InsideSources

INSIDE TRUMP’S CHRISTMAS STOCKING — TWO VIEWPOINTS: Click here for the companion piece,  “What’s in President Trump’s Stocking?,” by Aaron Scherb.

 

According to folklore, the origin of the Christmas stocking tradition goes something like this: Once upon a time, there was a poor widower with three daughters. The widower was afraid his daughters would never marry because he could not provide dowries for his beloved girls. Upon hearing of this sad tale, St. Nicholas dropped gold coins down the poor man’s chimney on Christmas Eve. Lo and behold, those gold coins landed in the three stockings that happened to be hanging by the fireplace, ensuring that the widower’s daughters would marry and live happily ever after.

Although anyone would be ecstatic to wake up and find their Christmas stocking filled with gold, that’s more unlikely than Santa Claus declining milk and cookies. However, we can still hope to find our stockings filled with our dream gifts.

Assuming the Secret Service lets Santa down the chimney, what gifts might the man in the red suit place in President Trump’s stocking? Well, since the president has done a mighty good job this year, from record-low unemployment to skyrocketing GDP, he surely must be on Jolly Old St. Nicholas’s “Nice List.” And since Santa Claus knows what everyone wants and needs, come Christmas morning, as the commander-in-chief opens his stocking, what might he find inside?

For starters, a signed and sealed free trade agreement with China would bring a childlike grin to the president’s face on Christmas morning. Since the president loves making deals, a breakthrough in the China trade war that prioritizes Americans’ interests would be the gift that keeps on giving.

Besides this much-needed trade agreement, the president would almost certainly find an energized and exhilarated chief of staff lurking somewhere by the chimney, and whoever he or she is, it’s certain Santa would deliver a new top aide who will be more than capable of filling the large shoes left by Trump’s departing chief of staff, Gen. John Kelly.

As everyone knows, every once in a while, good boys and girls are surprised by an extra-special, purely unexpected gift in their timeworn stocking. Of course, we’ve all faced the disappointment of opening presents, only to find that the one gift you really wanted was not left under the Christmas tree. But sometimes, just sometimes, you get that perfect gift. What incredible treasure can the president hope for this year? Just imagine the president digging into the toe of his stocking, checking every last nook and cranny with that self-described “big hand” of his. What could he possibly discover?

Suddenly, he grasps it — a small rectangular object. As he jiggles the item loose, he slowly raises it from the bottom of his stocking, feeing it from its stocking sequester. What is it? A brand-new smartphone, preloaded with the president’s favorite app: Twitter! And guess what, this snazzy new phone is bigger than ever — and made in the United States, of course — making it all that much easier for the president to tweet away to his heart’s content.

This holiday season, the president won’t be the only American with a stocking stuffed with goodies. Thanks to the Trump administration’s free-market policies, such as tax cuts and deregulation, business is booming across the United States. Even better, families have more money to spend this holiday than ever before.

Although Santa might not be able to fill everyone’s stocking with gold, at the very least the American people should appreciate that the administration’s policies have filled Americans’ pockets with gold.

At the North Pole, Santa’s elves have worked hard all year to make gifts for all the little boys and girls, and at the White House, the administration has worked just as hard to provide economic vitality to all Americans, whether naughty or nice.

As President Trump is fond of saying, “Merry Christmas!”

INSIDE TRUMP’S CHRISTMAS STOCKING — TWO VIEWPOINTS: Click here for the companion piece, ‘Think Your Holiday Gift List Is Tough? Imagine Filling Trump’s Stocking,’ by Chris Talgo.

 

When President Trump awakens on Christmas morning, after tweeting for 30 minutes, he furiously races over to the White House Christmas tree to see what he received. He quickly discovers his oversize stocking bulging with gifts and begins to open the dozens of presents he has received from his fellow Americans and world leaders.

