I have been eating crow this week, realizing that Phil Gramm, with a little help from George Bush II, has been proven correct.  Gramm said, in effect, that current economic problems are purely psychological, reiterating the old economic truism "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."  Then Bush by revoking his father's executive ban on offshore drilling heartened Wall Street and the psychological effect was wonderful. 

Behold! oh ye vacant-eyed slack-jawed Americans.  Stand still and be stupefied!   The Dow has gained over 500 points in three days; the price of oil has dropped by $18 a barrel.  Gas at the pump has theoretically dropped to $3.00 in some places.   Now we can all go out and buy some more SUVs.  I am so happy, for just this morning I got an offer for a 13 month CD at 4.1% from a local wild cat bank.  There was even a picture of a wild cat (a cute little Nittany lion cub) on the advertisement!    But read on. . . . And rejoice!   You will now have the opportunity to buy some of Fannie Mae's newly watered stock!  Assuming you have any loose cash to invest.

In the only place that matters, i.e., the stock market, the Bush/Gramm economic surge is working, at least so far.  Never mind that people's houses are still being foreclosed, and meanwhile, if you can't heat your house this winter, blame those feckless Democrats and that silly unpatriotic environmentalist, Al Gore.  Isn't the fact that he won a Nobel Prize proof enough that he is unpatriotic, anyway?  So there!  

And meanwhile in Iraq "the surge has worked."  Only 39 American deaths in the past forty days!  And less than 150 maimed!  As for the psychologically damaged, General Patton showed us how to deal with them. 

Can we blame Obama for moving to the right?  His shift is as predictable, as it is inevitable, and represents the essential feature of "representative" government.   The President must be the "representative" of all the people.  Senator Obama is obliged to represent everyone, not only the pacifistic Unitarians, who vote for him, but the gun-toting bible thumpers of western Pennsylvania, as well.  The President is obliged to represent hawks as well as doves, pro-lifers, as well as pro-choicers, inflationists as well as deflationists.  Bullish oil speculators as well as bearish short sellers.  Bankers, as well as those whose houses are being foreclosed. 

Under close analysis, the word "Representation"  means nothing!  It can mean nothing!  The Constitution does not make any provisions for the representation of your rights, your liberties, your values, your interests or your opinions.   It simply gives you "representatives" who provide a symbolic representation, very similar to the "virtual representation," enjoyed by the colonies under British rule in 1776.

That is the little boll weevil ("weasel," the lady said, "weasel") in the "republican form of government" that your high school civics book taught you to revere.  The Constitution of the United States makes provisions for representing "the people," but not necessarily for representing their political opinions or interests.  This republic was never intended to offer anything but "symbolic representation."  Thus, even the slaves were "represented" in the 3/5 compromise, over protests of other interested parties, including abolitionists, who protested giving 100% representation to the drivers of slaves. The compromise generously provided that slaves would be at least partially represented—by the very men who denied their basic human rights and liberties. 

Of course the underlying cynicism was that wealthy slaveholders were not interested in representing the rights, values, or interests of anyone—certainly not the rights of poor white dirt-farmers, hired girls, or indentured servants.  In medieval Europe, the great lords symbolically represented their peasants, whom they raped and tortured at will. The priests represented their flocks, whose minds they filled with sophistries and superstition. 

Your elected representatives cynically remind you that they are not obliged to read the opinion polls, and they are correct.  They have no obligation to represent the opinions of anyone.  

Some people are so foolish as to think their "elected representatives" should abide by their promises. I say, we should pray they will break their promises.  Stalin and Mao were consistent.  Once they launched a five-year-plan, they stayed the course, regardless of how many millions starved.   "Read my lips," said George Bush, "No new taxes," but he had the strength to change his mind, thus disappointing his backers, losing the election, and unintentionally laying the foundation for Bill Clinton's balanced budget. 

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posted 19 July 2008