It Matters Even If It Doesn't

The bigwigs of global capitalism are meeting in London for a conference on "inclusive capitalism." Lynn Forester de Rothschild, the hostess of the event, said "It's true that the business of business is not to solve society's problems," but added that "But it is really dangerous for business when business is viewed as one of society's problems. And that is where we are today." It is naïve to think that anything constructive will emerge from the London shindig. It's importance lies in that the richest of the richest now realize that the situation cannot continue. Change occurs slowly. It's been said that it takes three generations to change a system, whether in politics, economics, or anything; one generation to doubt it privately, another generation to question it openly, and a third to rise up and attack it. For the past three decades, we have lived with the ideology that there is no alternative to the "rich getting richer," even though it growing numbers of people have come to question it privately. We now have gotten to the point that the ideology is coming under open assault. The task is to replace the current system.

Another world is not only possible, it is urgently needed.

Don't Cry for Her America

The Monica Lewinsky affair continues to be an obsession with right-wingers (Rand Paul himself tried to dredge it up recently). Now Lewinsky herself has come out with article in Vanity Fair(vanity all right.) She doesn't have anything new to say, other than using the rhetoric of victimhood to make it sound like we should all feel sorry for her. In reality, one is struck by the utter self absorption of the piece, as if feeling aggrieved were the only sense of "specialness" that is left for Lewinsky. We gather that she wanted to lead a "sex in the city lifestyle," but apparently that didn't happen. When you consider that there are people going hungry, Lewinsky's problems seem rather trivial.

'Tis dangerous when the baser nature comes
Between the fell and incensed points
Of mighty opposites.

Wm. Shankespeare, Hamlet, V.ii.60-62.

Dreams of Jeb

It goes to show how the moral and intellectual emptiness of the GOP that their dream candidate for is Jeb Bush. It seems astonishing that after all this time the GOP can't do any better than bank on the faded "glory" of the Bush clan. Even the Bush matriarch, Barbara, is on record as saying that there have been "enough Bushes." But Jeb, has adopted a moderate stance on immigration reform, which means he's the only Repub who could "rally the base" and attract moderate and independent supporters. That of course pre-supposes that the hard right will come to their senses.

The possibility of a Jeb Bush candidacy doesn't seem terribly thrilling. But Bush I and Bush II weren't taken all that "seriously" at first." The Bushes may not be inspirational or profound but they possess a ruthless and relentless desire to win. If Jeb were to get into the race he might very well get the nomination.

The problem is that the GOP doesn't have anyone else to offer. Absent Jeb Bush, the front runner would be Mitt Romney. Didn't he stink out the joint in 2012? But he's the only other Repub with the clout to win the nomination and the regular election. Rick Perry still thinks he has a chance, but that just shows how big a moron he is.

The campaign of 2016 is going to come down money. Some estimates are that the presidential campaign of that year is going to exceed 1 billion dollars. That probably means there will be no insurgent or "dark horse" candidates that year. And that says a lot of what has happened to American politics.