September 11 Blues

 No one can deny that in the ancient world religious beliefs were the threads of unification among peoples ravaged by primeval clans and tribes totally lacking a sense of justice. Yet there is clear evidence that most religions were formed by transvaluing surrender to God’s Will as surrender to the will of the handful of thugs and prophets claiming direct communication to heaven. Without this subterfuge, nations of might could never have materialized, just as the primeval clans needed the mystery of their witch doctors. The great Pharaohs — masters of authoritarian illusion — ruled for thousands of years as gods on earth. Hinduism institutionalized the caste system some 3500 years ago and still thrives, despite Buddhism’s path of enlightenment which does not fit in well within the mold of religion. Ironically King David and Muhammad have much in common because each was engaged in nation building and secularism. Contrary to Jewish and Islamic claims, their respective and ostensible prophets were essentially warriors and womanizers. Both had harems and both were marauders bent on the will to power. And, of course, both succeeded under the guise of God’s will. The rationalization that these men were prophets preceding and succeeding Jesus, a true man of peace and democratization, is ludicrous.

 The great threat to civilization today is not terrorism but the underlying authoritarianism of Islam that refuses to move with the times, enslaving its followers in the sink of antiquity and poverty, lest its hold on the minds of a billion people dissolve by modernity and democracy. Terrorism itself is not uniquely Islamic, except perhaps for its suicidal nature and the undeniable abhorrence of reasoning in the Koran. One need only to look to the Mafia, the Spanish Inquisition, the KKK, the IRA, the French Revolution, Stalin and Hitler, our own Manifest Destiny to see that it is purely and simply to wreak havoc indiscriminately. The rise of Islam is no less evil than the totalitarian, uncompromising, imperial movements in history. Its aim to enslave the mind by denying access to the egalitarian spirit of the world’s great literature and failing to inculcate respect and tolerance toward successful nations is no less threatening than Iraq, Nazism, Stalinism, or for that matter Christianity in the dark ages.

 Democracy in Israel is owed to the infusion of American and European immigration, revitalizing Zionism and resulting in the displacement — similar to America’s violent infringement of the native American — of almost a million Palestinians — Jews and Arabs alike. The reason for this is that the post war massive immigration had nothing in common with the Arab world. Claiming rights to the holy land would be tantamount to the native Americans reclaiming Manhattan. Jews for two thousand years were of a European mind-set; they had no business returning with the intent of democratizing a medieval authoritarian land. Is there any wonder that Islam is dead-set against this lone star state in its midst? Nonetheless, this is no excuse for the killing of innocent civilians on either side. The cast has been set now; both sides must learn to coexist. Obviously, easier said than done. Even in this great nation of ours, the diversity we praise is the essence of enduring conflict. In this light the egalitarian spirit of Jesus is a "consummation devoutly to be wished."

Unspeakable

 Subliminally known for centuries, and surfaced dramatically and tragically on September 11^th , is that religion is dangerous when it imposes its will on the political realm. There has always been religious lag, resistance and conflict with respect to modernity and democratization. Ironically, it was Christ who first introduced the concept of separation — "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." Of course, religion can never be totally isolated from politics because of its innate shaping of individual attitudes; nevertheless, explicit or implicit laws separating church and state, hold the two in balance. Though I may view Islamic practices as unrealistically primitive, I check myself in doing violence to the belief and further tempered in the hope that eventually they will see the wisdom of the West — life, after all, is worth living, and that all is entitled to the plethora of potential goods in the world — or for that matter its own philosophy, such as that of al-F~r~b§ who urged leaders to develop "good, not misguided or retarded societies ."

This hope is, of course, pathetic in light of the Islamic nations that obstinately deny organic growth of secular politics designed to free their subjects [ both genders] to pursue the necessary rights and comforts natural to an evolving modern world. Ascetic values are to be lauded if voluntarily espoused, but to deny the general populace basic needs is criminal. Further, as in some countries, to expect a woman to beg in the streets because she is a woman, or for a girl not to be educated because she is a girl, is ludicrous, an affront to their God. A nation that preaches to its young thou shalt kill all who are not Muslim is arrant child abuse, and should give rise to world-wide condemnation.

