Mourning in America

ome people fear tyrannical government less than they fear the prospect of being thought impolite. These are the people who have chattered on for years about the “unintended consequences” of this or that Leftist scheme to empower bureaucracy and extinguish individual liberty.

Yesterday, that inflated self-regard—assisted by a despicably dishonest media—handed a second term  to the worst U.S. President in over 30 years.  The results won’t be pretty.

Seven weeks from now, the biggest tax increase in the history of the world will come crashing down on the already torpid U.S. economy, crushing growth that has been feeble at best, even without the heavier burden soon to come.

Among the brazen falsehoods pronounced during recent weeks to salvage his re-election, our president said he envisioned a “grand bargain” with congressional Republicans to address the debt and deficit issues.  Anyone who has paid the slightest attention during the past four years is aware that his dealings with the legislative branch have been thoroughly dishonorable. Nothing has changed, except that the last restraint on his behavior—the prospect of electoral defeat—is now eliminated.  Hold on tight.

Our view is that in governance at the congressional and presidential level, there are no unintended consequences. To think otherwise is to believe highly intelligent people design elaborate plans and shepherd them to enactment over numerous obstacles without the faintest idea of what they’ll achieve.

That’s nonsense.

The catastrophes that stalk us over the coming years won’t be unintended. They will be tangible manifestations of methodical planning by a man whose goal it is to fundamentally alter our country.

Now comes the struggle to survive.