Delicious!
The delusions of those clawing, scratching, cheering; thinking they will rub elbows and share riches with the uber-wealthy. Laughing today at those they are told are below their rung. “Trump 2020” they cheer!
Recall the child’s game “ten little, nine little, eight little Indians…” or “I lit a match and it went OUT!” or the mental exercise “lifeboat” (small boat, those aboard pick one to go over the side). That is the perfect allegory for predatory, unrestrained capitalism.
First, the working poor lost full time wages; time for kid’s PTA meetings, time for a family Sunday in the park, access to doctors & medicines. You’re OUT!
Then the Working class lost good paying jobs. Shipped overseas in downward wage bidding as Wall Street raided cash assets & pensions. At their new job; part time, min wage greeter at Walmart or HomeDepot; they were taught by HR how to apply for food stamps & Medicare. But “medicare for all” is socialism. Of course, stocks and bonuses for capital raiders and wage slave employers soared; a huge feast to the uber-wealthy, with crumbs sprinkled among the 401k mutual funds of the delusional baby-boomers. Just enough for each to buy a small boat, a big-ass pick-up truck, and a gun.
Then the middle class lost their homes in the mortgage “bubble”, as banks were bailed out with free trillions (to avoid a “meltdown”) and then used those truckloads of free money to (sometimes illegally) foreclose on millions of underwater homeowners. This was considered a smart business move, stocks again soared. Yet, any suggestions to bail out underwater homeowners instead of banks sparked the now proven astroturf “Taxed Enough Already” party (funded by Koch, touted by Ailes on billionaire owned Fox). “Dont subsidize LOSERS with MY taxes!” was the chant. A lot of billionaire’s money was spent on that media message; whipping up the emotions & jealousy of baby boomers; busing them to protests, greeting them with famous RW TV personalities, handing them signs to wave, showing them on crowd pans, letting them know they “belonged”. Screaming red-faced anger, yet subsidizing those “loser” banks with trillions of tax-dollars was both patriotic and necessary. They were handed a script and chanted it. “NO-Bama, NO-Bama, NO-Bama”! Later “Lock Her Up”, “Lock Her Up”, “Lock Her Up”. Another one Overboard, but “them” not “us”.
Today the dollar is up, the stock market soaring. I support Trump because “My 401k is strong!” I hear from idiots, upper middle class bubble surfers; today enjoying big homes & sinking boats. What bubble is next, to wipe THEM out? Another OPEC style boycott? Saudi & Russia (trustworthy friends) own the fuel market, (but not Iran & Venezuala, sworn enemies). They are deeply in bed with trump. The CEOs of Exxon & Big Coal head actual executive departments, sit in Trump’s cabinet. Europe worked feverishly for decades toward solar & wind independence. Putin’s gas pipeline was once his hand around their throat. Yet in America Exxon & Heartland, the GOP & RW media, spent a pittance for useful idiots to chant “Solandra!”, a tiny fly-speck scandal swimming a multi trillion dollar sea of energy & military waste; thus keeping Putin & Saud, Royal Dutch & BP/Amoco in control of our entire national destiny. Shale gas? That is a financial sleight of hand no less imaginary than 1929 railroad stocks or the 1600s tulip bulb mania. And idiots chanted “Solandra!”, on cue, like it meant something.
Or will America’s consumer goods be simply cut off? Everything we eat, use, move is run through China; we make nothing of significance domestically anymore. China supplies the entire world; they don’t depend on the USA for their livelihood. Maybe financial liquidity? Might China just simply wake up one day and decide to stop buying T-Bills? They can end the USA bacchanalia by snapping a finger. For any reason, or reason at all.
The upper middle class is next. Then 3 little Indians. Overboard with you! Until America is dystopian, starved of public resources, fighting to the death over table scraps when we might produce and provide living food, housing, health & education. A land of plenty in a system of hoarding.
But when that happens those with guns, marching around in flak jackets & toy soldier boots, will gladly starve & house their children in rusted out car hulls. Because their guns can protect their nothing from YOU! Bwa-ha-ha! “We now live like feral rats, scrounging stealing and eating garbage, but the jews and blacks got even less! Bwa-ha-ha! Lock her up! NO-Bama! We won!”
Then the game will be over. In every economic simulation “unrestrained capitalism” eats itself. By winning every battle, billionaires (soon to be trillionaires) always lose. They are the last one in the lifeboat, but do not know how to steer or navigate, only hoarde. They are pigs at a trough that cannot stop gorging. Those middle class boats, that entire swamped regatta, is in water that will never again be still enough for their scale to remain afloat. “Trump 2020!” they chant, as they bail ceaseless water, expecting yesterday to be tomorrow. “Its MY money” you can’t have it.
Your Daily Duncan 