—From the pope: A board game called Two Truths and Two Hundred Lies

—From Vladimir Putin: A statue of the Kremlin

—From Twitter: a lifetime supply of I-Phones

—From Robert Mueller: a subpoena for an interview

—From the rule of law: a sign that says “January 20, 2021”

—From the Russian company Internet Research Agency: A Russian doll

—From major donors: more requests for Presidential Medals of Freedom for their spouses

—From House Democrats: a copy of President Trump’s current approval ratings

—From Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi: A copy of the movie “Manchurian Candidate”

—From billionaires, corporations and special interests: a gold-plated thank-you note for passing a tax bill that gives a massive tax break to the ultra-wealthy (and could eventually lead to higher taxes for millions of middle-class Americans)

—From Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts: a copy of the Constitution

—From Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell: a copy of the Beatles’ song “Back in the USSR”

—From Jeff Bezos: A free subscription to Amazon Prime

—From Michael Flynn: a request for a pardon

—From Michael Cohen: a lump of coal

—From CNN: a copy of their highest ratings (plus a lump of coal)

—From the New York Times: a copy of their highest subscription figures

—From reporters: a restraining order

—From the Office of Government Ethics: a picture of a swamp

—From democracy: A “help wanted” sign

—From American taxpayers: a bill for the millions of dollars wasted on the failed “voter fraud” commission and a bill to cover the millions of dollars in security costs for the dozens of golf trips to Mar-a-Lago and his other resorts

—From the Trump Foundation: a “gone out of business” sign

—From Mike Pence: a painting of the Oval Office

—From Melania, Ivanka, Eric and Donald Jr.: a “get out of jail free” card

—From Ryan Zinke, Sean Spicer, Hope Hicks, Rex Tillerson, Anthony Scaramucci, Jeff Sessions, Tom Price, H.R. McMaster, Reince Priebus, Steve Bannon (and at least two dozen other former high-level Trump administration officials): updated resumes and reference requests

—From Common Cause: A copy of our report Art of the Lie

 

Happy holidays, Mr. President! On behalf of Common Cause’s 1.2 million members who are fighting to strengthen our democracy at the national, state and local levels, we look forward to expanding our work to empower the voices of all Americans in government.

As e-commerce sales continue to skyrocket, more and more consumers are turning to the internet to get through the bulk of their Christmas shopping.

But the more popular e-commerce has become, the more susceptible online shoppers are to cyberattacks, fakes and frauds.

In fact, according to the 2018 Holiday Threat Report from Carbon Black, a cybersecurity company, cyberattacks are expected to spike 60 percent through the holiday shopping season this year.

“During the holiday season, there is often a ton of noise in the online world and attackers do everything they can to take advantage of that,” said Tom Kellermann, Carbon Black’s Chief Cybersecurity Officer, according to the report.

Based on past data, online shoppers should be on guard until New Year’s. There are two big spikes in online shopping around the holidays: the first starts on Black Friday and continues until Christmas Day, and the second begins shortly after Christmas Day until right before New Year’s Day as online shoppers race to nab the post-Christmas sale deals.

Cybersecurity experts say to expect a spike in cybercrime at the same time.

Furthermore, fakes and frauds are infiltrating e-commerce sites like Amazon and eBay at an alarmingly rapid rate, and no one wants to buy Dad fake leather gloves advertised as “real leather Made in Italy” for Christmas.

So how to stay safe? Here’s a few reliable tips and tricks recommended by cybersecurity companies and blogs:

1. Be wary of seemingly amazing email deals — and don’t click on the links.

According to Carbon Black and Sothis, an information technology (IT) and research company, the holiday shopping season is primetime for phishing campaigns. That eBay item you’re thinking of buying for your mom? The seller probably didn’t just drop the price by 50 percent — so double check who the sender is, and check the listing before you click the email link.

Bottom line: if the “sale” or “bargain” seems too good to be true, then it probably is.

2. Speaking of email links, be careful with tracking updates.

With so much online shopping, you’re probably trying to make sure all your packages arrive safely and on time. You’ve probably signed up for email alerts with tracking information — and maybe text messages too, if you’re really paranoid. But hackers know you’re paranoid, too, and they might send you fake emails with false tracking info and steal your personal data.