 Once justice is done in retaliation for September 11^th, the western nations must engage in forcible diplomacy to rid Muslims of "yes, but..." passive acceptance of terrorism and their hypocritical facade that Islam is a tolerant, peaceful religion, which in practice it is not and in theory never was. If within several years, these nations do not openly police and terminate the most severe perversions of their professed belief, and in conjunction liberate their women, it is time — Saddam Hussein, notwithstanding — for modern nations to abandon its military and political sphere of influence in the Mideast, including Israel, of which European descendants having nothing in common with Arabs should resettle in Europe, the western hemisphere, or Australia. They should partially — respecting the Palestinian Jews who remain behind — dismantle all sacred sites but for Jerusalem and Bethlehem, brick by brick and export them to a New Jerusalem, a kind of Louisiana Purchase in, say, Canada. All quarters of Old Jerusalem should be under a multi-religious commission guarded by the UN. If the suicidal pride of Israel persists — and it probably will — then it is on its own, free to build a fortress or unleash its awesome military prowess against all threatening countries. As for OPEC, it needs the modern world, not the inverse — the flow of oil will continue. Besides the time is ripe for a "Manhattan project" to develop alternative fuels as well as homeland security for all countries.

 This is not to say that the West abandon altogether the oppressed under Islamic tyrannies. Covert contacts with freedom loving families and organizations should be forged in order to set up an "underground railroad" for them to escape injustice. The more massive the exodus, the greater the pressure on Islam to weed out religious elders from politics and work toward democracy. All of NATO should be involved in this covert action in furthering human rights.

 This western diplomacy should also extend to ethnic and racial terrorism within their own borders by legislating total tolerance toward their own ethnic mix, together with facilitating separation of church and state in order to forge secular governance of universal morals, guaranteeing religious freedom for the constituents psyches outside the realm of politics. This is a difficult task, for even in the United States, there are innumerable voting blocs that are motivated by religious beliefs — some extreme. This is not to say that secular democracies or enlightened monarchies are without generic morals, which always dictate basic human rights for all. Religious freedom in a democracy, however, is a right only to the extent that it endorses tolerance and these inalienable human rights. However private a religion that does not infringe publicly on natural rights, yet within abuses or denies the rights of their faithful, must be reckoned with by the state. Jonestown is a case in point where the United States failed to protect its constituents.

 Under normal circumstances, the western nations would liberate the Muslims from themselves, but because the democracies are sensitive about religious freedom, they appease Islamic nations, which hide behind the heavy veil of their religion, even though with few exceptions are ruthless dictatorships. The coalition of ‘90 saved Kuwait, but it did not lift a finger to develop a democracy there. Saudi-Arabia, despite its wealth, is still in the dark ages when it so easily could be a magnificent, thriving democracy for all its people, particularly women. Because the western nations had to remain true to the conditions of the ‘90 coalition, it could not liberate the Iraqi people from inhuman oppression. Had it done so and instituted a MacArthur plan as in Japan, Iraq now would be a model that would eventuate in to unraveling the dictatorial evil indigenous to most Islamic nations.

The People's Challenge

'02

There is a surfeit of talking "heads" [amorphous], preposterous columnists and arcane theorists evident in Rothkopf's "Capitalism's Challenge" appearing in Sun-Sentinel’s 2/24 Outlook unable to grasp the undercurrents of their thinking. How can American Capitalism share its wealth with the world when it is unable to do so at home? Spreading wealth without priority of values is not the same as fulfilling the needs of a nation. Inflating the value of entrepreneurialism, sports and entertainment creates an aristocracy let them eat cake threatening the common intelligence and worth of the populous. The glorification of the software, home run and film kings, the uncouth contortionist dancer, the crude diva of the navel, the mind-numbing cacophonous instrumentalist, the inarticulate lyricist and designless composer are products of sinister marketing, the game plan of which is to buttress fanaticism and authoritarianism, lest the great unwashed become enlightened and repulsed by the gladiators of amusement. A million dollars per TV episode to each leading yet supporting actor is not only an affront to the millions in need but sustains the necessary myth that this is a land of opportunity that glamorizes greed. The outrageous gap between corporate executives and workers is an acceptable practice precisely because of the conservative trend in a nation that has long forgotten rules of law and fair play displaced blatantly by the rules of the mythology of the rich and powerful.

