Slog Comments
After Neoliberalism: 57 Percent Believe GOP Is Too Pro-Rich
1
"What it lost in the crash was not economic power directly but political legitimacy."
Which might not matter that much.
Illegitimate power can still be pretty damn powerful.
Did you see Rachel's item on gerrymandering last night? I don't think they're going to be letting loose the reigns anytime soon.
Which might not matter that much.
Illegitimate power can still be pretty damn powerful.
Did you see Rachel's item on gerrymandering last night? I don't think they're going to be letting loose the reigns anytime soon.
2
That's quite an optimistic post based on just one data point. We won't know if you're correct for another decade or two, I think.
3
@1 Reins! Dammit...as in the reins you use to direct a horse. (sorry, that's a big internet bete noire for me)
Aristotle got a lot of things wrong (hey, he's still a freaking super genius of the first order), but one thing he most assuredly got right was that political structures are in a constant state of flux.
The Chinese model had its own problems, namely that the politics has been stable as long as the economic growth was sufficient to reach everyone. Once China gets US-style stagnating wages in the working and middle classes (and that day may be just around the corner, if it hasn't arrived already), the fall there may be much swifter than it is here.
After all, we have the illusion of equal opportunity and political participation, which insulates things a little bit (although there are a few even on the right waking up to just how much we've been screwed by the "job creator" class). And, as bad as Washington is, our system is infinitely more flexible and adaptive than the Chinese model.
Aristotle got a lot of things wrong (hey, he's still a freaking super genius of the first order), but one thing he most assuredly got right was that political structures are in a constant state of flux.
The Chinese model had its own problems, namely that the politics has been stable as long as the economic growth was sufficient to reach everyone. Once China gets US-style stagnating wages in the working and middle classes (and that day may be just around the corner, if it hasn't arrived already), the fall there may be much swifter than it is here.
After all, we have the illusion of equal opportunity and political participation, which insulates things a little bit (although there are a few even on the right waking up to just how much we've been screwed by the "job creator" class). And, as bad as Washington is, our system is infinitely more flexible and adaptive than the Chinese model.
5
Someone should tell the Democratic Party.
[N]eoliberalism ... will not recover from the crash of 2008.
Someone should tell the Democratic Party.
6
Jeez, just 'cause the RepubliKKKan party is committed to the total extermination of the poor, the middle class, blacks, gays, Asians, Hispanics, economists, scientists, and public health and safety advocates, now suddenly there's a problem.
8
"... the loss of political legitimacy will eventually erode its economic power ..." [emphasis mine]
Well, maybe, but eventually might be a long time coming.
Meanwhile, current megatrends operate in favor of de facto plutocracy/oligarchy .. no matter if the formal setting is democracy, autocracy, or anarchy.
Well, maybe, but eventually might be a long time coming.
Meanwhile, current megatrends operate in favor of de facto plutocracy/oligarchy .. no matter if the formal setting is democracy, autocracy, or anarchy.
10
What a lovely phrase for being and archaic, xenophobic asshole though. You just have demographic, messaging and technological shortfalls.
11
Yeah, given the amount of neoliberal money siphoning going on in both Europe and the US right now, that this train ain't gonna stop any time soon. Remember, Obama and the Democraps are in on it too; "bank bailout" (ie shifting private financial losses onto the public balance sheet) happened under his watch, after all.
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