July 16, 2019: Permanent Political Gridlock, World On Its Head, The Cauldron Boils

In case you are wondering why the the political process in the United States stands paralyzed in what seems like permanent political gridlock, consider this:

“Number of the twenty least prosperous US congressional districts that are represented by Republicans : 16

Number of the twenty most prosperous US congressional districts that represented by Democrats:20” (1)

That's right! The 'workingman's party' known as the party of Labor, the Democratic Party, now represents all twenty of the most prosperous congressional districts in the United States. Conversely, the party of Wall Street, now represents 16 of the twenty least prosperous districts. The political world has been stood on its head.

Consider the case of our most prominent congressional curb-crawler Mitch McConnell. Economist Paul Krugman writing about an entirely different subject—whether the Democrats are tracking 'too far leftward'--writing that rich states subsidize poor states in the federal scheme of things, had this to say about McConnell's Kentucky:

...”In 2017, the state received $40 billion more from the federal government than it paid in taxes.

That's about one-fifth of the state's G.D.P; if Kentucky were a country, we'd say that it was receiving foreign aid on an almost inconceivable scale.

“This aid, in turn, supports a lot of jobs. It's fair to say that more Kentuckians work in hospitals kept afloat by Medicare and Medicaid, in retail establishments kept going by Social Security and food stamps, than in all the traditional occupations like mining and even agriculture combined.” (2)

So here you have old Mitch, assaulting the Affordable Care Act, moving to savage Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. Here he stands for all to see servicing the interests of his billionaire paymasters as well as the shipping company owned by his wife's family, representing a state on the public dole. Meanwhile, Chuck Schumer, Senator from Wall Street meets with his counterpart, the Speaker of the House representing one of California's richest districts.

The problem is that America is dealing with political schizophrenia. While the old Republican guard clings precariously to power, buying time by supporting and enabling a faux populist, the progressive Democratic insurgency, likewise impotent, rails against the mossbacks representing not the 'people' but the money. Meanwhile the cauldron boils.

“And don't speak too soon

for the wheel's still in spin

and there's no telling who

that it's naming

and the loser now

may be later to win

for the times they are a-changin”

                         -----Bob Dylan.

'An Br'er Putin, he jus' laugh and laugh”

Impeach and Imprison.

_______________

1. Harper's Magazine Vol. 338, No. 2027. April 2019. Page 9
2. Krugman, Paul. “The Moochers of Middle America” The New York Times. Tuesday, July 2, 2019. Page A19.