By Karen Tumulty and Perry Bacon Jr., WaPo
To much of America, it may appear that the battle to lift the debt ceiling simply proved that Washington is broken. But as messy and ugly as it was, it also has been a clarifying moment — one that could define the terms of engagement of the 2012 election and shape the battle as one of two vastly different governing philosophies.
Whoever the Republican presidential nominee turns out to be, it now looks likely that President Obama’s battle for reelection will be fought around big issues. Chief among them: the size and role of government, and the values that will set priorities for a diminished pool of resources in austere times.
“This had nothing to do with the debt ceiling,” said Mickey Edwards, a former Republican congressman who runs a political leadership program for elected officials at the Aspen Institute. “This was about the 2012 election, and the lines were drawn about as clearly as possible on both sides.”
Obama strategist David Axelrod agreed: “This has helped crystallize the debate. There is no doubt there will be a very distinct choice.”
If so, that will be a stark difference from recent presidential elections, where candidates sanded the edges off their partisan differences and positioned themselves above the partisan and ideological fray. The rhetoric was gauzy and vague: Obama was the agent of hope; George W. Bush, a uniter, not a divider; Bill Clinton, the avatar of a third way.
In 2012, the contrast between the two parties seems certain to be drawn in sharp relief.
The Republican vision is of a dramatically smaller government and of a budget that is balanced without raising taxes. Democrats argue for what Obama describes as a balanced approach, one that includes new revenue and treads cautiously around Social Security, Medicare and social programs that provide a safety net for the poor.
Both parties insist that theirs is the only path back to what voters say they want most: a stronger economy.
The public still has an appetite for seeing the two parties work together. When respondents in a new poll by The Washington Post and the Pew Research Center were asked for a single word to describe the spectacle that just took place, two-thirds volunteered “ridiculous.”
But the battle that brought the government to the edge of default also brought into question whether skills of compromise and conciliation can be applied in this polarized era.
The reasons for this have become familiar: a toxic political and media culture, congressional districts drawn to produce lawmakers more attuned to their parties’ ideological bases than the center, and the insecurity and anxiety that comes with economic hard times.
“I tend to believe that most people in these offices want to do the right thing for the country, but you have a structural system now in place that’s counter to the two parties finding that sweet spot of common ground,” said Chris Lehane, a former Clinton White House official who is now a political strategist in California.
According to one study by political scientists Nolan McCarty, Keith Poole and Howard Rosenthal, there is less ideological overlap between the two parties in Congress than there has been at any time since the late 1890s.
In the debt-ceiling fight, the Republican presidential candidates have, almost to a man and woman, staked out their positions with the hard line of their party.
“As president, my plan would have produced a budget that was cut, capped and balanced — not one that opens the door to higher taxes and puts defense cuts on the table,” presumed frontrunner Mitt Romney said in announcing his opposition to the compromise. “.?.?. While I appreciate the extraordinarily difficult situation President Obama’s lack of leadership has placed Republican Members of Congress in, I personally cannot support this deal.”
Graphic
Explore the House vote on the compromise debt-ceiling bill.
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Explore the House vote on the compromise debt-ceiling bill.
Video
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi welcomed Rep. Gabrielle Giffords back to Congress, saying her presence and service bring honor to the House of Representatives. (Aug. 1)
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi welcomed Rep. Gabrielle Giffords back to Congress, saying her presence and service bring honor to the House of Representatives. (Aug. 1)
Of course, the election is 15 months away, and much will happen between now and then. Individual events have a tendency of looming large for a while, and then fading. A year ago, critics of Obama were warning that his presidency would be defined by its response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill; more recently, his allies were hoping that the killing of Osama bin Laden would have a similar effect.
But the way the debt-ceiling deal has been structured guarantees that the issue will be revisited several times before Election Day 2012.
“The fight is going to be between their stridency and a balanced, fair and thoughtful approach to the future,” Axelrod said, adding that the president “will relish that debate. He can’t wait for that debate.”
But other Democrats are not so sure that a politician who described himself as “a Rorschach test” in 2008 will be equipped to articulate and defend a concrete vision of his party’s values and its approach to governance.
Indeed, for much of the battle over the debt ceiling, Obama seemed to be, alternately, a bystander and a broker. And in the early assessments of the results, it appears that Republicans got the better of the bargain.
