No Joe Can Save Us

Picking back up on "politics", much angst surrounding Manchin's venal game, but the whole drama is just a diversion to keep Americans from noticing a disturbing little trend: democratic capitalism doesn't work. The angst should be flowing from the fact nothing can stop Capital from destroying earth's life support system. Or that millions are being sacrificed, doomed to a very unpleasant fate while others sip champagne and smoke fat cigars. Or the fact that Margaret Thatcher's little dictum is finally coming true: "there is no such thing as society". But Manchin was never going to save. Nor was the other Joe or David Brook's hypothetical perfect politician (one who embraces social conservatism and economic populism). Or any other freak who believes Capital can be coerced into a managed decline, or a "soft landing". Joe Sixpack isn't going to be much help either. The "working class", at least as it is defined by pollsters, is solidly in the resentment camp, searching for scapegoats to blame for the increasing chaos. Most angsty will be those idealistic young graduates with Environmental Studies degrees who were hoping to work for some climate non-profit funded by Build Back Better. They were all in for Bernie's "political revolution" but they thought the revolutionaries would come from the Left. Oops. Will they re-think their faith or double-down by occupying Nancy Pelosies office again? The increasingly pathetic 350.org is so outraged they are asking people to sign yet another worthless petition- this time DEMANDING that Shcumer remove Manchin from his chairman position. Or else! Yeah! Of course Trump or DiSantis or Clarence Thomas won't save us either. Not that anyone will ask them about wet-bulb temperature, but if they did they would just smile and say "It's the economy, stupid." When really it's the stupidity, economy.