashed as Mikie Sherrill won her governor’s race by 13%. A big factor was the return of Hispanic/Latino voters (by more than 15%) to the Democratic fold in Passaic County. Spanberger’s rate of victory in Virginia was even larger: 57-42% as voters expressed their disapproval of the cuts to the federal employees.

The New York City mayoral race was quite different. The Democratic candidate, Zohran Mamdani, who identifies himself as a Democrat Socialist, easily defeated his opponents Andrew Cuomo, a former Democratic Governor of the state of New York, and Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate, with rates of 50%, 41%, 8% rates respectively, Trump was so opposed to Mamdani that he endorsed Cuomo, a Democrat who ran as an Independent.

Three “Democratic” Justices on Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court were up for re-election yesterday. Alhough the GOP put in millions of dollars to defeat them, each was retained with a 60% rate.

Proposition 50 was the only item on California’s ballot. A record number of voters turned out and approved it by a wide margin. It allows for a special re-drawing of California’s districts to offset the Republican gerrymandering of House districts in Texas. Official Score: Governor Newsome 1, Trump 0.

All in all, it was a massive victory for Democrats yesterday. It turns out that Trump’s unfavorable policies and character flaws were the biggest factors in turning out the record-setting Democratic vote. How should Trump respond? While we have life and breath, we can repent and “turn away from our wicked ways”. Here are some suggestions.

Mature people assume responsibility for their mistakes and their defeats. Mr. President, be a man. Take ownership for yesterday’s big, blue wave. Don’t throw a toddler’s temper tantrum of crying out about “rigged elections” or “weak Republican candidates”. The opinion polls about you and your policies being underwater turned out to be very accurate (even Fox News polling aligns with these national polls).
Recognize that you do not have much art of the deal in economic issues (you have a track record of multiple bankrupticies). Your tariffs have not lowered inflation. Quite the contrary has happened. Perhaps the Supreme Court will rule that your tariffs are, in fact, illegal and not just ineffective.
Twelve years ago you said that a weak president is always responsible for a federal shutdown. I agree with your comments at that time. Tell your senators to approve an extension to the ACA subsidies and end the shutdown now.
Do not use SNAP funding as a political weapon. 42 million citizens and their food supplies are being seriously and negatively affected.
Stop pushing for more gerrymandering in red states.
Congress has the “power of the purse”. Since they have already approved huge construction projects in New York, New Jersey, and other blue states, do not not block them.

The list goes on and on. You might not save your presidency, but you can reduce the harm done to the American people.

Trump Has Had a Terrible October… The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

October has not been good to President Trump. He has implemented many policies that are ethically deficient and economically disastrous. With just a few days left in the month, here are the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Good

Before I dive into the long list of bad events in Trump’s October, I will mention the one (semi) positive action of his presidency: he deserves credit for brokering a ceasefire in Gaza. Nevertheless, he was premature, naïve and arrogant in labeling it as an “everlasting peace” The ceasefire has held…barely but the president does seem to be trying to follow through on his commitments. He sent the top people in his cabinet to Israel last week: Special Envoy Witkoff, VP Vance, and Secretary of State Rubio. When israel’s Knesset voted in favor of annexing parts of the West Bank, Trump said “Never”. I hope he keeps his word about the Gazans having “self-determination”. This sounds like a “2 state” solution, at best, or at the very least, a permanent international peace council that guarantees stability in Gaza. (the latest bad news is that Israel has renewed heavy bombing in Gaza.)
If Trump would use his “art of the deal” skills to broker a just, lasting peace in Ukraine, I might even support his Noble Peace Prize quest.

