November 18, 2010 06:38 PM UTC

$s and Sense

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• by: JO

Introduction: Economics is the key element in government, specifically, protecting the distribution of wealth; always has been. The United States has always been unique by way of its economic opportunity for the Common Man and Woman. The Pilgrims of Massachusetts Bay wore cute costumes; the younger sons of Virginia were what it was all about. If you don’t agree with that, don’t bother reading further.

Things have changed over the past generation, generally speaking, since Reagan. Not just numbers; they simply measure the change.

I’m referring here to wealth, and specifically the distribution of wealth. The numbers are in Kristoff’s column this morning:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11…

For the impatient, the essence is in this fact (not opinion, thank you): the United States has switched places with Argentina in the share of wealth controlled by the oligopoly. The Republicans want even more for their paymasters.

In some vague way, the Tea Partiers reflect an unease with where we’ve come and how far we’ve got. Their unease is right; their diagnosis is wrong. Evidence: the seeming disorganization, lack of common purpose, inability to formulate a coherent program to deal with this underlying shift in our society. The fact that the Koch Bros and Rupert Murdoch seized upon the opportunity to translate unease and unrest into political influence is a measure of the failure of the Left to make the correct diagnosis either, or to formulate policies and programs to deal with it. I would go so far as to say that the Democratic Party itself has been captured by Wealth and it’s preservers.

We will eventually awaken. Whether that’s a pleasant, peaceful morning is TBD.