The danger of demagoguery

demagogue--a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions and prejudices.

demagoguery-- an appeal to people that plays on their emotions and prejudices rather than on their rational side;  a manipulative approach — often associated with dictators and sleazy politicians — that appeals to the worst nature of people; demagoguery isn't based on reason, issues, and doing the right thing; it's based on stirring up fear and hatred to control people; for example, a politician who stirs up a fear of immigrants to distract from other issues is using demagoguery; one of the most negative aspects of politics, but it's also one that's all too common.

Think just here Donald Trump.

Trump is much, much more than a clown.  He is a dangerous man.

His statements on Mexico, on immigrants from Mexico and his harsh, hateful judgmental spirit appears to be working with some voters, as he fans the fire of xenophobia and the worst of our heritage as a nation. 

Possibly the irony of all ironies has to do with the fact that the United States, a nation of immigrants, has always witnessed vociferous, anti-immigrant spokespersons, usually self-appointed, voices like that of Mr. Trump. 

He is short-sighted and inexperienced at best.  I won't speak to the "at worst" here.

Simply put, he is dead wrong.

Try doing Dallas without immigrants from Mexico.  We all benefit from the labor of hard working Mexican immigrants.  We exploit them and their legal status to our benefit.  This ugly truth is why we have not achieved comprehensive immigration reform:  it is not in the self-interest of people like Mr. Trump to pursue a fair, enlightened immigration policy.  So, he makes speeches that appeal to crowds of angry people.

Check his "facts" and you'll find nothing to back up his outlandish statements.

To be honest, he is talking about friends of mine.  I find him most offensive and vulgar.

Young and old, rich and poor, the folks "the Donald" refers to have as much right to be in this nation as any of the rest of us.  In fact, a stronger case can be made that their claim to the rights to be here, (especially in Texas) go all the way back to the Treaty of Hidalgo 1848 and its almost immediate violation by the United States. 

My thoughts today are more in line with Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ):  "Take your seat, sir, and close your mouth." 

You know, it really is about my dear friends. 

Love this photo. . .who are these men?

2013 Community Prayer Breakfast

76 years ago. . .

Forgive me, but I just couldn't resist!  The debates of today aren't much different from those of the past, are they? 

I didn't want to post this before the election because my motivation has to do with an acknowledgement of how history, no matter what your party affiliation, shows the present actually brings nothing new our way!

I really enjoy how comical FDR's body language is even though the camera is trained primarily on his face.

Forgetting

I've been known to buy a drunk a drink.

It happened first on the street in New Orleans almost thirty years ago. My now, how time gets away!

The man approached me and said, "I'm not going to lie to you. I need a drink."

Taken back by his total honesty, I congratulated him for his truthfulness and stepped off the street into a bar and bought him a beer. And yes, I was a preacher at the time.

I've always been partial to people who tell me the truth about themselves, no matter where that takes us. So, across the years I've invested time and money in relieving the thirst of more than a few folks who honestly just needed a drink.

Too bad I hadn't discovered earlier the wisdom of Proverbs on this subject. Not that I share this tendency of mine with everyone, at least not until now. But, the wisdom of ancient Israel does help me just here.

When you have time, take a look at Proverbs 31:4-9.

What you'll find is guidance on who should drink and who shouldn't.

To cut to the conclusion: political leaders should avoid alcohol, but the poor should be given a drink from time to time to relieve their misery and help them forget their poverty. I promise that is what the passage says.

You see, rulers, the politicos need clear heads just to remember all the laws they have passed. If they drink, they may forget the good public policy they've crafted while sober. The results of such stupor would not be good for the oppressed and the poor (see verse 5 especially).

Interesting, huh?

The clear implication is that leaders enact laws that protect the weak.

Now there is a novel idea!

In Texas and in Washington far too often our leaders approve legislation designed to crush the poor, or so it seems out here in reality land. Only after passing laws that do nothing to assist the poor and needy do they hit the pubs. Maybe they reverse the order so they won't have to think about what they've actually done!

The poor, on the other hand, should be given "strong drink" (verse 6). This counsel assumes that a drink helps when you are perishing or in distress. If you need insight for interpreting "perishing" or "distress," drive downtown and look around.

Evidently the Jewish wise man who wrote this understood that beer and wine help poor folks forget their poverty and their misery (verse 7).

I guess that's why lots of crushed people with no real options feel the need for a drink. I don't think I'm being unkind when I observe that many religious people don't understand very well the world of the poor.

The wise man of Proverbs wraps up his homily on strong drink with clear, direct words about the work of leaders and, I would assume, people of faith who know the heart of God:

"Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy" (31:8-9).

At the risk of really being written off, let me add, I'll drink to that!

[Editor's note:  this post first appeared on June 1, 2005.]

Can we all lighten up a bit? Like this!

Thank you, Gov. Romney!