Again, double check the sender, and if you see any weird typos in the email address, subject line, etc., then just don’t open the email or click on any links in the email.

3. Shop from tried-and-true sellers.

If you like to hunt for deals on Amazon, eBay or Etsy, make sure you’re buying from a real seller. Christmas is when hackers pose as sellers to steal your data and banking or credit card info or send you fakes, so check and double check who you’re buying from.

Does the seller have good reviews? Is it the right brand? Check the comments too — usually other scammed shoppers will alert future shoppers from buying from a certain seller.

6. Prioritize shopping from websites with “https” in the domain.

Believe it or not, “https” is more secure than “http.” That doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to be scammed at a website with an “http” domain, but it does mean it’s more likely.

4. Check your bank account periodically.

If you’re buying a lot of items online, it’s wise to check your bank account periodically just to make sure you’re being charged the right amounts for items and haven’t opened the door to a cyber thief.

5. Don’t shop over public Wi-Fi networks.

For many, this is already a no-brainer, but many people use public Wi-Fi networks, so it’s worth a warning. Your computer isn’t secure when it is logged onto a public Wi-Fi network with a WPA2 encryption standard, so completing financial transactions on such a public network is extremely unsafe.

This is because, as CSO Online explains, hackers are able to intercept you and your connection point — in this case, an e-commerce website — and so instead of sending your credit card info to a perfectly reputable Amazon seller, you’re actually sending it straight to the hacker.

So, don’t do it. Shop at home.

Follow Kate on Twitter

For nearly 220 years, Christmas has been celebrated in the White House with presidential flair. From low key affairs in the early days of our democracy to today’s decorating extravaganzas, how the holiday was observed varied widely among the families that called 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue home.

Take the quiz below and test your knowledge of Christmas trivia at America’s most famous residence:

 

Which president placed the first Christmas tree in the White House, putting it in the Yellow Oval Room and decorating it with toys for his grandchildren?

A.  Thomas Jefferson (1803)

B.   Martin Van Buren (1838)

C.   Benjamin Harrison (1889)

D.  William McKinley (1898)

 

Which president read Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to his small army of grandchildren on Christmas Eve?

A.  Grover Cleveland

B.   Franklin Roosevelt

C.   Dwight Eisenhower

D.  Jimmy Carter

 

One president, a famous conservationist, supposedly banned Christmas trees from the White House because he opposed cutting down live trees for that purpose. His young son smuggled in a small tree and hid it in an upstairs closet. Who was that president?

A. James Madison

B. James Buchanan

C. James Garfield

D. Theodore Roosevelt

 

Which president threw one of the most elaborate Christmas parties ever, a “frolic” for his grandchildren that included dancing, a banquet, and a giant indoor snowball fight utilizing specially made cotton “snowballs”?

 A. Andrew Jackson (1835)

B.  James Polk (1846)

C.   Millard Fillmore (1852)

D.   Andrew Johnson (1867)

 

Which president first placed electric lights on a Christmas tree?

A.  Ulysses Grant (1876)

B.   Grover Cleveland (1894)

C.   William McKinley (1899)

D.  William Howard Taft (1909)

 

In perhaps the worst White House holiday season ever, a fire broke out in the West Wing during a White House children’s party on Christmas Eve. Who was president during the blaze?

A.  Theodore Roosevelt (1902)

B.   Warren Harding (1921)

C.   Herbert Hoover (1929)

D.  Harry Truman (1949)

 

Which first lady began the tradition of creating an official White House Christmas Tree Ornament each holiday?

A.  Lucy Hayes

B.   Ida McKinley

C.   Eleanor Roosevelt

D.  Nancy Reagan

 

Which first lady began the tradition of selecting a theme for the official White House Christmas Tree?

