Thursday, March 21, 2024

Inflation as a Political Weapon

 Inflation has emerged as a significant issue affecting not only the economy but also current political landscape especially the presidential election. One of the main factors contributing to this inflation is corporate greed, which has far-reaching implications on political dynamics and policy responses.

Corporate greed, profit-maximizing behavior at the expense of societal well-being and ethical considerations, should be a key point in your political discussions regarding inflation. Corporate actions, including price gouging, market manipulation, and prioritizing shareholder returns over long-term economic stability, have fueled rising prices in food, fuel, building materials, and many other sectors of the economy.

The intersection of corporate greed and inflation has significant implications for current politics, influencing public perceptions, policy priorities, and political discourse. Inflation caused by corporate greed affects politics in numerous ways.

As consumers face higher prices for essential goods and services, there is growing public anger and dissatisfaction with political leaders perceived as failing to address the root causes of inflation. This discontent fuels anti-establishment sentiments and has led to increased distrust in government policies.

Inflation caused by corporate greed has become a political weapon, with Republicans pointing fingers at Democrats for failing to rein in price increases, thus capitalizing on public frustration by blaming President Biden for economic mismanagement. Of course, those same Republicans do all they can to prevent Biden policies from increasing competition or at least maintaining the competition that currently exists by preventing inappropriate mergers.

Inflation caused by corporate greed can also have implications for international relations and trade dynamics. Rising prices may lead to trade disputes, currency fluctuations, and tensions between countries over economic policies aimed at addressing inflationary pressures.

The role of the Federal Reserve in managing inflation is under scrutiny, with debates over the appropriate balance between central bank independence and political oversight. Questions arise about whether the Federal Reserve has the tools and autonomy to effectively combat inflation.

Inflation caused by corporate greed is likely to feature prominently in this election cycle, with Republicans blaming Biden for mismanagement while Biden reminds voters what he has already done and offers further proposals to hold corporations accountable. Campaign promises related to job creation, affordability, and reining in corporate power will be key points in the drive to attract voters to each party.

Inflation driven by corporate greed is shaping current political landscapes, sparking debates, policy reforms, and public scrutiny of government responses. The intersection of economic forces and political dynamics underscores the complexity of addressing inflationary pressures while promoting sustainable economic development and social equity. It is incumbent on President Biden that he makes the case for including robust antitrust enforcement, consumer protection measures, responsible corporate governance, and policies that prioritize sustainable economic growth over short-term profit maximization. By addressing corporate greed, Biden and Democrats can mitigate inflationary risks and promote a fair and balanced economic environment for all Americans. We who understand the issues have a key role in spreading the word and explaining to our family and friends so that enough voters understand the problem and the solutions proposed.

Published in the Seguin Gazette - March 20, 2024

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Christian Nationalism Threatens Democracy

According to a study released last month by the Public Religion Research Institute; more than a third of Texans agree with the following five statements: The U.S. government should declare America a Christian nation. U.S. laws should be based on Christian values. If the U.S. moves away from our Christian foundations, we will not have a country anymore. Being Christian is an important part of being truly American.

God has called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society. Such agreement indicates what is known as Christian nationalism. Worse yet Texas is only slightly above the national average. In Louisiana 46% agree with those statements while in Mississippi 50% agree.

Americans under 50 years of age or who have earned a bachelors degree or higher are far less likely to be Christian nationalists. Gender isn’t an indicator, as men and women are equally likely to be Christian nationalists. The percentage of Christian nationalists among Whites, Hispanics, and Blacks are nearly the same. The big indicator is the variant of Christianity someone belongs to, two thirds of members of evangelical Protestant congregations are Christian nationalists as opposed to about a third for Catholic and mainline Protestant congregations. The biggest concentration of Christian nationalists is among the followers of prosperity gospel purveyors such as Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, Joyce Meyer, John Hagee, T. D. Jakes, and Paula White.

The higher the percentage of Christian nationalists in a given state the more likely that state is to vote Republican and the more likely the voters there are to support Trump. That’s bad enough, what’s worse is more than a third of those folks also believe political violence may be justified. That means that should Trump lose in November, as I believe is likely, 1 in 10 Texans may very well support a violent attempt to over turn the election.

Aside from the threat of political violence perpetrated by Christian nationalists the other thing the rest of us need to worry about is their desire to base U.S. law on their distorted interpretation of the bible. They’ve already succeeded in denying many women bodily autonomy. They’re working on denying rights to the LGBTQ members of our society. The Republican candidate for governor of North Carolina, Mark Robinson, wants to go back to the days when women were denied the right to vote. Where will they stop?

As an excuse to eliminate public agencies like the Department of Education, Republicans often claim that if it isn’t in the constitution then the federal government isn’t allowed to do it. At the same time nothing in the constitution says the country is a Christian nation and in fact the reverse is true, in Article VI it says: “but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” Then to make it even more clear the First Amendment says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Either Republicans and Christian nationalists haven’t read the Constitution or they don’t understand it.

In November it is important that everyone votes to reject Christian nationalism which means voting against Republicans from top to bottom.

Published in the Seguin Gazette - March 13, 2024