College Bubble is Thinning, FBI/FISA Festers and Covid-19 Hysteria

Education simply for the sake of education is a luxury that few people can afford and those that can gain extremely small benefit from it.  Our high school kids today are primed by educators, administrators, and advisers to head off to college post haste in pursuit of the progressive Holy Grail…a college degree.  The problem is that they are wholly unprepared to make an intelligent decision about what kind of degree they want, where they want to go to get it, what subject matter that degree should involve, how they might finance this intellectual pursuit, and most important of all…will the degree actually lead to a job that will feasibly offer a salary sufficient to repay the cost of the education required to get the job.

There are four types of post secondary degrees: associate (2-year), bachelor’s (4-year), master’s, and doctoral.  On average, students take 3.3 years to obtain an associate degree and 5.1 years to obtain a bachelor’s degree.  The average debt for bachelor degree graduates at public colleges is $27,700 and ranges up to $41,000 for private schools.  The average length of time taken by graduates to pay off their student loans is in excess of 20 years.  The elephant in the living room is begging the question: Is a college degree a wise investment for a high school graduate? 

The answer is not the same for all people.  The advent of the cyber age has created an astronomical number of niche opportunities for smart, ambitious, and hard-working young adults to make very good money in the American economy.  We need teachers, doctors, and lawyers.  But we also need electricians, plumbers, and carpenters.  There is honor in all professions and the plain and simple fact is that every high school graduate is not cut out for college.  And even if they are and they choose to pursue that goal; it is not required that you borrow all the money you need to enjoy the status of professional full-time college student.  There are plenty of part-time jobs out there for college students; there is no need to carry a maximum load every semester; there is a marvelous network of affordable junior colleges across America; and of course, you can always work full-time for a period in order to save money for a future college education.  There is also the incredible opportunity presented by U.S. Military services for in-service college and post-service college support. 

The average American bachelor degree holder lives to be about 79 years old.  They will spend the first 43 years of that life saddled with a suffocating student loan that will diminish their economic opportunities.  Education is a wonderful thing and each and every person in our nation should have the opportunity to pursue it to the extent they desire.  But each and every person in our nation does not have a right to go straight out of high school to college without a career plan that maps out what they want to do for a living, how they can accomplish it, and whether or not it makes financial sense in the long run. 

Our education intelligentsia needs to adjust their agenda in a direction that encompasses the full range of post secondary education from vocational to doctoral degree.  They need to let our children know that life is short in the best of terms, is guaranteed to no one, and should be spent doing something you can enjoy and gain a good quality of life doing.  This collegial conspiracy by post secondary professionals is a bubble that is growing larger and more dangerous by the year.  When it finally does burst, a lot of good people will be badly damaged; but our nation’s post secondary educational concepts will then undergo serious analysis that is long overdue.

No matter what your personal opinion might be on the subject, it is undeniable that a constitutional right to abortion was created out of whole cloth.  Read the document; it does not exist.  A similar effort is taking place with a college education.  The liberal move to provide free college for all is nothing but a pretext to establishing it as a fundamental right.  If this effort is successful, the academic community would then be empowered in a permanent sense to perpetuate and expand their overt influence over the young adults of our country. 

A college degree is a worthy goal.  It can be a life-changing process in a very positive fashion.  But like things of real value; it should be earned through hard work and sacrifice.  A college campus should not be the mandatory next step following high school graduation.  It should not be a preferred life style.  It should be a serious place where learning is cherished and respected as a process of self-improvement.  It can be a wonderful opportunity for students to expand their visions and pursue noble ideals.  It can also be an environment of leisure, partying, and a colossal waste of time and money.

Read about how our elected leaders are overly influenced by college administrators and educators, who are fattening themselves on the future indebtedness of those they claim to serve: https://www.aei.org/op-eds/the-other-student-debt-jubilee/ . 

Read about how many of our institutions of higher learning are simply bastions of liberal group think that strive to perpetuate their own ideals of a perfect world and social order: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/02/trump-doj-weighs-in-against-harvards-discrimination.php  .

