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Printed in the Northwest Arkansas Times, 5/29/06
by Lowell Grisham
Many commentaries remark on the similarities between our American era of wealth and power and that of 8th century BCE
Israel. The four decade reign of Jeroboam II during that century was golden age of power and wealth for ancient Israel.
Combined with the territory of Uzziah in the sister kingdom of Judah, their territory almost matched the full sweep of Solomon's
empire. Excavations at Megiddo and Samaria reveal the signs of great prosperity and cultural achievement. Jeroboam controlled
critical commercial trade routes that allowed him to build a luxurious capital at Samaria.
But the Deuteronomic history of the Bible dismisses the reign of Jeroboam with a scant seven verses, "He did what
was evil in the sight of the Lord. ...For the Lord saw that the distress of Israel was very bitter; there was no one left,
bond or free, and no one to help Israel." (2 Kings 14:23f) And the great 8th century prophets Amos and Hosea saw not
the wealth and power of a great state, but rather the economic injustice and unfaithfulness of a corrupt civilization.
"Alas for those who are at ease in Zion, and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria. ...Alas for those who lie
on beds of ivory, and lounge on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the stall; who sing idle songs
to the sound of the harp, and like David improvise on instruments of music; who drink wine from bowls, and anoint themselves
with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph." (Amos 6:1a, 4-6) "I will tear down the winter
house as well as the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall come to an end, says the
Lord." (Amos 3:15)
Amos scorned the nationalistic religious observance that covered a greedy economic system. Wealthy merchants bent the
legal and governmental services to favor their ends while abusing the working poor. Archeological studies show a dramatic
shift in Israel from its earlier years of relative economic parity to a rising gap between the elite super-rich and the rest
of the society in the 8th century. Amos spoke bitterly of the sophisticated ladies. "Hear this word, you cows of Bashan
who are on Mount Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to their husbands, 'Bring me something to drink!'
...The time is surely coming upon you when they shall take you away with hooks." (4:1f)
I can imagine what Amos might be saying to our leaders who have just extended yet another tax cut for the wealthy and
accelerated the growing gap between the elite super-rich and the rest of America. The bill was a two-year extension of the
earlier cut in tax rate for capital gains and dividend income. Only about 10% of Arkansans report any taxable income from
stock dividends or capital gains, and most of them report negligible sums. Two-thirds of the income from capital gains and
dividends come from the 9,200 richest of our 1.1 million Arkansas taxpayers. They'll get the break.
The earlier 2001-3 tax reform packages also benefited those who least needed the benefit. Millionaires got 16% of the
total tax savings, sharing among the elite 0.2% a $35 billion windfall. That's more than half of what the lower 80% realized.
The Federal Reserve Board has a new report that says that the wealthiest 1% of Americans now own more than a third of
the net wealth in the United States, more than the poorest 90% combined. The gap between rich and poor has been growing dramatically,
and tax policies that favor the wealthy have helped exaggerate the difference.
Both the Council of Economic Advisors who advised the White House and conservative economist Douglas Holtz-Eakin have
shown that cuts in capital taxes do not come close to stimulating enough economic growth to replace the government's lost
revenue. Every tax cut adds to the national deficit and debt, now soaring to apocalyptic heights. For all their faults,
the Clinton administration balanced the budget and left Mr. Bush with a surplus to start his first budget year. Personally,
I prefer "tax and spend" to "borrow and spend." It seems more honest.
It took only 20 months from January 15, 2004 to October 18, 2005 for the national debt to grow from $7 trillion to $8
trillion. The jump from $5 to $6 trillion took six years. If the national debt were passed out equally to each American,
it would equal $27,969 per person, over $100,000 for a family of four.
In a generation in which the rich are accumulating a growing percentage of America's wealth, our government's tax policy
has been one that accelerates economic elitism. Meanwhile schools struggle to pay their way, more Americans lose access to
health insurance, and the national debt grows $1.79 billion a day.
It's a great time to be a millionaire though. Not unlike the good-ole days of 8th century BCE Israel. And like then,
much of our economic greed is also soothed with pious religious rhetoric. I know what Amos would say. "Take away from
me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness
like an ever-flowing stream." (5:23-24)
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