The Politics of Divisiveness

As Congress went into recess without addressing even a single serious matter before it -- like fighting the Zika Virus or funding the FAA or finding a way to prevent bankruptcy of the largest U.S. territory (see below) -- we are reminded that for 20 of the last 22 years it has been the laziest, do-nothing and lobotomized national legislature in American history. 

Do not let the presidential circus get you too fixated! Your local congressional and state assembly races may be just as important. Only, at that level your own efforts could even make a difference.

== Political Notes ==

How Red and Blue America Became Two Separate Countries: A well-spoken article by Paul Waldman, describes how America is dividing ever-deeper into blue and red components. Still, I think the point is missed, unless you instead call it what it is. Blue vs Gray.  

Obama can appoint Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court if the Senate does nothing: here's an interesting legal argument that the Senate, by refusing to even hold hearings on Merrick Garland’s Supreme Court nomination is in effect waiving its right and duty to practice “advice and consent.”  It is a strong argument… and it could wind up before the Supreme Court! Only here's the kicker.  If the case first goes to a federal district court that rules in Obama's favor, and then also the court of appeals, then just four present justices could seat Garland.

But no, watch how quickly the GOP Senate rushes to confirm Obama's appointment, after the dems win the election.  Their polemic to: "let the next president choose" will evaporate, as they hurry to deny H. Clinton her pick. 

In Defense of the GOP: Fareed Zakaria offers a fascinating insight about how today’s more “democratic” parties, in which the presidential nominee arises out of passionate primaries, may be less temperate or practical or even representative than the old “smoke filled rooms.” 

Nothing makes this clearer than the fact that Donald Trump, who - before New York - was never liked by more than 38% pluralities in his best states, could come to dominate, because of the passion of that one-third. 

This, combined with Ted Cruz’s passionate one-quarter of Republicans, has forced the rest of us to let a radical half of 40% of Americans to set the agenda.  Zakaria long ago: “predicted that the partyless system would be good for “political dynasties, celebrity officials and billionaire politicians.” The front-runners in both parties in 2016 fit this description.”

Of course, when a frothing few can dominate discussion, false narratives abound.  Like the incredible tizzy that illegal immigration has increased under Barack Obama. “Immigration into the United States has slowed substantially in the last ten years. Moreover, that's lead to the English proficiency rise among Hispanics. A greater share of Hispanics today prefer to get their news in English than was the case just ten years ago." 

How to get that frothing minority to start paying at least some slight notice to actual facts? Demand that your Trumpist uncle make it a bet.  Wagers are the only thing that makes these fellows budge. Putting money on it is "manly" and hence you'll get them cornered. Just don't do it with anyone you have to sit with, next Thanksgiving.

Why poor whites chant Trump, Trump, Trump: This article does a better job of going to the heart of the matter: “From the era of slavery to the rise of Donald Trump, wealthy elites have relied on the loyalty of poor whites.” The author, Jonna Ivin, knows what she is talking about, painting a vivid picture of her own earlier life in an Arkansas trailer. Why do poor whites vote along the same party lines as their wealthy neighbors across the road? Isn’t that against their best interests?

The methods used to divide poor whites from blacks go back to slavery days and they worked. Ivins writes, "Poor and working class whites signed up by the hundreds of thousands to fight for what they believed was their way of life. Meanwhile, many of the wealthy planters who benefitted economically from slavery were granted exemptions from military service and avoided the horrors of battle."  

This cozening of poor whites has gone on and on – despite the feudal-style overlordship of Big Families like the scions of Tyson Foods, who manage to both oppress and be admired as good-ol-boys, while they smuggle in undocumented foreign workers to deny jobs to locals. And how do those locals react? By hating the smuggled-in illegals, not Tysons. The thing is… no one ever likes to admit that they’ve been fooled.  The more blatant it becomes, the more desperate most people are to cling to the “side” that has crushed them and kept them down. (Marx called this the instinct of the “lumpen proletariat.”)

