Category: Uncategorized

We Need Borders Not Walls.

A Call for a National Referendum on Immigration Reform.

(this article was submitted to the OpEd section of the NYTimes on 1/22/20 but rejected. Then submitted to the Washington Post on 1/27/20 and withdrawn from consideration on 1/30/20)

There is the strong possibility that Trump might get reelected, regardless of the damage the impeachment process may cause.

In 2016, Trump took the immigration issue and whipped his supporters into a frenzy. He painted a picture that immigrants where the reason neglected Americans had not fared better economically. Or socially.

It was the immigrants’ fault. And he would clean house, build a wall, put in restrictions, stir as much hatred as possible so his loyal supporters could march to the polls and put in that ballot for him.

But immigration is not Trump’s issue. It is the nation’s issue. All of us should have a say in the matter.

We need borders not walls.

Borders that are held firm by the consensus of all Americans.

A caravan of would be immigrants forms in Central America and heads for our southern border.

Why should that be unsettling to us if we, as a nation, have taken a position and made it into law? It shouldn’t.

The reason it is unsettling is because we have not had the discussion. We have not had the open discussion of the pros and cons of immigration. We have not put all cards on the table and had a healthy debate on how much change to allow and so we do not stand firm on our beliefs.

Do some Americans feel guilty at the sight of impoverished would be immigrants seeking refuge in our land? Yes. But do we need limits? Yes we do.

Do we leave it to businesses to decide who comes in and when? No. But we should hear what they have to say.

Do immigrants lower wages? Yes they do. Do immigrants take jobs that other Americans don’t want? Yes they do. Are immigrants taken advantage of by businesses? Yes they are.

Should Americans fight to preserve what they have built? Yes we should.

And all the while we have to accept that change enriches us. The lack of it impoverishes us.

Immigration has helped us become the strong nation that we are but the rate at which we allow immigrants has to be managed.

It should be up to all Americans to decide on the numbers to admit.

It should not be up to Trump or his supporters for they do not, let me stress that, they do not represent the will of this nation.

Didn’t Trump lose the popular vote by 2.9 million votes?

Wasn’t his election marred by Russian interference as documented by the Mueller report?

We do need new legislation on immigration for we must be in control of our borders but such control should be based on a consensus reached by all Americans.

Which is why I am proposing that we hold a National Referendum on Immigration.

How many immigrants should be allowed in, with what skills, from which countries, for how long a period? (set periods would allow for revisions)

After discussion on the pros and cons, then all Americans would vote on what to do about it. Then it would go to congress to be made into law.

But the discussion has to be national, not left up to our elected representatives, which is why I am proposing the national referendum where all citizens would vote.

Our democratic presidential candidates have not taken this matter seriously.

Immigration deserves to be front and center in this political campaign, with a sound plan to address it, otherwise Trump will do the same that he did in 2016 and stir more hatred of immigrants in his supporters.

Hatred divides us. Discussion helps us build bridges. And borders we will stand by united.

Iowa. What We Can Learn.

First of all, thank you Iowans for hosting the first presidential nomination electoral contest. The time you have given to the process is commendable. Making the effort to listen to so many voices is a truly democratic exercise and sets an example for the rest of us.

It would be terrific if the candidates would spend as much time as they spent with you in all other states. Maybe one day it will happen. I certainly hope so.

In the meantime, what else can we learn from your experience?

The results will show your particular preferences. The rest of us will then take your advice and reevaluate all candidates and make fresh choices.

What’s good for Iowa may not be good for another state. But that’s to be expected.

From what I read, Sanders is edging out the rest of the field in your state. Very good. I’m very glad for Mr. Sanders. He is a passionate man with a sense of mission.

However, I do not think Sanders will win the nomination. If he does, then the democrats will lose to Trump, impeachment or no impeachment.

Inequality is a huge problem for the nation. We need to address it forcefully. But Sanders is not the person for the job.

Why? The man is too unbending. Two of his famous remarks come to mind. One is that in his first day in office, he will approve the idea of Medicare for All. With the stroke of a pen, Sanders imagines he can blot out the whole private insurance business. Just like that.

