Two Americas: for how much longer can we prop-up the failed "Blue" America?

10/31/03

[pabianice]

In reading other posts here on FR and in spending most of the day just reading (I'm a reporter), I am again struck how the US has split into two countries: "red" Bush America and "blue" Gore America. That's nit news. What's most compelling is how Bush America is increasingly having to prop-up the utterly failed Great Society/Gore America, and for just how much longer such a situation can exist.

Item: teacher disciplined for telling Mexican kids in her US class to stop disrupting the class (she's a "racist" for so doing). The other kids in the class continue to get no education and the Liberals think that's just fine -- for other kids. The LIberals opt out of the system by sending THIER kids to private schools.

Item: A conservative estimate puts as much as 35% of the American economy underground. Taxpayers are fed-up with having 50% or more of of their hard-earned pay taxed by the feds, the state, Medicare, Medicaid, etc. So peopledo the natural thing: opt out of the system by going cash-only, off the books.

Item: the blue states lead in victim disarmament, where the law-abiding are denied the constitutional right to self-defense while the Liberals turn a blind eye at violence from career criminals ("poor victims of a racist system"). Liberals make sure they live in guarded, gated communities, and never have to set foot in any scruffy areas as they drive their SUVs from gated home to gated office building. Others who can, opt out by leaving such areas for places where they can carry concealed if they wish and where criminals know they are likely to be shot.

Item: International embarrassments like Ted Kennedy give long, boozy speeches about the evils of President Bush while his devotees urinate themselves in the glow of their self-righteousness. Others simply ignore such crap and tune-into talk radio.

Item: "Blue" America is financially bankrupt, and California is a glaring example. "Blue" America has degenerated into a coven of grasping, mentally diminished, selfish, thuggish special interest groups who have become increasingly violent in fighting over what is left of the Big City Democratic machines that have run things for the past 150 years. The "blue" islands on the 2000 map can best be described as cancers on the national MRI -- blighted areas of malignant, imploding selfishness that are trying to spread across the entire national body. And the "red" nation has to keep paying for it.

I have to wonder how much longer this will be the case. The defacto separation of "red" and "blue" has already occurred, and is fat too profound to be fixed by any social "bussing." At what point does the whole scheme collapse? And how is this going to be expressed and dealt with in the coming 2004 elections?

[farmfriend]

CA bump.

[Catspaw]

Now that you've identified a problem, what's your solution?

[Leatherneck_MT]

I like this :) Spot on!!

[Fee]

Communist China did a White Paper on the US in the mid 1990's predicting this glaring weakness. They predicted that the US power will start to decline after 2030. They based their prediction on the growth of government programs to take care of self inflicted social problems, where the costs will erode our military and technical spendings needed to maintain power.

[agitator]

Congress can and will continue to prop up the status quo because none of them are sufficiently endowed with either testosterone or spine to tell the leeches that the host is terminal until the system collapses - and like the parlor game, they hope they'll be sitting in retirement on full salary when the music stops.

[Travis McGee]

Road to CW2 bump.

[Brilliant]

The first thing we've got to do is stop bailing out the liberal spendthrifts like NY and CA.

[Gottwnz]

while his devotees urinate themselves in the glow of their self-righteousness.

Thats a great line.LOL

[rellimpank]

--I look for this to be a major 2004 campaign issue---"Bush doesn't care about California"--Illinois,Lousiana,New York--all of them--

[Tree of Liberty]

for how much longer can we prop-up the failed "Blue" America?

Who is John Galt?

[smith288]

Now that you've identified a problem, what's your solution?

I think the thread is a question. How long will the USA survive in this state.

[Steely Tom]

Communist China did a White Paper on the US in the mid 1990's predicting this glaring weakness. They predicted that the US power will start to decline after 2030...

True. But don't forget, China has its own "blue areas" too.

(steely)

[agarrett]

Item: "Blue" America is financially bankrupt, and California is a glaring example.

  This is, from my understanding, a counter-illustration. California sends more money to the federal government than it gets back - a trait shared by many of the "blue" states. The heartland states - the "red" ones - tend to be the opposite, getting more from the federal government than they send in. In effect, California is running a deficit in order to support the heartland.

  There was a big analysis recently - it was on the web, but I can't find it at the moment - but it showed that per capita income, and money sent in taxes, was higher in the coastal (blue) states. This could be an example of liberals practicing what they preach, perhaps. Still, it is interesting that the more liberal states, the ones we like to make fun of, tend to also generate more money.

  It makes the picture slightly more complex than you presented above.

Drew Garrett

[WhiteGuy]

I have to wonder how much longer this will be the case.

It will continue until one of three things happen.

1. Complete financial breakdown. SS & Medicare will cause this to happen beginning as soon as 2008.

2. Election of a majority of fiscally conservative legislators who will put an end to welfare spending for Foreign nations, Corporations, and those who did not earn it.

3. Revolution

[HenryLeeII]

Now that you've identified a problem, what's your solution?

Nukes and MOAB's...then let it cool for a thousand years and start over.

[Catspaw]

It's an interesting question, but should it be based on the results of the 2000 elections alone? Take the 1984 election--there was only one blue state. I don't think the results of one election alone can be the basis of IDing a problem and finding a solution.

[Reeses]

It used to be the Democrats were red like their communist and socialist cousins, and Republicans were the blue team. The leftist media hijacked our color saying they're giving blue to the incumbents. Bush is the incumbent now and I would like our color back!

[DoctorMichael]

To pabianice: Good essay!

Who is John Galt?

Eggs-act-lee what I thought of during my reading of this!

[elbucko]

California sends more money to the federal government than it gets back -..... The heartland states - the "red" ones - tend to be the opposite, getting more from the federal government than they send in. In effect, California is running a deficit in order to support the heartland.

This is true. California gets back from the feds 72 cents of every dollar sent to D.C.