Day before yesterday, Mitt Romney made it very clear that he's "not concerned about the very poor."  Actually, as news agencies made clear in the aftermath of the GOP candidate for President's relatively shocking statement, Romney has been saying this or something much like it for months. 

I'm grateful to Mr. Romney for being so clear.  But even more, I'm so thankful that at last someone brought the issue of poverty and extreme poverty into the national conversation.  No one else has been talking about the poor much at all.  Over the last two days that has changed.  Thank goodness!

Romney said that the focus of his campaign was not the extremely poor  or the extremely rich, but the 95% of Americans who are middle class. 

Now there are a few glaring problems with his analysis.

First, he explained that the extremely poor had a "safety net" to provide for them.  He even went so far as to promise that if he found the safety net in need of repair, he would fix it.  I immediately wanted to call him up and invite him down to Texas because our "safety net" is in a world of hurt these days!  Name the issue or need and Texas under performs terribly.

Food security and hunger.

Uninsured citizens.

Childhood poverty.

Decent and affordable housing for our workforce and the homeless.

Public education.

Loans/grants for higher education.

Public health.

Workforce training.

Living wages.

Mental health funding.

Dental services for the poor.

Child care and early childhood development.

Public transportation. 

The list could go on and on. 

The wealth gap grows in our state and in our urban centers, but the net doesn't hold.  Besides, we need a platform for folks to stand on and find traction and stability, not a net into which to fall helplessly. 

So, come on out to Texas, Governor!

Second, there's the problem of the Governor's math: the 95% in the middle.  With 1 in 5 Americans, 1 in 4 children, conservatively estimated, to be living in poverty, there is no 95% to be concerned about!  The bottom 30-plus % of our fellow citizens live impoverished lives and things are not improving for them as their numbers swell.  But, the Governor says he's not concerned about the poor.  I guess not, he doesn't even know how many poor folks there are in the U. S. today.  Not good for a President, I'd say.

Still, he brought the subject to the top of our minds.  For that I remain grateful.

[Editorial note:  This morning reports have the Governor saying that he "misspoke" when he said he "didn't care about the extremely poor."  Wonder how that could ever happen?]

Colin Powell on leadership

Lesson 3:  "Don't be buffaloed by experts and elites.  Experts often possess more data than judgment.  Elites can become so inbred that they produce hemophiliacs who bleed to death as soon as they are nicked by the real world."

Small companies and start-ups don't have the time for analytically detached experts.  They don't have the money to subsidize lofty elites, either.  The president answers the phone and drives the truck when necessary; everyone on the payroll visibly produces and contributes to bottom-line results or they're history.  But as companies get bigger, they often forget who "brought them to the dance":  things like all-hands involvement, egalitarianism, informality, market intimacy, daring, risk, speed, agility.  Policies that emanate from ivory towers often have an adverse impact on the people out in the field who are fighting the wars or bringing in the revenues.  Real leaders are vigilant, and combative, in the face of these trends.

Celebrating leadership!

2011 Inaugural Celebration of
the Mayor and City Council

Monday, June 27, 2011

10 a.m. (doors open at 9 a.m.)


Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center


2310 Flora Street, Dallas, Texas 75201

Can we connect the dots? Part I

A couple of days ago I visited one of the poorest neighborhoods in inner city Dallas, Texas.  A large scale community project was underway.  Over 100 volunteers from Home Depot worked side-by-side with the residents of the neighborhood to build a KaBoom! playground for the children who live there.  It was a very cool experience. 

As I drove away, my mind continued to spin. 

How do we change, reclaim and rebuild blighted areas like this one?  I know it takes leadership, and this community has that on the ground every day.  It also has a business champion (one of these posts I'll tell you about the particular, courageous leaders at work here) devoted to following the lead of the local leader. 

Still, substandard housing, lots of it rental and slumlord owned, dominates the streets.  Vacant lots abound.  People and work have basically disappeared over the past 40 years.  The schools are weak, the drop out rates extremely high and not improving.  Unemployment for those still living in the area is very high, and those who work don't earn enough to make life work, certainly not work well. 

Then, I think of the Louisiana coast, of New Orleans, of the fishing professionals who've been wiped out by the incredible BP spill into the Gulf of Mexico that now laps up into the wetlands and sweeps around the Florida coast on its way up the East Coast. 

I think of terrorists and oil imports and what seems to me to be clear connections. 

Somehow in the midst of all of this challenge, each of these large scale difficulties, swirling and seemingly disconnected, we may have a perfect storm brewing that will blow in great opportunity for bold, creative responses or one that will blow us further and further away from each other and down the wrong path. 

What we need in the neighborhoods and among the people with whom I work is heroic leadership willing to think with great, amazing creativity to connect the dots of opportunity that can be identified in the swirl of these seemingly desperate problems.  While the issues/challenges may seem disconnected, I'd argue that we dare not allow them to be viewed in isolation from one another. 

Drop in tomorrow for the rest of my ponderings. . .