The Do-Nothing Conspiracy ("The Whig Party died" - could it happen again? What will replace it?)

New York Times ^ | March 19, 2005 | DAVID BROOKS

[baseball_fan]

If you want an image that captures what American politics will be like over the next few decades, imagine two waves crashing down upon us simultaneously, each magnifying the damage caused by the other.

The first wave is the exploding cost of the entitlement programs. The second wave is the ever-increasing polarization of the political class. The polarization will make it impossible to reach an agreement on how to fix the entitlements problem. Meanwhile the vicious choices forced on us by entitlement costs will make the polarization even worse.

[baseball_fan]

Talk of looming fiscal crisis, both parties possibly losing "their core reason for being" given the building constraints, one or more political parties possibly dying, anti-politician strong-men to emerge to "bust heads": is David Brooks' warning overblown? Will we be able to politically step away from the cliff in the face of unprecendented pressures and, like Reagan, solve our problems, thereby preserving our "morning in America?"

[carumba]

Doom and gloom leftist forecast.

[Woodworker]

The scenario depicted by the NYT assumes little or no economic growth. If the economy grows, then the entitlements are manageable, if there is little or no growth, they are not manageable.

For more gloom and doom from the left, try reviewing this site:

http://www.fourthturning.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=102&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

[LS]

The Whig Party died because it did not take a stand on the most important issue of the day, slavery, and attempted to "finesse" it by emphasizing "pocketbook" issues---which the Dems were already doing. It was weak "me-too-ism," and people were concerned about the growing moral threat of slavery to the Republic. You say, "Why didn't the Dems die?" Because the Dems never WERE a party of principle----their founding principle was ONLY to hold power so as to prevent any actions on slavery, and to do so they bought people off through patronage.

Sounds just like the modern Dems.

When the Repubs came along with the PRINCIPLE of no slavery in the territories, they won.

[afraidfortherepublic]

The Whig Party died because it did not take a stand on the most important issue of the day, slavery, and attempted to "finesse" it by emphasizing "pocketbook" issues

Finesse-- is that anything like "nuance"? /sarcasm off

[neverdem]

Doom and gloom leftist forecast.

After writing for the Washington Times, and then the Weekly Standard, and still countering the remarks of well known leftist Mark Shields every Friday evening on The News Hour from PBS, what makes you think Brooks gave a "leftist forecast"?

[NutCrackerBoy]

Cut the entitlements. Cut 'em deep. Allow private Social Security accounts to be a much bigger percentage.

[LS]

Yeppers. Or like "compromise," which is strictly defined as "doing less than you know is right."

[jordan8]

America's future is "Brazilianization". We'll have our Lula or Chavez, and most of the things Brooks talks about will be irrelevant. Typical that he ignores that particular 800 gorilla.