"Liberal" author and former Congressional aide — Mike Lofgren's — biting criticism of the American public is funny — but is it fair?

© 2019 Peter Free

 

11 May 2019

 

 

Even "lefty" me is frequently irritated by allegedly liberal elitists

 

For example, take book author, Mike Lofgren. He spent 28 years as a staff member in Congress.

 

He recently wrote that:

 

 

“Here the lunatics are in charge.”

 

That . . . has become a prophecy for the nation at large.

 

[T]his insanity could not persist without broad and intense public support. . . .

 

Trumpism could only sustain itself with tens of millions of people who might not fit the profile of a hater, but are assuredly either borderline imbeciles or not-quite-certifiably insane.

 

[In partial support of the above statement, Lofren continues with the observation that:]

 

Political scientists (and some psychologists) are fond of proving that people “vote their interests” by the simple, circular expedient of defining a subject’s true interests as whatever they opt for. It is time for a sweeping reevaluation of this canard.

 

In 2016, American farmers voted by a margin of between 3 and 4 to 1 in favor of Donald Trump over the Democrat. This happened in spite of the fact that he told them in clear and unmistakable terms that he would, if elected, ignite a trade war with their most lucrative export market. Further, he would cut off their supply of the low cost, often undocumented labor needed for fruit and vegetable picking as well as beef, pork, and poultry processing.

 

As a result, farm income is down . . . . Farm bankruptcies have soared.

 

For now [however]. . . it appears that farmers are sticking with Trump.

 

The bulk of farmers would likely prefer to go down in whatever fate decides will be America’s functional equivalent of the rubble of Berlin.

 

© 2019 Mike Lofgren, Just When Did America Go Nuts?, Smirking Chimp (11 May 2019)

 

 

It's way more complicated than that, Mike

 

Which means that the farmers you denigrate are thinking more deeply than you seem to be.

 

Coincidentally, I saw a serial interview with a few of them last night. Though they recognized that they were taking an economic hit, some of them also pointed out that they believed President Trump was correct in trying to get China to play more fairly in the international trade arena.

 

 

Let's connect those dots

 

Lofgren is criticizing American farmers for being "big picture" enough to recognize that they may have to temporarily endure difficult times, so as to move all of the United States forward.

 

Can one be more intelligently patriotic and socially responsible than they seem to be — under these challenging circumstances?

 

 

Yes, I may be biased

 

I have a partial (long ago) background in Rocky Mountain agriculture and range management.

 

But still.

 

 

The moral? — In light of this, who are the real lunatics, Mr. Lofgren?

 

When those interviewed farmers implicitly addressed the greater good, I thought — "Now, there are some old-fashioned, honorable Americans."

 

Whom would you rather have at your back?