About Lambert Straser
Dear Reader, I had a correspondent characterize my views as both pragmatic and cynical. Let’s briefly explain them. I believe in universal programs that bring concrete material benefits, especially to the working class. Medicare for All is a prime example, but tuition-free colleges and post office banks also fall under this category. The same goes for job guarantees and debt jubilees. Clearly, neither liberal Democrats nor conservative Republicans can carry out such a plan. This is because both are neoliberalisms of different nature (“for the market”). I don’t really care about profiteering “isms”, but either way we need to put our common humanity first, not the market. A second FDR may end up saving capitalism, democratic socialism may end up tying capitalism down, or communism may end up destroying capitalism. I don’t really care as long as the benefits are provided. The important question to me, and this is why Medicare for All is always a top consideration for me, is that, as explained in the Case-Deaton study and other recent studies, This is an excessive “death of despair” for everyone. This sheer number makes Medicare for All at least a moral and strategic imperative. And that level of suffering and organic damage makes the concerns of identity politics, and even the worthy fight to help refugees sparked by the wars of Bush, Obama, and Clinton, a bright shining object by comparison. So my frustration with the news flow is that I believe there are currently two separate shock doctrine campaigns swirling, one by the administration and one by the out-of-power liberals. and its allies and media outlets. The news flow forces me to constantly focus on issues that I consider to be of secondary importance to excess deaths. What kind of political economy would halt or even reverse the increases in life expectancy that civilized societies have achieved?And I wonder if the continued destruction of the systems of both parties will lead to the same kinds of things I have listed. I am very hopeful that this will open up space for voices to support the program. Let’s call such voices “leftists.” Volatility creates opportunity, especially if the Democratic establishment, which puts markets first and opposes all such programs, is not allowed to get back on board. Pay attention to the prize! I love the tactical level, and even secretly love horse racing, as I’ve been blogging about it every day for 14 years, but this perspective underlies everything I write.
