There is a divide in this country, and it’s not between Republicans and Democrats. It’s between those who want to increase the power and arbitrariness of government, and those who support the rule of law.
The political elites, including the GOP-e, want to increase the power, and the arbitrary exercise of the power, of government. The more powerful government becomes, the more arbitrary it becomes, the more necessary becomes the currying of influence with the politicians and bureaucrats whose hands are on the levers of that power.
The political elites, the too big to fail, the crony capitalists, and their allies in the government workers, non-profit, media, and academia sectors, all want government to become ever more powerful, and ever more arbitrary. The more people are dependent on the arbitrary power of the government, the more power they wield.
The middle class, in contrast, wants government out of the way, and wants the government to engage in a principled application of the rule of law to the extent interface with the government is necessary. They want to know if that if they work and sacrifice to get ahead, to build a business, that what they have worked for won’t arbitrarily be taken away, that they will be able to enjoy the fruits of their hard work and sacrifice, and that they will be able to pass on those fruits to their children.
Whats been happening in this country the last 20-30 years is that the elites have been prevailing, and the government has become ever larger, ever more arbitrary, and ever more powerful. And as that as happened, the yeoman middle class, who traditionally have been the engine for economic growth in this country, have become more and more dispirited. That completely explains the economic malaise this country finds itself in.
Unfortunately, I don’t see how to change this trend. The systemic pressure is all in favor of the elites. There may be another Reagan who comes along to offer a brief period of renewal, but the vested interest of those in control of the government is too strong, and will push for the accumulation of ever more arbitrary power, until finally there is a collapse. Think 18th century France.
The wheel always turns in the same direction and the cycle always ends in the same way. Your final sentence indicates you know this but, like any sane person, you don’t want to believe it.