The debate we have just witnessed has shown Washington, D.C. not just to be broken, but corrupt. The American people are disgusted watching politicians play political chicken with the nation's economy and future. In such a bitter and unprincipled atmosphere, whoever has the political clout to enforce their self-interest and retain their privileges wins the battles. But there are two casualties in such political warfare: the common good and the most vulnerable.
So how will vulnerable people fair under this deal? "The Circle of Protection," a diverse nonpartisan movement of Christian leaders, has been deeply engaged in the budget debate to uphold the principle that low-income people should be protected. But it is hard to evaluate a deal that averts a crisis when the crisis wasn't necessary in the first place. Over the past few weeks, our economy has indeed been held hostage as politicians negotiated the price of the release. Ultimately, I think most of us wish that no hostages had been taken in the first place, and this was no way to run a government or make important budget decisions.
The deal just passed by the House and Senate raises the debt ceiling with enough room that the issue won't have to be revisited until 2013. The first phase is a set of agreed upon cuts of nearly $1 trillion over the next 10 years. The second phase sets up a committee of legislators that is tasked with finding another $1.5 trillion in cuts over the same time period. If the committee fails to come up with a deal then a "trigger" is pulled and automatic cuts are enacted. These triggered cuts are designed to be distasteful enough that, in theory, both sides will stay at the table until they have an agreement.
It appears that the voice of the faith community was at least heard and made some difference in the outcome of the default debate. We met with the President and Democratic leaders Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi and all of them fought to defend low-income people as we asked them to do. The White House protected low-income entitlement programs from automatic cuts in the "trigger" and successfully defended Medicaid. We also pleaded for low-income people in meetings with Republican Paul Ryan and with the staffs of John Boehner and Mitch McConnell. They told us they agreed with the principle but did not uphold it in their final proposals. We hope and pray that the protestations of the faith community will work on the hearts of both Republicans and Democrats as the details of this plan are worked out.
Genuinely reforming federal programs, including entitlements, with a special eye to protect the most vulnerable, is something the faith community has supported; but slashing programs for the poor while exempting the rich from sacrifice is repugnant to our spiritual values and contrary to scripture. This plan could still go either way.
The most glaring problem with the deal is that it doesn't, at this point, include revenues. There is no balancing between spending cuts and tax increases, and this deal, so far, falls completely on the side of spending cuts. It is possible that revenues will be revisited in the new super committee, but given the insistence of a cuts-only approach by the Republican leaders, it is not clear how likely a more balanced approach will be.
Corporate tax loop holes for the very rich were protected, while the core safety net for the most vulnerable is still in great jeopardy. The private jet industry mobilized to protect its tax deductions, the most profitable oil companies in the country will continue to get their public money for offshore drilling subsidies. But programs like WIC and SNAP, which provide critical nutrition help for low-income mothers and their kids, or malaria bed nets and vaccinations for children in Africa, are threatened. If the wealthy are not asked to share in the sacrifice, then cuts will undoubtedly come from those who can least afford it. But if sacrifice is shared, we can both reduce the deficit and reduce poverty as our country has done before.
We heard from those inside the negotiations that the voice of the faith community was heard: Your voice mattered. People across the country who joined the "Circle of Protection" have shown that poor people do have a constituency looking out for them -- and that's what matters in these debates according to the people involved in them.
This national debate about our priorities and, indeed, our character, is far from over. When all is said and done in any final deal, the faith community will be watching to see if the most vulnerable are being protected or savaged for the financial sins of the rest of us. If low-income people are not exempted from deficit reduction, the result will be a fundamental moral default. And, with your help, we will continue to remind our legislators to remember that God is watching them too.
Jim Wallis is the author of Rediscovering Values: A Guide for Economic and Moral Recovery, and CEO of Sojourners. He blogs at www.godspolitics.com. Follow Jim on Twitter @JimWallis.
Follow Jim Wallis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jimwallis
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All people of genuine faith realize that, and understand why the Golden Rule of Hillel the Elder and Jesus of Nazareth is the Universal Divine Imperative common to all religions -- which is essentially that we should treat all others as we would want to be treated if we were them.
Both Hillel the Elder and Jesus of Nazareth said that the Golden Rule summarizes the Torah, and it summarizes all spiritual teachings.
Now it is time to stand up to the hypocritical theocrats who fight for the power of rulership in the name of religion, because they serve NOT God or Country. They serve themselves and Mammon.
Please joing The Coalition of Jews, Christians and Muslims for Peace, Freedom and Justice, at http://cjcmp.org
The American political economic system is obviously broken because it has been coopted by the wealthiest few and their mega-corporations. That has happened particularly during the last 30 years, as the Republicrats in the White House, Congress and the Supreme Court have nailed down the lid on the coffin of democracy and liberty.
Nevertheless, we the people can and will establish true democracy, by utilizing the tools provided by the Founding Fathers in Article 5 of the U.S. Constitution.
