Without question, the left has much soul searching to do. Their brand is insufficient to beat even Don, I’m not sure they can go lower. More importantly, this cements Don and his coalition as the dominant force in American politics, they are the establishment. Assuming the House goes R, they will control all three branches of government, decisively. We should all wish them well in wielding their unfettered power. Let’s also remember that we just remade the world order, a more important outcome than the petty culture wars both parties like to fight. We need to hope that Don has the skill and smarts to remake it. Oren, you may remember the words of fellow elites writing in the Atlantic, I’ll remember the warnings of the adults in Don’s last administration. They couldn’t have been more graphic, more stark. We also need to hope that they are wrong, since we just handed the nuclear codes back to Don. Good luck America.
This election was a repudiation of neoliberalism. It was also a repudiation of neoconservatism - but perhaps that's been obvious for a while.
At the same time, inflation - which probably wasn't Biden's fault but this is debatable - has felled parties all over the world.
The dems need to tame the progressive flank, for sure.
But this election was also a result of the extreme risk aversion among all serious contenders, none of whom was willing to challenge Biden. There was a story to tell - of a center-left administration, pursuing and passing industrial policy to build up working-class America. Unfortunately, we did not have a good enough story-teller to craft a real vision from this and instead it was just 'not Trump' and protect abortion - clearly not enough
I have to admit I’m belly laughing at the concern over “elites misleading us”. Didn’t we just elect two individuals who have an exhaustive record, recorded for all time on countless videos, of serial lying? So, we have elites accusing fellow elites of lying in their coverage and analysis of current events-the ultimate scrum in the sandbox of the privileged. Meanwhile, we’re fine with placing serial liars in positions of ultimate power? We care more abut the musing of an Atlantic or NYT reporter than the on record statements of our highest ranking leaders? Really?
Oren cites comments by fellow elites in the media. Meanwhile, Don and JD are gaslighting poor hurricane victims who have lost everything, and ranting about brown people eating pets. You be the judge:)
Yes everyone lies. But Kamala and before her Joe had the legacy media doing their lying for them. I won’t bore you with the examples. So I think that’s the difference.
With appreciation for your calling us out! Much to reflect on. But, is it only progressives and Democrats types whose lies and mistatements are cited, the other side does’t?
I believe the “In Defeat” analysis should be followed up with an active practical effort to realize its objective: the elites recognizing they mislead us.
However, neoliberal macroeconomists will most likely never do so, as their robust attacks on American Compass demonstrates.
Philosophically, to the contrary, an extensive critical analysis is readily available.
I have for quite some time been interested in getting former Presidents Clinton and Obama to publish a book together that discusses the perverse influence of neoliberalism on their administrations.
I believe this would be invaluable in translating the philosophical analysis into language that would drive public discussion.
I sent Obama just such a request yesterday. But I am sure that American Compass stands a much better chance of actually getting his attention.
Nicely stated. Now watch for various Democrats to begin making comments like "Well, we never thought Trump was all that bad, but we just thought all Americans hated him, so we should too", and "Well, we all really want to end the polarization, so maybe enough gullible Americans will fall into place with Trump in office", and "Well, we always knew that 'our democracy' would survive, but it would have survived better if we were power".
The comments will sound like Democrat soul-searching, but it will later become clear that that's the last thing they really want to do.
I don't like fighting with my fellow Americans but Democrats need to swallow this loss and learn that they will not shame us into doing as we're told. I hope both sides can now begin to come to the center and work together instead of trying to dig at one another for four more years.
I am happy this morning but the key fundamental hasn't changed. The United States remains a deeply divided country on the road to disunion. The sooner that people accept this, the more likely that the separation will be peaceful. But no one wants to accept it.
Oren writes. "A sane elite would learn their lesson from a result as clean and clear as this one, recognize that on its current trajectory American politics will only head further away from what they want, and refashion their expectations and activities accordingly." Here is where Oren's effort to cram progressive economic policy into a conservative shell undermines his own essential assertions. The Elite that structurally opposes workers is the Financial Elite, not some vague cultural left elite. In his comment above he is clearly referring to Democrats as elites. That is both reflexively unthinkingly divisive and factually incorrect.