 The problem is not as much the unwillingness of the United States to share its wealth with other nations as it is for other nations to share their own wealth and free their people from political and religious oppression in order to set sail toward modernity and potential self-discovery. Had the Soviets followed the Marxist guidelines in truly liberating labor for domestic enhancement, it could have been a viable alternative. Had dictators like Castro, Hussein and Abdullah relinquished power and greed they could have made strides toward enlightened governance. Had King George III not been a nut case the United States would not have been born.

 As for the domestic front, had not cold-hot wars, resistance to civil-rights, and corporate influence, side-tracked the natural continuum of the New-Fair Deals and the War on Poverty, this nation could have been the role model for compassionate justice en route to a global golden age. For Rothkopf to lionize Thatcher as the champion of a "nation of shareholders," is to play right into the greedy hands of the economic determinism of politicians privatize all but the military. Is it presumptuous to define citizenship as ownership of a nation? Is not the vote a share? And are not the owners of a nation entitled to fair shares? Are not all owners entitled to health care, a roof over their heads, public education, a decent wage well above some arcane poverty line? "MaYana," indeed, when it comes to the distribution of justice in our own country. MaYana, indeed, when the next stadium is built for greedy owners, deterring a slum clearing project. MaYana, indeed, when the next $30 million to a film star nibbles away at Title I or lunch programs. MaYana, indeed, when the next corporate tax write-off keeps shut the starting gate for a high speed railway system. MaYana, indeed, when the next tax break for the rich increases child labor overseas and shames employment here to retail such atrocities.

 Hubristic, indeed, is exploitive capitalism, but even worse is the government that encourages it, whether here or abroad. Hubristic, indeed, is exploitive tyrannies, but even worse is the servile tolerance of those oppressed where is the backbone, why do they not rise up against these thugs? Hubristic, indeed, is the call to sacrifice when all it means is to go out and spend more.

 The "end of history" is not in seeking answers; rather, it is revitalizing enlightenment of what the world already knows is right. It is not the next Marx or Ayatollah we have to worry about but rather the planet's billions held in ignorance and want by the few obsessed with domination, and pillage.

‘87

                  Microchips of the Mind

The other night I was watching Shane head for the snow-covered mountain for the nth time. I switched the channel and in an instant I was gazing on the comely face of Alan Ladd's daughter-in-law. Often coincidences like this happen—especially if one is a channel switcher. Another time I had just switched off my VCR after watching a ravishing young Bette Davis in Jezebel; the channel to which it was tuned came on with coming attractions of Whales of August revealing a shriveled Miss Davis.

Many times while I'm listening to the radio or half listening to TV and wistfully thinking of some distant war experience, miraculously the likes of "Gung-ho" or "regiment of marines" will pop from the speaker. Sometimes I'll be scratching out a line or two on a pad and someone will walk in and utter the very word I was writing down. Last year I answered a publisher's ad by sending an anecdote as a sample of my writing about a marine on an LST in a convoy to Okinawa. As is the frustration of all unpublished, self-proclaimed writers, there was no specific reply to the work sent. Instead I received come-on brochures for vanity publishing. In reading a brief bio-sketch on the publisher, however, I discovered he was an LST commander during the battle of Okinawa. It didn't help—I'm still unpublished—he wanted $11,000 to market the novel! Still, all of us have had similar experiences of kismet—sometimes profitably, I hear—and often wonder if there are indeed little floating souls or nature's tricky micro-chips overloading Locke's "association of ideas."

