Commentary
Expert perspectives on justice concerns worldwide
On November 25, 2016, the death of former Cuban President Fidel Castro marked the close of an enduring era of dictatorship and brutality. As Western sensibilities about socialism have changed since the Cold War and as current generations have a limited reference to history, some are viewing his life and legacy in “revolutionary” rather than dictatorial terms. But history reveals what current sentiment may not – revolution is not always a good thing…and it certainly wasn’t for Cuba under Castro.
If there has been one issue on which President-elect Donald Trump has been loud and clear, it is his desire to end illegal immigration and deport immigrants here illegally. Every time he has seemed to soften his stance, his most outspoken supporters have jumped in to make sure he clarifies that he has no intention of modifying that position. So what will happen with Trump’s latest indication that he will “work something out” for those 750,000 young people who were brought here illegally by their parents when they were children and were granted temporary legal status by executive action during the Obama years?
Dear Mr. Trump:
Congratulations on your victory after a long election night and even longer campaign year. This race was hard fought and against a formidable opponent in Hillary Clinton. And your electoral win says much about your tenacity and skill in this political effort.
Given that I have spent the past 38 of my 48 years studying, commenting, writing, teaching, and engaging in government and politics, I must say that this was one of the most fascinating and difficult presidential election years I have ever witnessed. As such, I am taking the liberty to share some thoughts not only about the process but also about the prospects ahead.
Beyond expectations of pundits, pollsters and most political analysts, Donald Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States. While the reasons for this outcome will likely be debated far into the future, it is meaningful to ask whether this vote ushered in a new epoch in American history, or a continuation of current trends. Few elections have changed the direction of our country; Jackson, Lincoln and the triumphs of both Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt come to mind. Using their victories and the pivotal changes produced in their aftermath, we can speculate if this election result might result such an event.
A debate stretching back to America’s founding recently resurfaced during this election cycle, with Donald Trump’s suggesting the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank’s monetary policy favors the incumbent party’s bid to retain political power. From the beginning of our nation’s origins, our leaders have quarreled over the power and influence of a central bank. Initially, opposition led by Thomas Jefferson, centered on the concentration of economic clout a central bank would necessarily possess, claiming it would benefit manufacturers and traders in New England over agrarian interests in other states. However, with war debts still needing to be repaid, merchants and farmers having to rely on credit from one another or on banks in England, and each state issuing its own currency, the argument favoring a central bank prevailed. At the time of its creation, just three local banks operated in all of the 13 states, one in Boston, New York City and Philadelphia.
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