Left-E-Nomics
In a flash of insight that comes all too infrequently, I began to understand the machinations of America’s political left are demonstrably analogous to economics.
Power: The Currency of Elitists
“Currency” is a medium of exchange. The medium of exchange for elitists is power. Power grants prestige, privilege, and control.
“Prestige” has both tangible and intangible properties. A tangible property is influence: Influence to project agendas, and sway opinions of sympathetic colleagues. Intangible properties include reputation, and being honored, and admired by aspiring colleagues. The jealousy of others for one’s access, honor, and admiration by others is a negative intangible, but negotiable property, of prestige.
“Privilege,” in the left’s economy, grants access to benefits and immunities not accessible by the hoi poloi. Evidence of benefits may be seen in their homes in gated, and privately guarded communities. Those same gated and privately guarded communities grant immunity to the privileged from common crimes by virtue of their limited public access. Where mantras of “defund the police” emanate from the official and unofficial missives of the left’s politicos, they, themselves, are immune from the affects of reduced, and inhibited community police presence by virtue of their gated and privately guarded communities secured by privately-funded police. Privilege also grants immunity from the inconveniences of following rules enacted for the hoi poloi.
“Control” is the application of policies and procedures for directing, regulating, and coordinating activities in a way to achieve the objectives desired by the elitists. Control has both assertive and denial aspects. Assertive aspects project the effort of the elitist to accomplish his or her goals, either directly, or through surrogates. Denial aspects are the withholding of approval or effort from the non-compliant and opponents. Like the assertive aspect, denial can be achieved either directly, or through surrogates.
Position: The Dividend for Fealty
“Position” is the recognition reward, the dividend, for loyalty: Ability is not a criterion. Those who have invested in the activism of the left are rewarded for their fealty in this economy. In the closely interrelated exchange protocol of the elites, position grants power. Higher positions grant greater power with all the perks the position entails. However, appointees must carefully conform to the protocols of their superiors, in word and deed, lest they be stripped of their inferior position.
Access: The Commodity of Position
“Access” is the commodity of position. In the hierarchy of position, access can be traded up and down. In the “up” aspect, access grants the ability to fraternize with those who are higher in the power echelon. In the “down” aspect, the appointee can grant lesser functionaries the “privilege” of inclusion in decision making, or public appearances. Access in this context can be construed as permission to speak, or to be included in photo opportunities.
Victims: The Capital of Power
(Edited 7/17/2021) No economy can be built, or sustained without capital. In the left’s economy, victims are the capital. If none exist naturally, then victims can be conjured from ancestral grievances, even if the ground for those grievances no longer exist. In this economy, elitists promise, and give, their preferred victims “free” enticements in return for the loyalty of their electoral power. Greater numbers of victim classes conjured from past grievances, or out of “whole cloth,” equates to a greater potential for electoral success.
(Added 7/21/2021) Continually harping on slogans, such as “white supremacy is the greatest threat to our democracy since. . . .” is intended to serve two purposes: The first is to remind victims who is “responsible” for their oppression, and keep them motivated to see their leftist overlords as benefactors and saviors. The second is to serve as a warning to the anticipatory compliant that objections to the current narrative subjects objectors to cancellation and projection.
Projection: The Deflection of Elitist Characteristics Upon Opponents
In a unique irony, the elitists, who, by their speech, imply their “victims” are incapable of performing simple, mundane tasks, such as procuring a state issued ID card (otherwise known as a driver’s license), or finding a store-front that makes photo copies, vociferously charge their opponents with the very characteristics of which they, themselves, are guilty.
(Edited 8/11/2021) In a new irony, some restaurants in St. Louis now require 1) proof of vaccination, and 2) ID to verify the identity of the vaccination passport holder to eat indoors. Just so I can get this straight: IDs are required to eat, but not required to vote?
Intimidation: The Warning of Cancellation for the Non-Compliant
(Edited 7/17/2021) Intimidation is the leverage the left uses to invoke compliance. People and companies sensitive to the projection claims levied against opponents become compliant as elitist attention swings to them. In anticipatory compliance, a mind-set that argues complying with “X” means the powers-that-be will move to someone or something else once their immediate target complies, “white fragility,” and “systemic racism” become the bogeyman labels which the easily intimidated desperately want to avoid for fear of more onerous mandates. Above all, the desire to avoid being cancelled, whereby goods and services are boycotted, or where internal dissension may erupt, is a corporate concern. Individually, being cancelled entails being socially ostracized, and potentially censored.