More Working Man's Blues

Now Argentinian libertarian Milei has an electoral mandate to impose yet more "free market" austerity on that fragile country. And he got the votes from the working classes living in the favelas of the large cities. Milei enjoys his popularity due to being Trump adjacent and he shares in some of Trumps entertainment qualities. This new form of anti-politics/ entertainer politician appeals to working people in many places now - for instant the entertainer Farage in Great Britian is leading in the poles. It is dubbed 'far right" in the mainstream media because of the anti-immigrant nationalist chauvinism these movements espouse. Left wingers are quick to see these folks as proto or neo-fascist with their mass appeal and authoritarian leaders and these same leftists seem to think good old redistributive policies are the way to organize these same masses in a progressive movement. What would Jane McAlevey do? In a piece in today's NYTimes the grifter running for governor of New Jersey puts it like this: “I can say, ‘I’m going to lower taxes,’ and I get a nice round of applause,” said Mr. Ciattarelli, the Republican candidate for governor of New Jersey. “But I say, ‘I’m bringing back the plastic bags,’ and it brings down the house, every time.” Everyday people just want to use plastic, they love plastic and will die for the freedom to use plastic. Sure, a guy like Mamdani can get people in a place like New York City to believe the place can become "affordable", whatever that means, and maybe they will figure out a way to get rich folk to pay for it. In NY City. Or San Francisco. Not in Montana. Here the people want to be able to afford a giant truck with wheels that stick way out. A black truck that is way off the ground. And they will vote for anybody who promises to lower rich people's taxes. To pay for the trucks they will support fossil fuels in any form because that is where the money is. Hence, the plastic bags. The 2.99 price of gasoline. This will be the campaign slogan for Democrats in 2026 : Fine. You Can Keep Your Plastic Bags! But once in power they run up against the same old problem, one that is much bigger than bags degrading in the biosphere. They will have to keep the workers in treats. And that gets more and more challenging as the chits get called in, all the claims on future growth get cashed and the only (non)solution is for everybody to put in longer hours producing less and less. While the bags degrade.