The Year of the Lord's Favor

Been quite a year, huh? We'll remember this one for a long time.

This new generation of Republicans, the self-styled Tea Partiers, want to repeal just about all of the 20th century. They don't like Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, LBJ, or any of those Kennedy brothers. They say they want to repeal child labor laws, the 40 hour work week, food safety laws, environmental laws, the income tax, direct election of Senators, Social Security, Medicare, the minimum wage, banking regulation, Pell Grants, Head Start, civil rights, voting rights, and just about every other form of progress the 1900s brought us. You know, William Buckley used to say that "a conservative is someone who stands athwart history, yelling stop." These guys are standing athwart history yelling "go back!" They will happily shut down government at the drop of a hat, for any reason at any time- even when they get what they asked for in terms of policy concessions. Backed by the 1%, the Wall Street elite and the captains of industry who destroyed the economy but are deeply hurt and offended when anyone tries to hold them accountable for it, these Republicans are hell-bent are creating an economy based on the ideas of Ayn Rand and Gordon Gekko, where greed is good, generosity and kindness are weaknesses, and we are taught that it is everyone for themselves and devil take the hindmost.

And speaking of the Wall Street big boys (not being sexist, virtually all of them are) who are not just the top 1% but part of the top 0.1 %, they set new records in 2011 for arrogance that even I didn't think they could. I had assumed that after some of their more ridiculous moments of the last few years (like one financier comparing Obama to a Nazi because he wanted to take away one of their loopholes), that their very well paid PR guys would tell them "hey, the anger level at us is really rising, we should try to avoid public displays of unbearable hubris". But the PR team's nightmares continue multiplying because of quotes like these referring to protesters, one 0.1 percenter said "who gives a crap about some imbecile?" And here's another 0.1 percenter: "instead of an attack on the 1 percent, let's call it an attack on the very productive."

But this was also the year when the movement of, by, and for the bottom 99% started to rise up. This 99er movement is forcing economic issues -- and yes, issues of class and economic inequity -- onto the American table to be debated and talked about in new ways. The push and shove of these two fundamental ideas- that society should be organized on behalf of the 99% not the 1% vs. the Social Darwinism of greed being good- will dominate our political debate not only in 2012 but for years to come.

How this debate plays out will determine a great deal about the future of our country. If we go down the path of ever-increasing concentration of wealth and power, where a few companies control most of our economy and our government, our democracy and our strength as a country cannot survive. The dysfunction of wealthy special interests will quite literally strangle the nation, and we will be a shell of our former greatness. The great American middle class, the broadest and most prosperous in the history of the world, will disappear. I have been in politics full-time for over 30 years now, in DC for almost 20, and in most ways the dysfunction has never been worse. In my pessimistic moments, I admit to feeling like things are slipping away -- that this is what it must have felt like in Britain 100 years ago, in Spain 400 years ago, or in Rome 1600 years ago as those countries' preeminence in the world broke down because of their society's drift away from what made them strong.

When you have an event like the financial panic of 2008, which was clearly, demonstrably, provably caused by what one experienced financial crimes prosecutor described to me as "the old pump and dump" -- a whole class of Wall St speculators intentionally creating the housing bubble so they could then make billions by betting against it -- and those who did that suffer no penalty, that is a sign of a deep sickness in our society. No one went to jail, virtually no one lost their job, no one shows any remorse, the companies doing the worst kind of financial speculation get bailed out, and then the bonus and profit pools hit record levels the very next year while the entire rest of the world economy is wrecked: this is a sign of our democracy being on the verge of disarray. We need to go back to what has made us a great nation, to the basic values of justice and right and wrong, to being the beacon of democracy and shared prosperity that is the envy of people everywhere.

For my part, I have always believed that what made us a great country was the sense of America as a family: a place where at our best we worked together and looked out for each other in spite of our differences, invested in the future, and made sure our kids and grandparents and brothers and sisters who needed some help got it. I have always thought that if we embraced both our freedom and our responsibility toward each other, we would continue to be a great nation. I still believe that. I am not a pessimist in spite of the events of the last few years. There is still a spirit of entrepreneurialism in our country, a combination of creativity and determination and passion that gives me hope. I don't agree with the Tea Partiers about much, but they and my friends at Occupy Wall Street share a willingness to take on the establishment that reminds me of what I like about America. And when I see brave people starting new businesses in the face of the worst economy in 80 years, it gives me hope. When I see teachers still thinking about how to motivate, inspire and teach their kids well, it gives me hope. When I see young people in a bad economy being creative about how to make a living and how to scrimp and save and do with less until they find a decent job, it gives me hope. When I see people reaching out and helping each other make it in all kinds of different ways in hard times, it gives me hope. A lot isn't working about society right now, but the kind of people I talk to every day who are trying to make their world a better place still give me hope.

