Guest Post by Jim Kunstler
The lost story-line amid the food-fights and boasting contests that the “debates” have turned into is the destruction being wreaked on the two major parties themselves. I don’t see how either the Republicans or Democrats get out of this thing alive. The primary season now upon us is the event horizon that sucks these two purposeless clubs into the bottomless hole of historical bad memories. Both parties have failed so fundamentally to represent or even apprehend the interests of the nation that they are now merely obstacles to any sort of plausible future, two infernal machines blocking the road, shaking themselves to death.
The Republican Party may be closer to outright blowup since the rank and file will never accept Donald Trump as their legitimate candidate, and Trump has nothing but contempt for the rank and file. If Trump manages to win enough primaries and collect a big mass of delegate votes, the July convention in Cleveland will be the site of a mass political suicide. The party brass, including governors, congressmen, senators and their donor cronies will find some device to deprive Trump of his prize, and the Trump groundlings will revolt against that move, and the whole nomination process will be turned over to the courts, and the result will be a broken organization. The Federal Election Commission may then have to appeal to Capital Hill to postpone the general election. The obvious further result will be a constitutional crisis. Political legitimacy is shattered. Enter, some Pentagon general on a white horse.
Parallel events could rock the Democratic side. I expect Hillary to exit the race one way or another before April. She comes off the shelf like a defective product that never should have made it through quality control. Nobody really likes her. Nobody trusts her. Nobody besides Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Huma Abedin believe that it’s her turn to run the country. Factions at the FBI who have had a good look at her old State Department emails want to see her indicted for using the office to gin up global grift for the Clinton Foundation. These FBI personnel may be setting up another constitutional crisis by forcing Attorney General Loretta Lynch either to begin proceedings against Clinton or resign. Rumors about her health (complications from a concussion suffered in a fall ) won’t go away. And finally, of course, Senator Bernie Sanders is embarrassing her badly at the polls.
The Democrats could feasibly end up having to nominate Bernie on a TKO, but in doing so would instantly render themselves a rump party peddling the “socialist” brand — about the worst product-placement imaginable, given our history and national mythos. In theory, the country might benefit from a partial dose of socialism such as single-payer Medicare-for-all — just to bust up the odious matrix of rackets that medicine has become — but mega-bureaucracy on the grand scale is past its sell-by date for an emergent post-centralized world that needs its regions to get more local and autonomous.
The last time the major political parties disintegrated, back in the 1850s, the nation had to go through a bloody convulsion to reconstitute itself. The festering issue of slavery so dominated politics that nothing else is remembered about the dynamics of the period. Today, the festering issue is corruption and racketeering, but none of the candidates uses those precise terms to describe what has happened to us, though Sanders inveighs against the banker class to some effect. Trump gets at it only obliquely by raging against the “incompetence” of the current leadership, but he expresses himself so poorly in half-finished sentences and quasi-thoughts that he seems to embody that same mental incapacity as the people he rails against. Corruption and racketeering go unobserved and unchallenged. Even the amazing effrontery of Ted Cruz failing to report his Goldman Sachs campaign contributions to the FEC (with his wife employed as a managing director of that company!) hardly made an impression on public opinion last week.
Political uncertainty has never been so dangerously high in this country since the election year of 1860. Even the Watergate years pale against today’s sick scene because for all of Richard Nixon’s turpitudes and evasions in the White House, the institutions of democracy elsewhere were sound and worked impressively well. The senate committee steadfastly and systematically uncovered the crimes of Nixon and his cohorts over two years of hearings, and the House judiciary committee chugged efficiently through the preparatory work of impeachment — and then, old Tricky Dick boarded his helicopter to San Clemente with a ragged smile and a wave.
Nobody knows where the shit show of 2016 is leading. The uncertainty around it is helping to sink what remains of the old economy, and one can easily discern a very dangerous set of feedbacks creeping into place.
Is this the same Kunstler that thinks we are running out of oil and believes in man-made climate change disasters ? Now he is pushing for single-payer Medicare-for-all ? Fuck Him.
The problem the Republicans face is that they think they own their rank and file members the same way the Democrats think -actually know- they own the Blacks and other dependent minorities.
Sanders or Hillary won’t change that, but Trump might.
At least Trump will give a choice between the same thing and something different.
So no matter which side you’re on, vote for more of the same or take a chance and vote for something different.
It’s your choice, you decide what your want but at least making a choice no matter what your decision is.
ILuvCO2
Might interest you, and something all the single payer proponents should pay sharp attention to.