And finally, in addition to the outrageous escalation of both college administrator and teacher salaries, read about some of the things that have made a college education one of the most over-priced items in the U.S.A.: https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/an-often-overlooked-component-of-the-high-cost-of-college/ .

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I have often railed against the recent Department of Justice (DOJ) corruption that was hatched during the Obama administrations and then bled over into the Trump administration.  And even though they are the most recent and perhaps the most egregious perpetrators, the Democrats certainly do not hold an exclusive license to this unholy pursuit.  The Republicans have in years past been more than willing and able to use the power of the government to pursue their political agendas. 

In December of 2019, DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz released a scathing report on FBI activities relating to their Crossfire Hurricane episode involving Carter Page; it is here: https://www.scribd.com/document/439020741/Office-of-the-Inspector-General-Review-of-Four-FISA-Applications-and-Other-Aspects-of-the-FBI-s-Crossfire-Hurricane-Investigation#from_embed .  The findings were so significant that Horowitz promised to take a wider look at other FBI activities to see if these questionable practices were common throughout the Agency.  That subsequent report was released in March and here it is: https://oig.justice.gov/reports/2020/a20047.pdf .  The level of corruption in the FBI and the FISA Court is breath-taking. 

Here is some professional analysis of exactly what is going on in this critical Department and Agency of our government.  Any thoughtful American, regardless of their political standing or ideology, should be outraged by this level of ethical lapse and abuse of power.

https://justthenews.com/accountability/russia-and-ukraine-scandals/21-words-uttered-fisa-court-change-russia-collusion-case

https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/04/fbi-inspector-general-report-fisa-scandal-about-corruption-not-sloppiness/

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/ig-horowitz-found-apparent-errors-or-inadequately-supported-facts-in-every-single-fbi-fisa-application-he-reviewed/

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/03/horowitz-audits-the-fbi.php

And finally, here is a good idea of exactly how this type of problem might be addressed: https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/04/fbi-inspector-general-report-fisa-reform-needed/ .

As the coronavirus pandemic continues its seismic trek across all aspects of humankind, the only certainty that is apparent is uncertainty.  When we all get through this thing, a look backwards will be striking in its clarity, its condemnation of those who chose personal agendas rather than public service, and a greater appreciation for many people who stepped up to the plate when the game was on the line.  As intriguing as the global reaction to this pandemic has been; it will undoubtedly pale in comparison to the chapter that will unfold after we get through this world health crisis.  There will be dramatic changes to our world and the way we all live our lives in the future.

Regarding the performance of the media, here is a thought-provoking mental exercise for your consideration: https://theaspenbeat.com/2020/03/29/what-if-obama-were-president-now/ .

Speaking of looking backwards when this thing is over with, there can be little doubt that China is not going to come out of this with any accolades: https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/chinas-devastating-lies/ .

At some point…mid-April, end-of-April, next month???...we will incrementally begin to reopen our nation for business.  What exactly will that entail?  Perhaps something like this: https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/National-Coronavirus-Response-a-Road-Map-to-Recovering.pdf .

The quarantine status down home on my small farm is progressing in a fairly uneventful fashion.  There are far fewer trips to Walmart, restaurants, and nearby shopping centers.  But the livestock are fed, the garden is in the ground, the sun comes up in the east, and it sets in the west every day.  It is truly bizarre that we hear daily of the death toll taken by this pandemic and yet, right below the surface, the essential elements of life continue and the world moves on.  In my past career with government agricultural policy, it was often the case that even though a natural disaster might not be sufficiently widespread to merit national legislation from Congress; it was no less a devastating event if it happened to you. 

For many people, the mitigating actions taken by governments and society against the pandemic are troublesome inconveniences…some more serious than others; but they fall short of life-altering events.  On the other hand, if you lose your business or your job or a life that is dear and precious, that is indeed life-altering.  Uncertain times call for uncertain measures and no single leadership person or governmental entity has a claim to having all the answers to the questions posed by Covid-19. Our world has been rocked by this virulent and mystifying virus that has seemingly come out nowhere to upset our routines, our welfare, and the very order of things that we held to be so certain.   We are clearly not as much in control of things as we thought, not as invulnerable as we had hoped, and not nearly as smart as we thought we were.  Sometimes, humility is a hard medicine to swallow.