But it is pie in the sky. Sanders sees the pie but doesn’t realize it’s in the sky.

Getting to Medicare for All may well be a worthwhile objective but it will take time. Time to see if government is up to the task of running efficiently a program on that scale. Does the idea work for the English, you say? Great. It works for the French, too? Fantastic. But we’re neither English nor French. We like our ideas to be home baked.

The other famous Sanders remark is that there should be no billionaires in America. Well, that won’t go down well with many of us, either, and not because it dashes our hopes of ever becoming billionaires – most of us have no interest in pursuing such objective – but because the thirst for riches, with all its problems, is a motivator for ambitious men and women in our midst. Have a problem with Jeff Bezos’ riches? His company should be broken up? Maybe it should, so let’s talk about it and weigh the pros and cons. I’m all for more competition. Is Amazon stifling it? Or Apple or Facebook or Microsoft or Google? Let’s discuss it, but please don’t hand me down the pronouncement that there should be no billionaires in America. It seems toxic, as if laced with resentment and venom.

So, back to Iowa. The polling is telling us that Sanders may edge out the competition. Good for you, Iowans. You’re expressing your opinion.

But for some of us, Sanders is not even in the ballpark.

For some of us, choosing Sanders as a democratic presidential candidate, equals paving the path for Trump’s reelection. In a landslide.

Remember Nixon and McGovern?

Dear Meghan and Harry

I read with delight that you have decided to break away and chart your own course.

Congratulations.

Of course, Harry, you knew that once you tied the knot with Meghan, it was going to be an exciting ride. She carries that sparkle. So I’m not that surprised that things are turning out as they are. And there’s a whole lot more to come.

The two of you are choosing, in your prime, to go into the world and explore the wonders of it.

Little Archie will be most appreciative of your choice.

I’m not up on the latest, and don’t know if you’ve decided on a country, the US or Canada, but I say that if you’re going to break away then break away and come to America.

Anywhere in America would be fine, but I’m partial to the West Coast. Of course, you will likely be bicoastal.

I think the English will end up appreciating your decision but it will take a little time for them to get it. But they will. Envy is a tough nut to crack.

Meghan, I confess I have not seen your acting, but from hearing you speak and behave, I have no doubt that you are very good. So why not return to acting? With your new title and position, I have no doubt that offers will pour your way, if they are not doing so already.

So why not give it a shot? You would be paving the way for your family’s financial independence.

And Harry could easily get involved in the producing end and the two of you would be writing your own ticket.

By virtue of the circles you will have access to, opportunities will abound. So be bold.

I have no doubt, for instance, that soon enough, the two of you will be hobnobbing with the Obamas and will make friends with Oprah and company if you haven’t already.

Please do get involved in worthy causes and become models for others. There’s plenty to do in this country, much to learn and much to give.

And Harry, as an immigrant, you will discover the joys of that journey, at a time in our history when, in your native country as well as ours, barriers are being raised against immigration.

Should we not call you the Royal Immigrant?

Good luck to the two of you and little Archie, and may the energies you bring, find fruitful destinations.

The Broader View: The Importance of Restraint

Trump orders the killing of General Suleimani and top aides and on 1/3/2020, the vehicle they were traveling in after arriving in Baghdad is hit by a rocket fired from a drone. They go up in flames.

Suleimani was in charge of Iran’s military interventions in the region (Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Yemen) and thus responsible for much devastation and misery, including the death of Americans.

But how did we get there?

Deeply held rivalries in the area go back many years and have been increased by the establishment of the Israeli state, which we back.

Maintaining our commitment to supporting Israel does not mean, however, giving in to the wishes of their leaders.

The Middle East remains a cauldron of festering enmities shared by millions of people and which will require the concerted effort of enlightened local leaders to mitigate. And it will take many years for that to happen.

There will be no clear winner in that process and it is obvious that for a modicum of peace to be reached, a series of compromises and an abundance of education, restraint and economic development will be needed.

That long term view was the motivation behind the nuclear deal signed in 2015 between the US, Iran, China, France, England, Germany and Russia.