And yet, as this well-written essay commences, you grow ever-more willing to see things through the eyes of folks long despised as 'poor-white-trash.' You realize that they have their own story of ancient pain and desperate grievance.  You start to understand both how the Fox-oligarchy updated the slaveholders’ propaganda techniques, and how that deliberate radicalization finally tore the reins out of their hands…

 … to be seized by Donald Trump.

== Fundamentals ==

Republican masters are already adjusting their plans to a likely loss of the presidency, this fall.  Fund-raising from big donors is shifting over to the big campaign funds supporting GOP candidates for Senate and the House of Representatives, and especially State Assemblies... the core locus of power they cannot afford to lose, even briefly.  

One of their top polemical tricks that you'll hear a lot? "Divided government is best! Because then Government is frozen and can't do much and that's gooood!"

As if the last six years of  raging, acrimonious divided government – free of any meaningful legislation, whatsoever - were exactly how a modern republic should adapt to rapidly-changing times. Forgive me for repeating this, but except for a two-year manic phase from 2009-2011, the United States Congress has for two decades been the most lazy and worthless U.S. national legislature in living memory, as well-reflected in opinion polls which rate the institution far below the DMV and circus carnies.  

Under Speakers Tearful John Boehner and role-model-for-all-boys Dennis Hastert, the House of Representatives held fewer hearings and fewer days in full session, passed fewer bills and (despite frivolous rage over Benghazi and emails) issued fewer subpoenas than almost any other across the last century.

To be clear, despite having had total power to do anything they wanted — owning all three branches of government from 2001-2007 — the GOP did not one thing about any ranted agenda items wanted by their tea party ground troops, from abortion to local sovereignty to eminent domain, to gun rights, to reducing deficits or disbanding government agencies. They railed and shouted about those things, but did nothing when they had complete power.

Exceptions. The GOP congresses did take action in four categories: massive tax cuts for the uber-caste, deregulating Wall Street, granting sweetheart deals for resource extractors, and conspiring to keep the true cost of wars off the books. Oh, yeah and Medicare Part D.  That’s five. Period. Note that all of them budget busting nightmares that transformed Clintonian surpluses into artery gushers of red ink. But beyond that? Utterly useless torpor.

A tradition that continues under new Speaker and obsessive supply-sider Paul Ryan, whose refusal to provide funds to stop the Zika Virus, or let the FAA keep airplanes safe, or for his blllionaire clients to face audit, all fall into this grand tradition. See this highly partisan but highly accurate denunciation. “The Speaker of the House is burnishing his credentials for 2020 by doing what John Boehner did best: Nothing.”

And this is their White Knight?

== A little late for oligarch regret? ==

Eep! In Existence, I portray a conclave of zillionaire-lords meeting in the Alps to at least *try* to make the New Feudalism not-stupid, this time, unlike the horrific statecraft and silly rationalizations that aristocratic castes produced, across 6000 years. I wrote that scene as a suggestion, in case the new lords win and repress our brief, two century enlightenment experiment. Odds still favor that outcome. Feudalism always won, in the past.

Alas, despite my suggestion, all signs suggest that this round of proto-feudalists will be as stupidly delusional as every other. Like kings and lords and priests of old, they let flatterers tell them how smart they are.  

Still, is there hope? Shall I lift my head, in wonder, when the archetype beta-minus billionaire (who naturally thinks he’s an alpha) seems to ‘get’ how stunningly awful is the 21st Century Republican Party that he and his brother helped to forge?

“It's a nightmare scenario for Republicans, but conservative billionaire Charles Koch says ‘it's possible’ Hillary Clinton could make a better president than the remaining candidates in the GOP primary.  As far as the growth of government, the increase in spending, Koch said. ‘It was 2.5 times [more] under Bush than it was under Clinton.’”

Um?  And every single other metric of US national health has done better across democratic administrations than GOP ones. Every metric. Every single one. Now think, Charles. What might that mean?

BTW Charles, remember that list of five "accomplishments" when the GOP held every lever of power. Most of those were things that *you* wanted and demanded from your servants. You made this bed, sir.