The CARES Act and Governmental Means Testing

Perhaps it is time to reconsider the means testing principle in federal programs.  In simple terms, means testing is the practice of delivering federal financial support to those with incomes which are deemed inadequate to maintain a sustainable living.  When you are considering the basic requirements for living…food, shelter, health…means testing makes good sense.  If the purpose of a federal support program is sustainable living, then the benefits should be targeted towards those who lack the resources to achieve a sustainable life.  The simple Christian and moral principle of compassion supports this practice.  While our government can never, and should not try to, be all things to all people; it can certainly reach out to help those truly in need.

Over the last several decades, and in an increasing fashion, this principle has been somewhat distorted.  The driving force that governs the determination of exactly who receives the benefits has been broadened and arbitrarily defined in such a way as to direct these federal benefits to certain individuals who are not necessarily in legitimate need of help to achieve a sustainable life.  And as it is with all things, the misdirection of these federal resources to those who might be considered undeserving occurs at the expense of many who might actually be deserving and are not receiving those federal benefits. 

What I consider a good example of this principle is the new legislation (the CARES Act) recently passed by Congress and signed by the President to pump out economic support for those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.  As I understand the law, each eligible individual will receive up to $1,200 each.  Parental couples will receive a total of $2,400 plus $500 for each dependent child.  Here is a short summary of the benefits: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/business/coronavirus-stimulus-check-calculator/  . 

The coronavirus episode is impacting most every American; but that impact is in such a variety of varying degrees that any attempt to address all of these effects is an impossible mission.  One size does not fit all.  It is therefore right and proper that we should all give Congress and the President a great deal of latitude in how they chiseled this monumental $2,000,000,000,000 (trillon) piece of legislation.  To put that number in perspective, let's say you've pulled an H.G. Wells and built a functional time machine. If you ordered it to take you one trillion seconds back in time, you'd get to hang out with mammoths and saber-toothed cats because one trillion seconds is the equivalent of 31,546 years.

With a package this big, it is really not surprising that a few things slipped through the process that were not exactly pertinent to coronavirus relief: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/03/big-government-contagion.php .  And although the Congressional Democrats were absolutely disgraceful is loading up this Act with extraneous features; the Republicans no doubt slipped a few in for their special interests.  At some point, all of those zeros following the dollar sign begin to lose their relevance to our legislators. 

Having engaged in their ritualistic give and take, all the folks involved in making this governmental sausage seemed to agree that a little bit (in the eyes of the beholder) of favoritism and waste in the bill was acceptable and the good in the bill far outweighed the bad.  In other words, notwithstanding that the legislation was passed to address one of the most serious emergency challenges ever faced by our nation, this piece of law was developed by conducting business as usual.  Not a real good look for our ruling class.  One would hope that they had retained some capacity to rise to the moment. 

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Circling back around to my first point; is the means testing in this Act really fair?    Consider a working couple with two kids who are busting their tails to maintain a good life for their family.  They have worked hard, climbed their way up the career ladder, and gained good jobs with good salaries.  They are not wealthy; but they have achieved a good standard of living through hard work and discipline.  They are pursuing and living the American dream.  Under the CARES Act, those working couples jointly making between $150,000 and $198,000 will have their benefits reduced incrementally down to zero.    

Now there is no doubt that this group of working families has been impacted greatly by the cornonavirus event.  They support this government with their taxes and support our economy with their spending practices.  And now, at this moment in time, when our government decides to help this nation cope with the adverse economic impact of this pandemic, they find themselves limited or excluded from the federal support financed by their own paychecks.  I agree that at some point of income or wealth, a family might be deemed not to be in need of federal support under the CARES Act.  But based on my own children’s lives and those others that I see in my community, this exemption level appears to be unfairly low.  Is it really fair to take a family where the father works construction making $95,000 annually, whose wife works as a nurse and annually earns $65,000, and reduce their benefits?  These are the very people who power the economic engine of America and they are the ones who pay the bills and keep the lights on in our nation.  Is it really fair to penalize them at the expense of those who might annually earn less each year; even including retired and non-working individuals? Is the overall adverse impact any greater on the lower income folks than it is on the ambitious folks who might have higher yearly incomes?  I don’t think so.  In fact, a strong argument could be made that the adverse impact is greater on the construction worker and his wife, the nurse.