The deal called for Iran to stop the development of nuclear weapons for a 10 year period in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. The point of the deal was to gain us time. Precious time for Iran to develop economically, and for that development to take root in their people and in the surrounding area so that attitudes toward compromise became more amenable.

But that option did not seem sufficiently comforting to Netanyahu and company. They saw the nuclear deal as ‘appeasement’ of Iran. Anyway, it was an Obama idea and what did he know? It well suited Netanyahu’s bellicose instincts that the idea be scrapped.

But the nuclear deal would have been very acceptable to a man like former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was murdered by an Israeli extremist in 1995. (even developed nations murder their best, like we did JFK and Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy)

Men and Women make a difference. Yitzhak Rabin was a leader with an intelligence, imagination and compassion that Netanyahu has been incapable of emulating.  

When Netanyahu sees Trump become president, he sees his chance to scrap the nuclear deal. And it suited Trump just as well. For Trump, anything Obama did was tainted. And Netanyahu whispered the right words into his ears. Scrap the deal! Make us safer!

Was the signing of the nuclear deal with Iran an abandonment of Israel? Of course not.

We stand by that nation in good and bad times. That commitment has been made.

While the US is strong, Israel will always have a staunch ally and we will go to their side if they are in danger.

But that does not mean that we have to stop efforts at finding a compromise.

Trump, with his limited foresight, could not get it. He does not have that imaginative reach and we are the worse for it.

Iran has vowed retaliation for Suleimani’s death. There is no question that it will come. Such retaliation could take any shape, happen in foreign soil or on our own, be directed toward military installations or toward innocent civilians. Anyone of us could be a victim.

It should give us pause.

Pause to think why we elect our leaders. Pause to remind us that our choice of leader must have the ability to think under pressure, to have compassion, to have an imagination, to care for other human beings. It is not easy to find all those qualities in a person but seek them we must. Or we will pay for the consequences.

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to view a photo exhibit of American soldiers who had died in the service of the nation. They were from all races. Men and women of various ages, who had committed to defending our nation. Each photograph was compelling. Each made me reflect.

Freedom has a price and those courageous men and women had volunteered to fight for all of us. The least they deserve is for our leaders to honor their commitment by being judicious in their choices.

Keeping such photo exhibit as a permanent installment in the White House, would help remind our presidents of what sacrifices Americans make.

Oscar Valdes

Take Immigration and the Economy Away from Trump. Now!

There is the possibility, let’s be really clear about it, that Trump might get reelected.

It sounds like a nightmare, doesn’t it, but there it is.

A man who lost the popular vote in 2016 by nearly 2.9 million votes has a chance of becoming our president for another 4 years.

Trump took the immigration issue and whipped his supporters into a frenzy. He painted a picture that immigrants where the reason they had not fared better economically. Or socially.

It was the immigrants’ fault. And he would clean house, build a wall, put in restrictions, stir as much hatred as possible so his loyal supporters could march to the polls and put in that ballot for him.

But immigration is not Trump’s issue. It is the nation’s issue. All of us should have a say in the matter.

Immigration has helped us become the strong nation that we are. A nation one hundred times better than Trump (who, while decrying immigrants, has married two immigrant women).

It should be up to all Americans to decide how to handle immigration.

It should not be up to a man who lost the popular vote.

His supporters do not represent the will of this nation.

We do need new legislation on immigration for we must be in control of our borders. But such control should be based on a consensus reached by all Americans.

Which is why I am proposing that we hold a National Referendum on Immigration.

How many immigrants should be allowed in, with what skills, from which countries, for how long a period?

After a set period of discussion on the pros and cons, then all Americans would vote on what to do about it. Then it would go to congress to be made into law.

Our democratic presidential candidates have not taken this matter seriously.

Immigration deserves to be front and center, with a sound plan to address it, otherwise Trump will do the same that he did in 2016 and stir more hatred of immigrants in his supporters.

To check him, a plan is needed. And it is needed now!

On the Economy.

