Thread: State of the Union

Your thoughts, Esteemed Teakie Bears?
As I see it, Canada is more conservative than the US at the mo (WTF?), the US has toddler status on the world stage and China/the ME/Russia and even Canada are laughing their butts off at the WH pontificator & bungler in chief. Oh woe is the world of left America, unless you are American and want a handout.

wot aboot kanada?

The Union is in a state of dysfunctional domestic politics. The right or 'Conservatives' (not really conservative at all) had a long run in office from Reagan onwards- I mean, Clinton could hardly be described as Left, and economically he was much more conservative than the GOP. They stuffed it up, big time- whatever the merits of the Reaganite's, it went too far with the post Reagan GOP. Now they are fighting a cynical rearguard action to preserve existing privilege for the benefit of a few, after their misguided policies and lack of meaningful governance did damage to so many.

Apart from some sops here and there, there is little the US government is willing or able to do to proactively spur economic activity, or proactively help the middle class. GOP has a safe majority in Congress, and that is enough to stymie any 'progressive' agenda. The US economy is on a gradual recovery path, but it will take some time before it meaningfully helps the middle class. Arguments as to whether the government could or should have done more will remain academic and largely political- because it didn't happen.