“If he wants the power to make transformative change, he’s going to have to make the argument for the change he wants to bring about,” said William A. Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who was a senior policy adviser for President Clinton.
“Whether he will choose to do it or is capable of doing so, I don’t know,” Galston added. “His presidency is in jeopardy, and I hope there are people around him who are willing to tell him that frankly.”
sorry 4 my typing mistakes, in the executive order, I would ordered all social security veterans pension and soldiers paychecks be paid including all interest on our debt, and I know congress would impeach me but I dont care, threatening to hold up checks is what a coward and a wimp would do, obama and tim geithner are lyers and thugs
I agree, all the President has 2 do is sign an executive order bypassing the congress ordering all debt incured is paid, if I was President I would of told the congress u have one week to raise the debt ceiling if not i would of signed an executive bypassing the congress ordering all debts be paid period and I would of never threatened to hold up social security checks veterans pension checks and never would of held up our soldiers paychecks, the threat that obama with those checks was last straw with, obama lost my vote next year, he is not much of a President
@ HCQ:
Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
Section 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
My reading of article 4, is that setting a debt ceiling is unconstitutional and that the president has the power yo insure that all legal obligations incurred by the USA will be paid. That he does not need the approval of congress to ensure payment of any legal American obligation.
To hold America up to blackmail in threatening default is not only vile it is in my opinion illegal.
The Tea party congressman almost has caused a world economic collapse. I say almost because it hasn’t yet happened. Tomorrow is another day.
If the world dumps the dollar as the worlds currency reserve, it will push America back to the 19th century where she will have to rebuild her economy from almost near scratch. Most of Americas manufacturing is gone compared to pre-depression of the 30’s and then there was almost zero personal credit. Americans owe today almost 2 trillion in unsecured credit. Student loans alone are just under a trillion dollars. Most have degrees in uselessness.
Gold futures today are already up 40 dollars wait till the markets open on monday. Gold could gain a hundred dollars in a single session.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPNBKEVzw-Q&feature=related
Yep, even with the budget cuts in debt ceiling I read that the government will still be in debt passed there eyeballs 4 years 2 come
What a doomsayer but he’s honest and it isn’t like the problem can’t be fixed; but the incompetents and corruptocrats in the U.S. government will never fix it because they either lack the understanding of the nature of the problem to be able to fix it…or they are benefitting from the system the way it is and therefore lack the will to fix the problems.
Double Dip Recession? More Like Depression Says Peter Schiff
Breakout – Yahoo! Finance (August 3rd)
http://t.co/BqbqIme
To be honest I am fed up and tired of all the diehards in congress from both parties, all of them need to grow up quit acting like 2 year olds and stop sucking there thumbs and be adults, I did not vote 4 them to have an attitude of its my way or the highway and I mean both parties
We will what happens in November 2012 in elections, I think there will be some big surprises, both dems and republicans and tea party republicans have a surprise, I think all sides will lose some seats, I dont think tea party republicans in house will gain I think they will lose some seats, the senate will go to republicans I think and I keep praying Obama lose his relection, with all what I said, I am tired of both parties in congress putting politics and there party before the people, so time will tell
@yamit82
Peter Schiff is pretty amazing; smart, ambitious, funny, hates government… ??? Would someone help me marry him?
Peter Schiff on BBC Newsnight
Aug. 8, 2011
http://t.co/1g0Uy64
@ birdalone:
Drunken Ben Bernanke Tells Everyone At Neighborhood Bar How Screwed U.S. Economy Really Is
Out of the mouth of babes and drunks, comes truth?
@yamit82 –
When has the USA ever needed deep troubles as a pretext for war? We go to war even during times of relative prosperity. The warmongering imperialism and subsequent financial drain it creates is part of why we’re in trouble now. The Dems refuse to cut any social spending and the Republicans refuse to cut the overseas welfare spending and nation building. The Keynesians want to keep spending, borrowing, printing…and the Keynesians are to be found in BOTH parties.
US borrowing tops 100% of GDP
http://news.yahoo.com/us-aaa-rating-still-under-threat-204040123.html
U.S. Spends 60 Percent Of Debt-Ceiling Increase In One Day
http://thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/8464-report-us-spends-60-percent-of-debt-ceiling-increase-in-one-day
@ birdalone:
birdalone Said:
About time I never knew if many of my comments reached you visually. 🙂
Those guys are Aussies not Brits I think. That should explain “no joos”
@ gurza:
gurza Said:
No difference they’re all incompetent anyway.