The Bad

George Santos was one of the most despicable members of the House of Representatives in recent history. He was elected to the House in 2022 and was sworn in as a member in January, 2023 but evidence soon surfaced regarding his lack of integrity. Santos admitted to having lied about his education and employment history, and his disclosures about his business activities, income, and personal wealth were sketchy at best. Furthermore, he had not disclosed his criminal history or the existence of lawsuits against him. Following an investigation by the House Ethics Committee and a federal indictment, the House of Representatives (including half of the Republicans) voted 311–114 to expel Santos on December 1, 2023. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft in August 2024. He was sentenced to 87 months in prison, but had only served three months when President Trump commuted his sentence a week ago. Although presidents have the authority to pardon federal prisoners and/or commute their sentences, there was no good reason for Trump to show him leniency (except for the fact that both are frequently guilty of lying).
“It’s the economy, stupid.” This phrase was coined by James Carville, a strategist/advisor for Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign in 1992, but it aptly applies to the highest priority for most American voters. Trump made the economy his most important theme in the 2024 campaign. He repeatedly promised that he would “lower prices” on groceries, housing, energy, etc. Note carefully: this means an inflation rate of below zero. Last week, even during the government shutdown, the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that inflation rose 0.3% during the month of September for an annual rate of over 3%. This is slightly worse than the inflation rate during the last year of the Biden presidency. Nevertheless, many Americans “feel” that inflation is much worse. Coffee prices are up 20% and beef is up 15%, American voters might be more forgiving if the president at least made some effort to lower inflation instead of his obsession with tariffs (=tax increases) or bailing out Argentina (see below).
“Don’t cry for me Argentina.” Out of the clear blue, Trump offered the Argentina government a $20 billion “bailout” now, with a promise of another $20 billion in the near future. This has no relationship with making America great again. Rather, it seems to be due to Trump’s friendship with Argentina’s austerity president Javier Milei. This bailout has raised opposition from two of Trump’s traditional supporters: farmers and ranchers. and they are angry. Trump’s tariffs on China prompted them to stop all purchases of U.S. soybeans. Now they are buying soybeans from Argentina. The president then aggravated his supporters even more by buying tons and tons of beef from Argentina to bring down meat prices for American consumers.
The Federal Government shutdown is now the second longest in US history. The Democrats blame the Republicans…and vice versa. Furloughed Federal employees are working without pay. Air travel is reduced as many air traffic controllers are calling in sick. The SNAP food program runs out of funds on November 1st and 42 million recipients (children, women, retirees, and veterans) will no longer be eligible to receive food. The USDA has blocked release of contingency funds which were designed to cover shutdowns (funds already authorized by Congress). Back in 2013, businessman Trump said that a government shutdown is due to the president’s lack of leadership, because a strong leader would bring all the key players into a room and negotiate a fair deal. The American people agree with the earlier Trump and generally blame the damage caused by a federal shutdown on the person in the White House.
President Trump has flirted with the idea of running for a third term as president. The 22^nd Amendment to the Constitution prohibits a person from being elected to the presidency a third time. Even the Speaker of the House Johnson has grown some backbone and now confirms the Constitution’s prohibition of a third presidency. Many are seeing Trump’s flirtation with a third term as covering up his fear of becoming a “lame duck” president so early into his 2^nd term.
The national polls reveal the country’s growing discontent. Trump won the presidential election last year with slightly less than 50% of the popular vote. As he began his presidency, the polls showed he had an approval rate of about 54-58%. Those same polls now show his approval rate ranging between 37 and 42%. After his disastrous debate performance with Trump last year, former President Biden’s weak approval rate was the same as Trump’s is today.
This brief analysis of bad news could continue for quite a while. To keep it short, here is just an additional listing: a judge’s ruling against ICE in Chicago, the on again/of again trade/tariff talks with China, Trump is still getting played by Putin as the war in Ukraine goes way past Day One, getting sued by 25 states over SNAP, having to shake up the leadership of ICE, the warlike strikes against boats off of Venezuela and Colombia without getting authorization from Congress.

The Ugly

President Trump has repeatedly declared that he would not object to the Jeffrey Epstein files being released to the public. At the same time, he has doggedly fought against their release. Through Speaker Mike Johnson, Adelita Grijalva has been blocked from being sworn into her seat in the House because her vote would force the files to be released. All of this has led to speculation that the files have some horrible “dirt” on the president. The people deserve to know the truth…even if it is ugly.
The Big Beautiful? Ballroom. In the midst of the shutdown when many are not receiving their paychecks and their kitchens are bare, Trump initiated the destruction of the East Wing of the People’s House in order begin construction of the White House Ballroom which would seat 999 guests. He had promised it would be adjacent to, but not touching, the East Wing. He lied. The East Wing is now totally gone. Its destruction symbolizes the more serious destruction of our democracy. Truly ugly.

Let’s hope the news gets better after Halloween.

My Dear Brother Johnson, Thou Shalt Not Lie about the “No Kings” Protests Tomorrow

You, (and I) claim to follow Jesus as our Lord. We should, therefore, live according to his teachings. We should speak the truth in love. We should love our neighbors and seek their wellbeing. If we are mistaken in thoughts or deeds, we should be open to correction, especially from our spiritual siblings.

