Conspiracy theory or simple explanation of a political reality? You decide.
I commend the article linked to below, from the consistently excellent salon.com, arguing that Southern conservatives have been pursuing a deliberate, essentially destructive and consistent plan to ensure that America remains a low wage economy with a dis-empowered working class. The line that the article draws from the Confederacy with its affection for slavery to the current shutdown is outlined clearly, cleverly and compellingly.
This discussion needs to take place in modern America.
http://www.salon.com/2013/10/13/the_south_is_holding_america_hostage/
Yes, the author is clearly partisan. To Wellthisiswhatithink that makes no difference. What he seeks is clarity about the motives of the side of politics he opposes, and a coherent response from liberals and their fellow travellers. That is appropriate. We would equally applaud a southern conservative arguing openly that the North is over-protective of worker’s rights and entitlements, and America should maintain its low wage economy.
We just think the arguments should be had in the open, not behind closed doors, or via code.
We also note that the author joins the growing number of voices (including ours) targeting independent boundary reviews (redrawing districts) as a key component of a thoroughgoing reform of the American political system, to get rid of the gerrymandering that bedevils it. We now see the point cropping up everywhere.
Hoorah. We are winning that one at least: let’s get that issue front and centre on the political table, and wrest from both the Democrats and the Republicans their ongoing ability to pervert democracy.
Well, This Is What I Think 
Very well said Yolly, and the linked article is also very well said and very important. I’ll get it shared on FB, Google+, Twitter & elsewhere.
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Thank you George – worthy of wide discussion, I feel.
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The Salon article is excellent, but I do think it leaves out one big component of the extremists’ agenda which must be considered as part of the equation. That is the desire to establish a form of theocracy in place of majority-rule democracy. I used to think that the conservative extremists simply used religious issues as a diversion, to keep the true believers in their camp and everybody on both sides arguing about abortion and same-sex marriage while they quietly grabbed economic power.
But I have become convinced that many of those who loudly proclaim that they want to “return America to its Christian nation roots” are true believers themselves. Their goal is to weed out of public office anyone who is not “the right kind of Christian” and run the country according to “Biblical law.” The repeated attempts to dismantle public education are part of this ideological struggle, as are the many laws intended to limit women’s autonomy. Ted Cruz exemplifies this ideological bent, and we dismiss him as “crazy” at our own peril. Successfully countering the Southern Autonomy Project will require dealing not just with economic and voting rights issues, as the article so clearly outlines, but also with the apocalyptic fervor which permeates the Tea Party movement and beyond.
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A very good point and one that is not made often enough … some of these people are as barmy as the ayotollahs.
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I had given up on being able to post, but I am going to try this one more time to share a gerrymander story presented as a group of jigsaw puzzles.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/map_of_the_week/2013/08/gerrymandering_jigsaw_puzzle_game_put_the_congressional_districts_back_together.html
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I am so glad you did – thank you!
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