America must fight to keep its place in the world
They came here as the 19th century gave way to the 20th. They had little in common beyond their shared poverty and their desperation -- and a naive hope that somehow things would be better in this new land of promise. The plea of the welcoming statue in the New York harbor to “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” resonated with oppressed and despairing people around the world, giving them hope for a life that might include security and liberty and a chance to earn a modest living. It gave them the hope and dignity and promise of a life that, within the limits of luck and personal skills, offered the fulfillment of all the many dreams that had first tempted them to make that hazardous trip into the unknown.
Robert Faber
It is not our national responsibility to serve the afflicted nations of the world, but the sense of justice embedded in our Constitution that had so inspired the rest of the world and excited a reassuring sense of pride within our nation and among ourselves is rapidly losing substance -- and the fading light of that national benevolence should trouble us all. We are fast becoming just another nation, measuring our status and progress by economic advances rather than the success of our revered constitutional principles of “promot[ing] the general Welfare.” The most immediate example of our social decline is in the attitudes attacking the issue of universal healthcare. Unlike FDR’s observation that “[The nation] cannot be content, ... if some fraction of our people is ill fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure,” our recent dispute centered on the tax burdens of charity, or the inconvenience that might accrue to private industry, or the fear of some future shift of responsibility from corporate power to government control. Those concerns are not altogether invalid, but our concentration should primarily be on the needs of our people, on the principles expressed by our founding documents, rather than on the tactics of implementation. Some issues dividing our nation are significant and profound and may well be insoluble except by compromise -- such as the opposing views on abortion, or the right to voluntarily end one’s own life of irredeemable pain and suffering, or the legal sanctification of same-sex marriage -- but our heritage demands more than personal or ideological victories. Legislative decisions must be measured by what they bring to the whole people.
A concentration on tax cuts, for example, must be weighed against the loss of valued social programs funded by those missing tax dollars. The ethics of governance are being replaced by the tactics of control - at a cost of the principles by which our nation is defined.
We have been taught - by our schools, by our traditions, by our love and respect for our history - that the United States is the most caring, compassionate and supportive nation in the world. And we probably are. The richness of our democracy, after all, is not in doubt, only its ownership, so tax relief for the wealthy continues to take congressional precedence over Head Start. Meanwhile, the sacred ideals and traditions by which our people and our nation are defined are colliding with the reality of power politics and political greed. Employing political tactics to accomplish self-serving ends is hardly a new technique, but the idealism that has so long been our guide and our pride must not be sacrificed in the process. Satisfying the needs of the many over the preferences of the privileged and powerful few must remain our national ideal. And lest FDR’s message be dismissed as the oratory of a “godless Liberal,” consider the admonition of Deuteronomy 15: 7-8: “When there is among you a needy person ... you are to open ... your hand to him and are to ... pledge to him sufficient for his lack that is lacking to him.”
Bob Faber is a long-time Ann Arbor resident and former business owner. He served on the Ann Arbor City Council for two terms in the late 1960s and early ‘70s.
Comments
jcj
Sun, Jul 11, 2010 : 11:43 a.m.
@ picabia "Robert, thanks for this. We must not let greed destroy the nation." Not to worry illegal immigration will do it for us! @ David Your shtick is getting old! Had an uncle who espoused the exact rhetoric you do. He never gave anything of himself but always was there looking for a hand until the day he died!
David Briegel
Thu, Jul 8, 2010 : 2:48 p.m.
Bob, Please don't use morality or "Christian Values" in a political argument with conservatives. The moral relevancy is way too complicated for many to handle! Morality only belongs in church. Jesus said that greed was good and to heck with our brothers. Let 'em eat cake. The main job of govt is to redistribute the gushing up of our nations wealth! Secondly of course, is the use of our military to preserve our/their empire so that the corporations and the wealthy don't have to hire Halinburton to defend the empire. We get to pay instead. And as for that evil socialism, you might want to watch for that creeping Fascism! Corporations can now legally rent our govt!
Bill Wilson
Thu, Jul 8, 2010 : 8:50 a.m.
