Very well said. But I'd rather see a Dem landslide than a squeakthrough since a good hiding would render less credible Trump's automtic complaint that the election was rigged
I think you are far too kind to the Democrats. In the past 40 years there have been governments of both parties, but the economic approach has been full-on Neoliberal. Biden has made some attempt to water it down, but the surge in inequality and the rise of the American Oligarch is as much their work as the Republicans.
Peter Turchin has made a convincing case that when an Elite becomes too dominant and wealthy, instability always follows. The super rich can never have enough, so even when they have hundreds of billions, they demand more. Where does this wealth come from? It comes from the rest of society. Rather than be honest about this and address the real reason for precarity, poverty and the growth of public squalor, both parties pretend it is all about endogenous pressures. They just differ as to what these are.
For Trump and co it's immigrants and foreigners like the Chinese, aided by the woke, liberal 'left' (i.e anyone who disagrees with them). For the Democrats, it's Russia and China, and the need to be economically competitive (i.e. to screw workers and outsource industries). Both are pretending that policy choices to allow corporate consolidation, minimal taxes on the rich, the fetishisation of share-holder 'value', privatisation of key services, and financialisation is not the fundamental driver of the hollowing out of the middle and lower classes.
Like the UK, the media is largely in the hands of the oligarchy, or their supporters. They also fund or own social media. So people are aware of how much they have been screwed, but not of the truth about how, why and by whom. Truth is scattered among such a mass of lies and distractions that it has lost its meaning. The choice people are offered is more of the same, or something wild and uncertain. We think that it will also be very damaging and dangerous, but they see it as at least different. If you are drowning in a slurry pit, then more of the same is not attractive, while someone who might throw you a rope, or set you on fire, at least offers a gamble. And Americans do like to gamble.
I don’t think I’ve been that kind to them Zoltan. In fact I accept most nor what you say about their long term role in this debacle. But your characterisation of this ‘wild and uncertain’ choice rather than the status quo still passes rather politely over the reasons - which I’ve tried to give in this piece - why things can get so much worse. And it all assumes that Trumpism is some kind of cry for help, ignoring the fact that many of his followers would like to use that ‘rope’ not to pull themselves out of the slurry pit, but to hang people and persecute others. So my dominant principle,right now, in this election, is ‘who would hurt the vulnerable. ‘ And there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s Trump, even if some of the vulnerable have been tricked into seeing him as their saviour.
Absolutely. But, hanging and persecuting are one side of the offer. The other is that this will then 'Make America Great Again'. So the hate is directed and linked to a desirable goal. If you believe that the reason you are in the pit is because of these people, then wanting to drag them in with you, especially if that means you have a better chance of getting out, makes a sort of twisted sense. Demagogues always link the two objectives - a better outcome for you, with an obstruction that needs to be eliminated. To get to B you need to remove A. But the whole Political class does it. B is peace, A is Russia (or the Palestinians). B is prosperity, A is China, or Immigrants. B is 'freedom', A is the wokerati or Europe (in the UK case). Getting people frightened and angry makes it easy to manipulate them. If they are already struggling, along with their community, then so much the easier. Desperate people are ideal for the sort of poisonous fantasy BS that Trump offers. But Trump hasn't made them desperate. The whole politco-economic system that is skewed in favour of those with all the wealth already, has.
Meanwhile the Democrats have done nothing (or as good as) to reset the system so that it restores some balance and shares prosperity. If they had, then Trump's nonsense would not work - or at least, would have much less impact, on far fewer people. So, yes, Trump is a danger to us all, but the reason he is in this position is not just down to him or those who sponsor him. It goes much deeper. The whole system is rotten.
the media is largely in the hands of the oligarchy,
You should read (If you haven't already) Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman's Manufacturing Consent to understand that this is how it's always been and will be forever
Listened to This American Life podcast - they followed a Palestinian-American Democrat around the time of the DNC’s Chicago convention.
The heartbreak and headache this is causing many people is not something that can just be wished away in the long term.
For what it’s worth, I think he and his bloc have opted to endorse Harris - for want of better terminology, the progressive centre must realise it has a chance to build coalitions, not alienate what were once parts of it.
Multiethnic, diverse democracy is messy, but it is also rich and can be harnessed in the face of damaging ideology, not subsumed by it.
I agree with your analysis and conclusions. Biden's proxy war obsessions have caused him to doubly neglect the economic struggles of Middle America, and I would add that Harris suffers from the brute misogyny of American male political culture and voter and from being a woman of colour, in the same Middle American constituencies that constitute the swing state nightmare.
It certainly is scary. But for all his narcissism, Trump is just a puppet. If he wins he's unlikely to last 4 years, so then there'll be Vance, another puppet. These men are puppets not just of the Heritage Foundation, with its truly medieval agenda, but also of Putin who seeks world domination for Russia, as well as the oligarch set (Musk, Thiel, Bezos. etc al) whose goal is to replace the entire system of government with private corporations.
They are admirers of Singapore, a totally corporatised state. Musk has recently registered the company name "United States of America inc.". Where can we guess this is going? We need to stop worrying about libertarianism and start arming ourselves against corporatism.
FWIW, corporatism is what the whole UK govt fever over special economic zones (SEZ) and freeports is about. It's a corporate takeover of the state.
Hi Matt, hope you're well, I hear there is a new book? Let me know when it's out. Just to say, David Edgar's 'The New Real' play at the RSC is a great, dramatised analysis of these things you write about. Highly recommend it, if not seen it already. Salt publish a new collection of mine in Feb. All best, Ken,
Very well said. But I'd rather see a Dem landslide than a squeakthrough since a good hiding would render less credible Trump's automtic complaint that the election was rigged
Me too Lionel. I just don’t expect one.