There are, of course, the spooky associations that we encounter. Recently revisiting me were childhood nightmares of my father's death, and then lingered with me as I waited in the doctor's office for a physical checkup. Or the time I was writing a relatively modest check to the insurance company, feeling proud that my youngest child had escaped the trials of my other kids, all of whom have paid horrendous premiums owing to minor auto accidents—for which I nevertheless count my blessings—only to have her walk in tearfully to announce that she had been in a bumper scrape.

The upshot of all this—and I kid you not—is that I have had for almost a year now an enormous novel—my personal masterpiece—in my dust collecting archives of unpublished junk. It is a period piece in which the heroine finds herself in the Mideast during the middle ages. There is a good deal of philosophizing— with a western civilization bias—about life-styles there. Fortunately, unlike Rushdie's, Satanic Verses, the criticism is distanced by time and fictional places, and clothed in humor together with some serious, face-saving counter-arguments.

Perhaps this is an illustration wherein a renowned but distraught author—understandably in light of the contract on his life—could have learned something from a hapless, unpublished hack. Alas, he was not tuned into my micro-frequency which had warned me about dabbling indiscreetly with religious beliefs. Then again, could it be that Locke was telling me that it is a blessing that I remain unpublished?—in more ways than one.

No Child Left Behind — Except 5900 in Broward County

 The Sun-Sentinel’s editorial of Feb 14 — some Valentine! — displays indignation over Broward schools "socially" promoting more than five thousand who failed the fourth grade FCAT in reading, which, however important, should not overshadow competence in the other disciplines. It is possible, you know, for a child to show fine skills in mathematics, science, citizenship, history and geography, not to mention the arts and still lag a grade or two in reading. As a matter of fact, a child who survives in the other disciplines in spite of a reading problem is indicative of a colossal spirit deserving praise. Teachers are aware of this and do every thing possible, together with deferral to reading specialists and conferences with parents, to nurture the child through difficult times with the expectation of fruition in later grades.

 To lump such a child likened to others with glaring learning disabilities and those with horrendous home environments is an injustice and shows a desperate lack in understanding the educational process. Moreover, disruption in the schools by holding nearly six thousand children would be counterproductive in lieu of the smoother transition of recognizing the problem by further remediation as the child grows within the framework of commensurate peers who can also assist if only in spirit. This prevailing environment of everybody is an educational critic, as though the schools were run by idiots, serves no purpose other than the creeping trend toward private schools and vouchers. Somehow if education becomes private, the critics become silent because the problems that still and forever exist in education will become invisible.

 It is time-honored practice to promote the "good kids" who show an honest effort to improve their skills. Those who are incorrigibly uncooperative, diverting the instructional-learning time, lack the love of learning, regardless of test scores, should be in "big brother" alternative environments — not charter schools — that stress the importance of civility and self discovery even before the academic learning abilities are broached. The current trend toward private schools is actually the inverse of alternative schools — parents hope to remove their "good kids" from a disruptive environment. Of course, there have always been private schools for essentially sectarian motives, hardly the ideal for a democratic nation that through public education attempts to develop a camaraderie and citizenship across the spectrum of ethnicity.

 Sun-Sentinel also had an editorial a week or so ago that condemned a demonstration against cutting funds for education because technically it was not the case. However, it did not condemn Tallahassee for shamelessly funding A Plus and vouchers at the expense of failing schools that need funds the most. Somehow this non-sequitur has taken hold in the psyche of Florida — those in greater need is in virtue of deliberate incompetence.

New?

