Category Archives: politics

Humility, Please

January 22nd, 2013 | Dr. Charlie Self

As President Obama begins his second term, we celebrate the peaceful transitions of power that make the USA the most stable expression of representative government in history. Even in our most contested elections, no militias have seized power and no parties have outlawed dissent and no dictators have risen to eradicate our experiment in self-governance and shared power.

Today is also the commemoration of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s life and legacy – a life cut short by a racist’s bullet, but a legacy of compassion and justice we still aspire to as a nation.

With these celebrations undergirding our souls, we must not deceive ourselves that all is well and that life will continue on as it always has. Ominous economic, moral, spiritual and social realities cannot be completely obscured by distracting hot-button issues like gun control (reasonable controls are fine, but assault weapons account for less than 1% of all murders) or more federal largess to ravenously dependent constituencies.

We have to face the debt and deficits. We must recognize our foreign policy weaknesses and shore up our relationships with allies like Israel and Poland. Will we confront family implosion with moral and spiritual solutions, not more programs doomed to fail because children desperately need a daddy and mommy? We must stop ruminating about “de-industializing” America as the rest of the world charges past us in the global economic race. We must cease deceiving ourselves that we can spend our way out of recessions and talk our way to peace with totalitarians.

Mr. President, there is one key to a great second term. You cannot control all events, from nature’s fury to foolish decisions made in other nations. You cannot make a speech and heal the economy or the planet. There is one character trait that will unlock the door to a brighter future for all Americans. What is this key?

Humility. The humility to learn from those outside your ideological bubble. Humble people learn from mistakes, increase accountability change habits. Humility opens hearts and minds among adversaries and increases the chance of successful negotiations. Humility thinks of the good of all for the foreseeable future instead of one’s personal image or legacy. Humility opens the door to divine favor and reconciliation among warring factions. Humility is more powerful than intimidation, because it compels thoughtfulness instead of polemics. Humility knows when to compromise on some practical matters.

Humility is courage wisely managed and power carefully exercised. Humility liberates from the destructiveness of narcissism. Humility opens the door to heretofore undiscovered answers to baffling problems. A humble heart will show respect for all people, thereby garnering openness for new ideas.

Mr. President, allow God’s love to remove the barely concealed contempt you have for your political adversaries. The athletic competitiveness of your youth and the radical fervor of your win-at-all-costs young adulthood community organizing needs tempering as you realize that Paul Ryan is just as smart as you are. If you listen and negotiate with him, you will go down in history as one of a few Presidents with a great second term. In our century, Eisenhower, Reagan and Clinton fostered trust, forged compromises and made the world a better place by swallowing their pride and working with opponents.

The “one thing needed” (paraphrasing Jesus of Nazareth in Luke’s Gospel, chapter 10) for progress is also the most difficult virtue because it requires dismantling of defenses and construction of character on a foundation of reverence and for God and respect for all people. Humility liberates us from self-imposed demands of personal omniscience and the pressures of perfectionism.

Humility, please, Mr. President.

A New Day of Integration

January 6th, 2013 | Dr. Charlie Self

While Washington dithers and much of the world wanders, we can decide that 2013 will be a fruitful and meaningful year for ourselves, our families, our communities and – by extension – even our state and nation.

My new book is now out and it contains insights that help thoughtful women and men integrate faith, work and economics into their personal and spiritual growth and help local churches and communities flourish. 2013 is the year that we

Stop separating social justice and wealth creation, recognizing that they are partners in human prosperity at all levels.
End our disintegrated lives and choose integration of our callings, careers, community life and creative inspirations (special thanks to Brett and Lyn Johnson and their book, Convergence for this quartet of completeness).
Seek out friends new and old and encourage one another’s dreams and visions that contains the seeds of future flourishing.
Help thoughtful Democrats and Republicans cease labeling and libeling each other and begin partnering for balanced budgets, new efficiencies and wise stewardship of resources so that the poor and vulnerable are cared for and our children’s futures are secure.
Attend funerals for nostalgia and utopianism and celebration events for first/founding principles and substantive hope rooted in timeless truths and timely observations.

I remain unapologetically hopeful. I posses no fantasies of the days of yore or Star Trek solutions. I believe that God is working through loving and prayerful people willing to be answers to their own petitions.

The link here provides the information on my new work – an effort that arises from collaboration with so many great men and women. The Acton Institute (www.acton.org) is leading the charge for integration and I am honored by the appointment as a senior advisor. Yes, my name is on the cover; however, my deepest desires are the glory of God and the good of others. www.acton.org

The Road Ahead

November 5th, 2012 | Dr. Charlie Self

Our next Administration faces unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Reversing more than half a century of ballooning indebtedness and bloated bureaucracy will be daunting. Transforming health care and retirement plans so they are stable and sustainable will require courage and sacrifice heretofore unknown among politicians. Restoring our global influence and leading the resistance to intolerance and totalitarianism will demand humility, wisdom and moral and military strength. Advocating for life from conception to coronation and affirming compassion for the broken, poor and vulnerable will summon our best character and competencies. Standing with Israel while engaging in honest dialogue with Muslim leaders calls for Solomonic discernment.

