"Shit's Gonna Hit the Fan:" Talking to a Billionaire About Class War

[Anomalocaris]

The issue that will start trouble is not taxation but income inequality and the arrogance of the ruling class.  That's France in 1789.

The French Revolution was 74 years in the making.   It's only been about 30 years since Reagan.

Also, instead of the French Revolution, I think the U.S. would go down the path of republican Rome, undergo a series of incomplete internal popularist evolutions and oligarchical counter revolutions all the while keeping the facade of republic intact, and eventually the levels of internal violence and instability would Escalate, while opportunistists seek a big opening through foreign aggragizements.   Provided we don't get smacked down by some foreign power as we attempt various foreign ventures, some cunning opportunistic bastard from traditional moneyed class will seize up plebeian anger and launch a pseudo-popularist, military backed dictatorship, which would nonetheless still retain the trapping of the former republic.

For Rome the process took 150 years.

[Minimalist]

The Conflict of the Orders is generally dated to begin in 494 BC - which is only 15 years after the traditional founding of the republic.  It re-emerged in one form or another until 49 BC with Caesar's ultimate victory over the Optimates.

I don't know if Americans will have that kind of patience.

[Anomalocaris]

The Conflict of the Orders is generally dated to begin in 494 BC - which is only 15 years after the traditional founding of the republic.  It re-emerged in one form or another until 49 BC with Caesar's ultimate victory over the Optimates.

I don't know if Americans will have that kind of patience.

I am talking about the patrician aggrandizement that followed in the wake of the second Punic war.   I think that destabilized the previous social contract and set Rome inexorably towards 49BC.

Americans are impatient, but also shallow and gullible.   What they would have no patience for if they had been told of the truth, they would bear for a long time with a silly chest thumping pride if lied to.   The skill needed to fabric a lie equal to fooling 51% of Americans are actually quite low.

[Anomalocaris]

One factor that might prevent the U.S. from taking its time and following the roman path is while traditional roman social contract was breaking down between 202BC and 49AD, rome's national power was continuously growing until there simply was no room in the rest of the world for any power able to match roman strength to exist.    The national power of the U.S., on the other hand, is now represent only a small fraction of the world's total economic and productive power, and will likely continue to diminish for the foreseeable future. So some of the vents Rome had for temporary pressure relief and domestic attention distraction is simply not there for the U.S.

[Thumpalumpacus]

What people forget when they quote "a rising tide lifts all boats" is that the tide always rises from below. "Trickle down", on the other hand, runs off.

[Jackalope]

What people forget when they quote "a rising tide lifts all boats" is that the tide always rises from below. "Trickle down", on the other hand, runs off.

Well you know, it may well be true that a rising tide lifts all boats... but the fact of the matter is, that for a hell of a lot of people, tide's been out for a very long time.

[Jackalope]

Or, IOW... Platitudes are fun and profitable... for someone.