@yamit82 –
so much fun having high speed for past 16 days. At least those Brits did not blame the joos.
so, yeah, everyone owes everyone else too much money. Ireland really should get 1st place.
A few solutions:
1) Greece: seems they make an art out of not paying taxes they actually owe, so I would think the threat of sending in platoons of German tax collectors might inspire compliance.
2) Shale oil. put the Muslims out of business. Colorado has five times Saudi reserves – enough shale oil in Colorado to supply USA at current consumption for almost two hundred years.
3) one of the benefits of the 14th century Black Plague was that the survivors inherited so much wealth that they could afford the Renaissance. Losing one third of the world’s population again is not so far fetched.
the entire concept of money, from gold to paper, is confidence. probably the reason why Italy will thrive, even if they have to sell Sicily 🙂
@ birdalone:
World Collapse Explained in 3 Minutes
@ birdalone:
America is insane; Pennsylvania just passed a law that guarantees cell phone rights to all recipients of welfare and food stamps in their state. Don’t know how many cell phones the state will need to purchase but they also come with free 200 min each month. Can’t afford food and rent but every one get a cell phone and free 200 min. Unbelievable.
Thank you Ron. I hope for your quick recovery.
yamit82:
Andrew should know – it was his father Mario who created the mountains of debt in NY Satet. Actually, I am relieved the deficit is only $9BIL. By my calculations, that is less than New York’s annual Medicaid fraud, which means ending Brooklyn Democrat Assemblyman (and Brooklyn County Democratic Leader) Vito Lopez’s state-funded not-for-profit scam could reveal a surplus.
BTW, CNN posted a map of the USA showing per capita state debt. Highest is Connecticut and Massachusetts at almost $5,000 per person – New York was about $3800. Lowest? Nebraska at fifteen dollars per person. $15. no zeroes missing. no recession either.
Thing is, the entire Massachusetts state budget for 6.5 million people is about half of New York City’s budget for 8.3 million (and new York State’s budget for the other 9 million is double that. Medicaid is the big tax-gobbler in New York.
And, while Massachusetts IS a nanny-state, it does have the best public school system in America at half the cost per student of NYC.
valium – the wonder drug for the 21st century, and it is cheap although NOT covered by Bush43’s Medicare Prescription drug plan – seems even Republicans do not want the elderly anxiety-free.
Felix Q:
Top 11 Trends of 2011
http://www.trendsresearch.com/predictions/TopTrends2011.pdf
“Wake-Up Call In 2011, the people of all nations will fully recognize how grave economic conditions have become, how ineffectual and self-serving the so-called solutions have been, and how dire the consequences will be. Having become convinced of the inability of leaders andknow-it-all “arbiters of everything” to fulfill their promises, the people will do more than just question authority, they will defy authority.
The seeds of revolution will be sown….”
@ yamit82:
Celente: Dollar not worth its paper, Greatest Depression up ahead
Ted Belman, Sternlite and Howard should listen to this: Insiders vs Outsiders?
Gerald Celente – Mike Broomhead – August 2nd 2011
@ HCQ:
Bank Bailouts Explained or a Pox on all of them. Right left, Democrats and Republicans
Peter Schiff was right and all the Harvard, Yale, Princeton group thinkers were and still are wrong. When they start believing their own press clippings, lies and hype anybody who listens to them and follows their advice are idiots.
For those who yearn for smaller gov’t should ask themselves – what would our society be with less food inspectors, less bridge safety inspection, less air safety and homeland security personnel?
@ birdalone:
birdalone Said:
valium. works for me 🙂
Countries don’t go bankrupt, they just don’t pay their debts. As long as America has her virtual digital printing press, they will always have enough dollars, of course the more the money supply the less the same dollars are worth in terms of purchasing power. Seems to be the group think of all nations Central Banks, they think they can stem the tide with creeping devaluations. Won’t work and it will be genocidal for the poorest 3rd world countries because it will drive food and energy commodities beyond their abilities to pay.
In America while all of the Media focused on Federal debt 43 States are staring at monster budget deficits. New York Governor Cuomo released a statement saying his state is “functionally bankrupt.” The projected budget shortfall? A mere $9 billion for fiscal year 2010.
