The Growing Anger and Distrust in America

Since I wrote my previous posts this morning, particularly the one on the improved prospects of President Obama, it occurs to me that our current political and economic situation would seem to lend itself to a continued growth in the frustration and rage of the American people. 

Chicago police beating protesters in 1968

Unhappy with the political choices before them, skeptical that the current leadership in either political party will be able to do much to ease their pain, the American people are going to continue finding ways to voice their populist unhappiness.  So far, we've had the Tea Party on the Right and the Occupy/99% Movement on the Left.  Both are having tangible and intangible, foreseen and unforeseen results on the political world.

My sense is that new manifestations of our national angst and anger will spring up in the coming months and years, to join the existing pattern of protest, and all of it leading who knows where. 

James Kunstler sees the same thing:

This winter will be the Occupy Movement's Valley Forge. An uneasy quiet may settle across this land blanketed in frozen dishonesty while OWS goes to the ground. Wait until next summer when the Occupiers head for the nominating conventions. Chicago in 1968 was nothing compared to what might go down in Charlotte, NC (Democrats) and Tampa, FLA (Republicans) in 2012. These two giant, useless, political bucket shops need to be put out of business and something else has to take their place. Who will be the new breed of genuine patriots? It would be nice to suppose that something noble and intelligent might emerge from the current miasma, a reality-based third party. But history isn't so reassuring.

I heard some rumors. Lawrence Kotlikoff at Boston University - the only economist in the USA with a coherent plan for banking, healthcare, tax, and entitlement reform - said on a podcast some weeks back that he was advising an unnamed national figure who intends to mount a third party campaign. I didn't have a clue who that might be.

Political convention protests? Third Party candidacy? These would be fairly mild and predictable outcomes. It's the other ones we can't predict that are tantalizing and/or frightening. Assassinations? Riots? Coups? Martial Law?

Who knows.