By Edwin Cooney
A paradigm constitutes a model of one's perception about almost any topic. When President George Washington criticized the political party paradigm during his 1796 farewell address, his lack of offering a good government paradigm minus political parties left the process of free elections without a structure or an ideal. Almost all of the evils he outlined about political parties have come true. However, what Father George couldn't offer his children was an alternative instrument free of the political party process to conduct, adjust, and evaluate the vicissitudes of free government.
I insist that Elizabeth Cheney's defiance of Mr. Trump's paradigm of approach is heroic especially in the face of her public voting record of backing the Trump administration's policies 93% of the time. Her defiance of Mr. Trump's authoritarianism makes her a hero. Since her condemnation leaves her seriously vulnerable politically, not only has she been stripped of her chairmanship of the Republican Conference in the House, but she's also been expelled as a legitimate Republican Party member back in her home state of Wyoming.
Former President Trump's paradigm or model of government appears to assert that no matter whose legal or policy assessment of any national situation he defies, he must be sustained in his defiance. It reminds me of former President Richard Nixon's assertion during one of his conversations with Journalist David Frost in 1977 that whatever the President does is lawful merely because the President authorized it.
There's almost nothing in Congresswoman Cheney's public record for which I have any sympathy other than her assertion that the Trump administration was "pro Putin." Believing what she believes and voting as she has, her defiance of Donald Trump's acts on January 6th, 2021 dramatically intensifies the power and significance of her courageous position.
Two things reflected in the reactions I've received to last week’s column are interesting. Most of the Democrats that have responded disagree with my assertion that Liz Cheney is a hero. Even more interesting is the assertion by one of my Republican friends that the party would be more interested in accepting the January 6th committee's conclusions were it willing to have Speaker Pelosi's lack of preparedness to resist the events on January 6th be a topic of inquiry. As I see it, that's like blaming the victim of a fire for suffering the fire. Another way to look at it is like blaming the victim of a robbery for being vulnerable to being robbed!
The root of our national distress lies in the reality that we've allowed both political parties, due to the nature of the political doctrines they've institutionalized, to virtually criminalize each other.
If you're pro-choice, you're a baby killer. If you're pro-gay marriage, whatever else you support, you're a pervert! If you're for national health insurance, you're a Communist — or at least a Socialist. Whatever position you take on any issue, you're either a saint or a sinner.
During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln used to pray that he was on God's side. These days too many of our leaders and opinion makers insist that God's on their side and everyone else is a sinner! Even worse, we too often use religion to dehumanize each other! Your religion is your and nobody else's business. Even as religion plays a vital part in who we are as a nation, no matter what Irving Berlin wrote back in the 1930s urging that God Bless America, whether or not you and I go to Heaven won't depend on how good an American we are! You personally may legitimately hope for Heaven, but God isn't going to take the whole country into His kingdom. (I have friends who are actually frightened that they may end up in Heaven!)
Perhaps the biggest reason we need a new paradigm is that we take ourselves too damned seriously! Salvation is not a matter of our national fate.
In closing, I offer the following elements of a new national paradigm:
(1.) Let's draw a distinction between religious belief and national morality. You may be Heaven-bound, but America's going nowhere when it dies. Your religious belief may legitimately reflect who you are and what you advocate, but religious values are strictly your, your deity’s and nobody else's business. The religious among us have no monopoly on morality.
(2.) Let's stop beating each other over the head with our interpretation of the sins of history. I believe that Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee were treasonous, but if you'll stop calling me a socialist (or worse) for advocating Obamacare or climate change, I'll not so vigorously insist that their treachery and bigotry was spiritually immoral or that you're a racist for heroizing them!
(3.) If the well-being of babies is the reason for denying women the freedom of choice, the least you can do is agree not to further mistreat women or let the newly born ethnic children either starve or be denied housing, medical care, education, and employment opportunities.
(4.) Let's make both of our political parties be accountable for tackling homelessness, infrastructure and climate change.
(5.) Let's stop using capital punishment to solve behavioral problems!
(6.) Let's draw a distinction between romance and love and always champion the latter!
(7.) While we must be cautious about national expenditures, remember your ultimate profit is limited to the exact extent that someone else is too poor to purchase your service or product!
(8.) If illegal immigration is a legitimate problem, consider what makes it so! Begin by asking yourself how much you enjoy moving! Imagine moving hundreds of miles, more or less on foot, to a country that doesn't want you for all you may bring!
(9.) It's time to do away with the Electoral College!
(10.) Absolutely above everything else, let's start investing in each other's well-being, everyday and all the time!
If we apply the above elements of paradigm change, before we know it we might actually become THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA once again!
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
EDWIN COONEY
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