Political Fantasies

[Bootstrap]

Are there unbiased, neutral observers? Where do I find them?

Not in the Politico opinion section.

Nor on MN. In fact, things get denounced along partisan political lines so strongly that it's basically a filibuster. Makes it very hard to discuss things rationally.

The "problem" the article discusses is essentially "Congress isn't passing enough of the kind of legislation that my politics and ideology want them to be passing". This is not necessarily an actual problem. It's just something that the author holds a political opinion that it's a problem.

Congress can't even pass a budget.

Congress can't even elect a speaker of the house who has their confidence. Not even the confidence of his own party. Congress can't work together while biting and devouring each other. The two are not compatible.

People retiring from Congress tell us that Congress is broken. They tell us that partisanship and polarization are leading to gridlock because people cannot agree on anything in order to work on it. So we have legislative gridlock - even for emergency funding. Special interests get what they want, they are very happy, but if you make a list of the things that are most important to average citizens, that's not on the agenda.

Often, the rhetoric is so toxic and divisive that there's no sense of people working together. The House of Representatives is not a team of people working together to solve America's problems. The whole media circuit encourages this, it's like the Worldwide Wrestling Foundation or something, and social media is a big part of that.

They are fundraising and campaigning every day, putting a LOT of their effort into that, more than they put into identifying and solving America's problems.

This is out of control. It's badly broken. And we fan the flames in the way we ourselves discuss these things. Social media tells them that this kind of dysfunction is precisely what we want, social media cheers them on.

[Bootstrap]

Here are the three fantasies at the heart of the article - one fantasy for the right-wing, one for the left-wing, and one for moderates:

1. The Right-Wing Fantasy
   The most visible fantasy is the one that has been driving the populist wing of the Republican conference since Newt Gingrich took control of the House in 1994 and now makes its home in the Freedom Caucus. These partisan ideologues imagine that if they stick together and hang tough, if they remain willing to take the heat for disrupting government and trashing the norms of political behavior, they can bully their colleagues, wear down their opponents and grab the reins of power.
2. The Progressive Fantasy
   Political fantasy, however, is not limited to the Republican Party. The one thing that unites the Democratic cloakroom these days — aside from their righteous outrage at the behavior of Republicans — is the unshakeable conviction that Americans agree with them on just about everything. Democrats imagine that if they can just maintain party unity and stick to poll-tested talking points, they will run the table in the next election, win control of both the White House and Congress and finally enact the progressive agenda that Americans have wanted all along. In this new New Deal fantasy, the Trump wing of the Republican Party will finally be crushed and Democrats will become the dominant governing party for a generation.
3. The Moderate Fantasy
   The only members of Congress who haven’t been swept up in these partisan reveries are the dwindling band of moderates in both parties. What keeps them going is a different fantasy, one in which they join forces to buck their leaders and force onto the agenda the kind of bipartisan compromises that Americans want and need.

[Josh]

Better described as “this is what a typical progressive thinks the fantasies of other people are”.

[Grace]

Often, the rhetoric is so toxic and divisive that there's no sense of people working together. The House of Representatives is not a team of people working together to solve America's problems.

Some of the most pressing issues today in this country are inflation, high cost of living, an invasion at the southern border, and the wars that were either emboldened or empowered by Biden. It is true, there is disunity in the House, but as for working to solve the nation's problems, neither the Democrats and the President are working towards that goal either.

The reality is that In 2021 when Biden came into office, we had 1.4 % inflation, no serious energy issues, record low gas and grocery prices, low crime, rebuilt military, no supply chain issues, no wars, low illegal’s invading our borders. The reality now, for millions of people, is exactly the opposite. Is the House of Representatives responsible for all that chaos? How can they work towards remedying those problems, if the are met by strong opposition from the Democrats and the president.

As the article states, it seems there is a lot of discord in both the House and the Senate equally.

[Ernie]

Better described as “this is what a typical progressive thinks the fantasies of other people are”.

Who do you suggest is qualified to identify the various political fantasies in D.C.?

[Jazman]

The reality is that In 2021 when Biden came into office, we had 1.4 % inflation, no serious energy issues, record low gas and grocery prices, low crime, rebuilt military, no supply chain issues, no wars, low illegal’s invading our borders. The reality now, for millions of people, is exactly the opposite. Is the House of Representatives responsible for all that chaos? How can they work towards remedying those problems, if the are met by strong opposition from the Democrats and the president.

A few things in response... end of 2020/Jan 2021 when Biden took office...

1. I don't recall "record" low gas and grocery prices... "record low" compared to what?

• I don't recall low crime... Why did Trump run on a "law & order" platform if crime was so low? Before Trump ever left office the right side of the media spectrum was making a Huge deal about the BLM protests and the crime/anarchy they attached to that. This very forum is filled with people bemoaning the 'high crime / lawlessness' happening months Before Biden took office... but now it's way worse? Hmmm.

