Thanks for the memories

The recent election, for all its media coverage, was really just a tempest in a teacup (or perhaps a less flattering receptacle) since, although there are certainly some differences between Algore and Baby Bush, they’re about as much as those between the Republican Nixon and the Democrat Kennedy in 1960. Who remembers? Who now cares?

Corporate rhetoric versus populist rhetoric — emphasis on the Green State versus the National Security State. The ship of state will sail more-or-less on its present course regardless, with only trim tab adjustments on its direction, barring some astounding stroke of idiocy. I discount the chance of a stroke of genius heavily.

This is, however, in itself, a good thing. One of the things that makes most Third-World countries so politically risky is that a change in leadership can have a radical effect on a country’s direction. Since elections reflect the basest emotions of the mob, they’re usually dangerous. Third-World countries typically have neither enough stability nor traditions of freedom to make elections just the distraction and nuisance they are in the United States.

Indeed, it’s best to view elections everywhere, including the United States, mainly as a form of free, or at least distributed cost, entertainment — they should be treated with only the respect they deserve. And, as advance auctions on stolen goods, that’s very little.

How, therefore, would I have proposed to resolve the contest? I suggested, in all sincerity, a pay-per-view Cage-Fight-To-The-Death between Algore and the Baby Bush. It probably would have been the largest grossing event in world history, generating scores of billions in profits. At a minimum it would have put to rest justifiable claims that both the contestants were worthless. It would have at least resulted in a president who might be able to show he wasn’t a craven coward, which would be refreshing. And it would have been in keeping with America’s increasing resemblance to a declining Rome, when decadent emperors (e.g., Nero and Commodus) would themselves become part of the entertainment.

Getting into the circus spirit the election engendered, Fidel Castro offered to send a team of observers to Florida to monitor the proceedings. Castro understands that the United States is a major player in the Caribbean and sees its stability as critical to Cuban interests. In any of scores of countries, when an apparent election loser refuses to acknowledge the outcome, you can expect all manner of pompous and self-righteous pronouncements out of Washington about politicians respecting democratic institutions, etc., etc, followed by threats. Perhaps other countries should have placed economic sanctions on the United States as an inducement to straighten up and fly right, as a prelude to sending in peacekeepers. Castro, like Stalin and, for that matter, Bush and Gore, clearly understands that what matters, more than who votes, is who counts the votes.

The Feckless Fratboy was, however, chosen over the Evil Robot. And, under the law, that’s probably as it should be. But Algore has grounds to be as disgruntled as a postal employee. Not only did he win by 500,000 popular votes nationwide, but you have to count the 2.7 million for Nader, plus tens of thousands more for various socialist candidates, as votes for what Gore stands for. Clearly, the majority of Americans prefer Gore’s values. The election of Hillary in New York, even though she was running against a non-entity who stood for nothing (which is to say a typical Republican) is a confirming indicator, as is the fact the Democrats made gains in both Houses. Truly, the United States is on the slippery slope.

A look at the bright side

Since the election, the stock market has been increasingly ugly and the economy has turned down. If they get much worse, people will blame the Baby Bush. This is understandable, even if it’s not fair. People in office like to take 100% of the credit for things going right and their opponents like to give them 100% of the blame for things going wrong– even though these things are determined mostly by longer-term influences.

But politics is rarely about justice. If the stock market goes into the worst bear market ever (which I believe it will), and we actually see The Greater Depression materialize, then Bush will get the blame.

If Algore had been elected, The Greater Depression would serve to discredit a lot of his claptrap, even though the bad economy wouldn’t really be his fault. Of course assuming his ideas would be discredited is probably overoptimistic, since even the collapse of the Soviet Union hasn’t killed the idea of socialism. Worse, his administration could have been expected to have responded with all kinds of New Deal-like idiocy, augmenting the power of the state. This time around, however, it might have lead to something approaching insurrection from various segments of the country, everyone from gun owners (many of whom simply won’t tolerate likely confiscation) to urban blacks (who’ll likely be hurt badly in a severe recession).

But since it’s Baby Bush at the helm, his administration, which is somehow associated with the free market in the mind of Boobus Americanus, will be discredited, and he’ll go down as the Herbert Hoover of our generation. This is at once fitting and ironic, in that (contrary to what people believe he did today, but in keeping with the fascist tenor of the ’30s) Hoover tried all kinds of collectivist nostrums and government programs to right the economy. Roosevelt, pathological and enthusiastic liar that he was, ran against Hoover on a platform of non-intervention and a free market. The main difference between them in reality was persona, Roosevelt giving far better speeches.

So, perversely, the recent election may turn out to have been one of the more important elections in U.S. history, depending on whether Kondratieff was right and the economy is about to go off the deep end. Should the Greater Depression materialize, I think there’s a fair chance one or both of today’s major parties will cease to exist. It’s happened before in American history.

One thing militating against that possibility is the funding of political campaigns via government grants (one reason why, if you file a U.S. 1040, you should never check off the one dollar contribution for that purpose on your tax return in April). Certainly, the Reform Party will cease to exist because its only raison d’?tre is collecting grants from the government. Since it fell below the 5% cut-off, and Ross Perot’s pocketbook may not be there to bail it out, it will hopefully disappear. The success of the Green Party depends largely on the longevity of that shameful, shameless, and thoroughly dishonest humbug, Ralph Nader. The Libertarian Party will probably continue to provide a symbolic outlet for people of good will who have nothing better to do with their time on election day.

My assessment of George W. Bush? I think he’s genuinely shallow, thoughtless, and actually a little dim. But it could be worse — look at Algore. What will happen is that Dick Cheney will be the President-In-Fact, and Dick is a very dangerous man, the archetypal National Security Fascist and Corporate Statist.

Well, at least they’ll probably repeal the death tax. The loss of many of your remaining freedoms is a small price to pay, I suppose.