Those of you who have been reading my blogging for a while may remember that I like to end the year by going biblical. Being the grandson and brother of Methodist ministers, and the son of the lay (non-clergy) leader of the Nebraska Methodist Church for many years, it comes kind of natural to me. I don't share the traditional religious dogma of most Christians, but the Christmas season gives me hope for our country as well. Not because I think there is a God who will look out for Americans more than anyone else - I have never believed that. I have never believed that we humans could know for sure the nature of what kind of God or souls there might be, who or whether a God favored anyone, what God might want, or what the will of God was. Those who claim to know all that have always seemed way too arrogant for my tastes. But the spirit of the Jesus of the Bible does give me hope. According to Luke, in his very first public sermon, Jesus quoted from Isaiah to define his mission and his message:

He has sent me to bring good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives,
and to the blind new sight,
to set the downtrodden free,
to proclaim the Lord's year of favor.

The Lord's year of favor referred to a traditional year in Israeli society where the poor's debts to the wealthy were wiped away, a theme Jesus would come back to again and again. It is an incredibly valuable idea in this economy which is stuck in a deep dark hole of housing debt. If the bankers and Freddie and Fannie were forced to write down the mortgages of those who were underwater, the housing market that is crushing our economy would quickly begin to clear, and the economy would start healing. Because of all the ways these banks broke the law- the robo-signing, the securitization fraud, and all the rest- our government has great leverage to do this. And the big banks can afford it: projected bonuses alone in 2011 are estimated to be over $156 billion.

We need a modern version of Jesus' year of the Lord's favor. We need debt forgiveness to help our entire economy recover. But we also need Jesus' moral passion and priority for helping each other. According to the gospels, in his short ministry, Jesus was overwhelmingly focused on taking care of each other, especially the poor. He talked about mercy to those weaker than us in 24 verses, told people not to judge each other in 34 verses, tells people to love each other and forgive even their enemies in 53 verses, talks about caring for their neighbors and treating others like we would want to be treated in 19 verses, and tells people to help the poor and/or spurn riches in 128 verses. By contrast, he didn't talk a single time about abortion, or homosexuality, or people who were undeserving of help because they were too lazy. In a nation where census data now shows that the top 1% now own more than 40% of the country's wealth, and more than half of Americans are poor or precariously close to the poverty line, we need to take Jesus' words to heart.

Let me close on one final Biblical note.

In the first chapter of that book of Isaiah that Jesus quoted from, the prophet tells people to hear the word of God. Isaiah says that God has told him He is sick of animal sacrifice and empty ritual, of people loudly proclaiming how pious they are. Isaiah said that God tells us:

I cannot endure festival and solemnity...
When you stretch out your hands
I turn my eyes away.
You may multiply your prayers.
I shall not listen
Your hands are covered with blood.
Wash, make yourself clean.

Take your wrong-doing out of my sight.
Cease to do evil.
Learn to do good,
search for justice,
help the oppressed,
be just to the orphan,
plead for the widow.

I don't claim to know the nature of God, but that verse, and Jesus' calls for mercy and forgiveness and taking care of the poor, speak to me in this moment in our history. We need to stop proclaiming what a great and holy country we are, and become a great country again -- great because we treat each other as brothers and sisters. I think America can remake itself again, can be a stronger and better country than ever before, but only if we cease to do evil, learn to do good, search for justice, and help the oppressed. We should proclaim that 2012 is indeed the year of our Lord's favor.

 

 

 

Follow Mike Lux on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ProgressiveLux

Comments

[philhellene]

12:47 PM on 12/23/2011

One of the most egregious faults of the Left is that they have one weapon they have little used, even avoided. Those weapons are the various Biblical quotes in the posted comments about redistribution of wealth, etc. - everything they need to counter the religious right.

Fight the enemy with their own weapons. I am tempted to cull the Bible just for passages that support the Left's position.

[Briteleaf]

11:03 AM on 12/23/2011

America has never been a family. Our revolutionary war was successful because of united self-interest. America is the melting pot of greed. Money has taken our congress away from the will of the people and bought it for the cash of the wealthy and corporate. Congress has been purchased with campaign donations and billions of dollars buy campaign ads for professional politicians. America has become the land of the fleeced and the home of the enslaved. While Exxon and GE enjoy record profits and PAID ZERO TAXES LAST YEAR, working America clamors for temp jobs and minimum wages. While HMO's make billions, Americans pay twice what other countries do who have national health care. While our over-crowded schools fail miserably, tax payer dollars support 240 military golf courses and billions for private security corporations. Billionaires pay less taxes than their secretaries. America is a country of the greedy, by the greedy and for the greedy 1%. We are not in sore need of class warfare. We are in sore need of a REVOLUTION.

