Smoke and Mirrors

A Cabinet of billionaire businessmen with a vested interest in policy reversals...no wonder they'll work for a dollar...make no mistake about it: the reins of the country are in the hands of big business reminiscent of the Gilded Age. Only problem is, public finance doesn't use math the same way a corporation does.

 A healthy public/ private balance sheet is derived differently...f'rinstance, there's a public safety component to welfare (desperate people do desperate things); in business that would go under the heading 'goodwill'. Seen through the lens of bootstrap republicanism, welfare enables indolence and is a favorite entitlement target.

Policy decisions can't be judged soley on the basis of efficiency:
government is about people, by definition it has to be inefficient. It's saving grace in the past is that it moves slow, so not too much damage can occur before being noticed and corrected. Because their ideologies and past actions are entirely self-interested, actions by key cabinet posts filled as a result of the Trump whisperers bear relentless scrutiny going forward.

I would love to see come true the argument that these people, at this point in their lives, care about leaving a legacy for the greater good.

Vague Unease

'Populist' has become shorthand for the anger candidate - and boy, the world seems pissed off. The upcoming elections in Italy, Austria and France have formerly fringe parties moving into the mainstream to challenge centrist governments. Between Trumps' election and the Brexit vote in the UK, people are becoming increasingly nationalist, protectionist and isolationist. Not saying it's a foregone conclusion, but history reveals these are necessary ingredients for a world war. All it takes is one loose cannon...

Jingle All the Way

On Carrier only moving half of those jobs to Mexico deal: wow...a sterling example of crony capitalism at its' best...and what don't we know? Moving those jobs would have saved the company 65 million; presumably, the incentives for staying has to be equal or greater. Terms of the deal we know are some state tax incentives, the promise of federal tax reduction and, oh right, federal contract renewals for parent company UTX that are in the billions. Both carrot and stick in action here. And the Carrier press release includes a potential rip-cord to bail in their free trade affirmation. Creating a ripple in the capitalism playing field for one company invites others to follow suit: why aren't traditional republicans screaming?

Big Bowl of Hypocrisy

Breitbart's counter-offensive against Kellogg for pulling it's advertising is troubling for the precedent it sets: the threat of a boycott effectively hijacks aligning corporate values with their advertising dollars. Business is used to consumers objecting to a site or tv show in which they advertise-and usually cave to their demands. Here, the site itself is organizing consumer protest...what is the takeaway: news outlets can bully their way to advertising dollars?

The quote below boggles the mind in it's inflammatory word choice and plain ol' thuggery:

"For Kellogg's, an American brand, to blacklist Breitbart News in order to placate left-wing totalitarians is a disgraceful act of cowardice," Alex Marlow, the site's editor-in-chief, wrote. "Boycotting Breitbart News for presenting mainstream American ideas is an act of discrimination and intense prejudice. If you serve Kellogg's products to your family, you are serving up bigotry at your breakfast table."

I went on Kellogg's facebook page to read the comments - good lord, such vitriol...it remains to be seen if Kellogg takes a hit to their bottom line, but the backlash is noisy, swift and ugly. For me, kudos to Kellogg - finally, an example of 'money is speech' I can admire.

Bread and Circuses

This cynical reference of the masses from the time of Cicero is still relevant - the leadership redirects discontent with the sleight-of-hand of food and entertainments and the people are complicit by not looking beyond their appetites. Today, "appetites" would be the answer to the narrowly defined 'what's in it for me?'

On Steven Mnuchin for Treasury Secretary, most folks will stop reading after hearing he wants big tax cuts for the middle and lower middle class. Has to be good, right? But what can we infer after his role in acquiring IndyMac (sub-prime lender that became shorthand for the housing meltdown) and the Treasury's oversight role of Wall Street and the financial markets? He bought the failed bank for pennies on the dollar and conditional on the FDIC covering most of the losses. He renamed it OneWest and came under regulatory scrutiny for pushing home foreclosures without due process. His was one of many banks that enjoyed our "caught, paid fines and released" style of business justice.

And now he would like to scuttle the Dodd-Frank Act, the consumer protections put into place after the resulting financial crisis from sub-prime mortgages...because, you know, we can all be confident of self-regulated industry acting in our best interest...

The Best Government Money Can Buy

The old saw about people getting the government they deserve speaks to apathy- a lazy electorate loses the right to complain. Not implied in the statement is that the deepest-pocket propaganda machine wins. Thanks to the SCOTUS ruling in favor of Citizens United, very deep corporate pockets went to work for their own agenda.

Pigs and Yams

...or the "Big Man" theory for Trump as President

One of the frequently heard reasons in support of their candidate was "I just want someone to fix this mess" - and yes, this from people capable of abstract thought. Even curiouser, this from people who are quite well off by any standard - hardly the "fly-over America" demograph.
"Sooo," I'm thinking, "you want a political savior? And once installed in the White House, what's the metric for a successful fix? And what else are you willing to overlook to get your pet fix?"

Underlying their definition of 'mess' are fear and anger, thriving in a relatively fact-free environment. During the campaign they were obviously willing to overlook, well, everything- for the shot at change. Their defense of Trump was largely based on "he can't be bought", a theme he reinforced at every turn and "he's a fighter that won't quit", leading to his jaw-dropping "only I can fix this" declaration.

Many puzzles can be solved by following the money and, wow, you don't have to dig deep to grasp the influence of OPM or "other peoples money" on Trump. Republican Super PACs switched from Cruz to Rubio to Trump to further their agenda. Check out: http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/07/politics/rebekah-mercer-trump-super-pac/index.html
So, from installing key people in his campaign to their picks for cabinet posts, Trump can, in fact, be bought.

As to Trump's role as the "Big Man" - well, to re-hash Anthro 101: it's the power structure found in various tribes in Papua New Guinea. A strong man bullies and cajoles to leadership with a toxic brew of intimidation and distribution of scarce resources. His legitimacy derives more from the tribe being cowed into submission than from consent by the governed. The Big Mans' tenure is only as long as he continues to deliver the goods: I see some parallels here.