As a nation, we must always be compassionate and generous in the way we address those among us with limited resources and essential needs that are not being addressed.  On the other hand, we should always bear in mind that the funding that finances that compassion and generosity is coming from hard working people who have achieved economic success based on sacrifice, hard work, and accountability.  We must be careful to confine our definition of those in need to those who are truly in need.  And before those who are truly in need become beneficiaries of federal funds flowing from taxpayer pockets; they must first be held accountable for the circumstances that lead to their plights.  Are they doing all they can to self sustain?  Do we reward some who might expend less effort to be successful at the expense of those who strive to prosper?  That is not the premise that this country was built on.

This aspect of the CARES Act is symptomatic of many federal programs that have tipped the scales of fairness towards those who game the system; thereby penalizing those who try to lead accountable lives as American citizens.  While remaining ever-conscious of those among us who suffer through no fault of their own; our government must constantly strive to provide a hand up to these folks instead of a hand out.  The support programs administered by our government not only serve as a critical component for those in true need; they also demonstrate the principles that should reflect the ideals of our founders.  Those are principles of self-sufficiency, load-sharing, sacrifice for the greater good, compassion for those truly in need…and most of all…the opportunity for all to achieve a life of quality and prosperity.  I fear that this important logic has been lost on our government. 

This nation’s greatness is based on the freedom of individuals to pursue and achieve good lives according to their own choosing and built upon their own efforts.  If we allow our concerns for government support to quash the recognition of accountability and disregard exactly who pays for this support, then our nation will lose its greatness and our populace will become a collective rather than a group of independent individuals.   While giving those in true need their necessary support, let’s be certain that we give the construction worker and his wife their fair share also.

The coronavirus will take many lives in America.  There will be great losses for family, friends, and loved ones.  Here is a tribute to those we have lost…and will lose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU1rZa8Ur_Q&list=RDIU1rZa8Ur_Q&index=1 .  In case you didn’t catch them all, here are the beautiful lyrics to this song:

https://www.lyrics.com/track/2846362/Jackson+Browne/For+a+Dancer . 

And now for a brief quarantine update….The weather in Kentucky is marvelous for late March.  The pastures are coming on and that is keeping the cattle off the hay for now.  It has been too wet to get any garden in; so there will be no peas this year.  The grass has been cut once, the lilacs are leaving out, there are some early blooms on fruit trees and Bradford Pear trees, snakes are crawling and I’ve pulled off at least a half dozen ticks so far.  It is a beautiful time of year to sit out on the front porch for coffee in the AM and a cool drink in the PM.  Deer are everywhere you look and the turkeys are finding their bugs in the grass.  If you have to stay home these days, around here it is a reward and not a punishment.  Thank the Lord for his magnificent creation.

It seems that a significant part of the small community of readers who frequent this blog have enjoyed the prior link to Manfred Mann and his Earth Band’s performance of Blinded by the Light.  Here is another great tune from that group who were clearly ahead of the curve in the music industry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sJygu903kU&list=RD2sJygu903kU&start_radio=1 .

Self-Quarantined Tidbits from Rural America

As the United States and much of the world faces an unprecedented pandemic, people in America are dealing with extraordinary circumstances in extraordinary ways.  The bad news is that there is very real pain being realized by many due to the conronavirus spread.  The good news is that our nation is once again being reminded that life at its essence is a very fickle gift that flows to all of us in a benevolent fashion.  The Good Lord’s Will shall be done and occasionally, we must all be reminded of that fact.  Our part of the deal is to live with that fate in a manner that can be effective, responsible, and worthy of pride.   So as we all struggle with a new reality in our everyday lives, here are a few observations on the perspective from a small farm in Kentucky.

Necessity is the Mother of Invention.  Just as we have all previously experienced in our lives, extreme circumstances force us to realize capabilities that we never knew existed.  They make us perform in order to cope and then subsequently, reflect on that performance.  And as we reflect, we glean lessons that may be applied to the balance of our lives.  We make good, positive changes in the way we live because we discovered things about ourselves that we never knew existed.  We are tested.