A.  Eleanor Roosevelt

B.   Bess Truman

C.   Mamie Eisenhower

D.  Jacqueline Kennedy

 

Which president first presided over the lighting of the National Christmas Tree?

A. Warren Harding

B.  Calvin Coolidge

C.  Herbert Hoover

D.  Franklin Roosevelt

 

Which first couple are believed to have hosted the first-ever White House Christmas party (for their four year-old granddaughter)?

A.  George and Martha Washington (1795)

B.   John and Abigail Adams (1800)

C.   James and Dolley Madison (1814)

D.  Abraham and Mary Lincoln (1862)

 

Answers: 1-C, 2-B, 3-D, 4-A, 5-B, 6-C, 7-D, 8-D, 9-B, 10-B  

Christmas is coming. I know this because of indelible evidence in my own home. My wife, Linda Gasparello, has just baked a Christmas cake. If I doubt that this is the month of Christmas, I just have to look at it, cooling on the kitchen counter, declaring itself, in its way, the harbinger of the holidays.

The cake can’t be eaten yet. No, no. Linda, who’s a phenomenon at the range, explains when she sees me circling with a knife, the cake needs to “cure” for at least a week. Rum must infuse the cornucopia of fruit that has bonded with flour and eggs and whatever else makes a cake a cake. I don’t know all the fruits and nuts that go into The Great Christmas Cake, but I do know there are dried apricots. Linda gave me some as a bribe to get out of the kitchen while she was baking the cake.

All year we eat very little cake in our home. Desserts are avoided for the usual reason: keeping down the calorie count. But recently, for a party, Linda made a carrot cake. Not because she’s my wife, but because I adore carrot cake, I can say that hers is the best ever.

How come I indulge in carrot cake when I eschew sponge, hide from German chocolate and, with a heavy heart, have even shaken my head at Sachertorte (chocolate cake covered with apricot jam and chocolate icing) in Vienna — a crime against Austria, practically an act of war? (I must confess, though, that I once ate the cake in the Hotel Sacher in Vienna where it was invented.)

The answer is carrots sound so healthy. “Good for you,” my mother used to say. She was a frightful cook and so raw carrots were better than anything she tried to do to them, which was mostly boil the life out of them until they were soft and spongy, most of the nutrients gone.

This year I read “Hotel Sacher,” a novel by Rodica Doehnert that traces the role of the great hotel at the end of the 19th century — how it was a kind of headquarters for the events that led to the end of Austro-Hungarian Empire and to World War I. If you want to research this in chilling detail, read Max Hastings’ book “Catastrophe 1914: Europe Goes to War.”

Back to cakes and Christmas. Linda’s cake has so many things in it I wonder it doesn’t cause a criticality incident or spontaneously ignite.

There seems to be a boom in cooking and baking in particular. It all goes back to Julia Child, “The French Chef” on television in the 1960s, who whet the nation’s palate for cooking. Julia showed that cooking could be fun (especially if you cook with wine and imbibe as you go) and challenging — so much so that today we have an abundance of cooking shows.

The ones I hate are those that weaponize cooking — with contestant chefs who are sent home in tears because their sauce separated or, horror of horrors, their souffle collapsed.

Anyway, it seems 2018 is the bakers’ year. Linda is an exception because she bakes and tames meat. She can make a delectable osso buco as easily the tiramisu that follows. Mostly, there’s a divide between the flour people and meat people. Pretty much in the same way, when I worked at The Washington Post, there was a divide between the pot smokers and the drinkers. Me, the latter.

I can tell baking is in by the number of recipes I find people exchanging, and I put it all down to “The Great British Baking Show” on PBS, which entertains and makes baking exciting. Here contestant chefs also are sent home, but with such teary reluctance that if you want a hug from the whole cast and the other amazing chefs, you deliberately add a cup of salt instead of sugar to the cake. Tears and hugs all round.

We’re planning a Great British Christmas Tea at our house with Devonshire clotted cream and jam on scones, little sandwiches and — play the drums and trumpets fortissimo — the fruited cake that is curing very nicely, thank you.

