The Gray Lady Confirms Blue Civil War (20th Century Liberalism Is In Serious Trouble)

The American Interest ^ | January 18, 2013 | Walter Russell Mead

[lbryce]

You know the blue model is in serious trouble when even New York Times writers turn against it. Yesterday dyed-in-the-wool Democrat Thomas Edsall responded to Via Meadia‘s take on blue model collapse. In his response he struggles mightily with the bluer angels of his nature, calling our take “apocalyptic,” but in the end admits that 20th-century liberalism is in serious trouble:

Dozens of city and state public employee pension plans are on the verge of bankruptcy—or are actually bankrupt—from Rhode Island to California; in 2010, a survey of 126 state and local plans showed assets of $2.7 trillion and liabilities of $3.5 trillion, an $800 billion shortfall. The national debt exceeds $16 trillion.

The result is that the different power blocks that make up the Democratic base are trampling each other in a rush to grab the last rents of the dying blue system:

In cities from Los Angeles to Chicago to Houston, African-Americans are competing with Hispanics and others for government jobs, good schools, good neighborhoods, political power and basic resources.

Twentieth-century liberalism is a victim of its own success: it gave us longer and more prosperous lives, in turn putting tremendous pressure on social services and pensions. The result is the fragmenting coalition Edsall points to. Though he places part of the blame for the blue civil war on Republican-backed austerity measures, Edsall admits that demographic shifts and outmoded ways of delivering social services also played a role.

The reality of blue model decline is so obvious that nobody can ignore it any longer.

[blueunicorn6]

Jerry Brown says California is fine now. I think they are getting ready to send some of their surplus to the federal government to help them out.

[Art in Idaho]

Bears repeating:

I guess each generation must relearn the truth that marxism is death. The state makes for a nasty, abusive all powerful parent/god.

[randita]

And...when the liberal states collapse, they will blame it all on the conservative states that “stole” their productive people.

There's no question the bankrupt states will go after the wealth in the productive states. They will blame the fiscally conservative states with starving children and seniors, withholding health care, etc. while they, the compassionate ones, are providing what a civilized society should provide.

They'll run to D.C. with their hands out demanding a bailout - that they are paying the lion's share of entitlements to the needy and states operating in the black are not paying their "fair share". Never mind that they are offering takers the Rolls Royce plan of benefits - just like the rich are already paying well beyond their "fair share" in federal taxes.

More important to them than the poor are the government employees as they are the largest Democrat base and just like with porkulus, the unions will be the first to be taken care of.

This is why it is imperative that the GOP keep the House. If Democrats take it back in 2014, there will be bailouts. They'll be sold as loan guarantees, but the loans will never be repaid (think Solyndra) and all 50 states will be on the hook for them.

[lbryce]

Without ignorance, there'd be no leftist extremism.

"a classic aphorism is born"