In wake of last night’s Republican defeat, let us take, for a minute, the Paul Ryan budget issue. They have a plan, and progressives have a plan, but both have to realize that something is going to need to be done. If we are not going to go with Ryan’s plan, then how do we afford Medicare, etc.? I’m all for making political hay on this issue, but if we don’t do what Ryan says we should do, how do we continue to pay for those programs?

Our argument needs to be on the lines of how do we get the budget in balance. I think Progressives really need to focus on the contrast – we support taxes on those that are doing so well, defunding two (2½?) wars, and eliminating subsidies for those all ready doing so well (I speak here not only of the oil industry, but of many subsidies in the agriculture sector, too). I don’t think we should let go of this issue, and simply preach a gospel of fairness (theologically minded friends and Friends, can you argue the Gospel is a gospel of fairness? I won’t, feeling that I am not in the place to comment upon it now, but it seems to me a case could be made).

Much of the conservative point is that their taxes are too much of a burden. While our corporate tax rates as a percentage of  income are higher than many, our personal tax burden is not significantly higher than most countries, and certainly lower than most. The Republican theory is that lower taxes increase production and create jobs (that’s a situation to look at in another blog). I don’t think their policy is that complex – lower taxes regardless of who gets hurt.  Their argument is that their taxes are just too high.

So are mine.

I am with them in that I grumble about them. I could really use the money. But there are two things I’d like to note:  First, I will pay more if I have to if that’s what it takes to keep the safety net in place for those most vulnerable. Second, I did pay more in taxes that many, many companies. Of note, my Federal taxes totaled $8,957 for 2011,  which was at least $8,857 dollars more than GE (who internationally made 10.4 billion in profits). I paid  $156,008,857 more than Exxon Mobile (who had earnings of 1.6 billion during that tax year) and I paid $ 1,900,008,957 more than Bank of America, who got 1.9 billion in returns on profits of 4.4 billion plus almost a trillion dollars in bailout money!). While I appreciate the confidence the government has shown in my earning ability, I am hard pressed to feel this is equitable.

For arguments sake, let us assume my effective tax rate is around 20%. If we simply taxed Exxon and BOA at my tax rate, the treasury would have been $ 6.736 billion better off. Well, together the country would have been$ 6,736,008,957 better off. (I’m sincerely curious as to how the conservative wing would respond to this in terms of their argument that the individual is better than directing spending than the government is). Add in the 2.2 billion that Oil and Gas companies get in special subsidies, and the total would have made a net difference of $ 8.936 billion (OK,  $ 8,936,008,957 if you’re still counting on my contribution). As Everett Dirkson used to note: "A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money".

This is only marginally about the budget:: It is simply a call to fairness. I’d be willing to pay (somewhat begrudgedly) another $ 500 a year to save Medicare, but you know, I really kind of want to see GE, BOA, and EXXON chip in too.

On bin Laden

           When the Jews left Egypt, they were stymied by the Red Sea, which God directed Moshe to part. The People of Israel passed through the parted water, but when the Egyptian army tried to pass, God let the water return and killed all of the Egyptians.  The Jewish people broke into song, and sang “The Song of the Sea.” Miriam, with musical instruments, took the Jewish women aside and danced and sang in praise of God. To this day, we celebrate the defeat of Egypt and our liberation every Passover.

         

            The midrash (definition below) teaches that while the Jews celebrated, the angels also broke into song. But God chastised then angels, singing “how can you sing when my people are dying”? It was expected that the Jews would be happy, but God reminded the angels that the Egyptians, too, were God’s people.

          

            It is God’s place to judge bin Laden (although I have to say I have mixed feelings that the U.S. Special Forces arranged the meeting).

          With deep respect to my Quaker family whom I love very much, I have to disagree with the premise that war is never the answer. It is not an easy answer, it certainly is not always the answer, and it frequently is the wrong answer. But it is not always the wrong answer. We need to remember that there are evil persons in the world that mean us harm, and we need to be able to defend ourselves. 

Frequently one hears that what we need is more communication and understanding. Amen. Many, many of the world’s problems would move towards solutions if there was more negotiation and diplomacy. But we have also found that productive negotiation is sometimes not possible. Great Britain tried to negotiate with Germany prior to World War II, as did the Soviet Union and France. People intent on mass slaughter (Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Ahmadinejad) need to be stopped. It is horribly callous of us to try to negotiate with those that intend us ill and ignore the suffering those negotiations cause innocent people.

There are nations and people whose stated purpose is to do whatever possible to destroy Jews and Israel (Osama Ben Laden to be among them). One of the biggest reasons why there has been so little improvement in Jewish/Palestinian relationships is that Hamas’s stated position is an uncompromising goal to destroy Israel. It is not responsible to negotiate with someone who wishes you were wiped off the face of the earth. The nation of Israel can never forget, and never will forget, that there are nations with ill intent. (My likely guess is Israel will launch a strike on Iran’s nuclear capabilities at some point if the West cannot broker a settlement, for instance).

The fact that we have been in wars for the wrong reason (and I would put Viet Nam, the second Gulf War, and the war in Afghanistan in that group) does not mean force is never warranted. I see Libya as a place where our force is justified: We have a tyrant who is killing his own citizens, and we are trying to stop that as a limited partner in a U.N. backed event.

I believe there are times that we (the world community) need to take harsh action. When it occurs, even if we see it as a necessary thing, we need to remember that God is saddened to see the results, whatever they are, when any of his children turn to evil.

Midrash is a tool of interpretation which assumes that every word, letter, and even stroke of the pen in the Torah has meaning. Midrash Aggadah focuses on biblical narratives, Midrash Halakhah interprets legal passages. In modern times, midrash can include any retellings, additions, or twists on Torah stories.