The increased time spent together by families during this crisis will no doubt be a double-edged sword.  There will be some cases where the additional stress of increased time spent together will push already-fracturing relationships over the edge and result in permanent fissures.  But in most cases, increased time together will help to better cement families, help couples to actually learn more about each other, and will hopefully re-emphasize to everyone the critical importance of the nuclear family in our society and culture. 

Just as families and personal relationships will be further clarified by the distancing aspects of virus remedies, let us all hope that the governments that have so much impact on our private lives also learn from this adversity.  Even though it is part and parcel of my independent approach to politics, I do believe that the ill winds of this virus calamity have forced us all to appreciate that the government that affects us the most is the government that is closest to us.  Our mayors and governors have taken center stage in this epidemic by dealing with their local emergencies through the utilization of local actions.  The degree to which anti-coronavirus policies have been implemented is clearly a reaction to the degree the epidemic has impacted the local population.  As the virus spreads and hopefully soon reaches its peak, we can plainly see that the severity of the restrictions on commerce and personal liberties reflects a direct relationship to the severity of the illness in the area.  We are a nation of communities…be they rural or urban.

This highlights the strength of our government.  America is a collection of counties and states, with certain authorities in place to properly recognize that principle.  Our Congress and President work best when they recognize that principle and do their work within that context.  While some issues clearly lie within the federal jurisdiction and others are more expansive in nature; our national government is most efficient when it confines itself to those particular federal areas and creates a framework within which the states may autonomously flourish.  This particular national emergency has forced our federal government to embrace this fundamental concept and we can only hope that a strong remnant of that recognition remains once the virus emergency has passed.

Time for Reflection is an Opportunity for Reassessment.  My wife and I chuckle as we sit in our sunroom each morning and watch the media community continually address the self-quarantining of our nation.  There is some humor in even the direst situations.  The source of our amusement is the fact that before the coronavirus, we were already leading a life that was pretty much self-quarantined.  We are both retired and although we visit with our family on a regular basis, we are not active travelers and entertainers.  Our small circle of friends revolves around old, established relationships and our church family.  Since neither of us have public jobs, we seldom venture off the farm for much other than the occasional shopping or entertainment trip to a nearby town, a trip to the bank or grocery, or picking up farm supplies at the feed mill or lumber yard.  The internet has gifted us with social networking, streaming, and a wealth of information that requires nothing more than a keyboard and monitor.  Heck, just this morning we attended church online with live streaming.  I call it pajama church.

But while we may occupy the minor disruption end of the virus impact spectrum, we are very aware that many others are much closer to the other end.   This disruptive pause in the everyday hustle and bustle of American society brings with it a chance to closely examine where our values lie and where our priorities have migrated.  It is an opportunity to re-order the important things that we each hold dear and draw distinctions between necessary and optional,  authentic and superficial, enduring and transient, pertinent and extraneous, and most critically….important and not so important. 

The Cream Rises and the Dregs Become More Visible.  It is a shame that it takes a national emergency to create it, but it is reaffirming to see our opposing political forces come together in a time of need to deliver federal support where necessary.  Most Democrats in Congress have set aside their differences with President Trump and helped to negotiate the necessary federal support legislation that will address the adverse impact of the epidemic.  It is good to see New York and California Democratic governors work hand-in-hand with the President, both in practice and word, to meet the needs of the people they both jointly represent.  Upon closer examination, it is revealing to observe the language that many elected officials use when discussing these joint efforts and it is a pretty simple task to differentiate between those who are going through the motions and those who are sincerely seeking to serve.  And just as the transparently honest and sincere officials will rise to the occasion and reap the legitimate recognition for their unselfish leadership; so shall the shallow and self-serving rascals that continue to pursue personal agendas in the face of wide-spread misfortune be exposed as the despicable and self-serving people they truly are. 

