Everything Is Now Political !

The US Presidential election race is over (well at least as far as the Republicans are concerned), but I cannot help but ponder how politicized everything has become, and how extreme. I mean, sure it was always the case that people held their own passionate views, but I cannot recall anytime in my adult life whereby Americans were so disrespectful of each other, both during and after a political election. The campaigns have become meaner and the people to each other as well. Why is the question?

Unfortunately, this has also now carried over across the board to products, businesses and services. Even there, in the private sector, everything has now become extremist and politicized. Famous clothing designers refusing to consider dressing the new first lady from another political party, which they now consider to be the enemy, literally. A retail shoe chain dropping a brand of shoes simply because the designer and or owner of that shoe line is the daughter of the new president elect. Restaurants refusing to serve people walking in with shirts or hats bearing the logo of the “other” political party. And we have soft drinks involved in the mix as well. Perhaps we will soon see a marking on product labels or businesses (including accountants and restaurants), much like the “K” for kosher symbol, indicating which political view the manufacturer holds so the faithful can know what to buy or patronize. For the Democrats or Liberal Left we can maybe have a little blue circle with the letter “D”. Likewise a red circle with an “R” as well for the conservatives. No such marking might indicate a neutral brand, or the proverbial “other” when ticking off a form asking our ethnicity. While it seems to be quite ridiculous, this is where we appear to be heading. It's all very surreal, like something you expect to see in a fictional movie, but never in real life.

One might opine that it is because economically in the United States, things have become so extremely critical that many people do see the election as a financial life or death issue. And I would say that certainly is true on both sides. For the Trump supporters, whom generally speaking are the silent middle class majority, they have seen unemployment sky rocket, job opportunities greatly diminished, bankrupt local governments cutting services, pension plans on the verge of bankruptcy, inflation eroding their buying power and a host of other economic maladies as well. For the Democrat supporters it is more about losing, or the fear of losing, what they already have. For the higher echelon in the government this of course means getting ousted from their comfortable government jobs, and now they need to find work in a very tight private sector job market. For the rank and file, fear of seeing social welfare and other government programs cut back, which they think will happen under a new conservative administration. Considering there are an estimated 100 Million in the US currently existing on some form of government social assistance, this is no small group of people.

However, as another factor, I also see this paradigm shift coming from social or emotional engineering and an education system of the last two decades that has stifled critical thinking, critical speech and has taught that such things are in fact social atrocities. Even Robert Reich, former secretary of labor under Bill Clinton and current professor at UC Berkeley has recently said to the effect that free speech that is critical is not patriotic (and you wonder where the kids are getting it from?). Criticism and free speech is now considered rude, unpatriotic and possibly something to be outlawed according to the political left in America, or at least if anything is critical of them. And this all starts in academia, as young minds are encouraged to emotionally break down at any disparaging thought or word. This issue none clearer than with this so-called Safe Space policy of many universities across America that have instilled a “run and hide” mentality among the younger Millennial generation. Such a fear of course can take another turn when such same young people are told their Safe Spaces will go away, perhaps both metaphorically and literally speaking, under a new administration. That in part is what is making them so susceptible to the idea of protest and civil disobedience, I believe. They are told to fear, they do not have the capacity to critically analyze the situation logically or through the adult lens of maturity and thus are quite susceptible to political manipulation. What they do not realize however is that these political leaders, these elites of their party and doctrine creators are using them as pawns in a political game.

Bernie Sanders, in his post election analysis, summarizes that the Democratic party lost the US election because they failed to address middle America. Fly over country as some would call it, which includes pretty much the entire physical center of the United States. In other words, the old rust belt and previous manufacturing sectors of the heartland. This has been the area of the US most effected negatively by so-called free trade agreements and outsourcing. While wages and income for government employees, the financial sector and the main stream media (including Hollywood – Entertainment) have remained steady or have gone up, the deplorable rest (to quote Ms. Clinton) has not been so lucky. But, these deplorable rest are vast enough to swing any vote, if they are mobilized and motivated enough to do so, which they did.