Now it is time to do that, by promoting The 21st Century Declaration of Independence: How America Can Become a Truly Good Example to the World, at http://messenger.cjcmp.org/newdeclaration.html
U.S. corporatioÂns buy insurance from the Overseas Private Investment CorporatioÂns, a little-knoÂwn federal agency:
http://www.opic.gov/
OPIC: Private Investment CorporatioÂn
http://www.opic.gov/insurance/coverage-types
Types of Coverage | OPIC: Overseas Private Investment CorporatioÂn
"o Currency InconvertiÂbility
o ExpropriatÂion
o Political Violence
o Standalone Terrorism
o Special Coverages
o Small Business Coverage..Â."
http://reason.com/archives/1997/03/01/corporate-welfare-reform
Corporate Welfare Reform - Reason Magazine
"...AnotheÂr "strange bedfellowsÂ" coalition that includes House Budget Committee Chairman John Kasich (R-Ohio) and socialist Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has banded together to kill a high-profiÂle example of corporate welfare.
Their target is the Overseas Private Investment CorporatioÂn, which gives loans and "political risk insurance" to U.S. businesses that invest in potentiallÂy unstable countries. Its beneficiarÂies include such large companies as Coca-Cola, McDonald'sÂ, and US West. CongressioÂnal opponents believe the federal government has no business promoting major corporatioÂns overseas. Free market critics say these activities should be left up to the private sector. If private companies won't insure or make loans for some of the investmentÂs that OPIC currently backs, then perhaps those ventures were too risky to begin with. Sanders and others on the left argue that OPIC is, in effect, exporting jobs..."
Capitalism against Christianity, Americans believe
"...Generally, Americans across the religious landscape agree clergy should be speaking out on social issues, but are more divided about economic issues. Minority Christians stand out as one group that says it is important for clergy to speak out about a range of economic issues in addition to social issues. More religious groups say it is important for clergy to address the gap between the rich and the poor than other economic issues.
Sixty-one percent of minority Christians, 61% of Catholics and 51% of white evangelical Protestants say this is an important issue for clergy to address.
Among those identifying with the Tea Party, more say it is important for clergy to address social issues like abortion (61% very important) than economic issues like reducing the deficit (37% very important)..."
What exists now is "Reverse Robin Hood". They are taking from the middle class and giving to the rich . There are substantial tax subsidies for Big Corporations that allow them to reap in record profits, not because they offer better products or services, but because they receive taxpayer money that gives them a huge advantage in what used to be a free market. The top two percent have now grabbed up more of America's wealth than the wealth owned by fifty percent of America's working families.
Additionally wealthy interests pay big bucks for lobbyists to write the tax codes in their favor. On the books, it appears they pay a fair tax rate but in actuality, with all the loopholes, they pay far less. In many cases, they pay only 1.1percent or NOTHING. Even worse, in some cases huge corporations enjoy BILLIONS in profits and actually work the system to get a tax refund!
So if some people want to use the Bible to rationalize slashing bedrock programs like SS, Medicaid and Medicare, then by the same argument you ought to insist the ultra rich pay their fair share.
This Debt Deal is more a "Satan Sandwich" than anything Christ would advocate. It knocks the already hurting working class and poor in the teeth and asks NOTHING of the most wealthy who are prospering as never before in modern history.
Christ wants us to give and the Bible if very clear about how we should show compassion to give. However, government taxation is not giving, it's taking. For example, you can stop being charitable with the Red Cross, but try not paying taxes.
I support our government and pay taxes. It's just frustrating when we confuse charity and tax policy. They're not the same. No one volunteers their taxes.
When is it ever acceptable to take money from someone without their consent then use it for our charitable desires? Is our government Robin Hood?
However, let's not claim tax policy is charity, love from a generous government. That's all.
*Note that this article is in the religion section.
As I mentioned in another comment here, relying on voluntary means to provide for the less fortunate could very well mean suffering/hunger when "the haves" are not in a mood to donate -- that's not good enough for me.
Our dialogue is too complicated for average people to understand but they will understand this basic fact!
ONE IN FOUR....make it the rallying point for all we do,whenever a right wing wacko blurts out some garbage, don't engage them at all because that is just want they want from us.
Instead just answer ONE IN FOUR.
heaven help us.
There is no good argument against it and many good arguments in favor.
Because the government rapes and pillages the oil to sustain their ever growing statism.
Never do the invest back into the industry.
Venezuela is a good example. There are fewer and fewer jobs in the oil industry there, and refinement and extraction facilities are deteriorating. The result is less and less revenue from oil.
And a ever growing discontent and economic problems in the country.
As for "statism," either I'm enriching people who buy my state when I get gas or I'm enriching the state. I'd rather cut out the unelected middleman.
and potentially suicidal in respect to our species.
"watching politicians play political chicken with the nation's economy and future."
Simply because the former exists only inside a minor rendition bubble. Itself borne about by whatever blasts blow, in the greater reality sphere that surrounds it.
"whoever has the political clout"
Err…wasn’t that supposed to be the majority of the people. In a democracy at least.
"the price of the release"
No Taxation Without Representation. No Representation In A Republic, Only Vexation.
"this was no way to run a government"
though perfectly adequate, in terms of tyranny.
"They told us they agreed with the principle but did not uphold it in their final proposals."
In that case. May I make the proposal, that you show us all how you survive on a strict diet of principle.
"a more balanced approach will be"
to have a democracy that is a democracy. Simple, but highly effective at getting the hog’s trotters out of the trough.
"Your voice mattered."
But don’t let me ever hear it mutter, GOTP, BTP, FTP.
"the faith community will be watching"
a slow motion replay of Syria, sans the shells.