In the positive vein, I’m talking about governors such as Cuomo of New York who has been as authentic an enemy of all things Trump as any Democrat in America.  Without considering the consequences to his personal political ambitions, he was conspicuously first among governors to openly support the President’s initiatives to combat this national emergency.  Even though it will be done so reluctantly and not without some acrimony; the Democratic leadership in Congress will also rise to this challenge and join with the President in addressing the nation’s needs with legislative and administrative remedies.

Unfortunately, there are many public officials and entities that will use their public office or forum to further their own ideological pursuits of private agendas.  I am talking here about our representatives in Congress who use privileged briefing information to initiate personal and beneficial financial transactions.   This is the worst kind of public office abuse and should be exposed for the travesty that it is.  It is also tragic that we continue to witness the ongoing devolution of journalism as exhibited by MSNBC, CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and many other members of the mainstream media.  Rather than utilizing their position of trust and influence to bring this nation together in a coordinated effort to cope with the silent and deadly conronavirus; they instead seize every opportunity to cast the President and his initiatives in a light that suggests incompetence, self-enrichment, or pure evil.  I would normally add self-aggrandization to this list, but the President is doing a good job of that on his own.

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Under the Cover of the Bright and Shiny Object.  It is fascinating to look beneath the headlines during this time of crisis and see some of the things that are transpiring without notice or acclaim.  Even though the coronavirus pandemic is a global phenomenon, that does not prevent many of the rogue nations on our planet from taking advantage of the pre-occupation many nations have in preserving their peoples’ welfare.  North Korea chooses this time to once again test-fire military missiles in a clearly provocative fashion.  Terrorist organizations and governments in the Middle East increase their activities to undermine any efforts towards the settlement of simmering conflicts and grudges.  One shudders to think about what Putin and his autocratic Russian rule is dwelling on these days.  And the largest shame of all must fall on China and its pathetic efforts to not only cover-up its irresponsible and costly reaction to the initial release of the virus in Wuhan/Hubei Province, but to then propagate a disinformation campaign to blame others for its own malfeasance. 

Notable among these shameful attempts at subterfuge is the withdrawal of charges by the DOJ regarding the alleged Russian influence in the 2016 elections.  Anyone who was paying attention can recall how Robert Swan Mueller III triumphantly announced these indictments in the course of his Trump/Russia Investigation Farce.  He and his merry band of Democrat lawyers did their little end-zone dances in a choreographed drama with the mainstream media; celebrating what they claimed to be proof that the Trump campaign had coordinated with the Russian government to undermine the 2016 Presidential election.  And now, after repeatedly and desperately trying many other tricks to squirm their way out of these empty charges, they openly and publicly admit that there was no case to begin with.  Their indictments were nothing but window dressing from the beginning.  They are simply withdrawing the charges and taking down the tents; all under the cover of a national emergency.  Read about this sordid episode here: https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/03/department-of-justice-dismisses-robert-mueller-charges-against-russian-businesses/ .  These ideologues do this stuff and then sweep it away in the dark of night…hoping that no one will notice.  They NEED TO BE noticed.

There is No Perfect Solution…No Silver Bullet.  You would have to look long and hard to find a harsher critic of government than myself.  But in times like these where our nation faces an unprecedented challenge, we must all be a bit more forgiving and understanding with our elected officials.

The adverse economic effects of the coronavirus episode will be realized by every single citizen in our country; but that effect will vary to infinitesimal degrees.  As I mentioned before, my wife and I lead a fairly sheltered life in normal times.  Our income is sourced from a modest pension, social security, and personal savings.  Our lifestyle is modest by any standard and we are likely among the least impacted by the virus epidemic.  Our children are members of families where both spouses are working; they have children at home and in school, and they are dealing with financial challenges such as mortgages.  They are heavily impacted by this ordeal.  When you consider the diversified financial situations of all Americans and then throw into the mix the multitude of small, large, and corporate business interests, it is mind-numbing to imagine the challenge of crafting an aid package that will address each and every person and entity in an equitable fashion.