From a country that is promoted to have a far superior healthcare system than ours (and whose wealthy come here or other countries for their own major healthcare needs).
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/01/16/taxpayer-funds-private-health-care-for-nhs-staff/
Read it carefully, it contains much more than just the subject of the article.
What is noticeable for me in the current presidential race, consistent with every election for many years, is the lack of true ‘statesmen’ being involved.
When I look around the world political stage I see ‘statesmen’ leading their countries in China, Russia, Singapore and, debatably, New Zealand and Germany.
From 1990 until he passed away I was fortunate to be in a position to become close to Caspar Weinberger, whom I now consider to be one of America’s last statesman like figures. Due to circumstance we had many one-on-one breakfasts in Raffles Hotel, Singapore, and in anticipation of these chats I prepared myself by swotting up on international issues, the more obscure the better. I never came close to introducing a topic that he was not fully versed on, from any corner of the world.
The current crop of political leaders are cut from far poorer cloth, and IMHO none deserve to lead the great country the USA should be today.
It’s obvious that the Democratic Party is completely controlled by the Clinton’s. There are 20 some Dem Gov’s, more than 50 Dem Senators, yet Hillary runs completely unopposed – except for some 74 year old codger. Bernie is allowed to run to give the process some air of legitimacy. There is no bottom – no crime or scandal large enough that will take Hillary down. She has no shame. A true sociopath.
Trump – The Repub’s don’t want him. Maybe they’ll get him assassinated? And install Jeb Bush.
This could be the start of some real 4th turning action.
both parties represent the oligarchy class, not the people, therefore, the people should abstain from voting. The problem with this approach, is as Kunstler states ” Enter, some Pentagon general on a white horse”
While we are not quite there yet, I have a sense that this is probably in our distant future, as even the good soldiers are not going to follow morally bankrupt “leaders”. Our elected leaders must display same moral fibers that represent WE the peoples.
As each generation of puppet leaders acts more in self interest than national, we will eventually seek out those we perceive to have a strong character that believes in the US constituion as it was written, not one that is interpreted by the politically appointed judicial class.
As usual, Kunstler is good to read. That said, he is wrong about “rank and file” Republicans. Rank and File Republicans will support Trump, or at least vote for him. The “Republicans” who won´t are the Neo-Con´s like Bill Kristol, the arrogant GOP apparatchiks and the clueless Kasich´s, who imagine that the only issue is economics. The issue is immigration and the survival of the country .
Our Ivy League schools only teach the Royal Sons of the Elite Banksters to become spoiled condescending Machiavelli Princes. The US State Dept has been pro-Communist since FDR and pro-Islam under Obama. The government leaders reject God and mislead the people. God has withdrawn His blessings but TPTB false prophets prophecy smooth things. I sit a Queen and shall see no sorrow (Rev 18:7,8). Christian Statesmen need not apply.
Anonymous
Sort of like Congress has their own private taxpayer funded plan and does not have to suffer through obamacare.
If Trump really does gather the delegates to win prior to the convention, he won’t be denied the nomination through any mechanical method at the convention- the Republican brass isn’t suicidal. If no candidate has it won before the convention, Trump might not be the nominee even if he has the most delegates going in, but I doubt even that would happen since he would be in the strongest position to make the deal necessary to get over the top, and he is a deal maker.
The Democrats, on the other hand, would definitely rather get Clinton out and Biden in if she is going to face legal problems before the general election- not give the nomination to Sanders. There you may well see shenanigans at the convention.
Yancey,
I predict that if Trump actually does get the nomination the Republican power structure will team up with the Democrats to do everything they can to see him defeated.
IMO of course, I’m no political expert and maybe I’m wrong.
But I’d sure like to find out one way or another through a Trump nomination.
Ron Paul proved the republicans aren’t afraid of losing if it preserves the status quo.
Socialism as a brand is not going to be the problem you think it is, perhaps not this election but pretty soon. There has been an obvious effort to make it palatable by the media, democrats and especially by academia not teaching anything about history and what reality is in human behavior or political economy/economics. One more generation at most.
“…given our history and national mythos”
Funniest JHK line ever. They change our national mythos so often no one can keep up, not sure even he knows what he’s talking about.