• What 'rebuilt' military? I don't recall that being an issue, talking point or even budget/policy aim or project in the Trump years? When? How?

• I don't recall "no supply chain issues" before Biden took office... I work with a buying team in a retail environment... supply chain issues were a reality in 2020, through the end of the Trump admin and into the next and none of the issues 'came' into being because Biden took the oath on Jan 20, 2021. ALL the supply chain issues stemmed from foreign country Covid conditions/responses, overseas manufacturer issues/choices, etc.

• The idea that the Ukrainians wouldn't have fought back against Putin, ie "no war", if Trump had been in office, is a fantasy... And Biden did pull us out of the last major, real boots-on-ground engagement, Afghanistan (but the right didn't like that either did they? So it's clearly a case of no matter what is done, he's to blame.)

• I don't recall any real policy changes in immigration coming into effect immediately after Jan 2021, do you? But life going-on does bring changes, most of which are out of the control of Biden or Dems in general. Demand for workers went up as well... Employers having a hard time finding people to fill empty slots... ie demand!, especially post-pandemic restrictions/protocols. Maybe that's been the main magnet?

I'm curious who's telling you all these utopian things that were reality before Biden came to office... Of course some things changed post-Trump admin, but the idea that there was some near utopia before and then it all switched in the winter/spring of 2021 to the dark dystopia implied(Biden taking office) is a fantasy (in fitting with the op though). Who's telling you this and why do you think they are telling you this fantastical narrative?

I welcome your posting of multiple but separate credible and corroborating sources that give evidence of this simple binary narrative.

[Ken]

The reality is that In 2021 when Biden came into office, we had 1.4 % inflation, no serious energy issues, record low gas and grocery prices, low crime, rebuilt military, no supply chain issues, no wars, low illegal’s invading our borders. The reality now, for millions of people, is exactly the opposite. Is the House of Representatives responsible for all that chaos? How can they work towards remedying those problems, if the are met by strong opposition from the Democrats and the president.

Yes, this is some serious revisionist history.

• When Trump left office, unemployment was at record highs after over 10 million Americans had lost their jobs. More jobs were lost under the Trump presidency than at any time since the Great Depression.
• Inflation was on the rise due to a combination of supply chain issues and tariffs.
• The national debt had doubled under his watch
• The economy was shrinking
• And the economy was such a mess that people were fighting over and hoarding toilet paper like it was Lord of the Flies

[Josh]

• When Trump left office, unemployment was at record highs after over 10 million Americans had lost their jobs. More jobs were lost under the Trump presidency than at any time since the Great Depression.

... due to COVID, the lockdowns therewhich had bipartisan support, although Democrats favoured more strict lockdowns than redder states did.

[*]Inflation was on the rise due to a combination of supply chain issues and tariffs.

Almost entirely due to COVID. Inflation was low pre-COVID.

[*]The national debt had doubled under his watch

Due to massive government spending and handouts for COVID.

[*]The economy was shrinking

Due to COVID and attendant lockdowns.

[*]And the economy was such a mess that people were fighting over and hoarding toilet paper[/list]

Due to COVID and government threats to shut down stores so people couldn't go and buy toilet paper.

[Ken]

• When Trump left office, unemployment was at record highs after over 10 million Americans had lost their jobs. More jobs were lost under the Trump presidency than at any time since the Great Depression.

... due to COVID, the lockdowns therewhich had bipartisan support, although Democrats favoured more strict lockdowns than redder states did.

[*]Inflation was on the rise due to a combination of supply chain issues and tariffs.

Almost entirely due to COVID. Inflation was low pre-COVID.

[*]The national debt had doubled under his watch

Due to massive government spending and handouts for COVID.

[*]The economy was shrinking

Due to COVID and attendant lockdowns.

[*]And the economy was such a mess that people were fighting over and hoarding toilet paper[/list]

Due to COVID and government threats to shut down stores so people couldn't go and buy toilet paper.

And so? COVID happened on Trump's watch.

The inflation that you and Grace are blaming on Biden was largely a global COVID-supply chain related issue as well. And, in fact, the Biden Administration has navigated those problems better than any other western country. If you think COVID gets Trump off the hook for his Administration's failures then you shouldn't be shouldn't be talking about inflation either.

[Josh]

And so? COVID happened on Trump's watch.

I agree that Trump should have immediately shut down all immigration/travel and already had a travel ban long before COVID got here and had the wall built, but that didn't happen. But in any case, Democrats would have fought that tooth and nail. In February 2020, Democrats were making a big deal that we shouldn't even stop flights coming in from China.

The inflation that you and Grace are blaming on Biden was largely a global COVID-supply chain related issue as well. And, in fact, the Biden Administration has navigated those problems better than any other western country. If you think COVID gets Trump off the hook for his Administration's failures then you shouldn't be shouldn't be talking about inflation either.

COVID is an acceptable excuse in 2020, or maybe 2021, but not an acceptable excuse in 2023.