Every one of our employees gets health insurance (Humana),and even profit sharing, assuming we don't pay it all in taxes(MBT,state income, sui,futa,property and yes federal income added up to >50%) first. I don't expect or want "help" from Washington on the insurance front. If our taxes go much higher I may just decide to take a very long vacation and fire everyone. Most people in this country get their health insurance as a part of a plan offered by the corporation they work for. These corporations (yours included) can only afford to offer this because they're subsidized through tax breaks. As a conservative who actually pays his taxes, perhaps you could explain why I should help subsidize yours and your employee's health care while being locked out myself? I am tired of paying your bills sir. Maybe it's time the free-loading ends and you actually pay for the benefits you offer?
picabia
Mon, Jul 5, 2010 : 8:45 p.m.
Robert, thanks for this. We must not let greed destroy the nation.
stunhsif
Mon, Jul 5, 2010 : 8:13 p.m.
Bob, That was then, this is now. If you want to give more money to the government for charity get your wallet out and give freely. I personally think and know that private companies like The Salvation Army/Purple Heart and Red Cross do a much better job and are more cost effective. Purple Heart is coming to Ann Arbor on July 19th if anyone has things to donate. For that matter, you can call them at any time and they will come out and pick up your belongings.
bedrog
Mon, Jul 5, 2010 : 10:15 a.m.
husker...great post...esp the ayn rand tax thing and the analogy to 'do your own thing' somalia...wish i'd done it. i think alot of the randers/paulians imagine themselves as gary cooper in the 'fountainhead' movie. btw alan greenspan--of the deregulation that got us into much of this mess...was personal assistant of hers. nuff said.
DBinA2
Mon, Jul 5, 2010 : 9:13 a.m.
Bob, What a wonderful piece. I would never see this type of column in my hometown newspaper. I am going to send this to my friends back home. Well done.
walker101
Mon, Jul 5, 2010 : 8:22 a.m.
Sounds like an agenda for Socialism ideology, we can't keep supporting the poor and provide for the world that are in need without the hard working private sector that are and continue to be burden with paying more taxes. After this Universal Health Care is adopted our tax rate will be within or over the 40% range and gaining with the rest of the Socialist countries that failing ( Greece) due to all the programs that exists to help the needy. Once this takes place we will have a VAT added tax (value added Tax initially @ 7%-10%) to help support the programs in place and then we'll be paying over 50% in taxes to help those in need, eventually no one will be willing to work or have any reason to do so because the government will support. Social decline is due to the fact that the government encourages individuals to be less independent and dependent on what is given by the government and expected. If a parent decides not to work why would their children want to if they can just get by? Our values, work ethics are declining and we're spiraling downwards because our politicians believe they can provide for us better than we can for ourselves.
clownfish
Mon, Jul 5, 2010 : 6:40 a.m.
GSORTER, right now, included in your payments to Humana, is the cost of covering the uninsured. Every time one of your employees goes to a hospital they, and you and Humana, pick up the tab for someone that was unable to pay. I can understand you not wanting to pay higher taxes, but right now you are paying a hidden tax, collected by a private company.
gsorter
Sun, Jul 4, 2010 : 10:50 p.m.
Craig, Every one of our employees gets health insurance (Humana),and even profit sharing, assuming we don't pay it all in taxes(MBT,state income, sui,futa,property and yes federal income added up to >50%) first. I don't expect or want "help" from Washington on the insurance front. If our taxes go much higher I may just decide to take a very long vacation and fire everyone.
Husker7
Sun, Jul 4, 2010 : 6:10 p.m.
Bob, kudos on having the courage to publish such an article knowing full well the objectivists would come out to play in response to it. I personally think throwing a obscenely high tax on sales of The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged would be a great way to raise some funds... @Jay Thomas - Using "poor house" to describe our current state of affairs is a typical oversight of our situation compared to other countries... I'm sure it's tough to have to skimp out on a bottle of wine for every meal because of the economy... If you want no government, Ayn Randians, go live in Somalia, laissez-faire paradise, and let me know how it goes...
