There’s little doubt that the Democrats and the left – two different entities – have been using apocalyptic messaging concerning the upcoming mid-term elections. So, of course, this morning I find out that inflation has become the death of democracy, according to Erick Erickson:
Whether the crisis of the third century, the French revolution, the Russian revolution, or the rise of Hitler, inflation tends to destabilize economies and governments. Democrats have been so focused on Republicans as a threat to democracy that they themselves have become the very threat. Democrats have caused inflation, caused economic deterioration, and now voters are going to sweep them out of power even as Democrats claim the GOP is a threat. Their rhetoric and policies are profoundly destabilizing and voters are about to hold them accountable.
The balance of Erickson’s argument is a radio polemic, to which I did not listen.
Sadly, at least for Erickson, we’re not seeing nation-killing inflation. It’s up a little bit while the Democrats, once again, clean up after the Republicans and their economic mess.
We’re not, for that matter, seeing organized, armed Democratic revolutionaries storming the Capitol, chanting for the deaths of top elected political leaders. In fact, the Democrats are the political conservatives in this scenario. They are not promoting a coup, they are not dissembling when asked about accepting election results – they say, Yes, I will accept the results. The worst that they can be accused of is their calling for the end of gerrymandering, and the inflation of the number of seats in SCOTUS.
Can monetary inflation kill a governmental system? Sure. It was a primary culprit in the death of the Wiemar Republic – but that inflation was not the result of foolishness on the part of the German government, but the misguided Treaty of Versailles and its mandate of reparations for World War I, which in turn was the result of arrogance on the parts of, oh, let’s just say many governments of the nations of Europe and parts of Asia.
And their inflation was mind-boggling. Not this petty annual 8% that we’re seeing now. Yes, it’s annoying. There may even be lessons concerning unjust wages finally correcting to levels better for society present in that inflation. That is what we should probably be discussing.
But Erickson is off on his moral equivalence crusade, ever trying to balance January 6th insurrection – which, to be fair, drew a disgusted call from him to shoot the insurrectionists – with the horrors of the left. It’s hard to take him and his right-wing colleagues, who I notice tend to bray in unison, seriously.
So don’t.