This is the dilemma faced by the President and Congress.  There is no perfect plan.  There will be winners and there will be losers.  There will some who profit unduly and some whose needs are not fully met.  There will be differing philosophies in how much and in what manner to deliver the support and the making of that sausage will not be fun to watch.  The whole exercise will plainly appear as nothing less than a bidding war between the two national parties; with no regard whatsoever as to its impact on the federal debt or the federal deficit.  A national crisis always offers the opportunity for unlimited federal spending with no accountability.  But at the end of the day, there will be federal legislation to address the economic impact of this crisis and it will be a generous and sincere effort by all of our elected officials to support the people they represent.

This Too Shall Pass.  At the end of March, a global and national re-calibration will take place that will determine what the short-term impact of the coronavirus epidemic shall be.  Either the infection/mortality curves will be flattened and the emphasis will be shifted to a recovery plan…or…the crisis will continue to rise with energy and we will all brace for more severe remedies and death tolls.  But even though we cannot be confident about when the pandemic will end, we can know with certainty that it will end.  And that realization…the fact that we will all soon be looking backward with complete clarity regarding how we behaved as individuals, as Americans, as a country, and as a planetary species…that fact should remain ever-present in our minds.

History will record the costs that this misfortune wrought upon our nation.  The end of the current coronavirus epidemic will create new opportunities for many in the quest to recover that which we will have lost in the battle to persevere and to overcome this curse.  When this phoenix rises from the ashes, it will come in a rush…not a whisper.  Many will be honored by their efforts; as many will be shamed.  But the overall impression that will inevitably settle upon Americans will be the fact that once again, as a nation and as a people, we rose to meet the challenge and we continued in spite of it.  As costly and painful as it was in personal and economic terms, we will rapidly put the bad memories in the rear view mirror and get on with the effort to resume life abundant. 

Blurring the Lines and Mission Creep

Two events occurred this week that reflect a troubling trend in American government.  They are both symptomatic of the quest that individuals in positions of power and authority have for more power and authority.  One of the more common maneuvers for attaining that additional power and authority is to publicly blur the lines between one’s assigned authority and another’s authority in an attempt to gain a portion of that other person’s or entity’s power.  Another practice that is often applied in today’s governmental environment is the expansion of a well-defined mission into one of an expanded nature that might better reflect the personal agenda goals of the individuals conducting the mission. 

In the case of the former, I am speaking of the FISA Reform legislation that came out of the House this week.  The content of that legislation is presented here: https://www.lawfareblog.com/whats-hr-6172-houses-compromise-fisa-reform-bill .  I make no pretense to being an objective observer on this issue.  I have advocated repeatedly for the abolishment of the FISA entity due to its susceptibility regarding corruption and politics.  Because of the abuses that were uncovered in the fomenting of the Trump/Russia Collusion effort, there was a tension in the House between the two national parties when the recent subject of FISA reform came up on the schedule. 

The Republicans wanted to use the opportunity to emphasize the weaknesses of the system that were exploited by Democrats in the Obama DOJ to smear both candidate Trump and President Trump.  Plainly speaking, the Republicans wanted to expose the guilty parties of that travesty and hang their dirty laundry out for all to see.   The Democrats wanted to do all within their power (which is considerable due to their Majority status) to diminish the abuses that took place.  While not condoning the transgressions that had occurred, they attempted to leave room for rationalizing many of the improper actions that took place in order to lower the perception of severity.  Neither Party had the pure intent and focus that should have been present in a debate on a subject of national security and citizen liberties.  It is really quite surprising that the resulting legislation came out as benign as it is.  It appears neither party succeeded in fully accomplishing their selfish intent and that the bill reflects a true sense of bipartisanship.  Unfortunately, the bill does little to address the fundamental flaws of the FISA entity. 

The first flaw is the fact that even with the scotch tape reforms the bill contains, the subject that will be spied upon (be they foreign or domestic) under the FISA provisions has no real defense to the accusations that will lead the FISA court to approve that spying.  Just as candidate and President Trump had no advocate when the Obama DOJ requested to place him and his associates under surveillance; we will continue (with this reform) to have that same lack of fairness into the future proceedings before the FISA court (the new amicus provisions notwithstanding).  The opportunity for corrupt government officials with personal agendas will remain present in the FISA process and both national parties will inevitably be in a position to abuse the system.  Neither is sufficiently capable of eternally resisting that temptation. 