Craig Lounsbury
Sun, Jul 4, 2010 : 4:51 p.m.
"... what has always made our nation great is the natural sense of humanity that defines us." The American Indians we "humanly" moved to reservations might think differently as might the African slaves we "humanly imported" for labor in exchange for "room and board".
Robert Faber
Sun, Jul 4, 2010 : 4:44 p.m.
What makes our nation great what has always made our nation great is the natural sense of humanity that defines us. Too many of the responses to my article concentrate primarily or solely on the costs of being nice or helpful or considrate to the needy among us, followed by advice to keep our hands off and let them fend for themselves. Yes, helping the hungry and homeless will cost money, and yes, some of that may raise taxes for some of us, and Technojunkie is right that public education and Medicare and all the other benefits of our democracy will cost dollars that are now in short supply but that is who we were that made us so unique and so proud, and I would hope that is who we may still be. The increased costs and the distaste for increased taxes are real and serious, but our automatic answer should not be too bad and slam the door. Our first move should be to find what can and should be done and THEN find the most efficient and effective way to do it. My reference to the imigration boom at the start of the 20th Century was not to concentrate on immigration, but to exemplify the special character of our nation and our people. My critics are right that we must consider the costs of charity, but we must not allow the discomfort of those costs to change our character. We are more than that. Bob Faber
Craig Lounsbury
Sun, Jul 4, 2010 : 4:30 p.m.
@gsorter "... I too am a small business owner, employing 15 high tech workers... I say no to Universal health care" Do you provide health care for your 15 workers?
frozenhotchocolate
Sun, Jul 4, 2010 : 2:39 p.m.
K, As a son of an immigrant I can tell you it doesn't matter. We need people to lift the population, plain and simple. The USA has the fresh water to support a billion people, open the gates.
Jay Thomas
Sun, Jul 4, 2010 : 12:32 p.m.
Wow, an actual FDR democrat making a pitch for more immigration and government spending. At present the country seems flooded with both (maybe he didn't notice?). I agree with Technojunkie; we can't have both (unless you want to make a quick trip to the poor house... which is where we are).
AlphaAlpha
Sun, Jul 4, 2010 : 12:27 p.m.
Thanks bedrog.
Ralph
Sun, Jul 4, 2010 : 11:35 a.m.
Life, Liberty, Happiness, and the right to consume 1/3 or more of the earths resources!
bedrog
Sun, Jul 4, 2010 : 11:34 a.m.
@ alpha...seemed clear to me. a reasonable encouragement to re-embrace the ideas/practices of FDR/new deal after an era of "trickle-downing in principle but more often trickling to tax shelters and mcmansions' in fact.
AlphaAlpha
Sun, Jul 4, 2010 : 11:28 a.m.
A bit of a rambling essay. You touched on so many topics...Mr. Faber, just what is your point here? Even the headline writer appears confused..."Fighting"? For what? Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Please elaborate.
gsorter
Sun, Jul 4, 2010 : 10:41 a.m.
Robert, I too am a small business owner, employing 15 high tech workers here in Ann Arbor. I can assure you that added taxes are not a mere "inconvenience" to smaller struggling businesses, but a matter of life and death for that company. The poor, huddled masses also didn't face a government that consumed 40% of the GNP. It does no one any good for all of us to be poor and huddled. So I say no to Universal health care
Technojunkie
Sun, Jul 4, 2010 : 10:20 a.m.
Consider this: when the poor, huddled masses you described were coming to America we had no welfare state. The cost of taking them on was minimal. Now, just providing basic government services such as education at $10K+ per student per year is enough to seriously strain state and municipal budgets, especially from immigrants with large family cultures. Throw in Medicare spending, welfare for the immigrants who aren't the hard workers you like to think of, the higher tax burden that further discourages the creation of new tax paying jobs to pay for it all, and you have a serious problem. We can have unlimited immigration or a welfare state. We can't have both. We should be favoring immigrants who are likely to add to the economy and putting serious limits on everyone else. With a welfare state it's simply too expensive to leave everything to chance.