Sunday, March 07, 2004
The Bushogarchy's vision for the country in 2004
So far as I can tell, the theocons and the neocons (see below) share a common vision:
1. The country is run by a hundred or so dynasties with vast inherited wealth. Let's call them—and their assorted whores and hangers-on—the Bushogarchy.
NOTE: On dynasties, see Kevin Phillips back here.
2. The rest of the country works for these families. Let's call them the rest of the country the proles.
3. The Bushogarchy doesn't pay taxes. The proles do.
NOTE: While I agree that "starve the Beast" is the strategy behind the tax cuts, we also need to focus (as Krugman does) on the "wealth transfer" (i.e., slow-motion theft) that is the end result of these policies.
4. Social services for the proles are provided either by the individual prole, through savings after taxes, through families, or through churches. This includes education, health care, what we once would have called social insurance, transportation, and so forth.
NOTE: When we say "education," we mean "Christian education." The hundred families can afford to send their children to schools where they are taught real science, for example. For the rest of us, vouchers to church schools. This is what's in it for the theocons, and why they go along with the rest of it. (See Orcinus.)
NOTE: The theft of social security funds will reinforce inherited wealth, thanks to the abolition of the estate tax.
5. The labor market becomes a form of indentured servitude, through manipulation of credit and the bankruptcy laws, the elimination of privacy, the abolition of unions and other forms of "burdensome regulation," "tort reform," and internal passport controls (based partially on credit reporting).
NOTE: There will be no universal health insurance, since that would make it easier for people to leave their jobs.
NOTE: From this perspective, the current unemployment numbers are good, since they keep the indentured servants in fear (see back here).
NOTE: On privacy, see here for the shell game on Total Information Awareness. Intelligence on terrorism and credit reporting will of course be integrated, since both are equal threatening to the Bushogarchy.
6. The strength of the country is the strength of its military, and the natural resources we can exploit given our military strength.
Readers, does this ring true? This, it seems to me, is really what election 2004 is all about.
NOTE: Pandagon has an insightful post that takes a view that could be seen as 180 degrees to this post. Essentially, he says that if Kerry wants to win, he's got to be wonkish. Could be. Regardless, I think this is what the election is about, regardless of how Kerry chooses to run the race.
1. The country is run by a hundred or so dynasties with vast inherited wealth. Let's call them—and their assorted whores and hangers-on—the Bushogarchy.
NOTE: On dynasties, see Kevin Phillips back here.
2. The rest of the country works for these families. Let's call them the rest of the country the proles.
3. The Bushogarchy doesn't pay taxes. The proles do.
NOTE: While I agree that "starve the Beast" is the strategy behind the tax cuts, we also need to focus (as Krugman does) on the "wealth transfer" (i.e., slow-motion theft) that is the end result of these policies.
4. Social services for the proles are provided either by the individual prole, through savings after taxes, through families, or through churches. This includes education, health care, what we once would have called social insurance, transportation, and so forth.
NOTE: When we say "education," we mean "Christian education." The hundred families can afford to send their children to schools where they are taught real science, for example. For the rest of us, vouchers to church schools. This is what's in it for the theocons, and why they go along with the rest of it. (See Orcinus.)
NOTE: The theft of social security funds will reinforce inherited wealth, thanks to the abolition of the estate tax.
5. The labor market becomes a form of indentured servitude, through manipulation of credit and the bankruptcy laws, the elimination of privacy, the abolition of unions and other forms of "burdensome regulation," "tort reform," and internal passport controls (based partially on credit reporting).
NOTE: There will be no universal health insurance, since that would make it easier for people to leave their jobs.
NOTE: From this perspective, the current unemployment numbers are good, since they keep the indentured servants in fear (see back here).
NOTE: On privacy, see here for the shell game on Total Information Awareness. Intelligence on terrorism and credit reporting will of course be integrated, since both are equal threatening to the Bushogarchy.
6. The strength of the country is the strength of its military, and the natural resources we can exploit given our military strength.
Readers, does this ring true? This, it seems to me, is really what election 2004 is all about.
NOTE: Pandagon has an insightful post that takes a view that could be seen as 180 degrees to this post. Essentially, he says that if Kerry wants to win, he's got to be wonkish. Could be. Regardless, I think this is what the election is about, regardless of how Kerry chooses to run the race.
