No one seems to be writing opinion pieces quite the way I would, so I decided to do it myself.

The name? Taverns are places where one goes to discuss the interesting events and things in the world, so this is my tavern.

I will offer my views on politics, economics, and whatever else strikes my fancy.
I will occasionally publish the entire article from another journal for purposes of causing discussion.

 

Where is the Right Wing Going?

An interesting article in The Nation gives a description of where the Bush administration and the right wing is trying to take the nation - back to the McKinley administration and the year 1900. Read it.

Then look at The Project for the New American Century Between them, they will give an idea of the strategy of the American Right.

Then, if you haven't, read "Blinded By the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative" by David Brock. It describes the tactics being used to accomplish the strategy.

Then look at this:
Table 1. Urban and Rural Population: 1900 to 1990

1900 1900 1900 total total
total urban rural percent percent
population population population urban rural

UNITED STATES 76,212,168 30,214,832 45,997,336 39.6% 60.4%


And compare it to this.

Source: US Census Bureau
Released: Oct. 1995

1990 1990 1990 total total
total urban rural percent percent
population population population urban rural

UNITED STATES 248,709,873 187,053,487 61,656,386 75.2% 24.8%

Who in their right mind would believe that an urban population can operate on the same rules as a rural one? This also ignores the changes in health care since 1900. Especially the cost of health care. Remember, teachers couldn't afford healthcare in 1922, so they created Blue Cross.

And why did we invade Iraq? Same as why we invaded the Philippines. Conquer and uplift the misguided natives. Right?

Let's see. In 1900 the British, French, Belguim, German, Russian, Japanese, US and Dutch empires controlled 84% of the world's surface. WW I and its sequel, WW II destroyed that. Do the conservatives really think all that will return? There is currently no significant colonial holding in Africa or South America. Hong Kong has been returned to China. India, Pakistan, French Indochina, Burma (Myanmar), Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and all the middle east except Iraq and Afghanistan are now independent. China, India and Pakistan or nuclear nations.

The world isn't going back. If the US tries, it will become the largest failed industrial nation since Argentina.


posted by Richard at 1:45 AM