Can we chart a fresh direction, revitalizing our founding principles for 21st century realities? Or is it too late and must we “adjust” to a “new world order” and “settle” for less? There is no way forward without pain. The only question is which type of surgery and recovery creates long-term health in the patient we call the United States of America.

There are two dispositions we must eschew and two we must embrace in order to construct a better, more inclusive and prosperous future. First, we must reject fatalism and fear, with their partners dependency and victimhood. Second, we must resist the extremes of hyper-individualism and collectivism. We must reaffirm that liberty is built on virtue and truth embraced by people with freewill. We are responsible for our choices. Yes, there are second chances and opportunities for redemption. There are, however, risks and rewards, positive and negative possibilities with daily decisions. Our future rests on accepting reality and affirming freedom – to fail or succeed. Hyper-individualism forgets that others do contribute to our progress – parents and pastors, coaches, friends and mentors, partners and even competitors are all part of the social reality that makes prosperity possible. The opposite extreme, the “you didn’t build that” collectivism of the last four years (and perhaps longer, truth be told), forgets that the infrastructure that sustains growth is funded by the innovation of the market that produces tax revenue! Remember, the politician’s are playing with our money.

On the positive side, we must embrace hope that is fulfilled by new habits. “Hope and change” only happen with habits and character. Hope is not wishful thinking and new habits begin with new hearts. Will we joyfully embrace the truth that “we are the change” as we diligently work, cheerfully volunteer and sacrificially serve the next generation? Secondly, we must live out the paradox of self-fulfillment through selfless service. Prosperity is adding value to others, not just extracting it. Our material wealth, emotional well-being and fruitful future rest on offering products, services and relationships that honor God and bring good to others. We buy certain products because of their (perceived or real) value. As we participate in the economy, we are stewards of God-given relationships and resources.

As we pray, vote and await the changes ahead, let’s dedicate ourselves to a future founded on character and competence rooted in faith, hope and love. Our salvation is from Christ. Our ultimate future is a gift from the Triune God. But our current life is a partnership with God and people of conscience to forge a loving and just community. “Yes we can” change course and one day look back on a new era of compassion, opportunity and flourishing.

The Morning After: November 7 and January 21

November 1st, 2012 | Dr. Charlie Self

“There’s got to be a morning after; if we can hold on through the night. We have a chance to find the sunlight; let’s keep on looking for the light…”

These words from the theme song to the “Poseidon Adventure” speak to the hearts of millions of Americans as we prepare to vote and live with the consequences. (The song was the best part of an otherwise campy disaster movie!)

We will once again be part of a peaceful continuation and transfer of power, with some officials looking for work and others placed in offices that will require creativity, discipline and integrity if we are going to move forward.

I do hope we see a complete change of direction and focus in Washington, D.C. We need balanced budgets, intelligent projection of power against Islamic terrorism, sound social policies that care for the needy without bankrupting our nation and business and energy policies that recognize reward for risk and careful stewardship of the beautiful world God has bequeathed humankind. We can be energy independent and have a cleaner environment.

We also need a rebirth of civil debate that focuses on solving real problems and assessing fundamental issues without descending into the quagmire of name-calling, personal attack and hoary generalizations rooted in ideological myths instead of first principles and empirical realities.

We can affirm traditional marriage and offer legal status for other arrangements, without altering the universal understanding of marriage and family that has guided every civilization.

We can stop the holocaust of abortion and infanticide and help vulnerable parents raise their children, find adoptive homes and discover a better future.

We can balance a budget if we will stop trying to maintain a federal warfare and welfare state. We do have local and state governments that work…we can learn from these examples and re-empower local and state political and social progress.

We can create a just system of federal taxation. All it takes is courage, honesty and a willingness to be a one-term official.

We can support Israel and pave the wave for a new Palestinian state committed to non-violence and reciprocal prosperity. All it takes is moral courage, calling the bluffs of radicals and demonstrating that representative democracy is the best form of government. There is no place for Temple and Holocaust denial in a peaceful Middle East.

We can care for the medical needs of all our citizens with innovative private-public partnerships that are humane, local and subject to effective ethical oversight, not a bloated bureaucracy.

All of these ideas will only work with a nation of self-regulating, virtuous citizens. Failure to regulate our own moral, economic and social behavior brings anarchy and paves the way for totalitarian control.

We need to secure our borders and create hospitality centers that welcome hard-working people from around the world. There is a place for seasonal work and permanent residency. There is a way to create a pathway to citizenship for all that come legally. We do not need to atone any longer for real and false guilt from 1848 or any other moment. We need to empty our prisons of violent illegal convicts and deport them. At the same time, we can foster new channels to welcome and integrate new friends.

Thomas More’s famous work Utopia literally means “no-where.” (“U” = no; topos = “land” or “place”). I do not believe we can achieve perfection in this age. I do believe we can make progress.