It’s no better in President Obama’s hometown of Chicago. Local governments in Cook County hold a total of $108 billion in debt and unfunded pensions. The city of Chicago itself has just shy of $12 billion of the same. The average debt per household in Chicago is over $63,000, based on municipal shortfalls and underfunded pension obligations.
It’s been reported that state and local governments have more than $2.8 trillion of outstanding debt. In addition they are carrying approximately $3 trillion of unfunded public pension and health care liabilities.
Up until this year both local and federal solutions solved the problem by borrowing more, refinancing their debt, and then incurring new debt to cover out of control pension and health care benefits for public employees.
But it looks like the party is about to end. The well has dried up. And no one has a solution…
Governors in states like Wisconsin, Ohio, Florida, and in many other Republican held states are slashing budgets like never before.
What’s happening in America today is unprecedented. You have to go all the way back to the civil war to find a time when this many states defaulted on their debt obligations.
And even during the Great Depression in the early thirties, only the state of Arkansas defaulted on its debt! For every dollar the government spends about 50 cents of it is borrowed! Americas debt is about 500 times larger than the size of it’s economy. That’s the real story!
It’s no wonder gold is at an all time high,and I’ve read that people are starting to stock pile food in their homes.
Historically whenever nations are in deep trouble with no easy or viable solution they go to war.
@ rongrand:
ron send me an email I lost your email address.
@Clinton –
Let the idiots be mad at tea party. The only reason either party even addressed cutting the debt at all this time around was because Tea Party held the GOP’s feet to the flame. The debt ceiling is supposed to be a spending cap in itself. Both parties have been raising the debt ceiling since 1962 and it’s part of the reason we’re in the trouble we’re in now. Americans failed to hold the pigs in congress responsible and we’re going to have to start cracking down on them or we will be spent into oblivion; it’s probably already too late. Americans deserve to go bankrupt. People like me have been listening to the likes of Ron Paul and Peter Schiff for a couple of years now and they’re the only ones telling the truth. Americans should go back to sticking their heads in the sand. Maybe watch some more TV, where if they don’t like the truth they can just change the channel; watch some “reality TV”.
were I live in the state of Missouri USA what happened in the congress on the debt ceiling, everybody i talk 2 is steaming mad at both parties, even the church i attend several i talked told me that next year they are going to throw the bums, and as 4 tea party everybody i talk to say they are going to vote to throw the tea party out of the us house, they think tea party republicans in the house are 2 die hard, but also mad at democrats, i think tea party republicans and democrats in congress mite find themselves being booted out including tea party republicans, me i am sick of both parties not wanting to give a little always fussing and fighting
Whoa – get a grip! Takes too long. Besides, people are already hunting squirrels for food in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, totally freaking out all the latte-liberals who live across the street. Especially the dog-owners.
Plus, it is totally legal to raise chickens in all five boroughs of NYC. assuming you have a home.
The USA is not about to go broke, but the anxiety is real. I just watched “Generation Kill”, the HBO series based on the book by the reporter who was embedded with 1st Marine Recon into Iraq. At first, the Iraqis they meet all ask for one thing: valium.
works for me.
@Laura –
I agree with Laura. Look at Europe and the UK. Unless something drastic is done, it is already TOO LATE for Europe and the UK. G-D help them!
The British Labor Party brought in massive numbers of Muslims to DELIBERATELY create a multicultural society. That word is used wrongly. It should be called a Muslim society. And Muslims are determined to conquer hated infidels and rule with cruel Islamic sharia law.
Organic, non-gmo avocado, fruit and nut trees and berries must be planted in all of our nation’s cities’ and towns’ parks to help the many millions of Americans who will soon be in a desperate struggle to survive.
Watch it. And weep for our great nation and people:
FALL Of The Republic – The Presidency Of Barack H Obama – The Full Movie HQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8LPNRI_6T8&feature=player_embedded
OBAMA: DEBT UNSUSTAINABLE
Obama Says U.S. Long-Term Debt Load ‘Unsustainable’
By Roger Runningen and Hans Nichols
May 14, 2009 (Bloomberg) — President Barack Obama, calling current deficit spending “unsustainable,” warned of skyrocketing interest rates for consumers if the U.S. continues to finance government by borrowing from other countries.
“We can’t keep on just borrowing from China,” Obama said at a town-hall meeting in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, outside Albuquerque. “We have to pay interest on that debt, and that means we are mortgaging our children’s future with more and more debt.”