You have made many assertions about the upcoming protests and I believe your affirmations are dead wrong. You say these peaceful protesters “hate America”. You have called them “terrorists”. You are called by God to be a peacemaker, yet you have stoked the flames of anger. You have not offered a shred of evidence for your accusations. Of course, I cannot know what is in the heart of every protester (neither can you). Nevertheless, the act of peacefully criticizing one’s political leaders does not mean hatred for your country. Quite the contrary! You and I should be able to agree that the Biblical prophets, John the Baptist, and even Jesus himself loved their neighbors and their enemies even as they denounced the sins of political leaders of their days. Criticism that is “constructive” must be accurate and provided to bring about repentance and growth. This kind of constructive criticism is genuine patriotism, not the “cheap patriotism” that is adulation and bowing down to a president. Peaceful protest is an appropriate application of the First Amendment.

I respectfully submit for your consideration some of your actions that I consider to be immoral and likely illegal.

I (and most of the protesters) think you are practicing hypocrisy. You say you cannot swear in Adelita Grijalva who was elected to her seat in a special election in Arizona because the House of Representatives is not “in session”. Nevertheless, earlier this year you swore in two Republicans who were elected in special elections in Florida when the House was not in session. There is no nice way to say this: you are a hypocrite. It seems that the real reason for not swearing her in is that you don’t want Grijalva’s vote to force the Epstein files to be made public. The names and identities of the sex traffickers and pedophiles should be made known to the public. Which side are you on?
According to our Constitution, the judiciary, the legislative, and the executive branches are co-equal and are to be checks and balances on each other. But you have allowed the president to roll over congressional responsibilities. Here are two examples.
You have allowed the president to overturn funding that had already been approved by Congress (USAID, New York’s transportation projects) without even raising a whimper.
According to our Constitution, wars are declared by Congress. Nevertheless, Trump is carrying out war actions against Venezuela, and he has not even met with Congress’ “Gang of Eight” to let them know or to get their approval.
You label protesters as “terrorists”. The first “no kings” protests earlier this year were overwhelmingly peaceful. What evidence do you have that show that these protesters are terrorists? Would you admit that some of their criticisms are valid?
You sent the House of Representatives home for vacations a week early and you have kept them “on break” for additional weeks (even though the Senate is “in session”). It sure seems you have no interest in finding a mutually agreed upon solution to the government shutdown. You have demanded that Democrats approve the Continuing Resolution so that you can have “more time” to negotiate the ACA extensions past the end of the year “sunset”. You have known for months that you needed 60 senators to approve the resolution. Why should citizens believe that you would use a time extension and act in good faith?

Speaker Johnson, as the Scriptures say, “Thou shalt not lie” and “Repent and find forgiveness.”

Trump, Netanyahu and Others: Credit where Credit is Due and Blame where Blame is Due

Sunday, in my community of faith, one of our pastors gave a sermon on King Solomon. On the one hand, Solomon is widely known for his wisdom. Nevertheless, the Scriptures also describe how he made many unwise (=stupid) mistakes. Which of the following affirmations is true: “Solomon was wise” or “Solomon made stupid mistakes”? Although they seem contradictory, both can be accurate and true…at the same time and referring to the same person. His father, King David, was “a man after God’s own heart”, yet after committing adultery with Bathsheba, he tried to cover this sin with a more deadly one, in which he authorized the murder of Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband.

The pages of history are strewn with examples of these moral contradictions. One of my favorite U.S. presidents was Abraham Lincoln. He freed the slaves. He kept the Union together during a horrible civil war that cost some 620,000 lives. Nevertheless, that war involved actions that were morally horrific. Lincoln authorized Sherman’s non justified “march to the sea” (with its scorched earth policy) in which thousands upon thousands of Southern civilians had their homes and farms ravaged and destroyed. At one and the same time, Lincoln was a good moral president who also made some ethically horrible decisions.

We can see this moral contradiction in both Trump and Netanyahu. Accurate descriptions will give credit/blame where they are due.

Trump and team should receive credit for brokering the ceasefire

Most hostages on both sides have been released
Israel is removing its soldiers from Gaza
Hamas has agreed to disarm
Palestinians have the right to self-determination
Humanitarian aid will immediately increase into Gaza
Some twenty nations (Arab, European) have pledged to support the peace process with resources
An international “Board of Peace” will be created to ensure safety and stability in Gaza and a process leading to self-government

These phases require Trump to focus and follow through on his commitments. These will probably be more difficult for him than this initial step of the ceasefire.

