It’s day three with only 1,457 to go.
What disturbs me about many major news sources is the way they discuss policy options as if they were being considered by a reasonable person who desires to act for the good of the country and has some ability to do so. The current president is not that person, so why pretend that he is?
He lives in his own world of illusion that occasionally glances off reality. He is fixated on a half-dozen ideologically driven ideas about borders, immigrants, crime, tariffs, oil production, and “manifest destiny.” His other obsession is to use the powers of the presidency to seek retribution on his political enemies, the free press, late-night hosts, and whoever else he suspects of disloyalty. There is nothing reasonable about any of it. His pettiness extends to demanding the bishop of Washington apologize for preaching God’s word of compassion. His fascist intent is demonstrated in demands that the DOJ investigate local authorities who do not buckle under his deportation edicts. Where is the reasonableness?
The media, especially the so-called legacy media, have to be courageously honest. It isn’t a matter of being partisan or biased toward the Democrats. It’s a matter of being truthful about what is being said and done under this administration, whether for good or ill, and not to pretend that initiatives untethered to verifiable facts are reasonable. Just as important, the media cannot let members of Congress and representatives of the Administration get away with using age-old propaganda techniques to make authoritarian moves look like democracy, pillaging of creation look like conservation, limitations on rights look like freedom, and persecution of political enemies look like justice.
The threat to America’s future as a liberal democracy continuing the work of living up to its constitutional dream is real and present. The American dream will prevail if a significant majority of the population is committed to living in peaceful disobedience to all moves to undermine democracy, rights, and freedom. Congressional submission to Trumpism will melt away if members of Congress recognize Trump and his minions no longer control the outcome of primary elections. None of that is likely unless there is a free, courageous press that reaches across algorithmic boundaries and social media bubbles.
The goal of our role as the loyal opposition is not to destroy Trump and his gang but to protect and strengthen the fabric of American democracy even as it is under attack. At a minimum, it means we must propose realistic solutions to create secure borders and institute an entirely new immigration system that is easy to understand and simple to use. We must show unflagging support for federal investment in the nation’s infrastructure, rebuilding it for the future, not just addressing deferred maintenance of the old. We must advocate for the rights and privileges of every part of society that has been singled out for oppression and suppression for so long. We must demand of our governments at every level be more efficient, measure up to higher standards of the public good, and become more oriented to customer service. We must advocate for higher taxes on the uber-wealthy. There is much more but this is a start.
For us, the key is to remain calm, rational, courageously nonviolent, and persevere against the odds. Imagine an approach that embodies the steadfast resolve of Winston Churchill and the unwavering moral fortitude of Martin Luther King, Jr. While our present circumstances do not mirror the perilous reality faced by Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Nazi Germany, his experience offers a valuable lesson. Bonhoeffer, with extraordinary courage, led the Confessing Church in resisting Nazi control of religion while simultaneously preparing new clergy to faithfully bear the light of Christ amidst profound darkness. Yet, shortly before his execution, he reflected that these efforts had been insufficient. The Confessing Church, he realized, had been preoccupied with self-preservation, when its true calling lay in championing the future of a free Germany.
Similarly, we must remain steadfast in our faith, both within our personal lives and our congregational communities. However, our commitment to Christ compels us to transcend these boundaries, proclaiming godly ways and justice whenever and wherever they are threatened, irrespective of personal risk or challenging circumstances. We are called to be both guardians of the faith and prophetic voices for a just and equitable society.
Nice article, Steve!