And for Christmas itself? We’re going out to a restaurant. Happy holidays!

Forget biomass subsidies and paid family medical leave. Here at New Hampshire Journal, we’ve dragged Granite State politicos into the most hotly-contested throwdown debate of the day.

No, not Donald Trump. Die Hard.

Christmas movie or not?

If you live your life away from social media, you may not be aware of the ongoing national argument over whether Bruce Willis’ action-hero hit, Die Hard, is in fact a celebration of the Christmas season.  Proponents insist that Die Hard isn’t just a Christmas classic, but it’s the best Christmas movie EVAH!  Opponents just roll their eyes.

According to a December poll by Morning Consult, most Americans remain unconvinced that the tale of NYC Detective John McClane foiling a Christmas Eve robbery at Nakatomi Plaza is, in fact, heartwarming Christmas fare. Only 25 percent of Americans agree, while 62 percent say no.

One of the naysayers? Bruce Willis himself who, at an event marking the 30^th anniversary of the movie’s release (in July, by the way), told the crowd “Die Hard isn’t a Christmas movie! It’s a g**damn Bruce Willis movie!”

That hasn’t been enough to dissuade the most die-hard (sorry, had to do it) of fans. One trolling website used movie website data and other information to create what they claim is a map of the Christmas movie each state is most obsessed with. Die Hard, they claim, is number one in Virginia, Missouri and Washington state.  But they also claim that the top Christmas flick in Florida and California is Batman Returns. (That’s the one with Michael Keaton and Danny De Vito. Yikes.).

New Hampshire’s top flick? A Christmas Carol.

 

Meanwhile, the controversy is all over the media, with articles in the Washington Post and profiles on NBC News. The Portsmouth Herald recently ran a column, “Die Hard Is A Christmas Movie,” arguing that the true Christmas classic Home Alone “is essentially Die Hard for kids.”

So as the national debate rages, where do New Hampshire politicians stand? Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?

“Absolutely!” Gov. Chris Sununu told NHJournal.  “Everything about it says ‘Christmas.’”

Sununu, an admitted Die Hard fanboy, made a strong case. “What’s the theme song? The Christmas classic, ‘Let It Snow.’  When does the sequel [Die Hard II] take place? Christmas. And what does John McClane use to strap the gun to his back? Christmas packing tape. Case closed: It’s a Christmas movie!”

And while Sununu may struggle to get bipartisan support on energy policy or business taxes, on this issue he’s got plenty of allies across the aisle.

“Yes, of course Die Hard is a Christmas movie.  But I hear Russian bots are spreading lies that it isn’t,” NH Democratic Party chairman Ray Buckley told us via email.

“It’s one of the top 10 movies of all time, and it’s a Christmas movie,” says new State Senate majority leader Dan Feltes. “It’s a story of redemption and family and action and adventure all wrapped into a classic American story.”

The Granite State spirit of bipartisanship in this debate reflects national polling: 26 percent of Democrats and Republicans agree with Sununu, Buckley and Feltes.

Oh, and House GOP leader Rep. Dick Hinch: “Oh, definitely a Christmas movie,” he told us.  “The entire background of the movie is Christmas.”

So who then is New Hampshire’s voice for the silent majority? The 62 percent who think this is nonsense?

“Die Hard a Christmas movie? My answer is no,” says newly-elected Speaker of the House Rep. Steve Shurtleff.  “To me, a Christmas movie will always be films like It’s A Wonderful Life,” Miracle on 34th Street and A Christmas Story.

(Granite State 2^nd Amendment advocates, take note: The new speaker is down with the “Official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle, with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time.” An opening for cooperation and compromise?)

NH DNC National Committeewoman Kathy Sullivan is having none of it, either. “No. My idea of a great Christmas movie is Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol, with music by the great Jules Styne. ‘Razzleberry dressing!’”