It is appropriate and important to assign blame to Trump for his actions/policies that are immoral, dangerous and/or misguided. Some of these are:

Trump’s gutting of USAID is causing the premature death of tens of thousands innocent people around the world.
Trump’s firing of needed federal employees (FEMA, CDC, IRS) which is causing unnecessary harm to these workers and to the American public.
Trump promised to end the war against Ukraine on “Day 1”, but peace is far away because Trump has coddled Putin and has not applied economic sanctions. At least Trump acknowledges that Putin has “played him”.
Trump promised to target criminal undocumented immigrants, but over 60% of those detained by ICE have NO CRIMINAL RECORD!
Trump promised the Epstein files would be released, but he and Republican leaders (like Johnson) are doing everything possible to block their release. What is Trump hiding?
Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” is really quite ugly, because it takes away health care from millions of tax-paying citizens and food from the mouths of babes.
Trump promised to reduce prices for consumers, but he has an obsession with tariffs that add to inflation and have been a failure (see China).
Almost all of Trump’s public actions are moves toward presidential authoritarianism at the expense of the legislative and judiciary branches of our government and states’ rights.
Trump has character flaws that no ethical system can condone (bullying, womanizing, racism, lying to an extreme, blaming others for his own failures). MAGA readers: where is your prophetic voice against personal immorality?

Netanyahu likewise deserves credit and blame. Here is a short summary.

He should be credited for standing up to the conservative “war hawks” in his Cabinet who wanted to continue the war in Gaza.
He should also be credited for changing his position on Palestinian self-determination which the peace deal acknowledges.
Nevertheless, Netanyahu has rightly been found guilty of war crimes and genocide by the ICC. These are serious crimes and should not be swept under the rug.
Even today, he has made comments that cast doubt on whether he will abide by Trump’s 20-point plan. After Trump obtained an invitation for him to attend the summit in Egypt, Bibi backed out. Today’s celebration might be premature.

Today, more than ever, we the people need to express our approval or disapproval of our national leaders, not based on their party affiliation, but rather on whether their actions and policies are just or unjust.

A Ceasefire in Gaza! Kudos to Trump…IF He is Able to Implement it.

On Wednesday, President Trump announced that a ceasefire in Gaza had been brokered between Israel and Hamas (together with collaboration from several countries in the region). Although I frequently criticize the president for several political decisions that I consider immoral and vile, on this issue he should be applauded…temporarily, at least. The president issued a 20-point plan that (supposedly) both Hamas and Israel have agreed to. Nevertheless, some of these items might become “sticking points” if either side doesn’t follow through. Here are some of those points:

Israel agreed to halt its bombardment of Gaza. What happens if they continue to wage war on Gazans?
Hamas has agreed to disarm its followers/soldiers. Who will verify and certify this disarmament?
Israel has long opposed the independence of Gaza, but supposedly has now agreed that Gazans would be free. They would be governed by an international “peace council” of which Trump himself would oversee. What happens if the Israeli government backs away from this agreement?
The Trump plan allows for the discussion of nationhood of Palestine. Netanyahu says this is a “no-go”. This is a serious sticking point. Can Trump use his influence to get Israel to change its position?
Israel has agreed to pull out its soldiers from most of Gaza. What happens if they keep some/most of their soldiers there?
All Israeli and Palestinian hostages and detainees would be returned to their homeland and loved ones. What a wonderful homecoming! What happens if there are discrepancies in the number and health of these returnees? Who verifies these figures?

A just peace in Palestine has not happened for a long time. May this time be different!!!

The Shutdown Blame Game: Why the Republican Argument Does Not Persuade Me PLUS My Modest Proposal to End the Impasse

The federal government shutdown is now entering its fifth day with no end in sight. The lines are clearly drawn. The Republicans demand that Democrats pass the Continuing Resolution (CR) to re-open the government for seven weeks. If the government does not re-open, no negotiations will take place over health care legislation. The Democrats want health care discussions to take place now before any re-opening of the government. These include: (1) the restoration of Obamacare subsidies that are due to end on December 31, 2025; and (2) the restoration of Medicaid, Medicare, and other benefits taken away by the “Big Beautiful Bill” legislation. Meanwhile, only “essential” workers are on the job. Non-essential workers are temporarily furloughed until the government is re-opened.

