Give them bread and circuses, the peasants will never revolt. – Juvenal 1st Century Roman Poet
Our history is presented to us every day in little snippets we call The News. Because it comes in isolated, 30-second sound bites, stringing these seemingly disparate incidents together is often difficult, and rarely does the whole picture come into view.
Trump’s GOP provides a 3-ring circus on a daily basis and but the dispensing of bread seems to have disappeared from that equation; the reason is the theory of an obscure economist, James Buchanan (1919-2013,) who’s “Virginia Economic” theories became the political linchpin to Charles Koch’s plan to “own it all.” Buchanan’s economic policies stated that the only people who matter are wealthy business owners whom he considered “makers,” and the rest of us are worthless “takers.”
In her book, Democracy in Chains, historian Nancy MacLean noted Buchanan, upon realizing Americans believed public servants should work for the public good, determined that idea must be “torn up by the roots.” Buchanan espoused everyone is motivated by self-interest; from politicians to teachers, doctors, even civil rights activists. Loathing any regulations placed on large landowners and corporations, Buchanan developed ways to eliminate voting rights.
Like today’s oligarchs, Buchanan wanted a private, elite, corporate government totally shielded from public view and accountability. Stacking the courts, suppressing voters, gerrymandering, changing legislative processes, militarizing police, sowing public distrust of government institutions – these are all tactics toward that goal; but, their “Holy Grail” is rewriting the Constitution.
To achieve their goal of subverting our democratic Constitution, the Kochs have worked assiduously since they embraced the Libertarian Party in the 1970s; later funding George Mason University, American Legislative Exchange Council and the Tea Party. Now that Putin has installed his clown/puppet to provide the circus, the Kochs are moving in for the kill.
Right-wing oligarchs have recruited 28 of 34 states needed to call a constitutional convention. Their idea is to drive the national debt as high as possible, then with a new constitution, demand a balanced budget and end civil society as we know it.
Voter Registration ends October 9.