The NRA didn’t create “scorched earth tactics,” they just reinvented and honed them to a sharp point.

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Uncertainty

By J.M. Hamilton 7-28-12 

“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” - Benjamin Franklin

“We have met the enemy and he is us.” – Walt Kelly – Pogo

I think it was my father who got me hooked on the Sunday morning political talk shows… if memory serves one was This Week, with David Brinkley.  Loved that guy: urbane, sharp as a razor, and did not suffer fools gladly.  Face the Nation fell in there somewhere and then I usually turned over to PBS and Firing Line.  Hosted by God’s gift to the Republican Party, William F. Buckley, Firing Line was my favorite.  Alas, Buckley and Firing Line are no more.

If we tune into these shows now, perhaps as it always was, the discussion is on the topical and heated political issues of the day.  However, what one notices almost immediately is that there is barely any mention of the financial connections to our elected leaders and their corporate sponsors.  Most of the major networks, of course, are run by huge corporate conglomerates, and the owners and sponsors of these shows are all safely ensconced in the Corporate Hall of Fame. 

Nothing wrong with any of this, but one can’t help wonder does all that corporate money put a crimp in the Sunday morning dialogue, and cloud where this country’s locus of power truly lies?  The talking heads give lofty declamation about Washington D.C., but you hear nary a word about Cupertino, CA and even less so about Fairfield, CT or Decatur, IL.  And none of the pundits mentions the Caymans or Luxembourg.

Why is that?

Republicans have been waging war against the Obama administration ever since the President came into office, saying that his brand of rule creates too “uncertain” an environment for America’s business leaders, and as if on cue, the Chamber of Commerce echoes those sentiments frequently and often (or is it the other way around?).  Many Captains of Industry have seen their balance sheets rise with expanding cash holdings, enjoyed highly inexpensive debt financing courtesy of the Federal Reserve, and a stock market recovery — all under this administration.  Moreover, taxes have not increased under the Obama administration, and in fact, government nationally has shrank. 

All of which probably makes this presidency either the most pro-business Democratic administration ever to enter the White House, or the President has merely switched parties and forgotten to tell the American people.

To read more on the political conservatism of the current administration read, The Ultimate GOP Candidate has yet to Step Forward:

So what exactly is there to be uncertain about? It’s as if the enfant terrible, with its sextillions flowing in from Wall Street banks and corporate donors, had its “lolly” taken away (after calling the shots since President Reagan’s inauguration, nearly a thirty-plus year GOP run).   

Might it be time for the Party to “man up” a little bit?  Might it be time for the Republican controlled House to stop the temper tantrum and assume some responsibility for governing?  How many times can the house GOP engage in political masturbation and vote down President Obama’s healthcare legislation?

As Mr. Franklin told us long ago, wisely and sagely, the only thing certain in this world is death and taxes.  However, I guess if you’re like a handful of CEOs, and Republicans have been sucking on your knee caps for the last thirty years, and you have been told by the Party that your every utterance is a divine right, well then this Administration might appear scary. 

Of course, it’s the Republican Party, and some of their sponsors, who: led the charge over the last thirty years in dismantling capitalism’s rules and regulations; allowed jobs – and American corporate top line growth – to be exported off shore, via free trade agreements; and as the political voice of the Wall Street banks – directly contributed to the uncertainty created for all, businesses and citizens alike, with the past, present and future financial crisis.

Read a recent piece, Malum in se, to learn just how much uncertainty the Republican Party and the Banks have created.

The uncertainty isn’t created by this administration, but rather, it is created by an elite cadre of monopolist, banking, and shadow banking interests, often with interlocking boards — and the politicians and the Republican Party who are sponsored by same.  We’ve seen, daily, that when the Cartel pursues their inalienable right to the profit motive, it has far reaching consequences for America and the world.  Seemingly, these monolithic interests can no longer play in the house without smashing ma’s furniture.

Once again, many of the oligarchy sponsor, own, or own stock in the organizations that control the Sunday morning talk shows and the major news organizations.  Might that be impacting the Sunday morning message?  After all, it would not be good to hear the Sunday pundits discussing the nexus between the real economic and political power in this country, and the law making men and women who reside in the nation’s capital.  That might prove upsetting to many, and fly in the face, to some degree, with the belief that the power in this country rests with people and less so with the plutocracy.

And can you blame the one percent?

After all, life and business are uncertain enough without having Aunt Bessie, in Beaverton, Oregon, attempting to contact Mr. Lloyd Blankfein because her cat is up the tree.

Still, one can wish for the day when This Week is hosted by Mr. Tom Keene, and at the roundtable sits the CEOs, Messrs. Dimon, Cook, and Immelt, and of course, Ms. Woertz.  As informed citizens we should know a great deal more about what the Titans are thinking.  Should we not?

P.S. 

The GOP has been intransigent for some time now, and one might argue learned their favorite political tactic from none other than the NRA.  Yes, the NRA – who perfected in the modern era the political strategy of “scorched earth” or absolutism.  That is one must never yield any ground to the opposition and must continuously move forward on the offensive, no matter how detrimental to society at large.

The NRA didn’t create “scorched earth tactics,” they just reinvented and honed them to a sharp point.  “Scorched earth” has been around for centuries, and as often as not, it is the preferred tool of despots and dictators the world over.

The strategy has its pitfalls… witness the recent number of dictators who have had a falling out with their citizens, and have seen their kingdoms turned up side down.  

If only they had opened up the dialogue, allowed the safety valve of descent and freedom of speech? 

If only they had on occasion compromised?  If only they had abandoned absolutism in favor of democratic reform!

They still might be in power. 

As of late, the catalyst, the spark, for many a dictator’s fall was rising food prices.  

 Copyright JM Hamilton Publishing 2012