Saturday, 5 March 2016
Miserable Clarity
I've been wondering about the strange extremes that seem to have captured the imaginations of the American voting class. I'm not wondering any more, because I went to see The Big Short. It is such a good film, but it also makes sickeningly clear that cynicism and distrust of the elites that run government and financial markets is the only response anyone could sensibly have in the aftermath of the Great Financial Crisis. Trump and Sanders are the children of sub-prime and CDOs.
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In 2008 and in in the run-up to 2016, Hillary Clinton's main selling point was inevitability. That works well enough until it doesn't. I doubt that among her advocates there is the same enthusiasm as their was eight years ago. Still, I think that Sanders is going nowhere.
ReplyDeleteAll coalitions last only so long. This may be the year that Reagan's falls apart. I have been expecting the romance of conservatism and populism to end in tears for some time now, and this may be the year.
That phrase "the romance of conservatism & populism" is wonderful & I think you are absolutely right. If Hillary Clinton wins, to what extent do you think it will actually be Bill Clinton that you will be getting as President? Inevitability, enthusiasm, whatever, that outcome strikes me as the only one that is both quite likely and not really alarming
DeleteAs a political force, Hillary Clinton has been an aspect of Bill. A lot of very intelligent women graduated from Yale Law School about the time she did, but I can't offhand remember hearing of any others being handed Senate seats. I think that she would be president in fact, though, not just in name.
DeleteGiven what the choice may well be, I hope she will be in president - whether in fact or just in name. Either way, it is the only palatable choice as things appear to stand. Not that I know enough to judge really, just looking in as a fairly uninformed bystander
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