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Shadow Government
Without value
by John A. Jackson
What's the real reason for opposing President Bush's income tax cuts? Envy of the rich, isn't it?
Not really. I just want to hold Bush to his word, a useful activity the media too seldom followed under President Clinton.
But when did Bush promise not to cut taxes? During his inaugural, when he committed the government to a program of making no American "insignificant." Increasing the already terrible inequalities of wealth in this country will do exactly that.
And what does one's wealth or poverty have to do with one's status in this democracy? Does being poor make you insignificant?
Not in theory. But in practice... the question answers itself.
Leave aside the disabled and the children. Conserving their rights is everyone's responsibility. But for the rest of us, the American system only works if we can and do assert our own rights and our own claims to dignity, and not rely on other folks to do it for us.
That seems proper and just, even American. In this country, in this world, you look out for yourself and your own. If everyone does that, truth and right will triumph, or so we are taught.
Government of the people, by the people and for the people-no better formula has ever been devised.
But the system only works if people start out roughly equal in the government's eyes, and that means roughly equal in their ability to participate in their own governance.
It is not an accident that rich people vote and the poor do not. The rich are confident their views will be heard and respected; the poor, even if they have time and ways to become involved, know their views will not.
When poverty keeps you out of the action, or when riches buy you immunity from justice, the American system does not work.
We must not allow ourselves to have the best government money can buy. We must not.
None of this is particularly radical. It should be obvious, in fact. But why should financial equality's importance to our system of government make us oppose President Bush's tax cuts?
Because they will make a bad situation worse.
One also hears as self-evident that argument that wealthy people earn what they possess. What nonsense.
Ask Christ's question: Whose name is on the money? The United States.
Your money has value only because our system of government can insist it does. Without the system, the money isn't even good wallpaper.
This is a vital topic. I intend to come back to it. The tax cut-well, it will be on the table for some time, you can be sure.
Meanwhile, an European friend rightly complains that Shadow Government has not commented on U.S. policy toward Iraq, which he incorrectly calls "genocide."
Like his two predecessors, President Bush was quick to earn his bones over Baghdad. As all our allies understand, U.S. policy against Saddam Hussein has failed. We content ourselves with the occasional murder spasm and with making Iraqi children starve.
The U.S. wants to keep Hussein from having weapons of mass destruction, a proper and important objective. The sanctions do not achieve it; they should stop.
If we will the end, we must also will the means. Wasn't that the lesson of Vietnam?
John A. Jackson may be reached at TomShadwell@cs.com. ER