Is it better than under Obama? Yes. This in spite of the dampening effect of the ill advised tariff war with China. But who blocked the needed spending to boost the economy during 2010-2015? Republicans in congress (please see Paul Krugman – The Legacy of Destructive Austerity – NYTimes 12/30 2019). The same Republicans who then, after Trump became president, chose to reverse course and approve such spending.

The duplicity of Republicans has to be exposed. Their blocking of Obama’s economic measures clearly harmed Americans’ economic wellbeing.

Democratic presidential candidates need to be very vocal on these two issues.

The harm caused by Republican policy has been devastating to the nation.

It should be front and center in the presidential political debate.

Finally, a word in support of Common Cause’s effort to Fix The Broken Electoral College by  sponsoring a proposal for a ‘National Popular Vote Compact’ which is ‘… an agreement among states to guarantee the presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.’

To donate online please go to commoncause.org/join.

Thanks

The Debate in Atlanta

It was a good one. The candidates showed voters that the nation has people of substance to choose from and I found it inspiring that they all spoke of the importance of unifying the nation. They were reaching out to all Americans.

No one in particular ran away with it but I think Warren and Biden are beginning to edge out the rest of the group.

Medicare for All will be the crucial issue throughout the race. It will probably sink Sanders since he’s taken the most extreme position, that of pushing the program from day one in office. The issue could end up damaging Warren also, but she’s starting to sound a more gradualist approach so she’ll fare better than the Vermont Senator.

Biden surprised me in that he appears to be growing stronger as the campaign moves on. He stumbled once but held up pretty well overall.

Booker was spirited, as were Klobuchar, Yang, Steyer, Buttigieg, Steyer, Harris and Gabbard.

One of them will end up being the Vice-presidential candidate.

If Warren wins the nomination, she’ll likely not choose Biden as VP but if Biden is the winner, he will pick a woman from the group of Warren, Klobuchar and Harris.

Who will Warren choose as running mate? I think she’ll go with Booker, with Yang and Buttigieg having a chance at it.

The new entries in the race, Michael Bloomberg and Deval Patrick, have little chance to catch up. They were too late to get going.

The next debate is in Los Angeles in early December.

Will Impeachment Eclipse the Drive to November 2020?

The impeachment inquiry is taking up a whole lot of time and energy, whereas the outcome is very uncertain.

Trump cannot keep from making mistake after mistake, but for democrats to use up so many resources, to the point of diminishing the drive to persuade enough voters to beat him at the ballot box, is a monumental mistake.

At present, the center stage is Trump’s and he loves it, and that is not lost on the electorate who is not inclined to read the fine print in the multitude of documents to be reviewed. Soon they will be bored with the proceedings.

‘It will turn out to be a positive for me,’ Trump said defiantly in response to the announcement of the inquiry. I suspect he will be right.

Subpoenas will be issued and the many actors will take their seat in front of the panel of interrogators, but the questions and answers will be difficult to follow. I assure you there will be much frustration as the respondents give vague answers like, ‘I don’t recall’ and ‘To the best of my recollection this is all I know…’ etc.

Let us not forget that in Trump’s universe, there are two kinds of lawyers and only two: those who take notes and those who don’t. He picks those who don’t. Enter Rudy Giuliani.

Will the distinguished former New York mayor have a clear memory of what happened in his many meetings in the Ukraine? Of course not. And the interrogators will be pulling out their hair. Will Ukraine be cooperative? It depends. Do they think Trump will win reelection? Judging by the enthusiasm of Mr Zelensky, their president, Trump is faring well in that land.

There is an abundance of facts to make the case that Trump should not be reelected. But the hard work needed to persuade people to vote for a democratic candidate remains to be done.

There is a thirst in the American electorate for a person to lead us whose task is simply that, to lead. Lead us to connect with each other, to decrease inequality and increase opportunity.

There is a great desire in the American electorate for someone without personal problems, someone who can focus on the task of leadership and is not hungry for personal attention.

But it will take time to clarify the winning message that will make voters eager to cast their ballot come November 2020. There are no short cuts to get there.

Trump can and should be beat at the ballot box.

Impeachment should not eclipse the light that can take us there.

