Lets Stop Pretending That The GOP Is Like Your Father's GOP

Paul Krugman, bring several threads together, in this article, to make the argument that our response to our economic problems is due to political dysfunction. Furthermore, our political dysfunction is the result of income inequality. A handful of billionaires have purchased the allegiance of one of our two political parties. That party used to bargain with the other party to resolve differences. It no longer acknowledges the legitimacy of the other party and its leaders. Its goal, in the service of its benefactors, is to run the country as it pleases.

Unfortunately, that handful of billionaires have also purchased the allegiance of many intellectuals and economists. They provide support for the ideas that legitimize their interests to the public. They are employed by many of our prestigious colleges, and "think tanks" which they fund with tax deductible donations. Their ideas are broadcast to the public by a network of media outlets. Some of these outlets serve their purposes exclusively. They also attempt to delegitimize media outlets that are not "fair and balanced". Since there is only one right answer to most questions, there is is only one fair answer. Many media outlets, which they do not control, are compelled to give equal time to ideas and viewpoints that used to be regarded as nonsense. That is one of the reasons why we still see debates about evolutionary theory, climate change, and the value of fiscal policy in recessions, in the media. It is also why much of the public is more concerned about our national debt twenty years from now, than it is about unemployment and growing inequality. After all, corporate profits have reached record levels simultaneous with high unemployment and growing inequality.

The right wing revolution has transformed our country in many ways. The only way to respond is by acknowledging it for what it is and telling the story to the public.