Trump is the financial elite. The Republican Brand that Trump is upsetting is the financial elite. The financial elite benefited profoundly from Trump's policy the last time. The inflationary effect of Trump's unnecessary tax cuts was masked by the disruptions of the pandemic and "free money" people got during it. Biden paid the price for that.
Own needs to keep straight, in his arguments and his thinking, the groups he conflates. The financial elite is one. There are social liberals, conservatives and quite a lot of libertarians in that group. That are 99% united on keeping power to themselves. Very very few display enlightened self interest.
The other group is workers. It turns out Democrats are workers as are Republicans. Here's another crucial distinction, the Democratic party doesn't represent democratic voters any more than the Republican party does. If they did, big money would be named from politics and we would have universal health care. That's true for Republican and Democratic voters, and false obviously for both parties.
It's the financial elite vs everyone else. Both sides of the financial elite gin up social conflict, as Oren is doing, among voters. The reason should be obvious.
"Shaking things up" with "Trump can fix it" as the plan is generously described as dangerous. But I'm open minded. Let's see what he can do. He's got a strong start with Biden's economy. We'll all learn something in the next 4 years.
Oren, I agree with you 80%. I agree with you on the lessons the Democrats aren't and should learn, and I agree with you on the mistakes they've continuously made to get us to where we are today. But you conflate a lot in this piece and sound salty as all get out. Not like the logical Economist I'm used to hearing from. ;)
The conflation you made a lot here is lumping together "elites" and "democrats." They're often but not always synonymous. And I think you know that. There are working class democrats (like me, from the Midwest I'd add), just like there are (many) Republican "elites."
I also think, respectfully, stay in your lane and leave the culture wars out of it--at least this piece. It distracts from your main important argument, and you lost me when you added a couple sentences with the typical, superficial conservative generalization of the "culture wars."
Without question, the left has much soul searching to do. Their brand is insufficient to beat even Don, I’m not sure they can go lower. More importantly, this cements Don and his coalition as the dominant force in American politics, they are the establishment. Assuming the House goes R, they will control all three branches of government, decisively. We should all wish them well in wielding their unfettered power. Let’s also remember that we just remade the world order, a more important outcome than the petty culture wars both parties like to fight. We need to hope that Don has the skill and smarts to remake it. Oren, you may remember the words of fellow elites writing in the Atlantic, I’ll remember the warnings of the adults in Don’s last administration. They couldn’t have been more graphic, more stark. We also need to hope that they are wrong, since we just handed the nuclear codes back to Don. Good luck America.
This election was a repudiation of neoliberalism. It was also a repudiation of neoconservatism - but perhaps that's been obvious for a while.
At the same time, inflation - which probably wasn't Biden's fault but this is debatable - has felled parties all over the world.
The dems need to tame the progressive flank, for sure.
But this election was also a result of the extreme risk aversion among all serious contenders, none of whom was willing to challenge Biden. There was a story to tell - of a center-left administration, pursuing and passing industrial policy to build up working-class America. Unfortunately, we did not have a good enough story-teller to craft a real vision from this and instead it was just 'not Trump' and protect abortion - clearly not enough
I have to admit I’m belly laughing at the concern over “elites misleading us”. Didn’t we just elect two individuals who have an exhaustive record, recorded for all time on countless videos, of serial lying? So, we have elites accusing fellow elites of lying in their coverage and analysis of current events-the ultimate scrum in the sandbox of the privileged. Meanwhile, we’re fine with placing serial liars in positions of ultimate power? We care more abut the musing of an Atlantic or NYT reporter than the on record statements of our highest ranking leaders? Really?
Oren cites comments by fellow elites in the media. Meanwhile, Don and JD are gaslighting poor hurricane victims who have lost everything, and ranting about brown people eating pets. You be the judge:)
Yes everyone lies. But Kamala and before her Joe had the legacy media doing their lying for them. I won’t bore you with the examples. So I think that’s the difference.