The Republicans blame the Democrats for the shutdown and Democrats blame the Republicans and President Trump. I freely acknowledge that neither I nor any human being can be 100% objective in our analysis regarding who is to blame, but I submit the following evidence for why the Republicans seem to be more guilty (the six national polls that have asked this question reveal that the American people blame Republicans more than Democrats for the shutdown by 15-20%).

Evidence:

The Republicans control the White House and both chambers of Congress (the Senate and the House of Representatives, albeit by razor thin majorities). How can they blame the minority when they have all the control?
The Republicans did not include the Democrats in any discussions of the “Big Beautiful Bill” because they did not need to do so… EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT our governmental predecessors in their wisdom, required that sixty Senators must approve certain resolutions, including the one before the Senate now. This was to ensure broad, bipartisan support for our government and its spending of tax dollars. From the beginning, the Republicans were well aware of this 60 Senator rule. Even so, they made the choice not to be bipartisan and try to bully the Democrats into submission and acquiescence at the last moment. Republicans need to accept responsibility for their choice.
Republicans accuse Democrats of trying to get Medicare and Medicaid benefits for undocumented immigrants. Federal law prohibits undocumented immigrants from receiving these benefits and there is no Democratic proposal to change the law. Therefore, this Republican accusation is a bald face lie. If justice were on the side of the Republicans, they would not need to resort to such obvious lies.
Project 2025 sketches out how the White House should “take advantage” of shutdowns to justify the illegal massive firing of federal workers, especially in Departments Trump does not like (ex. Education). He has also halted billions of dollars in funds (already approved by Congress) for projects in states run by Democrats (Illinois, New York and California). During his 2024 campaign, Trump denied any knowledge of Project 2025, because it was perceived by many Americans as being too extreme. Nevertheless, its chief architect, Russell Vought, served in the first Trump administration and is currently the Director of the powerful Office of Management and Budget. Trump is now fulfilling Project 2025 “to a Tee”. It seems quite clear that Candidate Trump lied to the American people regarding Project 2025. He does not lament the pain that the shutdown is causing. This was his plan.
President Trump claims the shutdown provides an “unprecedented opportunity” for him to hack away at pieces of the federal bureaucracy he does not like. It has also provided him with opportunities to try to ridicule his opponents (perhaps to get revenge for losing his Free Speech fight with Jimmy Kimmel). Trump posted an AI generated video in which he tried to ridicule Hakeem Jeffries with a Mexican sombrero and moustache. Trump was widely criticized by politicians from both sides of the aisle for this failed attempt at humor. Vice President Vance was asked for his opinion. He said he thought it was “funny” and that “the president’s joking and we’re having a good time”. The importance of the shutdown merits greater seriousness by the president who should perhaps leave the comedy to Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert.

My Modest Proposal To End the Impasse

Let’s now turn from who is to blame to how do we achieve a just end to the shutdown. On the surface, it looks like there is no fair way to end the shutdown. Republicans won’t negotiate health care while the government is closed and Democrats won’t open the government unless health care reforms take place first. Successful mediators know that leaders on both sides must be able to “save face” with their constituents. They must be able to point to some political victory for their base. A possible solution exists because the Democrat demands are two pronged: (1) the restoration of Obamacare subsidies; and (2) the restoration of Medicaid, Medicare, and other benefits taken away by the “Big Beautiful Bill” legislation. If the Democrats separate their demands into two packets, reasonable Republicans might agree with them. I propose that Democrats and Republicans negotiate NOW the restoration of Obamacare subsidies. This is less expensive than the Big Beautiful Bill legislation and is fairly easy to reach an agreement: just extend the “sunset” of the subsidies for one year until the end of 2026. If this is passed NOW, Democrats can THEN vote for the Continuing Resolution and end the shutdown, provided that Republicans agree to negotiate the BBB benefits during the next seven weeks.

Democrats could claim a victory in that they have restored the Obamacare subsidies and a (good faith) promise by the GOP to negotiate the BBB benefits. Republicans could also claim a victory in that they have re-opened the government, and that the major chunk of negotiations (the BBB benefits) will take place only after the shutdown is over.

How will the restoration of the Obamacare subsidies be paid for? I do not recommend raising the national debt! I do propose reducing the tax benefits for the very rich. Several months ago during the BBB discussions, even President Trump recommended this reduction. Will the adults in the room identify themselves and get the government back to work!