The Problem of Political Correctness

It does not allow for the evolution of a person.

There’s a whole lot that can happen in a 15-20 year span.

A whole lot that can be learned,

A whole lot of transformation that can take place.

So to pillory people, of whatever political ideology

For events going back more than 15 or 20 years

Is to ask for a standard of purity that reeks of absurdity.

Life and events affect us profoundly,

Sometimes taking us in very different directions.

To not allow for this, risks filtering out people

With great ability and healing capacity.

Judging a person by their actions (unless criminal) in the last 15-20 years,

The span of a generation,

Should be enough to know where they stand.

Beware models of purity,

They come in boxes where rich imaginations cannot live.

An Unnecessary War

Trump is on the verge of ordering an attack on Iran.

If he had not pulled out of the agreement with that nation, calling for it to halt their development of nuclear weapons in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions, an agreement arduously negotiated by Obama and including European nations and Japan, we would not have this crisis.

The deal was to last 10 years, during which there would have been time for changes to occur in Iran, but Trump was seduced by Netanyahu into breaking the pact and here we are on the brink of war.

If we go to war this will be Trump’s war, timed perfectly with Netanyahu’s bid for another term as prime minister of Israel in tomorrow’s election.

Here’s a leader, Israeli voters can confidently say as they head to the polls, who can whisper things in Trump’s ear and make things happen,

Woe to us for tolerating this.

American Factory. The Documentary. A Review.

In 2010, a plant that had been vacated two years earlier by General Motors in Dayton, Ohio, was taken over by Fuyao, a Chinese manufacturer of glass for automobiles. ‘American Factory’ is the story of what transpired as two cultures came together to make the enterprise successful.

It wasn’t easy. Each side had to work hard to try and understand the other.

A group of experienced Chinese workers is brought in to teach the work to the Americans. The Chinese do the complicated technical job effortlessly as the Americans look on. It will take time for them to come up to speed.

Some Chinese are skeptical or scornful.

‘Their fingers are fat,’ says one Chinese supervisor. ‘They are lazy’ says another. ‘In China the workers do six (12 hour) shifts a week, with two days off per month. The Americans do only 8 hours a day and don’t like to work the weekends.’

One Chinese executive, after explaining the best approach to working with the Americans, ends by reminding his Chinese audience that they are better than their hosts.

And yet, there is kindness on both sides.

An American worker speaks warmly of his Chinese supervisor and all that the man has taught him. In turn, he invites the supervisor and fellow Chinese to his farm.

We hear a Chinese worker showing admiration for the American lifestyle. He’s had to make sacrifices in coming to the US, like not seeing his family for long periods at a time.

A group of American supervisors invited to China to see the company’s factories witness the enthusiasm of their people, but also are struck by the strict regimentation of the workers. Is that what it has taken for their country to rise so quickly?

Like with their Chinese counterparts, the pressure of factory production on the Americans is demanding and unforgiving, requiring an enormous amount of attention to detail. A mistake and you’re injured. A little slow and you’re out.

American managers have their problems too. At the beginning we’re shown one such manager enthusiastically advocating for Fuyao. At the end he’s been sacked. He’s bitter.

Transplanting to the US the Chinese company’s style leads to mounting grievances and eventually the Americans try to unionize, but the majority vote against it. They want their jobs. ‘All the union will do,’ says one worker – a woman, ‘is keep the bad workers…’

The film is many things, and one that is plain is the contrast between the managerial and worker classes.

We’re told that Fuyao did not become profitable until 2018, all the while paying its employees $14 and hour. When General Motors was the employer, some workers were making $29 an hour. But Fuyao was now the only option available.

Think of the car you drive and the clear and sturdy windshield that helps you cruise smoothly at 80 miles per hour or more, your hair unruffled by the wind. The film shows us the complexity and skill involved in making possible that experience, the many steps necessary to deliver a light panel of glass that will not blow up in your face. And think then of how little the workers are paid.

Thought provoking and humane, we come away from the viewing of the film with a sense of how much needs to be done to build bridges across nations, and across social classes.