Segal’s "A New Middle East Plan" is a very old plan and at the same time a very recent — as Segal himself concedes — Clinton plan whereupon Barak gave the store away. It was summarily rejected not necessarily by the PLO, but most definitely by Hamas and Islam. It is very old because had the Palestinians accepted the UN solution — not to mention the British Mandate of 1922 — in 1948 and again in 1968: end of story. All through the Clinton administration where was the support of the Arab nations to end this bogus tension? It is clear to everyone but this academician that this eternal conflict is a handy diversion for the rest of the dictatorships in the Mideast to perpetuate the unyielding Islamic principle to keep at arms length the fear of modernity and democracy for all of its faithful.The League of Nations in its Balfour declaration incorporated recognition of the Jews historical affiliation with Palestine, which was mandated to accept Jewish immigration and to establish a "Jewish National Home." However, to the exasperation of the British over the ever-increasing aggressiveness of the Zionists and the undying paranoia of the Palestinians, violence has endured into this century. Both the League of Nations was, and the United Nations are, irrelevant precisely because of allowing warring factions the unearned right to self-determination. The conditions that Segal lays out are old hat and, needless to say irrelevant and naive. Until the UN exercises its inherent right to oversight actually muscles martial law onto all territories and unconditionally mandates a political solution fair to both parties without any ands ifs and buts, the current scenario is hopeless. The main thrust should be that Israel is levied reparations for its aggressive settlements, and the new state of Palestine must not only recognize Israel but to embark on establishing a democratic government totally cleansed of the terrorist wing of religious dogma together with the formulation of public education and liberal teaching of the Koran, bereft of hatred. Moreover, Jerusalem would become an international city under the exclusive governance of the UN and a council of religious dignitaries.

The major problem, omitted by Segal, lies with the Islamic religion as practiced in that it refuses to take a back seat to politics. With every stitch of its ancient robes, it dictates how believers are to live in the material world, rather than to lend spiritual comfort and encourage determination to survive by secular education — not hypnotically memorizing the Koran — and labor geared to modern infrastructure. Islam is in the dark ages that Christianity itself had to be wedged out of by Western enlightenment, to which ironically some of the great medieval philosophers of Islam’s own heritage had in part contributed. The British political and philosophic tradition weighed heavily on the Founding Fathers to forge the separation of church and state. Freedom to worship does not mean that it is brought dominantly into public domain — a lesson we ourselves have yet to learn — for it is still essentially a private matter between God and believer. Politics and humanity within the societal realm have their own sanctity, and until the Mideast grasps the value of individual liberty and equal justice for all, Segal’s high expectation of his UN approach will fall on deaf ears.

Older

Selected Essays

The High Cost of State Revenue

         Widespread gambling is the ultimate roll of the dice turning up snake eyes of addiction. Currently nationwide there are some eight million compulsive gamblers disrupting their lives and their loved ones. Recreational gambling is not unlike the risk of dependence in illicit drug-use originally socially motivated. The nation has enough problems without every greedy state opening its borders or rivers for the sake of revenue and risking —particularly among the young— a national crisis of compulsive gambling leading to crime and emotional disorders.

It is ironic what with congress debating national health insurance—more financial than ideological—there are countless millions who have money to throw away on the lottery, bingo, the track and countless "games" at casinos. There is no telling how much of a cost factor at the turn of the century in health care that addictive gamblers will cost the nation in attempted suicides, domestic abuse and pathological disease just as the rising costs of the drug-user today—not to mention the costs in crime.

Already there are university studies that indicate that even among teenagers gambling is spiraling and spinning off gamble-related crime in the range of stealing from the family to debt default arrests. There is also evidence that pathological gambling is on the rise among them. With the fascination youngsters have with electronic games it does not require a soothsayer to see the easy transition to the bright lights of a casino's slot machines.

States rights is out of control. The guise of "recreation" is pure Madison Avenue stuff in light of gambling's dire implications. Besides, is there no limit to entertainment and recreation in this country? Are there no serious problems in the world? State governments argue that they put people to work and help educate the young. To play on Peter's weakness to pay Paul is not the best way to raise revenue, especially when no one knows what the ultimate cost factor will be down the road. Besides, when is there ever a reduction of school tax as a result of the lottery or gambling casino? Who's kidding whom? Granted on the surface the lottery seems harmless, but no one knows yet just how addictive it is. That there are many willing to gamble as much as thousands of dollars when the lottery hits the $50 million plus range is foreboding. They would ransom their mothers for chips at a casino in Fort Lauderdale.

