In the immortal words of Forrest Gump, “Stupid is as stupid does.”
In collecting my thoughts on what this election means, I remind myself that any explanation within days of an election is not likely to be accurate. I think real wisdom will only come once the dust settles, the finger-pointing stops and the need to fill space on cable news with instantly developed opinions subsides.
With that said, I have been thinking throughout the last several months about a warning issued 10 years ago by a billionaire hedge fund guy from Seattle (Nick Hanauer), who made his money being an early investor in Amazon. He warned the 1-percenters that by letting income disparity between the top and bottom rungs of the economic ladder grow out of hand, hollowing out the middle class, they/we were setting society up for a huge backlash, where there would be a tipping point where the guys with the pitchforks would rise up (think: France 1789).
That tipping point may have arrived. White liberals (mea culpa) and Democratic politicians (mea culpa, Quoque) have not focused on this, I believe, for two reasons.
First, while the wealth of the plutocrats got way out of hand, the college-educated and professional classes saw their wealth and incomes rise, too. They/we saw no urgency in reigning in the party, because we were ancillary beneficiaries.
Second, we convinced enough of the plutocrats to help fund our Democratic campaigns and our favorite charities that we didn‘t want to make waves or alienate the plutocrat donors.
The irony here is that the guys with the pitchforks came for the leadership that most stands with and cares about them, and not the cynical hate-mongerers who fueled their resentment of the upper class (represented by the “establishment” and the status quo in government). Those with the pitchforks have brought into political power the economic overlords who most benefit from the income and wealth disparity, and oppose unions, universal and affordable health care, housing and educational opportunities, and DEI initiatives that could help to reduce the disparity.
But, why? you ask. Because we (Democrats/liberals) have yet to figure out how to fight in an arena where the other side doesn’t play by the rules and long-established norms. For better or worse, we are institutionalists who believe in the rules.
Forget the “facts.” The facts are that a Democratic administration dealt with the aftermath of a pandemic, prevented a recession, brought back jobs, stabilized employment, increased wages and the power of unions, addressed the disintegration of our infrastructure, tried to alleviate student loan debt, and brought the inflation created by the necessary fiscal response to the pandemic under control.
But the pitchforkers didn’t buy it.
Christopher D. Kelley
East Hampton
Let It Play OutMy response, Harry Mainzer, to your argument that Pete Hegseth is unqualified for nomination and confirmation as secretary of defense is: Let the process play out [“Kakistocracy,” Letters, December 19]. My disagreement with you is primarily with the faceless, anonymous...
Reap JoyI immersed myself in the Hamptons Doc Fest this December, both as a volunteer and a filmgoer. I hadn’t attended more than a handful of films over the festival’s history, now in its 17th year; however, my recent involvement electrified...
Unprofessional TiradeIn Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” Queen Gertrude famously observes, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks,” suggesting that overly forceful denials often reveal a lack of sincerity. This sentiment captures the debacle at the December 12 Southampton Village Board meeting, where Trustee...
A Safer WorldThomas Jones’s letter, “A Safer World” [December 19], prompted me to write this letter. Mr. Jones crows about Donald Trump’s leadership. He says Trump’s leadership will make the world safer. I would like to see President-elect Trump show some leadership...
FalsehoodsThe recent falsehoods and attacks by certain Hampton Bays community members in The Southampton Press Letters to the Editor section needs to be called out and corrected. I was called out by name by several community members. The Southampton Press...
The Twilight ZoneOn January 20, a draft-dodging “patriot” who has already spit on the U.S. Constitution by trying to overturn a free and fair election and mobilizing a violent mob to attack our Capitol will put his left hand on a Bible,...
Unfair AttacksHow unfortunate it is that one of the most beloved citizens of our village is under attack, in Letters to the Editor and, in fact, by The Press, in your choosing to highlight her purported “violations” on the front page...
End the EmbargoI read the viewpoint “Cuba Teeters on the Brink of Collapse” [Opinion, December 12], and I didn’t find any mention of the 64-year-old embargo on Cuba. The embargo was designed in 1960 to bring hunger and misery to the Cuban...
