My Facebook friends are in the thick of the political debate. My son and daughter have spoken their concern to me to not be too politically involved. However, so many of the Facebook posts I receive are responding to the present battle between the Republicans under President Trump and the Democratic leaders with Joe Biden. I think the intensity of the present political situation is such that this will continue with both sides among my friends until after the election. I have found that many do not deal with the policy issues, which to me is crucial. What are the policies professed and what is the likelihood that the professed policies will be pursued and implemented? Though our primary thrust is the power of the Gospel to change lives and societies, we do have an important civic responsibility, especially in a democratic republic. Many only debate about how bad a person President Trump is or that he is not such a bad person or does do the right things in policy. For those who think he is terrible, it seems to supersede concern for policy issues.
The place to find the policy is in the Democratic policy platform. One should also look up the agreement between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. Some are denying that this has any weight for what a President Biden would do. But if not, then he has been lying about his intentions with Bernie Sanders and his followers.
The place for the Republican policy is the 2016 platform and the professions of Trump and the Republican leaders on their plans, though there is no platform.
My greatest issues are: 1. abortion policy including the appointment of judges. 2. Israel issues. 3. Lifting the black underclass and overcoming the intergenerational poverty and underclass situation. 4. Religious liberty and liberty for educational choice for religious reasons would be the fourth.
Test yourself. Do you know what the parties’ views are on these issues below? Do you know what the issues are and where you stand? I do not favor one party or the other on all of these.
Domestic
- Abortion restrictions
- Appointment of Federal and Supreme Court Judges
- Religious liberty and education
- Education including Private school vouchers and charter schools
- Environmental issues including Global Warming/Climate change and the Green New Deal. The use of fossil fuels, renewal energy tec. International accords.
- Medical and hospitalization system; coverage and costs, disclosure of hospital and doctor information, pre-existing conditions. Socialized medicine (Medicare for all or something else?)
- Police reform and funding
- Tax policy and economic growth and job growth (connects to international and trade policy).
- International trade policy, free trade, tariffs, and fair trade etc.
- NATO and commitments and contributions
- International Anti-Semitism concerns.
- Overcoming the intergenerational underclass situation of the black community. Welfare policy and the underclass.
- Dealing with crime in the black community and the drug wars
- MS-13 type gangs, drugs and crime
- Immigration policy: Legal immigration and illegal policy, sanctuary cities etc. Border wall and v-verify, dreamers policy.
- Hi-Tech monopolistic corporations
- Levels of wealth and influence from super-rich
- Monopoly and information domination from a few tech companies
- The politicization of the universities and colleges.
- The media and control by liberals etc.
- Criminal justice reform
- Drugs and legalization and fighting organized crime
- Surveillance of citizens and privacy concerns
- Military policy and spending
Foreign
- China policy, military, trade, and espionage and domination issues.
- Iran, terrorism, and nuclear danger.
- Russia and responses to their actions.
- Israel and the peace process. Jerusalem, settlements, and the Land.
- Turkey and its new thrust for domination in the Eastern Med and the Middle East. Her involvement in Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Northern Cyprus.
- Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Kurds
- Africa policy
- Latin America policy and Venezuela
- Religious freedom and American responses to oppressive regimes