Nov

2

One wonders how the new compulsory health plans, and increase in government jobs, and suppliers, and the old entitlement programs, and union shovel jobs, and pro labor laws, and those on social security, and those needing housing relief, and the increase in flexions, and moneys available for distribution to those who profit from stimulus funds, as well as the almost 100% in favor of increased government in those of color and scholarship, to say nothing of those who believe in choice, and the partners of all these, and perhaps their relatives, (never bring an action against a policeman because everyone on the jury has a relative who is a policeman and you'll end up paying for 1/8 of a heart attack you caused the policeman by bringing the action) —– how could all these groups ever total less than 50 ? And to the extent that evil pundits see these trends, how could the analysis of a Mr. Cost with all his microscopic bottoms up projections compare to those who have the idea that has the world in its grip like Kevin Phillips, and Texeira et al, in their sights. Perhaps Mr. Jovanovich will enlighten me and correct my ignorance, first brought to mind when Herb London said that 45% of the voters in New York state in 1988 were government employees, or entitlees, or welfare recipients et al.

Stefan Jovanovich responds:

The answer to Vic's question about how the Republicans can possibly find a majority in a world of special privilegs is the one that Lincoln, Grant, Garfield and Coolidge offered - which has always been a winner: (1) The people have earned the entitlement to be treated equally and to receive the rewards for which they have paid and those which Christian charity demands that we pay - Military Pensions, Social Security, Medicare, Unemployment, Aid to the Deaf, Dumb and Blind. (2) No one is entitled to favoritism based on race, religion, national origin or economic interest. (3) The government may not issue currency beyond its capacity to redeem the certificates in gold. That Constitutional Republicanism is the political ideology that enabled a rag-tag collection of Free Soil Whigs and No Nothings to produce the only successful start-up in the history of American political parties. Whenever it is offered, it wins; whenever Republicans abandon that platform - Hoover, Nixon, Bush I and II - their party loses, as Dick Cheney would say, "big time". It is more than feasible for the Republicans to revive their archaic majority by promising to "save" (sic) Military Pensions, Social Security, Medicare, Unemployment, Aid to the Deaf, Dumb and Blind and Just Saying No to everybody else.

I can't quarrel with what Herb London said about New York State in 1988; he could say the same thing now about California. The Democrat majorities in the Empire State and its western Annex are now unassailable even by RINOs. But, in the decades to come, those 2 eminent states are likely to endure the same political fate that our first and finest commonwealth suffered. At this country's founding Virginia was the most populous and influential of the states; before the Civil War half of the Presidents in office were from Virginia and had been born there. After 1860 there has been only 1 Virginia President - the awful Wilson. New York and California are not nearly as important in national politics as they think they are, and they are likely to be even less so in the future. It took the Republicans nearly a century before they won back to back Presidential elections in Virginia; and it may well take them that long before they ever again win back to back Presidential elections in Van Buren and Nixon's places of birth. But, the likelihood is that such a future will mean for California and New York school teacher pensions what it meant for Confederate pensions: the states will be free to pay them but they will get no help from the national Treasury. The premise of Vic's question is that the people wanting checks from the government -both earned and unearned - are an irresistible majority with the fantasy solidarity of the Union makes us strong. The actual evidence from American labor history is that the first thing that happens after the politically-enabled checkbook is taken away is that the cops/nurses/firemen/teachers/civil servants begin rioting among themselves over who will get the remaining spoils.  The suggestion that CALPERS itself fund this year's pension contributions by lending California the money is an indication of the likelihood that this will all turn into a circular fiscal firing squad.

A legal footnote: No one here in California ever brings a suit against the cops here in California except for publicity; the legal immunities based on sovereign authority are overwhelming. The individual cops get sued - like the recent BART policeman who was convicted of manslaughter after he used what he thought was his taser but what was, in fact, his service weapon. But even those are show trials; the cop is usually broke from having to pay his criminal defense fees because the union knows better than to spend its money on such a loser.

And now let us hear from Russ Hodges– like so many of the greatest New Yorkers an immigrant from the unwashed Biblical gun-toting hinterland–

The Giants Win the Pennant!– and MORE!!!!


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