These are strange times in America. Republicans, traditionally the political party of the wealthy owner and business class, have rebranded themselves as the working man’s party while the Democrats, traditionally the political party of labor, the disenfranchised and the poor, are increasingly viewed as too well educated and liberal-minded to appeal to their natural base. Given that only around 8% of Americans identify as LGBTQ+ and less than 40% have a bachelor’s degree or higher it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to explain why the Republicans did well in the last election. They took advantage of a growing class disconnect in the population.
The reality is the United States is a melting pot and always has been at least since the European colonization of the Americas. Called the Land of Liberty and the Land of Opportunity the original colonies and territories combined their diverse populations (including slaves and immigrants) into a cultural, economic and political chimera that ultimately became the most powerful country in the world. Small states and large states crafted the bicameral legislature through the Connecticut Compromise while the first two Presidents (Washington and Adams) appointed party leaders from all sides of the political spectrum in order to promote unity. Later during the largest crisis the country faced President Lincoln made his famous “united we stand” speech and backed it up by appointing his “team of rivals” to insure that he would hear a variety of views from his advisors.
The fact is that our strength lies the very diversity that periodically separates like cream and threatens to curdle. Recent politicians have ignored the greater good exhibited by Washington, Adams, and Lincoln and exploited the natural coagulation process that can occur in a diverse democracy for their narrow political gain. While this can work to political advantage in the short run, it is a poor long run strategy.
The MAGA coalition is already exhibiting Cracks as we discussed in our last blog. The fissures grew larger recently as the whackadoodle Laura Loomer challenged the oligarchs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. The DOGE duo claim that got under Loomer’s skin has to do with H-B1 visas, a kind of Bracero Program for techies. In case you don’t know, the Bracero Program provided Mexicans with temporary visas to ease the agricultural labor shortage in California starting in the 40’s. Musk and Ramaswamy say “Big Tech needs foreign workers because there aren’t enough ‘motivated’ Americans to fill the jobs (according to Rolling Stone).” The same argument applies equally to many undocumented immigrants. The agricultural industry “needs” them since “there aren’t enough ‘motivated’ Americans to fill the jobs” and this is the crux of the Loomer/Musk controversy. Give an inch and you will lose a mile say the hard core deportationists.
America has prospered throughout its history because we have found a way to bring together rich and poor, artists and laborers, black and white, rural and urban, straight and LGBTQ+ and many other diverse groups in a way that benefits us all. This has not been easy or linear. We stumble and get back up time and time again. How this morality/miracle/political farce plays out over the next four years is anyone’s guess. Based on the past 250 years I’m guardedly optimistic.
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