Basically, this has come about (the failure to interact with the deplorable majority) due to a self reinforcing bubble world that the Democrats, either by accident or or purpose, have found themselves in. Four interconnecting bubbles really with the following groups comprising each bubble or circle: Government (and the fantasy world of Washington, D.C. more specifically), Money sector (including banks & so-called non profit charities that are more political action entities than anything else), Propaganda machine (main stream media, including and especially news and Hollywood) and Academia (universities, think tanks, related interconnected organizations). In short, here is your current one percent, or probably at least top 10 percent on the income scale. And their arrogance, self inflated importance and contempt for the rest has been self reinforcing as they remain within their respective bubble network. On the issue of arrogance and self importance, look no further than Hollywood. Why would any actor or entertainer think they are so important to society as to threaten to leave the country if you do not vote the way they say? Who does Michael Moore think he really is, and his importance or standing in society, to call for protests and civil disobedience. The man is no Martin Luther King, but he does have a new movie to sell, so look beyond the rhetoric for the motivation. Regardless, in terms of himself and all the rest, let's be honest and real about it.

Terrorism as Political Discourse Abroad And At Home

Jean Bricmont, professor at the Université Catholique de Louvain, has discussed how regime change, and using social upheavals as the catalyst for that, have almost become the new norm. He of course points to the various so-called color revolutions and Arab Spring movements (or should I say riots & civil war with the intended goal of ousting the existing government). And if manipulation of the people in another country for some kind of gain, what ever it might be (a pipeline, to stop nationalization of an oil company, to stop implementation of a new gold backed currency) has become the new ethical and morally acceptable foreign policy, then why would you think it not be attempted at home? This is in essence what the call for protest, civil disobedience and rioting is all about. It is an Arab Spring or color revolution tactic, albeit applied domestically. And it is also terrorism, accordingly to the very definition of the word, fueled on by this divisive fear being instilled.

Interestingly enough, I believe this rejection of the establishment, the status quo, the previous way of doing things or what ever you want to call it, is broad based and a major social trend. I see it as a new and very real form of peaceful social activism, connected and communicated by social media. Which is why, by the way, we are seeing the counter attack and censorship of social media and so-called alternative news sites as well. The very parties and and people that claim they are the champions of free speech and civil rights want to deny it to others that do not share the same view. Which is of course the antithesis of democracy and free speech (but don't tell them that, such is considered hate speech these days).

I have to say I was initially enthused by a candidate such as Trump, not because of himself but what he represented. An outsider, a person not enmeshed in the current political establishment. But can he deliver on promises, not because he wants to or not, but rather because of the gargantuan task of fighting the existing machinery? I was hopeful he might bring in people that could potential be real reformers. People with political experience such as David Stockman, Ron Paul, Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, Catherine Austin Fitts and some people fresh to government, such as a Peter Schiff or someone like a Rob Kirby. Others come to mind as well that seem to be truly honest people that lack political experience, are somewhat well known due to their writing, and at least want to see honesty in both government and the financial sector. Of course, it's easy for me and for all of us to play the proverbial arm chair quarterback (or in this case president) but I have to say, this may very well turn out to be the revolution that was not. Time will tell, and I hope in the future I have reason to be more positive, but there are a plethora of economic, social and ingrained systemic issues that are coming home to roost. I do not know what a Trump Presidency will look like, and my thoughts are cautious optimism for it, but it will take more than just enthusiast riders on the “Trump Train” to get the job done.

I myself decided to expatriate two decades ago because of what I saw as negative trends in government, finance, and socially as well. And I am not sorry at all that I did. Back then I thought things were heading down a non positive track and it has only gotten worse. In contrast, I opined many years ago to our clients that the emerging or developing markets were starting to look more like what the United State or Europe used to be decades ago, with the developed markets looking more and more like the undeveloped nations. And that has come to pass. In the Dominican Republic, while there is still a large percentage of the population considered poor, the middle class and the economy has grown exponentially over the last 15 years (over 6 percent positive GDP growth in 2015). Cost of living (and especially real estate) is half what it is in Miami, New York, and many other places. Government bonds pay 10 percent positive interest (attractive for our retired clients), health care and private bilingual schools are very good and affordable. Plus, despite everything else, the Dominican people are at least civil to each other, regardless of who wins a political election. As a local bakery owner in the Dominican Republic once told me, I'm not political, I make cookies. Want one?

About The Author: This article was written by John Schroder of Ascot Advisory Services.  John's firm has been helping clients in the Dominican Republic for the last 17 years with residency application services, naturalized citizenship filing, banking assistance and legal services pertaining to real estate (title transfers, legal representation at closing, sales contract review).  You can contact him by telephone at 809-756-1917 or click the about the author link above to reach a contact page to send an email directly.