Neoliberalism’s Formulas Have Failed

This article was to be a look at the events taking place during the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term as president via the lens of my recent article on past instances of the American political institutions’ abdication of their Constitutional and legal responsibilities. After over 30 days, President Trump is bent on assuming every responsibility assigned to Congress, the Courts, and the 4^th Estate and gathering into the executive. Instead, I hope to inform the reader of the implications and an outline of the restoration of a Constitutional foundation, more perfect than Trump found it on January 20th, 2025.

A political executive that exercises total responsibility is the oldest format for European nations. The United States is obviously not a European nation, but its Constitution and political forms echo its European roots; strongman leadership, wealth exercising inordinate power, workers providing resources for the wealthy, and foreign lands as targets for domination, either by capturing territory or by economic domination. All these traits are clear in President Trump’s actions.

Historically, the monarchial model breaks down. Often that happens when the power position is transferred to a descendant or other family member and eventually the random uniqueness of humanity yields a leader that is not capable or interested in being a strongman. Other times, a stronger person from another territory invades and annexes the territory. There are other means, including a monarchy’s downfall, but of relevance here is the internal revolt. While at this writing, the US Constitution is still intact and still considered as the foundation for America’s Federation based governance, it is apparent from words and actions that President Trump wants to void the Constitution and institute one that leaves him as a Monarchical president. An internal revolt is the only option to resurrect a democratic government more perfect than the one being dismantled by President Trump’s agenda.

We got to this situation via a quiet revolution, popularly known as the “Reagan Revolution” The Reagan Revolution was not truly the instigator, but he was the enactor of dismantling the illusion of democracy, or Lincoln famous description of American governance in his Gettysburg Address. President Lincoln described America as having a “government of the people, by the people, for the people” Arguably, one could say that Lincoln was using hyperbole. One could also describe his words as an aspirational aim. The Reagan Revolution ended any aspiration of that, instead building on the foundation first used by Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon and even Jimmy Carter. Reagan, with popular support, set about transforming America’s economic lens from a Keynesian liberal political aspiration to the economic lens of Milton Friedman’s neoliberalism.

When Bill Clinton first ran, his advisor, James Carville, constantly reminds the future president, “It’s all about the economy, stupid.” The reason was and is that neoliberalism was an abject failure. Its lens focuses on Free Markets with no government “interference.” Milton painted government interference with a very wide brush. He believed anti-trust laws encouraged monopolies to form, he pushed for monetary policy to control inflation, created an economic environment that created income disparity. Wealth immediately funneled more wealth to the wealthy and promoted tax policy that used, now s trickle down affect, deregulated banking, and weakened labor laws, and last of all Friedman advocated dismantling nearly all public agencies, so that Free Market forces work their magic. Reagan followed Friedman’s ideas, and even though Clinton ran on a platform that promised to correct the damage created from neoliberalism, but his policies doubled down on it. As have all presidents since then.

The actions that Trump is implementing line up closely with an immature requirement of total loyalty over competency. This has been especially true of his cabinet picks and other high-level administrators. In a political environment, loyalty toward an individual stops when the nation’s foundation runs counter to the singular leader’s agenda. These are acts that have specified processes to shut it down. For example, insurrection occurs when one or more people engage in activities to nullify the foundational standards or laws. Trump has circumvented the laws, so far, by utilizing Elon Musk as a person hired under special rules that exempt him from being responsible for any laws and constitutional mandates. This has been a well tread path undertaken by Republicans. They have a history of breaking rules, but not laws or constitutional mandates to get their way. Most importantly, it was precisely how former Majority Leader Mitch McConnell managed a Supreme Court takeover by previously recruited individuals to become the majority of the Supreme Court. So, add rule breaking to law breaking and demanding staff exhibit loyalty by agreeing to perform unconstitutional acts.

The result is a meltdown of the nation’s foundations and aspirations and replacing those with a monarchical government running on loyalty alone. Our economy is directed by a notoriously destructive lens that redirects all public sector activities to the private sector. Foreign policy, which is already dedicated to the private sector’s enrichment.

What Trump has wrought has been over 50 years in the making. It did not have to happen this way. Unfortunately, the Democrats chose from the Reagan era and all the way to the present to mimic and then adopt the Republican neoliberal stance. This gave their party no room to maneuver for domestic policy. They sought policies that affected the so-called safety net that required the government itself to supplement the meager trickle-down help for the poor, the disabled and the disabled and never found a path to replace or end the growing income disparity. Foreign policy, as well mirrors the Republican agenda. Not once did the Democratic party do anything but complain using hyperbolic language regarding Republican policy, especially about Donald Trump. Now those chickens have come home to roost.

There is only so much citizen actions can do to recreate a new America, unless they start a Civil War, hoping that the military and the National Guard will come to the side of the people. This scenario could leave more dead than the Civil War in 1860. The people must start disrupting the new Trump driven agenda. Right now, there is a plan for a weekly rotation of one day followed a week later by a seven-day boycott of large corporations. Even if 33% of the population takes part, those companies will recover all their lost sales in a week. That is not disruptive. Targeted demonstrations that disrupt traffic, that delay government activities or shadow them with live streaming alternative outcomes. “The Revolution will not be televised. It Will be live.”

And Democratic politicians, speak out, and then act on your words. Bring Republicans that endorse and especially take part in acts of insurrection, lawbreaking or ignoring their Constitutional mandates to court. They are intentionally hiding behind presidential fiat to do his bidding. Call the police if needed. Their illegal actions are preventing you from doing your job. Clearly Maga Republicans are daily performing acts of insurrection. And last of all, break some rules. Rules were made to be broken when the rule itself no longer works.

Last of all, imagine a future more perfect nation. Everyone will need to be ready to fix what was broken, replace what never should have been, create what is most needed, and eliminate what was wrong.