Threats--Real and Unreal
The MAGA movement is not the greatest threat that we face today
Today the greater threat to American democracy is inequality not the MAGA crowd. It is a threat in two ways. It distorts a “popular will. The greater the inequality of wealth in a society the less the winners of democratic elections represent the interests of large numbers of people. And it weakens the capacity of government itself.
It limits the ability of democratically chosen governments to ease our common burdens. Economic inequality distorts markets, misallocates resources, and lessons our ability to cooperate with other nations, to fight existential enemies (i.e. climate change), and forestall global Armageddon.
Maybe “threat” is too moderate a term. To those dying in agony in Ukraine or suffering in prisons and rehabilitation camps around the world it sounds like a bullet point in a conference report. And to children without clean water, food and medical assistance?
Inequality is the prime mover in any society. Why isn’t this clear and obviously? Perhaps, it is because it is an insight that does not play well on cable news, owned by the very interests that fear the potential power of elections. We may hear that democracy is threatened, but then we are told that this is because it is being attacked by mobs and pitchforks.
Those who would defend democracy are sent off to fight the wrong enemies. The shadow show flickering on our screens is not reality.
Trump? MAGA? When things are going bad in a circus, they call for the clowns to calm the audience. They beat each other with soft clubs.
I concede there's a feedback loop to wealth inequality. I can understand that wealthy people pursue policies that benefit themselves monetarily. Money is very important to them. It makes sense. It's worth noting that the Netherlands is more unequal than the US. Inequality isn't actually the cause of the problem, it's the result.
MAGA is full of dangerous false beliefs, anger, and evil. They hurt others for no good reason. We are fresh off MAGA killing a million Americans and hospitalized millions more. Many people are living with long term Covid symptoms. Our democracy (such as it is) is under assault from MAGA. I've been told by christian nationalists (the core in the makeup of MAGA) that the answer to "Am I my brother's keeper?" is "no, it's just a rhetorical question". And hate the stranger and neighbor. MAGA is much worse than then wealthy.
Instead of concentrating our attention on wealth or income inequality, I think we should focus on being our brother's keeper and on loving the stranger in our land and our neighbors. Let's make sure medical care is available to all, children are cared for instead of being preyed upon by armed mass murderers. Let's make sure people have educations, have a place to live and food to eat, are treated with dignity. All that kind of stuff. If we strive to be decent, I think we will find we're more equal.
Saying wealth inequality is a greater danger to our democracy than MAGA is a lot like saying Peter Theil, Donald Trump, and other billionaires have nothing to do with MAGA.