[hellothereandhere]

06:43 PM on 12/25/2011

America should stop being a sieve.

America is the homeland for the American people, as such it should give again a strong union feeling and lift the national spirit, independently of whatever ethnicity or religion, not accepting anymore to be a simple platform for any international greediness.

[Briteleaf]

09:01 AM on 12/28/2011

Amen

[blueken60]

10:42 AM on 12/23/2011

"let's call it an attack on the very productive" When you produce the ruin of the 99% don't be surprised when there is push back. I would also like to share something I read in the bible once. "No man can know the face of God." To me that says believe what you will, but don't impose it on anyone else or use it as an excuse to do wicked things.

[Dredd]

10:19 AM on 12/23/2011

The toxins of power do not discriminate between secular and religious leaders. So, the message, which is well said, applies to the secular and religions leaders first of all.

http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2011/12/germ-theory-of-government-2.html

[juanftl]

10:14 AM on 12/23/2011

Great article BUT very scary in describing how very close we are heading towards a THEOCRACY with some Fascism thrown in for good measure. The cowardly so called establishment GOP OF YEARS PAST IS LONG GONE replaced by these rascists, ignorant anglo/saxon middle-class mostly males who are being egged on with raw meat by Corporations, Koch brothers and their political Rasputin's i.e., Walker, Scott to turn this once great country back prior to the industrial revolution where robber barons set wages, no regulations, the ends justifies the means, women back to the kitchens, minorities have no rights, its ALL US V THEM and as Ayn Rand put it so succintly THE ART OF SELFISHNESS! The 1% oligarchy is what matters to them. The election of Barack Obama unleashed these MEGLOMANIACS who want to continue their modus operandi which is enbolden the military industrial complex, gut the regulations for oil, gas, coal conglomerates and basically create a caste system that will only mean WE THE PEOPLE better wake up before it's too late than a second revolution which will lead to anarchy!

[andycan]

08:47 AM on 12/25/2011

Juanfti: Well written, eloquent, true, thank you!

[Countess]

09:30 AM on 12/23/2011

We have allowed a 'Soviet Union' type mentality to dominate which means that if you repeat a lie long and often enough people will eventually buy it. I have been listening to this stupid refrain of how we are the greatest for over 60 years now and it is so obviously false that it makes me wonder how so many people can be so delusional but it does explain why we continue to believe in imposing our will by force all over the globe even when it makes no sense at all and is actually weakening us.

[blueken60]

10:47 AM on 12/23/2011

The World Health Organization ranks the United States 27th among modern industrial countries in health care. How can we be the greatest nation when we can't even provide our people with good health care? Our children are our future. How is it that the greatest nation in the world ranks so low in education of our children? The only thing the United States excells at is aircraft carriers. How sad is that. You become what you invest in.

[jjtx]

07:43 AM on 12/23/2011

Even better than the verse from Isaiah is Amos 5:21-24 (God is angry here at false piety)

I hate, I despise your festivals and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies ...... But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."

As a daughter of generations of Methodists in the clergy and as lay, I, too, share your view that it is time for the year of the Lord's favor. What the 1%ers do not realize (and probably never will), the Jubilee Year is for them also. It is for them also because all of society benefits from it and they will too.

[GoogleAlphaPublishing]

06:36 AM on 12/23/2011

In one way the whole thing's comical. In our system there isn't one despot and underlings. Unless you can get several people on the same page with your agenda, it can't succeed. None of our leaders are really on the same page.

They fight, cry, make fools of themselves. Did they make a mockery of the country or themselves?

Looking the part, having the "right" education, getting oneself elected, clearly don't mean very much when it's all really just about spreading the obstruction around. It looks as though the lesson from this part of America's history will be if you can't give up gracefully, that doesn't mean you won.

[sonoflars]

06:11 AM on 12/23/2011

Life will have to get worse before the revolution can truly begin. The republicans are doing every thing they can to move the insurrection closer. People with nothing to lose, have nothing to lose.