“Die Hard isn’t on my list,” says state Sen. Lou D’Allesandro, who, like Speaker Shurtleff, is a Miracle on 34^th Street fan. “When the court rules that, ‘if the Post Office says Edmund Gwenn is Santa that’s good enough for us,’ I love that part. But I’m a Democrat. I like it when the government solves problems,” he said with a laugh.

The Die Hard debate could even become an issue in the upcoming race for NHGOP vice chair.  Pam Tucker is a solid no: “Of course not! It’s an action-adventure movie. There’s shooting. There’s killing. There’s swearing! Where are the family values?”

Her opponent, Kate Day, tells NHJournal: “Christmas, Fourth of July, you name it. For me,  Die Hard is an anytime movie. Yippee Ki Yay!”

Interestingly, the political-consultant class seems to embrace the pro-Christmas-movie case whole-heartedly. Joel Payne, a DC Democrat and former advisor to Hillary Clinton’s campaign tells NHJournal “Die Hard is absolutely a Christmas movie. In fact, I would argue that Die Hard is the best Christmas movie. It’s built around an office Christmas party and (villain) Hans Gruber is the human embodiment of The Grinch.”

Locally-based GOP strategist Dave Carney echoes his sentiment. “It’s one of the top five, for sure. Only a Grinch lover would deny such a cultural fact.”

And yet the vast majority of Americans—and almost certainly Granite Staters—disagree. Is this another case of out-of-touch arrogant elites undermining our basic American values?

Or is Die Hard just a really, really good movie?

NOTE: For the definitive, inarguable and absolutely correct answer to the question “Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?” click here.

It’s Christmas time. And according to the National Retail Federation, Americans are on pace to spend a record amount of money on holiday gifts this year, $465 billion or an average or $700 a person. But as Americans spend billions of dollars on toys and goodies for one another, they are also expected to donate a record amount to charity this year, surpassing the previous record of $410.02 billion given to charitable organizations in 2017.

Leading the way in generosity are America’s religious communities. In fact, a 2017 study from the Institute on Faith & Giving found that religiously affiliated individuals were more than two times as generous as those who did not belong to a religious community. Among those who identify as religious and attend weekly worship services, the percentage is even higher. According to last year’s report, 62 percent of religious households gave to charity compared with 46 percent of nonreligious households.

Given these statistics it is not surprising that historically religious groups have received the largest share of charitable donations. Of the $410.02 billion given in charitable donations, $127.37 billion (31 percent of total donations) went to religious organizations (a 2.7 percent increase over the previous year). Education came in second with $58.9 billion.

The overall size and scope of religious giving is a testimony to the generous spirit of believers. But beyond indicating an underlying philanthropic impulse, what do these trends in charitable giving reveal about the givers themselves?

First, believers, like unbelievers, give because they share the vision and convictions of the institutions they give to. However, in many devout communities, theology is the motivating factor. This is because the faithful believe that man’s eternal destiny hinges on having a right relationship with God and that subscription to a set of beliefs is part of this relationship. Thus, because right belief is essential for salvation, believers give in order to spread their beliefs further.

An example of this motivation in action is the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the world that includes 47,000 churches and 15 million members. Last year, Southern Baptists gave $9.1 billion to their local congregations. While the bulk of this money stays with the local churches and state conventions, Southern Baptists contributed $192 million to their national convention budget. Out of this total, $140 million was allocated for world missions, $42 million for theological education, and $3.1 million for political and cultural engagement.

By designating 73 percent of their national budget to world missions in 2017-18, Southern Baptists demonstrated their commitment to spreading the news of the gospel and reaching those in difficult places. While other priorities such as political engagement, disaster relief, theological education, and campus ministry received attention, the overwhelming percentage of funds was distributed among 3,667 full-time overseas missionaries and 5,262 domestic missionaries.

Theological motivations, specifically concern for another’s eternal destiny, motivate religiously minded givers to give sacrificially and generously because they want to see souls saved and the mission of the institutions they support advanced.