 '94

       The Right Thing?—The Only Thing

It was the moral thing to do to go into Somalia; but for a strategic foul up both in the field and by the Washington brass, it would have been the right thing to do to get rid of the country's thugs. It was an economy thing to do to go into Kuwait, strategically wrong not to crush Hussein's crack division—and morally wrong not to diplomatically impose a democracy in Kuwait. In behalf of the struggling Latin-American democracies—and Florida—it was the right thing to do to enter Haiti, politically neglectful not to reconstruct its economy.

Foreign relations-wise there is no argument against implementing peace in Bosnia to avoid a repetition of Neville Chamberlain's weakness out of the 1938 Munich Conference, along with the resurrection of dangerous isolationism and appeasement, sending a signal to the fledgling democracies once under communist rule that chaotic blood-shed is permissible, inviting the return of the cold war. That the American people are against it is of no consequence when the rest of the world is at stake. Britain, France, Russia, Italy and the dozen other nations involved in the enforcement did not ask for their citizens' approval either. In international affairs, American blood is no more valuable than that of the allies. That the cry "Is Bosnia worth dying for?" Is an affront to the many UN peace-keepers who died there. It is a desecration of the graves in Normandy that symbolizes the belated but decisive action that Europe was worth dying for years after the cry "Is Poland worth dying for?"

That Vietnam was not worth dying for—only because we “lost”—is not an affront to the brave who lost their lives there. They too carried out, which at the time was thought to be the right thing. The tragic flaw in that war was driven by cold war mentality and that it was carried out unilaterally on the premise that South Vietnam's corruption was less than that of the North. At least in the Korean War we gained UN approval and accomplished the goal, though that too is questionable given the history of South Korea's political corruption. Nevertheless, there is the saving grace in both these wars that the communists finally got around to the idea that the United States was indeed a force to be reckoned with and they too began to question whether their ideology was worth dying for.

Why is Bosnia different—why worth dying for? It is to prove the Tito legacy of a monolithic society of coercion is wrong. That is, diversity is an asset and that co-existence is essential, however difficult the struggle to which our own nation gives testimony. That the Bosnians have, however reluctantly, agreed to a cease fire is sufficient evidence that they have learned the lesson that diversity is a fact of life—just as the Middle East is making strides to acknowledge—and that "ethnic cleansing" is an unacceptable atrocity in a “new world order.”

Understandable is American negativism concerning our standing army's rôle of "policeman of the world," in face of frustrating domestic problems. Preferred would be a truly international powerhouse consisting of all democracies with joint chiefs of staff of the major nations, implementing peace through-out the world. At the moment NATO is the only alternative, since the UN peace-keeping force is too ad-hoc and badly equipped to deal with global thuggery. Understandable is American skepticism when in face of national thuggery running rampant. Even Clinton's "putting more police on the street" is not going to solve the problem because the nation cannot afford the pay-scale of an effective police force, particularly when it has no Eliot Ness-will to end the domestic wars. What is needed is a domestic army to lay waste the narcotic and violent criminal underworld, along with a national will to supplant it with economic armament to fight poverty and reconstruct the inner cities whose violent psychology has spread to all locales. Lest is heard the public cry "police state," it is imperative to train the armed forces or national guard in nation-building on the home-front in consultation with local officials to avoid Kent State quick-on-the-trigger skirmishes; and for that matter, it would not be the army's business to intercept peaceful protests and harmless cults not of the Waco kind.

Crooks are no different from dictators: they only respect overwhelming force. So too, if there is indeed to be a new world order obviating brush and global wars, there has to be gnashing at the throats of the world's troublemakers, the canines of the dogs of war, growling at peace. Otherwise self-styled Munichs will spread until the globe rages with fireballs—which in the end, as we continue to acquiesce, will flare up the unspeakable mushroom. 

