By Judith Gayle | Political Waves
The Midwest is under heat alert, sweltering beneath a late summer sun. The temps have been steadily climbing for several days, with humidity stifling and little relief in sight. I suspect our collective sense of weariness with news emergencies, at home and around the world, feels similarly oppressive. I’m quite sure that residents of Ferguson, Missouri have had their fill of intimidation and night terrors, that all but the most determined are pleading for a return to normalcy. So much for the “lazy, hazy days of summer,” especially when the haze comes from smoke bombs and tear gas.
I’m not focused primarily on racial issues this week; we’ve covered that pretty well, with Eric speaking to more of that dynamic in Friday’s subscription issue, but there are a few tidbits to add that make the question of “Why Ferguson?” clearer. I’m more interested in following those cookie crumbs to the broader issue of class today, of the economic disparity that is becoming more apparent by the day, and another sliver of the “us/them” dialogues that are part of our spiritual separation issue.
No matter how many economists agree that tightening our belts and paying down debt do nothing to grow our economy, the Pubs continue to dig in their heels, refusing to sacrifice the ‘givers’ in order to satisfy the ‘takers.’ (That’s a Paul Randism, although it turns out the givers don’t actually give, just as trickle-down economics doesn’t actually trickle, so these characteristics might more truthfully be labeled the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots.’)