Another factor that influences the discrepancy in charitable giving between religious and non-religious people is fundamental differences in eschatology (the field of study concerned with the end-times). Inherently, the secular worldview is oriented to the temporal and material. Of course, religious people aren’t immune to the allure of money and possessions and non-religious people can be quite generous. But overall, if one’s eschatology is rooted in a materialistic worldview it is more difficult to think beyond man’s fleeting, temporary existence. If tomorrow we die, then why not “eat, drink and be merry”?

Jesus himself addressed this mindset in the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:13-21). In the story, Jesus describes a man with an abundance of possessions. The man owns so much stuff that he runs out of room to store it. Rather than be content with what he has, he decides to build bigger barns, so he can accumulate more. Jesus indicts this greedy mindset by saying, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” The spiritual lesson is the folly of laying up treasure for one’s self and being stingy toward God.

Believers from most faith traditions hold a similar outlook toward their possessions; while not inherently evil, property should be stewarded in a way that serves and blesses others in addition to the owner. This others-oriented approach is a hallmark of religion and a motivating factor behind much faith-based charitable giving.

Every year around Christmas time, the offended and indignant among us break into rival camps: one holding firm to the inclusive “Happy Holidays,” and the other clinging to the original, “Merry Christmas.” Charges of a “War Against Christmas” and calls for boycotts will fill the air any day now. Ho. Ho. Ho.

But if we look past the silliness of the vocal minority who can’t help but view everything through partisan glasses, there are some things to learn at this most wonderful time of the year. And some of them actually do have to do with our partisan divide.

But first, some heartening news. Last year on Giving Tuesday, the day after Cyber Monday, Americans donated one-quarter of a billion dollars to charities, the lion’s share of which went to causes assisting the poor. And while we might expect this sort of thing around Christmas, what with the Salvation Army seemingly camped out in every shopping center, it happens that Americans donate a shocking amount of money year-round.

In 2017, Americans gave more than $400 billion to U.S. charities. Corporate philanthropy accounted for only 5 percent of that number; most of the money came from individuals. Contrary to the repeated claim that the rich are selfish, more than 90 percent of high-net-worth households gave to charity. The average rich household gave 10 times what the average U.S. household gave. And the giving didn’t end with money. More than 60 million Americans volunteered around $200 billion worth of their time. In money and time, Americans voluntarily gave away well over a half-trillion dollars last year. That is more than the federal government spent on all welfare programs combined.

Tax deductibility doubtlessly helps, but taxpayers only deduct around half of what they donate. And the thing about tax deductibility is that it doesn’t make the taxpayer better off. A person who donates and claims a tax deduction ends up with less money than a person who doesn’t donate at all. Tax deductibility doesn’t reward selfish people for being generous; it merely makes it less painful for generous people to be generous.

Last year, 25 percent of charitable giving went to foundations, and to arts, humanities, cultural, environmental, animal, and public benefit charities. The remaining 75 percent went either directly to the needy through education, human services, and international charities, or indirectly through religious groups.

All this giving was not, however, distributed evenly across America’s ideological spectrum. Three times as many Republicans as Democrats gave more than $5,000 last year, while 80 percent more Democrats than Republicans gave less than $100. And while party is not a perfect proxy for ideology, compared to people who self-describe as “conservative,” self-described “liberals” have average household incomes that are 6 percent higher, yet they gave 25 percent less.

Americans are generous regardless of political orientation, but the differences in voluntary giving point to a difference in how each group views its role in society.

Liberals see charity as something to be accomplished through government. Because they broadly view their taxes as charitable giving, liberals give less voluntarily, but call for the government to do more. Because conservatives see charity as a private concern, and government as inherently dangerous and wasteful, they give more voluntarily and call for the government to do less.

What we miss, and what is worth remembering during the giving season, is that both the left and the right seek the same ends. The left views government as “what we do for each other.” The right views government as “what we do to each other.” When the left calls for more government, and the right calls for less government, they are both calling for the same thing. They are calling for us to help each other. They only disagree on the means.