What about race? In 2008 we proved to ourselves that skin color did not matter. We need to do the same in 2012. Character, competence, ideals and policies, along with leadership, relational ability and a love for our founders’ principles should guide our decisions. I would happily vote for J.C. Watts. Condi Rice is admirable. I wish Thomas Sowell was the chief economist – we would have greater prosperity! We need the voices of John Perkins and Shelby Steele. Race is more than a black/white issue. There are people from every culture that will contribute to an American future. Let’s celebrate our diversity-in-unity instead of balkanizing.

Please pray, get informed and vote. After the parties, the lamenting and rejoicing, the real work begins.

The Real I%

July 31st, 2012 | Dr. Charlie Self

The Occupy Movement and the their accomplices in the media enjoy separating themselves from the “one percent” and identifying with the “99%” that represents “the people.” Progressive politicians and pundits gleefully pounce on any conservative gaffes. The academic, chattering, governmental and financial leaders benefitting from current policies congratulate themselves on their enlightened views. They throw charity balls and make public appearances in their Chevy Volts (after deplaning from their Gulfstreams). They celebrate Che Guevera, Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez, embrace Islamicist radicals, casually call Israel an arpartheid nation and subject the Chick-Fil-A company to merciless abuse. They are silent about the treatment of women in Islamicist states, mute about the impending destruction of American economic and political liberty and willfully ignorant about what it takes to run a small- or medium-sized business. They screamed for the closing of Guantanamo in 2008 – today there is deafening silence. They basked in their pride as the first biracial President came into office, but they marginalize any African-American that stands for traditional marriage. They love dismissing the Tea Party as homophobic, racist and out-of-touch, while never considering the Tea Party platform has nothing to say about marriage, race or other fashionable concerns. This group ignores the thousands of thefts, and hundreds of assaults and rapes that are part of Occupy events while conservative events are orderly. These self-syled revolutionaries ignore the violent anti-Semitic activities of the Muslim Student Associations on college campuses. Any call for voter ID is deemed repressive and citizenship is considered optional. They excoriate Catholics, Evangelicals and Mormons, but remain silent in the face of totalitarianism in China and Russia.

Who are the “one percent”? It is not the mechanic trying to keep his shop open or the veteran rercovering from wounds. It is not the investor who is risking life savings on an idea. It is not a beleaguered public school teacher that cannot get parents to care. It is not the Walmart greeter or the oil rig technician. The real one percent are not the busy pastors helping people find peace in tragedy or the dedicated volunteers that read for the blind.

Yes, there are global, multinational cabals that value only their wealth and power. Oddly enough, many of these folks are funding the radical causes listed above. It suits their purposes to destabilize nations and encourage anarchy so they can make a profit and install their puppets.

The pagan-secular Left is the real 1%. They can mobilize the dependent and disaffected, appeal to class warfare, play the race card when convenient and position themselves as the interpreters of all language. Did you know that words like initiative and personal responsibility are actually code for oppression and racism? You see, we foolish folks that cling to our guns and religion are too stupid to understand the “systemic” ills that keep people from prosperity. The real enemies of progress are the free market, traditional moral values and the intransigence of Israel. If we would just yield control to their self-anointed, self-appointed intelligensia, all will be well. We will live in “planned” communities, drive “smart” cars, breed only “worthy” children and enjoy maximal personal pleasure while having all our basic needs met by our benevolent despots. After all, we cannot take care of ourselves, can we? While we are at it, let’s divide the USA into many nations, restore the mythical “Aztlan” in the southwest, give reparations ro all slave descendants and return all the land to the first nation tribes. Anyone of European origins can go live in…Kansas.

This parody is fun…except that it is all true. The American Experiment in liberty based on virtue and truth is being exchanged for a subversive libertine-totalitarian vision where the bureaucrats and approved intellectuals and technocrats rule while the rest eat from the public trough (a trough without cetain ingredients or portions, of course.).

The upcoming election is the most important since 1860, for it symbolizes a choice between living up to our founders’ ideals of self-regulating, truth-based liberty or a globalist-socialist future that will diminish human flourishing and restrict freedoms – all in the name of “fairness.”

But America’s future is not determined by the occupant of the White House. Our future rests on the active, comnpassionate and intelligent involvement of all our citizens. We must awaken from our moral and spiritual stupor and choose a better future through reverence for the Almighty, respect for our neighbor and responsible work. Let’s argue about policies while we cooperate on compassion. Let’s debate civilly while we rebuild our infrastructure with private-public partnerships of integrity and transparency. Let’s bring our troops home with dignity while deploying anti-terrorist forces effectively. Let’s honor the miracle of modern Israel while inviting Palestinians to foreswear violence and share in Mideast prosperity. Let’s celebrate marriage and permit other arrangements without rancor. Let’s welcome millions of immigrants – legally. And let’s vote and make sure only live citizens’ ballots count. Above all, let’s end the polarism and replace it with critical thinking grounded in love. At the end of the day, desiring the best for my neighbor and serving others with no thought of return will do more to change the world than any other affections or actions.