Most of us know people who ignore what is happening in Washington, D.C., or in their own state’s capitols. During my teaching years, I had several students who simply failed to connect the activities of policymakers to their own lives–governance seemed remote, almost irrelevant, especially when they were overwhelmed with efforts to balance school, jobs and families.
The extent of that civic apathy, alongside the ongoing culture war, goes a long way toward explaining why we have a Congress filled with clowns, self-important ignoramuses and assorted lunatics intent upon preventing, rather than producing, governance and policy.
Government gridlock matters, whether the apathetic crowd understands that or not. The most recent evidence is the downgrading of long-term American debt by Fitch Ratings, one of the three major independent credit rating agencies. Fitch downgraded the nation’s long-term debt from AAA, the highest tier, to AA+ — only the second time in U.S. history that the country’s debt has been downgraded. The first followed a cut by S&P Global Ratings in 2011, prompted by a fight between House Republicans and President Obama over raising the federal borrowing limit. Fitch cited a similar standoff this spring, when House Republicans again refused to raise the debt ceiling for several months.
The agency explained that “The repeated debt limit political standoffs and last-minute resolutions have eroded confidence in fiscal management.” Although it also listed America’s growing debt burden, the agency made it clear that the fact of the debt wasn’t the issue: it was the “erosion of governance” that had created doubts about the nation’s ability to cope with that debt. Fitch highlighted the GOP’s tax cuts, at a time when fiscal prudence called for increasing, rather than decreasing, tax receipts.
In their announcement of the downgrade, Fitch analysts cited “erosion of governance” compared to peers that “over the last two decades that has manifested in repeated debt limit standoffs and last-minute resolutions.”
In other words, as The New York Times observed, the downgrade was yet another sign that those knowledgable about the economy are increasingly worried about the effects of America’s political chaos–and especially about the recurring brinkmanship over the debt limit that is becoming entrenched in Washington–despite the fact that the U.S. economy is currently robust.
The immediate consequence of the Fitch downgrade was a sell-off on Wall Street, where retirement funds and stocks held by many of those apathetic citizens took a bath. And as ABC News reported, when government struggles to address debt issues, triggering such a downgrade, consumers face higher interest rates for loans– higher costs for borrowing for everything from credit cards to mortgages to cars.
So here we are.
I have drawn two broad conclusions from the country’s current failures of self-government: one, the apathetic Americans who have failed to “connect the dots” between government dysfunction and their own daily lives have facilitated the election of people who are demonstrably incapable of understanding the policy process. They have done so either by voting mechanically on the basis of partisan identification, or (frequently) by failing to vote at all. Two, far too many Americans cast their votes on the basis of cultural grievances, ignoring–or failing to understand–the actual responsibilities of the political offices to which they have elevated their chosen culture warriors.
For years, Democrats have complained about voters who–as they see it–fail to vote their own interests. What they mean by that is that such voters discount the pocketbook benefits they would receive from the enactment of Democratic policies. What that complaint ignores is the reality that, for most people, “interests” are not necessarily–or even predominantly–financial. The voters who return the Paul Gosars, Jim Jordans, Margery Taylor Green and their ilk to Congress are fighting social change and the perceived diminution of their privileged status as White Christians, males, heterosexuals, etc.
The problem for the rest of us–genuine Conservatives and moderates as well as progressive Democrats–is that this cohort has zero interest in governance and no ability to function as policymakers. Their sole interest is performative. They appear to be totally unaware of the consequences of those performances–one of which, as we’ve just seen, is to convince rating agencies that the United States government is incapable of dealing with the legitimate issues it faces.
We can only hope that culture warriors and apathetic Americans–aided and abetted by extreme gerrymandering–don’t vote in 2024 to return the clowns to what has become a dysfunctional Congressional circus.
Since Reagan and his voodoo economics became the Republican bedrock principle, the R’s have had a one size fits all solution to EVERY Problem. What ever the issue is, the solution is MORE TAX CUTS for the rich. Works every time. It solves every problem. They keep “trickling down” on the rest of us. They stir up the base with a new group to hate or fear and pass more tax cuts for the rich. Endlessly.
A quick note about media reporting not helping. I heard this story on my into work (I think?) on NPR. Even “liberal” NPR focused almost exclusively on the cause of the downgrade being the amount of debt held and only briefly mentioned that Fitch also said something out the dysfunctional government issue.
I have no doubt the result of this will be cuts to social secrurty/medicare/medicaid/ACA/etc. while at the same time giving the defense department another trillion to play with.
Donald Trump spoke his first truth yesterday when he said “This is a sad day for America.” It is indeed a sad day for America and ALL Americans that we have fallen so low we have lost trust in our government and its lawmakers as lies, bigotry and violence are now accepted ways of life here. We no longer trust family, friends and neighbors and are not safe in our homes, on our streets or anywhere we must go to carry out our day-to-day lives. It is also a sad day as the world watches with the same skepticism and doubt that trust can be recovered and the strength of democracy and Rule of Law will return with support for our Constitution.
“…the apathetic Americans who have failed to “connect the dots” between government dysfunction and their own daily lives have facilitated the election of people who are demonstrably incapable of understanding the policy process. They have done so either by voting mechanically on the basis of partisan identification, or (frequently) by failing to vote at all. Two, far too many Americans cast their votes on the basis of cultural grievances, ignoring–or failing to understand–the actual responsibilities of the political offices to which they have elevated their chosen culture warriors.”
