Economics, Political Scheming and Sheer Ignorance

 

                  Economics, Political Scheming and Sheer Ignorance    

                                                        

         In the latest installment of Ron DeSantis’ ongoing attempts to morph into Huey Long: I recently alluded to the 200-man state security response force, answerable to him, which DeSantis wants authorization to create. He said it would be useful, “In case the National Guard were all deployed” (which has not and will not ever happen!) Keep in mind that they would be answerable, unlike the National Guard, only to the governor. We now have another Governor initiative to place his hand on the control of state functions which should function according to law, not the Governor’s dictates. The latest piece of garbage from this miserable idiot is his statement that he wants to create a 50-person state “election security” commission.

        Bear in mind that the state of Florida already has election laws and election security is a significant part of that. However, what De Santis proposes almost conveys the message that there's rampant election fraud in the state of Florida and these guys, on the state’s dime, and under his authority, are needed to protect our election security. Bear in mind that, even without such a commission, other states, especially in the South have created laws or made decisions that do things such as prohibit giving water to people standing in long lines waiting to vote. While the premise for such legislation has not been explained, it seems fairly obvious. Additionally, we have heard the rationales, in places like Georgia, for closing some polling places because they're “too far out in the country” or they're “unnecessary” all of which applies predominantly to persons of color and/or low income, many of whom cannot simply take off work to vote early or take off to vote at all.

        There have been very few valid claims of any attempted election fraud in the state of Florida. In recent charges of election fraud, or I should say illegal voting, county officials have brought such charges, not state officials. Ironically, in The Villages, where I reside, all five people charged with illegal voting were Caucasian Republicans. This looks a lot less like the solution to a problem then an attempted power grab by the governor of the state of Florida who has higher aspirations. As I have said many times before we deserve so much better than this person.

        Sometimes it is unnecessary to unmask a racist by your own efforts because they do it themselves out of their own ignorance. An example of such a lapse of judgment comes from none other than the Senate Minority Leader himself, Mitch McConnell, the senior Senator from Kentucky. Rarely does the "Freudian sheet" slip as far as this. Before a vote to move the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to the Senate floor failed Wednesday, McConnell was asked by a reporter about concerns among voters of color. Believe it or not, he then said:

        "Well, the concern is misplaced, because if you look at the statistics, African American voters are voting in just as high a percentage as Americans.”  As Americans? Who the hell is he referring to? The last time I looked the United States Constitution, the 15^th Amendment erases any racial differentiation for voting. Apparently, in Mr. McConnell’s opinion, African Americans are not only children of a lesser God, but children of different citizenship status as well.

        In other news which makes one shake their head, Eric Trump, who I would characterize as the stupid one but it's a dead heat with his older brother, actually said, “When will someone fight for my dad? Apparently, Eric was out of the country on January 6th when armed supporters of his father invaded the US Capital on his behalf as Trump, Josh Hawley and others egged them on . In the context of the original question, the answer posed was that maybe his supporters have bone spurs and just can't manage the fight.

        Sometimes, even those few people of the Republican persuasion that we think may actually have a conscience and may actually have rational thought processes disappoint us as well. A case in point is Mitt Romney who, although I disagree with his sense of economics, I have always felt was an honorable man. A recent statement of his with which I take issue is not a case of moral integrity but of skewing the facts to fit his own narrative. In statement to reporters on January 16^th, Mr. Romney stated that, “Americans are 7% poorer now because of Biden inflation.” So, what's wrong with that? Well, in much the same way that blaming any president for the price of gasoline, which is a market product and subject to shortages and other market pressures, is a fool’s mission, blaming the president for the inflation which is the natural result of such shortages leading to price increases in the market economy so praised by conservatives and John Stossel who is simply a moron, indicates a very poor grasp of economic realities.

        When commodities are in short supply, those that have them charge more for them. Why? Because they can. Period. It is a simple fact of life and an economic reality described by Adam Smith, in 1776, in his classic work on economics, the Wealth of Nations. Inflation and, for that matter, the economy as a whole  is not and never has been (since Andrew Jackson) in the control of the President. If it were that simple, Mitt, there would be no recessions. In fact, this concept is a cornerstone of high school economics classes.

        What makes this statement even more misleading than just simply blaming President Biden is the fact that during the same period of time average wages in the United States have increased by 4.7% which means that income is increased and while not as greatly as inflation rates, inflation will taper off as supply chains level out, but wages will not be decreased accordingly.