I think Sarah Palin and her advisers realize that something is changing in this country. The state has become a powerful machine which controls the major media, and in many ways is influencing much of new media. But, before I go into that, which will be another post, I'd like to say that Sarah Palin has a long way to go to develop a well-rounded political understanding to stand against her opponents, both Republican and Democrat attackers. I say "attackers" because that's what this constant barrage of insults, charges, rumors and snarky condescension has become, an all-out attack to destroy her. Objective critics who aren't afraid of her and what she stands for merely criticize her lack of experience, or her tendency to rely on platitudes, then let it go. But her attackers have to obliterate what she stands for. What does she stand for? Like it or not, she stands for the simple ideas of America that most people in this country hold -- freedom, national pride, pursuit of happiness, etc. Most people don't have a deep understanding of political philosophy. This is unfortunate.

But that's not only true of the patriotic right, it's true of the left, for the most part, although the left is more politically active in the form of special interest groups. Most people who consider themselves on the left seem to be as simplistic as the right when it comes to expressing their ideas regarding government intervention, equality, justice, etc. Very few people I encounter in real life or on the internet are very well rounded in their understanding of political philosophy. The populist, patriotic crowd is pretentious and limited and so is the crowd of emotional earth-savers and intellectual poseurs on the left. Each side is under the illusion that our two-party system offers them a route to vindicate their myopic world-views.

I believe Palin and her handlers are making a move outside politcs, the two-party system, to start their movement in an effort to directly appeal to the patriotic right/conservatives (independents?) who are dissatisfied with government. For this to not be an embarrassing disaster for Palin, she will have to broaden her understanding of history, politics, government and the many facets of the private sector as it stands in relationship to a statist government. There's a great opportunity for a charismatic figure to take power directly, outside the political status quo. Although they will have to step outside conservative or liberal roles as they are currently being expressed through government. Roughly half the voting age population is even active enough to vote. Who are the other half and what do they think about politics and government? I'm sure there's a diversity of thought among the non-voters, but many may be people who've simply decided that government is not worth spending much time on -- but, now, things might be different with so many changes coming directly from the government, and with the economy swirling in the crapper.

I might be off base, but even if Palin is not thinking about this strategy, someone ought to -- or some many ought to. We need a major private sector effort to redefine what type of government we want in America. It's time for the American people to wake up and pay attention -- this phony dichotomy between "elites" and "common folk", dancing left and right as if there's a nickel worth of difference between the two parties has run its course.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062902307.html

As the US economy weakens, the unemployment rate rises and congress places more tax burdens on US businesses, there will be pressure to protect workers from imported goods. Plus the unions are going to demand protection from Obama, since they helped him get elected -- just saving GM is not near enough.

The rationalization for protection will most likely be an emotional appeal like all the big item changes are -- save the sick and poor, save the American worker who has given his/her greatest efforts to this country, save the planet for our children -- always remember the children!

I can see this emotional appeal being marketed in the media with personal stories of tragedy, of families thrown from their homes because jobs were lost, of individuals with hard hats and sad faces standing next to an empty factory, stories of executives escaping with millions who are now traveling the world and living it up. Nationalism will likely come into play -- the American way of life, traditional jobs victimized by globalization, foreign countries paying pennies for slave labor.

If the government goes this route and starts a trade war, we could be in for a long, hard depression. The present situation begs for economic freedom, lower taxes on business, less strangling regulation and global free trade, not war. I know that hardly anyone anymore believes that a strong economy, unburdened by taxes on businesses, capital gains and income, will create enough economic activity so that government revenue will increase rather than decrease, but it sure beats starting a trade war by circling the wagons. It's the difference of allowing the people of this country to go and make things happen and government trying to enforce safety even if it means stagnation and economic decline -- the difference between dynamic and static.