 

Another basic flaw in the FISA system is the intermingling of our justice and court systems with the realm of national security and intelligence.  Federal and FISA court judges do not have the background necessary to responsibly make surveillance decisions regarding mining and extrapolating the depths of national intelligence resources.  Blurring the lines between our justice arm of government and our foreign intelligence arm of government does not make any sense and will inevitably lead to both the hamstringing of operations and poor decisions or actions.  The system of justice that an American citizen should expect in this nation is not the same as that of a foreign national present in our country with evil intent.  The reforms that this bill makes in this area does nothing more that expand the concept of a globalized method that regards all people and their rights in the United States as world citizens.  It is a road fraught with peril and it weakens our national security.

The FISA entity is a political creation that had good intent but little foresight.  It is a dangerous weapon in the hands of individuals incapable of understanding that danger.   Federal Judges should focus on the law and the fair application of that law as promulgated by Congress and the President.  It is up to Congress to write the laws defining the reach and authority of our intelligence agencies.  Our elected representatives in Congress and the White House should stand accountable for both the successes and failures of those agencies. 

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Moving on to the next topic brings us to the recent House legislation that addresses the coronavirus pandemic in America.  Here is a summary of that action: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/13/congress-coronavirus-stimulus-package-deal-friday-128140 .  While it is a tribute to our elected officials both in the House and the Oval Office to have passed legislation to aid in our nation addressing such a severe national health threat; it is regrettable that this bill reflects another disturbing trend in how our government operates these days. 

A cursory reading of the legislation will demonstrate to any reasonable person that the Democratic Party in the House, led by Speaker Pelosi, sought to decorate the coronavirus aid package with many window dressings that had minor impact on that aid and were clearly part and parcel of their entitlement-driven political agenda.  Pelosi clearly understood that the President was anxious to get some Congressional action accomplished in reaction to this sweeping health concern.  In an election year, he no doubt was willing to give in to political demands in order to achieve quick results.  The opportunity was there for a trade-off victory.  Pelosi knew this and she got her pound, or two, of political flesh in the deal.

Both national parties are equally guilty of adding extraneous amendments and riders to legislation in an effort to further their personal agendas; this is nothing new.  They have both muddled up critical legislation with legislation having absolutely nothing to do with the original intent or purpose of the issue at hand.  Perhaps this is politics as usual in our government and is the accepted give and take of democracy.  But at some point, someone in a position of authority and influence should take a reckoning of the practice and conclude that it might be time to re-examine the wisdom of that direction. 

When national emergencies require immediate and targeted action by Congress and the President, we would like to think that our President, Senators, and Representatives are capable of temporarily putting aside their political concerns to serve the greater good.  A thoughtful examination of recent farm aid, weather-related disaster assistance, and now the coronavirus threat bills reveals that our faith and hope in those elected officials is ill-placed.  The good news about our government is that the system we employ guarantees the diversified interests of all parties involved and the majority opinion will eventually triumph.  The bad news about our government is that the system we employ guarantees the diversified interests of all parties involved and most times, those parties will employ every legislative trick in the book to achieve their preferred policies.  This method, more times than not, results in watered down solutions to serious problems, bloated expenditures contributing to an already shameful federal deficit, and half measures that accomplish little more than drops of water being showered on raging fires. 

Rahm Emanuel, a former White House Chief of Staff for Obama and Mayor of Chicago, said “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.  And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things you could not do before”.  One would like to think that Emanuel was referring to the mighty spirit of the American people to rise above the devastation of tragedies and bond together to overcome even the greatest challenges.  Given his status as a career politician and his history in that arena, I think he was clearly referring to an attitude exhibited by our current national parties; the attitude that seizing the opportunity of mission creep in critical and emergency legislation to further political agendas is perfectly acceptable.  It seems that our long and wearisome search for statesmanship leadership in our nation’s capitol continues unabated.

Now in fairness, it should be pointed out that both pieces of legislation addressed in this post have yet to undergo deliberation by the Senate and gain the signature of the President.  Things may change there; but that is unlikely.  The scenario seems set for Senate passage of both bills in their current forms.