What can I say - scary stuff - and very powerfully put.
I think you are far too kind to the Democrats. In the past 40 years there have been governments of both parties, but the economic approach has been full-on Neoliberal. Biden has made some attempt to water it down, but the surge in inequality and the rise of the American Oligarch is as much their work as the Republicans.
Peter Turchin has made a convincing case that when an Elite becomes too dominant and wealthy, instability always follows. The super rich can never have enough, so even when they have hundreds of billions, they demand more. Where does this wealth come from? It comes from the rest of society. Rather than be honest about this and address the real reason for precarity, poverty and the growth of public squalor, both parties pretend it is all about endogenous pressures. They just differ as to what these are.
For Trump and co it's immigrants and foreigners like the Chinese, aided by the woke, liberal 'left' (i.e anyone who disagrees with them). For the Democrats, it's Russia and China, and the need to be economically competitive (i.e. to screw workers and outsource industries). Both are pretending that policy choices to allow corporate consolidation, minimal taxes on the rich, the fetishisation of share-holder 'value', privatisation of key services, and financialisation is not the fundamental driver of the hollowing out of the middle and lower classes.
Like the UK, the media is largely in the hands of the oligarchy, or their supporters. They also fund or own social media. So people are aware of how much they have been screwed, but not of the truth about how, why and by whom. Truth is scattered among such a mass of lies and distractions that it has lost its meaning. The choice people are offered is more of the same, or something wild and uncertain. We think that it will also be very damaging and dangerous, but they see it as at least different. If you are drowning in a slurry pit, then more of the same is not attractive, while someone who might throw you a rope, or set you on fire, at least offers a gamble. And Americans do like to gamble.
I don’t think I’ve been that kind to them Zoltan. In fact I accept most nor what you say about their long term role in this debacle. But your characterisation of this ‘wild and uncertain’ choice rather than the status quo still passes rather politely over the reasons - which I’ve tried to give in this piece - why things can get so much worse. And it all assumes that Trumpism is some kind of cry for help, ignoring the fact that many of his followers would like to use that ‘rope’ not to pull themselves out of the slurry pit, but to hang people and persecute others. So my dominant principle,right now, in this election, is ‘who would hurt the vulnerable. ‘ And there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s Trump, even if some of the vulnerable have been tricked into seeing him as their saviour.
Absolutely. But, hanging and persecuting are one side of the offer. The other is that this will then 'Make America Great Again'. So the hate is directed and linked to a desirable goal. If you believe that the reason you are in the pit is because of these people, then wanting to drag them in with you, especially if that means you have a better chance of getting out, makes a sort of twisted sense. Demagogues always link the two objectives - a better outcome for you, with an obstruction that needs to be eliminated. To get to B you need to remove A. But the whole Political class does it. B is peace, A is Russia (or the Palestinians). B is prosperity, A is China, or Immigrants. B is 'freedom', A is the wokerati or Europe (in the UK case). Getting people frightened and angry makes it easy to manipulate them. If they are already struggling, along with their community, then so much the easier. Desperate people are ideal for the sort of poisonous fantasy BS that Trump offers. But Trump hasn't made them desperate. The whole politco-economic system that is skewed in favour of those with all the wealth already, has.
Meanwhile the Democrats have done nothing (or as good as) to reset the system so that it restores some balance and shares prosperity. If they had, then Trump's nonsense would not work - or at least, would have much less impact, on far fewer people. So, yes, Trump is a danger to us all, but the reason he is in this position is not just down to him or those who sponsor him. It goes much deeper. The whole system is rotten.
No disagreement there.
the media is largely in the hands of the oligarchy,
You should read (If you haven't already) Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman's Manufacturing Consent to understand that this is how it's always been and will be forever
Listened to This American Life podcast - they followed a Palestinian-American Democrat around the time of the DNC’s Chicago convention.
The heartbreak and headache this is causing many people is not something that can just be wished away in the long term.
For what it’s worth, I think he and his bloc have opted to endorse Harris - for want of better terminology, the progressive centre must realise it has a chance to build coalitions, not alienate what were once parts of it.
Multiethnic, diverse democracy is messy, but it is also rich and can be harnessed in the face of damaging ideology, not subsumed by it.
I agree with your analysis and conclusions. Biden's proxy war obsessions have caused him to doubly neglect the economic struggles of Middle America, and I would add that Harris suffers from the brute misogyny of American male political culture and voter and from being a woman of colour, in the same Middle American constituencies that constitute the swing state nightmare.
I agree.
It certainly is scary. But for all his narcissism, Trump is just a puppet. If he wins he's unlikely to last 4 years, so then there'll be Vance, another puppet. These men are puppets not just of the Heritage Foundation, with its truly medieval agenda, but also of Putin who seeks world domination for Russia, as well as the oligarch set (Musk, Thiel, Bezos. etc al) whose goal is to replace the entire system of government with private corporations.
They are admirers of Singapore, a totally corporatised state. Musk has recently registered the company name "United States of America inc.". Where can we guess this is going? We need to stop worrying about libertarianism and start arming ourselves against corporatism.
FWIW, corporatism is what the whole UK govt fever over special economic zones (SEZ) and freeports is about. It's a corporate takeover of the state.
Hi Matt, hope you're well, I hear there is a new book? Let me know when it's out. Just to say, David Edgar's 'The New Real' play at the RSC is a great, dramatised analysis of these things you write about. Highly recommend it, if not seen it already. Salt publish a new collection of mine in Feb. All best, Ken,
I’ll look out for that play, Ken. Big admirer of David Edgar. And congratulations on your new collection!