With appreciation for your calling us out! Much to reflect on. But, is it only progressives and Democrats types whose lies and mistatements are cited, the other side does’t?
Good morning,
I believe the “In Defeat” analysis should be followed up with an active practical effort to realize its objective: the elites recognizing they mislead us.
However, neoliberal macroeconomists will most likely never do so, as their robust attacks on American Compass demonstrates.
Philosophically, to the contrary, an extensive critical analysis is readily available.
I have for quite some time been interested in getting former Presidents Clinton and Obama to publish a book together that discusses the perverse influence of neoliberalism on their administrations.
I believe this would be invaluable in translating the philosophical analysis into language that would drive public discussion.
I sent Obama just such a request yesterday. But I am sure that American Compass stands a much better chance of actually getting his attention.
Better late than never!
Nicely stated. Now watch for various Democrats to begin making comments like "Well, we never thought Trump was all that bad, but we just thought all Americans hated him, so we should too", and "Well, we all really want to end the polarization, so maybe enough gullible Americans will fall into place with Trump in office", and "Well, we always knew that 'our democracy' would survive, but it would have survived better if we were power".
The comments will sound like Democrat soul-searching, but it will later become clear that that's the last thing they really want to do.
Poetry.
I don't like fighting with my fellow Americans but Democrats need to swallow this loss and learn that they will not shame us into doing as we're told. I hope both sides can now begin to come to the center and work together instead of trying to dig at one another for four more years.
I can agree nearly whole-heartedly with this.
However, I would prefer that “soi-disant” appear before “elites”; since it’s French, it will sting all the more.
I am happy this morning but the key fundamental hasn't changed. The United States remains a deeply divided country on the road to disunion. The sooner that people accept this, the more likely that the separation will be peaceful. But no one wants to accept it.
Oren writes. "A sane elite would learn their lesson from a result as clean and clear as this one, recognize that on its current trajectory American politics will only head further away from what they want, and refashion their expectations and activities accordingly." Here is where Oren's effort to cram progressive economic policy into a conservative shell undermines his own essential assertions. The Elite that structurally opposes workers is the Financial Elite, not some vague cultural left elite. In his comment above he is clearly referring to Democrats as elites. That is both reflexively unthinkingly divisive and factually incorrect.
Trump is the financial elite. The Republican Brand that Trump is upsetting is the financial elite. The financial elite benefited profoundly from Trump's policy the last time. The inflationary effect of Trump's unnecessary tax cuts was masked by the disruptions of the pandemic and "free money" people got during it. Biden paid the price for that.
Own needs to keep straight, in his arguments and his thinking, the groups he conflates. The financial elite is one. There are social liberals, conservatives and quite a lot of libertarians in that group. That are 99% united on keeping power to themselves. Very very few display enlightened self interest.
The other group is workers. It turns out Democrats are workers as are Republicans. Here's another crucial distinction, the Democratic party doesn't represent democratic voters any more than the Republican party does. If they did, big money would be named from politics and we would have universal health care. That's true for Republican and Democratic voters, and false obviously for both parties.
It's the financial elite vs everyone else. Both sides of the financial elite gin up social conflict, as Oren is doing, among voters. The reason should be obvious.
"Shaking things up" with "Trump can fix it" as the plan is generously described as dangerous. But I'm open minded. Let's see what he can do. He's got a strong start with Biden's economy. We'll all learn something in the next 4 years.
Oren, I agree with you 80%. I agree with you on the lessons the Democrats aren't and should learn, and I agree with you on the mistakes they've continuously made to get us to where we are today. But you conflate a lot in this piece and sound salty as all get out. Not like the logical Economist I'm used to hearing from. ;)
The conflation you made a lot here is lumping together "elites" and "democrats." They're often but not always synonymous. And I think you know that. There are working class democrats (like me, from the Midwest I'd add), just like there are (many) Republican "elites."
I also think, respectfully, stay in your lane and leave the culture wars out of it--at least this piece. It distracts from your main important argument, and you lost me when you added a couple sentences with the typical, superficial conservative generalization of the "culture wars."