[Merseysidefella]

09:51 AM on 12/23/2011

I think you are right, there will be a revolution and a better America will come out of it.
The US is today what this country was founded against 220 years ago: a Europe with priviledged elites (monarchies, aristocracy, oligarchies, etc). Now it is the reverse: the US is the perfect example of Banana Republic oligarchy.
The dismantling of the locust plague of bought-out politician­s, speculators, campaign managers, lawyers of campaign managers, middlemen of every stripe, lawyers of middlemen, lobbyists, lawyers of lobbyists, investors in the elections (corporati­ons), election campaign professional fundraisers, election-r­elated think-tank specialist­s and their lawyers, etc etc will take a revolution. All these layers of parasitic activity should not exist.
All of the above will not give up their way of making a living easily, so some kind of revolution will be neccesary.
I do not fear this, it will be a positive thing that will transmit the same feeling of euphoria as the falling of the Berlin Wall.
Lets hope that the year 2012 is the start of a new awareness for all our fellow citizens.

[P3]

05:32 AM on 12/23/2011

Thanks Mike, nice article, I do take issue with the interpretation of the Isaiah 65 -Luke 4 bible quote, its not a release from debts that its talking about, its a spiritual happening, notice it starts out "the Spirit.... is upon me" it is about the change, like at Pentecost

Its a repeat theme, like Deuteronomy 30 "when first the blessing then the curse come upon you and you humble yourself, God will restore your prosperity and have compassion on you"

First people prosper, then they get all the bad qualities (hate, selfishness, pride) as a result, because of their wicked ways, they have their day of reckoning and their actions fall in upon them (divorce, laid-off, foreclosed on, sickness) if they learn their lesson calling upon Abba (Father)
then God may have mercy

Read Joel chapter 2, thats where Acts chapter 2 gets it (The Holy Spirit Comes At Pentecost)

Have a wonderful Holidy

[jjtx]

07:46 AM on 12/23/2011

But, of course, in the OT, the year of the Jubilee was even more radical than what Mike says. It not only cancels debt but redistributes wealth entirely across the board. Apparently, the theocracy of the time felt that it helped everyone to redistribute wealth at regular (49 year) intervals. Then, everyone starts at bat again instead of some starting on third base (making it home on a sacrifice fly and acting like they hit a home run.)

[P3]

02:35 PM on 12/23/2011

I agree about the importance of the year of release from debt, that is part of physical well being nationally, and some regulations in our time can make this more "fair and just and right", back then the tool used was labor and land

the release that is most prevalent in the New Testament is being released spiritually, Romans 8 comes to mind

"the Spirit that gives life (continual cleanness) frees you from worry about rules and following them because Love dwells inward and is released outward in our words and action, spiritually minded people focus on spiritual things, those that have the HS and reflect it are God's children, the spirit (the treasure in earthen vessels, not flesh which counts for nothing) waits for the time when it will be liberated from bondage, that is, obeying the evil desires of the flesh (tail wags dog) and brought into spiritual communion"

Also see Jesus in John 8:31-42,

I wasn't able to be as thorough as I like, have to head on out to work, so that is an idea where I was coming from,

happy holiday

[martman1]

12:51 AM on 12/23/2011

Those that have bought our government, as well as those that have sold it out, and now use it as a tool for their own gain to the detriment of others have, at root, lost the Heart connection to the Divine Condition in which they are arising.

O friend, where are you going? Where have you come from and what are you supposed to do? You belong to the Supreme Truth, but you have forgotten your origin. Now it is time to get back on the main road. - Swami Muktananda

[pugzbarbq]

08:43 AM on 12/23/2011

thanks

[weathergirl]

09:56 PM on 12/22/2011

Thank you for your opinion. All I can add is "AMEN"!

[whitebeach]

09:28 PM on 12/22/2011

This is a superb article. Even though I'm not particularly religious, I see the ethical implications of the quoted and cited Scriptures clearly and agree with them. Despite all the Randian and Republican and Reaganistic and other right-wing propaganda, this nation was not built by ruggedly individualistic capitalist John Galts, it was built by working people working together for the common good, which obviously included their own welfare. All the crud about "job creators" is nonsense. The supposed creators would be nowhere without the people doing the jobs.

[martman1]

12:17 AM on 12/23/2011

Right, nowhere without the people doing the jobs........and nowhere without the people buying their products.

[Djay0252]

08:56 PM on 12/22/2011

Republicans want to send people back to the middle ages where you had a king and nobles who had all the land and all the money. It is happening right now unless we stop them before it is too late...vote them out!!!!

[rsxsims]

08:52 PM on 12/22/2011

when this country left its morals behind, everything radical just oozes out...especially those progressives, who love everybody and want things to well, as long as it goes THERE way...

[tb much]

10:25 PM on 12/22/2011

Surely you don't mean to suggest that the so-called right has a monopoly on morals, when I read or hear the word "progressives" it connote liberals or those that adhere to the principles or practices of a "democrat". From where I sit, only the members of the Republican party wants things their way.