Here’s the deal, The Donald that JHK so ineptly sums up by saying “… he expresses himself so poorly in half-finished sentences and quasi-thoughts that he seems to embody that same mental incapacity as the people he rails against.” is as far from mental incapacity as they get. He knows exactly what he’s saying and who he’s communicating with when he uses those five word sentences with sixth grade words, it’s called the electorate. He’s not the guy responsible for dumbing them down, but he’s not going to miss an opportunity to cash in on the mess they’ve made. Our elites are especially entertaining because unlike the inbred aristocracies of the past, these guys are infected with a form of genetic bureaucratism. Like the hemophilia of the Leopold/Victoria set, these guys have a kind of blood borne tunnel vision. They wanted a stupid population, so they ran their schools to insure it, imported the dregs of the third world to cement it in place and finished it off with a big old helping of crap food and pharmaceuticals and now they’re bummed that media savvy cruise ship hypnotist has figured out how to use their ignorance to his own advantage? Pretty funny if you ask me.
Trump is not just going to win, he’s going to win with the largest plurality in US political history because the only alternatives are Larry David and a woman who reminds most people of the old lady in the candy house from Hansel and Gretel, only scarier.
Man did Mencken ever hit it spot on with this one-
“Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.”
I hope K. is right about Hitlery, but I just don’t see it. It all depends on what Obobgo wants. However, he is dead wrong about Trump’s support. As Sage said, the rank and file along with blue collar types, &TC love the guy(so far).. The establishment hates him because he doesn’t play their game. He doesn’t want or need their money. Kunstler is always an interesting read even when I don’t agree with him!
@HSF: Love your line “and now they’re bummed that media savvy cruise ship hypnotist has figured out how to use their ignorance to his own advantage? Pretty funny if you ask me.”
That’s exactly what’s going on, but Sanders is no Larry David. He DOES go along with the meme about Assad being “bad” and even said that in the debate last night. Apparently he didn’t get the memo that Assad did NOT gas his own people (CIA propaganda) and by him saying that I’m concerned. I didn’t think he was on the “same page”, but I’m sure Trump is right there with him.
It may very well be that the the gates of financial and monetary Doom have been flung wide open if the first few weeks of 2016 are any of indicator. The issue of the economy may very well be the only issue later this year. I think that will give Trump a big advantage over all the rest .
Now if we get Bernie we have serious problems. Bernie can’t do math as evidenced by his spending plans and proposed free shit programs. We will be a nation run by a delusional moron lacking 8th grade arithmetic skills. Not only that but how will the rest of the world react to the grumpy old bastard. They will not take him seriously………..an international joke. Not a funny joke for us. If you think the government is mess right now just wait until Bernie gets in and loses control every agency, every budget, foreign policy matter, domestic policy issue, his staff and his microphone . Bernie is going after super hot big time pussy with an elderly limp dick. But he will still have the support of the gutless, weak, pussified, metro sexual, gay, lesbian, Islam loving, tree hugging, money sucking, diverse FSA community nationwide and that’s a lot of people.
If Trump wins he’s going to clamp down on a lot of things and he going to do it by getting the public to back him, …………….at least the loud, angry, fed up and over taxed portion of us. He will make lots of noise and the Trump show will be in everyone’s face all the time. While he’s clamping down on things he will probably clamp down on some of your civil liberties that you will never get back. I’m sure you won’t mind. But he might be able to hold the sinking ship together longer than the rest and to direct the blame onto others who actually need to be blamed. It might be fun watching the Democrats, Left wingers, Right wingers, reporters and others all around the world freak out, wail and gnash their teeth for the next four to eight years and to see a lot of bureaucrats hear the words………….”Your Fired”. After Trump, I’m not sure what we will be left with but it will probably still stink like a sewer.
Hillary? If she becomes president we might actually see a civil war. An insurrection, A rebellion. Or lose a few states as the secessionist movements in states like Texas where more and more people have been warming up to the idea. Hillary will pour a lot of gas on that fire. There is probably at least 15 to 20 percent of this nation that’s not going to put up with that bitch when she brings the hammer down on them.
Anyone else………….well………… we’re still doomed.
If your looking for any of these fucks to save the nation you might as well join up with The Bernie Sanders Free Camp for the Retarded and be done with it.
Dutch,Sage and Robert you have it pretty well covered but none of us have the capacity to express just how corrupt self serving and immoral the political parties are.
Kunstler has never said we are running out of oil. What he has pointed out time and again is that we are running out of easy to access oil. He called it right some time ago when he said that as we reach peak, the downside to oil will be characterised by swings in the price of oil which now seems to be happening. The price of oil will go up again until it becomes too expensive and then crash again ad nauseum.
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