'80

                          Eugenics of Sorts

(note to a student)

Before engaging in the polemics of eugenics and DNA you ought to read Plato's Republic. The eugenics chapter will prove enlightening and fascinating. Even though he suggests as you do that someone has to pick up the garbage, Plato goes further by suggesting that eugenics be limited to the candidates for governance, rather than to leave it to the accident of Darwin's natural selection.

I must caution you not to take reading material too literally in your tendency to let your intellectual enthusiasm and drive carry you to impulsive conclusions from filtered, secondhand sources. Commentary is fine as a stimulant, but intellectual integrity requires one to go to the source. I urge you also to read Huxley's Brave New World to gain further insight into this subject. True, neither one of these sources is very scientific—perhaps a blessing since you are not science oriented.

Your natural intuition is correct concerning this article: it is dangerous to romanticize about the potential of DNA, whether well-intentioned or Nazis motivated because of the moral complexity of decision-making in this field. Nevertheless, it is presumptuous to label manual labor disadvantaged—many do whistle while they work and plumbers make house-calls in their Mercedes-Benz.

1996

 Social Security Solvency: Meaningless Term

 In the beginning when the retirement rôles were manageable, it made sense to mandate insurance through a payroll tax. However, just as the insurance companies are justifying horrendous premium increases owing to hurricane Andrew, the government can no longer handle the rapid rise of retirees without escalating regressive taxing on young workers. Continuing to support social security requires spreading the cost around as in an insurance pool.

Social security funds should immediately be transferred to the national budget, thereby closing out the retirement account forever. In lieu of so-called insurance for the agéd, there should be a constitutional amendment guaranteeing protection for retirement age, the disabled, and children of impoverished widows. In lieu of current FICA withholding tax, the lost revenue should be reflected in a new tax package, which would include a 3% national sales tax to insure at least minimal contribution by everybody─even off the book chiselers would have to pay something even though they would not qualify for coverage. An additional 1% sales tax would be initiated also to cover the Medicare withholding. The employer contribution would be eliminated as this would serve in part as an incentive to shrink the off-the-book underworld and more importantly drive down prices of goods and services to soften the blow of a national sales tax. The departure from the current eligibility makeup would kick in 2011 when the baby boomers arrive at their senior years.

Defenders of the social security system forget that it was designed primarily to help the poor in old age. Over time lifestyles have changed and the ostensible poverty line has been somewhat escalated. Rightly the agéd should retire in dignity. At retirement age, those who cannot report a gross income in today's dollars of $30,000 should be subsidized to arrive at that figure. Anyone who has in retirement more than this should not be entitled to social security supplement, but definitely, regardless of income should be entitled to free health service and one half the tax rate in return for years of contributing to the government system.

It is fashionable to talk of tax cuts today while in the real economic world there is need of a tax increase for those who well above the poverty line would not feel the crunch. From the thirties on through the seventies the wealthy did well without the help of Congress tampering with the progressive tax rate. Why should the money people─particularly since the eighties─get this unconscionable windfall which was directly responsible for the prodigious national debt? It is long overdue to set the optimal marginal rate to at least 70%. It is only at a high marginal level that the government can afford to yield to generous capital gains and other investment lures─particularly IRA. On the lower end, the rate should be dropped to 10% for those under $25,000 taxable income. and gradual increments thereafter.

Another important revenue enhancement is to return to the sanity of decent wages. A good start would be to raise the minimum wage. For too long there has been loss of revenue because low and middle wages have been stagnant and therefore the taxes on the vast majority have been stagnant. This is just another example of the rich getting richer while denying millions the American dream, let alone stagnant revenues for the social security system. Those who argue that in a global economy, wages must be kept in check is tantamount to arguing that the communists of old demanded equality in achieving nothing. This is the main cause of generational welfare in that the economy does not embrace the consequences of poverty blighting the dream of opportunity and ambition, costing far more in education, crime and punishment; above all in the deterioration of the family nucleus.

It is time to end looking at social security as some actuarial miracle to cover all substantially. If the current scheme is allowed to go into the next century it will eventuate an intolerable mood wherein the young will resent the old─wishing them dead.