Trump and his minions have lied and confused and obfuscated the responsibilities of the public and the responsibility they bear for the ruling idiocy today as the GOP polls keep telling them to accept the lies and the liars and keep them in office.
And this rating bureau’s evaluation when we are in the midst of.a “robust” economy better described as “historic.” Biden’s performance with the drag of a clown car House where MTG complained of giving aid to foreign countries like Guam demonstrates the abysmal ignorance of several Republicans in the House who apparently see their policy making jobs as opportunities to exact revenge against Democrats under the banner of woke, the catch all term no one can define but one employed by Republicans ranging from the ignorant (MTG) to the Ivy Leaguers (DeFascist). Policy making and constitutional guaranties? Whir’s thet?
Here’s a fact check- “Biden economics” is NOT working. All he wants to do is spend!
Tax receipts INCREASED during the Trump years… people know that it now costs 2 to 3 times more to fill up their car with gas. Biden’s first order of business was to shut down the Keystone pipeline. This also affects the price at the grocery store. People get it !
https://waysandmeans.house.gov/fact-check-higher-corporate-tax-revenue-after-gop-tax-reform-debunks-another-democrat-myth/
gail and her link are the perfect demonstration of Sheila’s point.
“Idiocy And Its Consequences” was just underscored heavily on “Morning Joe”. The films of presidential concession speeches by Hillary Clinton and John McCain further proved Trump’s inadvertent truth yesterday. The entire effing mess leading us to the “…sad day for America.” we are faced with and the SEVENTY-NINE charges against Trump came from the fact that he refused and continues to refuse to concede the 2020 presidential election.
And Gail has no understanding of the cost of gas in this country and the connection to the oil situation globally or the fact that the Keystone pipeline was a major source of destruction of our environment, another Trump result of repealing EPA requirements in his effort to shut down the EPA entirely. Our high costs at the grocery store and elsewhere can be traced directly back to Trump and the lack of tax dollars from Corporations and the wealthy. He is using the donations from low income people to pay his legal fees to get his ass out of the criminal situation he is in and is costing this country millions of dollars which could be better spent than to convict a criminal of high crimes and misdemeanors which we and the world watched as they happened.
Sheila’s observation is spot-on: this group lacks the interest and ability to govern, and is only interested in performative acts. Fitch, another credit rating agency, has also warned about the dangers of having these “anti-government” individuals in positions of power. It’s like watching a Dilbert comic play out in real life.
Unfortunately, this situation is not just concerning for the US, but has global implications. Africa, for example, has begun pushing back against Western influence. This will have negative consequences for the US’s oligarchy.
Things are likely to get worse before they get better. Many people believe they can ignore the actions of Washington and other leaders until they are directly impacted. Good luck with that!
Sheila, IMHO this is the very best post I have read from you – many kudos. You mentioned folks who “failed to connect the activities of policymakers to their own lives–governance seemed remote, almost irrelevant, especially when they were overwhelmed with efforts to balance… jobs and families.” This is the abject failure of DEM messaging combined with “smark” GOP/mass media messaging. The populace “sees” public school support starvation, drag shows, constant drumming of crime reporting. They don’t “see” their much more subtle potential future of gentle Fascism resulting from their apathy.
Right on cue from The Guardian…when the donors think they are fighting “woke communists,” there will be MTG standing with her hands out:
“Klingenstein and the Claremont Institute push a harder-edged rightwing politics, and he appeared in a series of videos released in 2022 where he argued that American conservatives are in a “cold civil war” with “woke communists”, and that “education, corporate media, entertainment, big business, big tech… together with the government function as a totalitarian regime”.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/04/far-right-republican-donor-woke-thomas-klingenstein?
Ditto patmcc’s comment.
I reside in a very rural area of Indiana that is populated with the white culture war voters who have their tvs tuned into Fox or Newsmax the entire time they are awake and they’ve allowed themselves to be fully brainwashed by those lying networks. They do as they are told and vote straight R tickets no matter how unqualified or completely ignorant some of the candidates are. Actually researching other potential sources of news to confirm whether they are being told the truth or lies would require time and effort they are unwilling to invest.
We need FCC regulations to require such networks and radio hosts to label themselves as strictly entertainment and/or opinion and to forbid them to use the word ‘news’ in any of their labels.
JoAnn, I think you meant that daleb, and her link, gail having no link unless the “system” confuses
who posted what, as it seems.
Trump may have not, finally, lied in making that comment, but the saddest day for America, in recent
years was the day he came down that escalator in Trump tower. Though, from a different perspective,
it was also the day that began opening of our eyes to just how much bigotry and hatred had for so long
been simmering in the dark underbelly of the nation. Recently published research has shown that, as many
I believe had felt, that much of our crisis simply boils down to bigotry. Fear of “replacement” would only
be a symptom thereof.
Sheila, your newest book is in my house, by way of my library, those running it having accepted my
purchase suggestion! Rock on!
We really need to focus getting out the vote. We need overwhelming numbers of new voters and we need to energize every Democrat and independent and disenchanted Republican to vote like there’s no tomorrow, or else there might not be one for our Republic.
Republicans thought that assassination by political propaganda would be a sufficient way to deal with her and Biden but they underestimated both of them and we the people. There’s more and more propaganda immunity developing in the national system just like more and more coronavirus immunity will develop over time in our individual life systems.
If you don’t vote
there won’t be a tomorrow!