U n d er s t an d i n g t h e C ri s i s t h at I s F aci n g A m er i ca D u r i n g t h e 20 16 E l ec t i on – an d W hy B er n i e S an d er s M ay B e t h e W or l d’ s O n l y H ope. - D o ug l a s M c R a e

F or t h e pa s t f ew m ont h s , ev er y art i c l e t h at r ef er ence s D ona l d T r u m p on t h e H u ﬃ n gt on P os t c on t ai n s a very bri ef E d i t or’ s N ot e a t t h e en d , ad vi si n g t h e read er t h a t “ D on a l d T ru m p i s a ser i al l i ar , r am p an t xen op h obe , r aci st , m i sogyn i st , b i rt h er an d bu l l y w h o h as r epeat edl y p l edged t o ba n al l M u sl i m s – 1 . 6 bi l l i on m em bers of an en t i re r el i gi on – f rom en t eri n g the U . S . ” W h at m a k es t h i s N ot e t ru l y i n t ri gu i n g i s t h e f act t h at i t r ef er s t o t h e m an w h o i s cu rr en t l y t h e u n d i spu t ed f r on t run n er f or t h e R epu bl i c an c an di da t e f or P r es i den t of t h e U n i t ed S t at es of A m er i c a; a m an w h o – d u ri n g t h e l ast t el evi sed p ri m a ry d eba t e – p roud l y d ef en d ed t h e si ze of h i s p en i s on st ag e. O n t h e D em oc r at i c can d i da cy si d e, a 74 - year ol d ag n ost i c w h o i s a se l f - p roc l ai m ed “ d em ocr ati c soc i al i st ” an d n ot even a regi st ered D em ocr a t i s cu rr en t l y l oc k ed i n a t w o- w ay ba t t l e a ga i n st t h e on l y rem ai n i n g vest i ge of A m eri can p ol i t i cal d yn a st i es: a sc a n d a l pl a gu ed l i f e- l on g p ol i t i ci a n w h o i s rec ei vi n g n ea r l y a l l of t h e es t ab l i shm en t sup port d espi t e bei n g u n d er F ederal i nvest i ga t i on . W at c h i n g t h i s cr a zy- t rai n of a cl u st er- ci rc u s u n f ol d b ef ore t h em , a col l ect i ve cry of “ h ow i s th i s p os si bl e” c on t i n u es t o em an at e t h e average A m er i c an vot er . W h at t h e f u c k i s goi n g on? T h e an sw er , as f orm er P r esi den t W i l l i am Jeﬀ er son C l i n t on ’ s p ol i t i c al ad vi sor Ja m es C a rvi l l e a st u t el y observed ba c k i n 19 92 , i s si m p l e: “ [ t ] h e econ om y, st u p i d . ” A n d t h e t r u t h b e h i n d a l l o f t h i s i s a h e l l o f a l o t m o r e t e r r i f y i n g t h a t m o s t p e o p l e t h i n k .

T he U ni t ed St at es G ov er nm e nt H as B e en O per at i ng U nd e r a N eol i b eral E con om i c T h eory f or t h e P ast 35 Yea rs .