Letters on ISIS, trickle-up theory, damaging education, American exceptionalism, immigration, lost cellphone

ISIS drumbeat misrepresents foe

I’ve seen many letters and commentaries beating the drumbeat for war against ISIS. They are on the whole misguided, because they misrepresent the nature of the foe.

ISIS is just a political entity; it’s a catchy acronym to add to official documents and dispatches. What it represents – religious extremism and fanaticism – is older than civilization and cannot be defeated through the application of arms. A historical example will suffice to show the futility of military intervention against such a force.

In the early first millennium, the ancient Jews, driven by similar zealotry, routinely rebelled against the Roman Empire. The Romans sent legion after legion into Judaea to crush the rebels; they razed the temple, burned Torah scrolls, forbade circumcision and raised statues of their gods in Jerusalem. Look how well it turned out: Rome is a dead empire, and after a very roundabout journey, Judaea is as independent as ever.

Replacing Rome’s legionaries and auxilia with Navy SEALs and the drone would have led to the exact same result.

The only way to defeat (or at least suppress) an ideology like ISIS is through subtler means – through cultural, educational and economic warfare.

Trickle up?

In expressing his recent support for increasing the minimum wage, President Obama has said it would help Americans from all walks of life pay the bills, provide for their kids and spend that money at local businesses, growing the economy for everyone. That sounds suspiciously like the trickle-across, or maybe trickle-up, version of the much-maligned trickle-down theory. It proposes that benefits to businesses and upper-income levels will benefit poorer members by improving the economy, because those upper-level folks will spend and, distinctly more beneficially, invest that money.

Logic says that the president should then endorse trickle-down economic theory, especially since rich folks can also give more to charities.

Damaged education

Many years ago, all California state universities, colleges and community colleges were tuition-free for citizens of that state. As governor of California, Ronald Reagan concluded that education is a privilege, not a right. Under Reagan, the state substantially increased student fees. Later, it ended free in-state tuition.

The ultraconservative wing of the Republican Party, the “tea-publicans,” have done everything to damage public education – from verbal assault on “government education” to reducing funding.

Gov. Sam Brownback now claims what wondrous things he has done for Kansas education, after he and his okeydoke Legislature reduced funding and attacked the teachers union.

Kansans have been proud of our educational system and know that the better the education, the better the state’s future will be.

It’s what we give

Columnist Leonard Pitts’ definition of “American exceptionalism” as meaning “our rights, our freedoms, our values” is a serious misunderstanding (Sept. 1 Opinion). American exceptionalism is not about what we have but what we give.

There is not one person living on the face of the Earth today in any degree of freedom or security who does not owe these historically rare privileges to the United States of America.

Work together

It seems to me that the only way the immigration problem is ever going to be satisfactorily resolved is with a cooperative effort with our neighbor across the border – Mexico. In all the options that have been discussed, I haven’t heard anyone say anything about such cooperation, and it seems to me that this is the only way it’s ever going to work.

I heard an interview with the president of Mexico on the “Charlie Rose” show on PBS, and his main concern with the United States was the flow of arms across the border into Mexico, which likely is contributing to his country’s problem with illegal drugs.

It seems like we need to try to work together in a cooperative manner to resolve our border and immigration issues. One idea that might work is to allow a certain number of individuals to work across the border in farm cooperatives, providing they maintain a Mexico residence and return home to their families when their work is finished. That way there wouldn’t be so many people trying to achieve a permanent resident status in the United States just to earn a living wage. And there wouldn’t need to be so many families torn apart and so many heart-wrenching decisions about separation of families.

Not one of them

Some dum-dum found and destroyed my cellphone on West 29th Street, took its leather case, the cellphone battery and probably my new sunglasses. Had this person taken the time to call my phone number, which was on the back of the phone, I would have given the person a nice finder’s fee for the trouble, as I have offered to other finders in the past for my other forgetful moments. None, though, would take the reward.

There are some nice folks out there. Unfortunately, the person who found my phone is not one of them.

This story was originally published September 3, 2014 at 7:06 PM with the headline "Letters on ISIS, trickle-up theory, damaging education, American exceptionalism, immigration, lost cellphone."