Holders of U.S. debt will eventually “get tired” of buying it, causing interest rates on everything from auto loans to home mortgages to increase, Obama said. “It will have a dampening effect on our economy.”…
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aJsSb4qtILhg&refer=worldwide
Obama admits the terrible financial destruction wrought against Americans. WHY then DOES OBAMA NOT IMMEDIATELY REVERSE THIS TRAGEDY?
An inferior health care plan that no one wants and CANNOT afford to pay. The threat to jail and/or fine those who don’t purchase the government enforced plan.
Massive spending as if there is no tomorrow. Fighting wars we have no money for. Massive borrowing. The Massive giving away of Billions of dollars every year to other countries, including the oil-wealthy Middle East, Hamas-controlled Gaza and the Palestinian Authority organization who fill their war chests, build mansions and laugh all the way to the bank with free infidel money. Whilst in America, homeless shelters are filled to capacity; tent cities have sprung up all over the U.S. filled with desperate, jobless, homeless, NEGLECTED Americans.
Massive debt. The massive printing of paper money out of thin air to DELIBERATELY create out-of-control inflation. There is no question that the total DESTRUCTION of America’s economy is planned. The results will be horrifying. In the once wealthy and great nation of America, millions of Americans will become destitute, hungry and homeless with no money or resources to help them.
SCARY……
Is this REALLY our AMERICA??????
Know the TRUTH about the Government Health Care Bill H.R.3200 – Key Points
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcBaSP31Be8
Laura, I am not gone.
It’s hard playing catch up. I don’t spent much time on Israpundit as I would like.
Last month a had a complete knee replacement that required additional surgery and I am working my way back.
I miss all the regulars Israel supporters.
We know gurza’s kind, typical liberal leftist. When you don’t have anything worth to offer, start personal attacks and name calling.
Keep up the good work Laura, your a great American and a great Israeli.
fifteen months of fear-mongering, and too many lawyers sitting in Congress.
one of those lawyers-turned-Senator Rubio stated on the Senate floor yesterday that the party divide is between two ideologies: economic justice or economic opportunity (GOP). I find that a false choice.
However, my prediction is that the US election in 2012 will have most Americans watching food riots across the world on tv, while we are reduced to eating cat tuna out of the can.
yeah, I am of the “pox on both parties/there is NO leadership” demographic, having watched the bi-partisan de-industrialization of America since 1978 that had nothing to do with unit labor costs.
The problem has not been in going to war in itself which was necessary after 9/11. The problem lies with the rules of engagement.
Ragtime, Keep burying your head in the sand about the threat of islam and we will end up like europe. I really used to like the commenters at Israpundit, now other than Ted himself and Bill Levinson and Yamit, you are a miserable bunch. Randy Texas and Ron Grand and most of the other former regulars are largely gone and we wind up with riffraff like ragtime. Go and crawl back under the rock from which you emerged. You are being banned from posting at Israpundit.
@ Laura:
ten years ago we launched several wars to counter the islamic threat. After wasting $4,4 trillion with some 225,000 dead 365,000 wounded -31,741 soldiers dead including about 6,000 Americans 1,200 allied soldiers,9,900 Iraqi,8,800 Afghans and huge number of civilians, we are worse off than when we began. America is broke. Laura would you please return to your hometown—SALEM, MA.
What a gloomy bunch of yids you are. Be happy, Israel is about to become a major energy player. You’ll be suprised at how many new best friends you’ll have.
As for the USA, who knows, but let’s enjoy it, whild we still have it.
What distraction? The issue is barely discussed. It’s an issue even the GOP won’t dare touch. If any truth is being hidden, it is the threat of islam. As for muslims being an insignificant proportion of America’s populace, that may be true for the time being, but that won’t be the case long term. You are a fool to dismiss this issue as insignificant.
The American economy and Obama’s re-election:
We keep hearing that a president has never been re-elected when the economy tanks. Except that observation applies to an America which no longer exists.
It applied to an America where the white middle class dominated the electorate, the Democrats were center-left, and the Republicans center-right.
Now, the white middle class is shrinking. It is represented solely by the Republicans. If mobilized and unified, it might be able to barely swing the next election.
The Democrats consist of a coalition of liberal whites, all the blacks, and two thirds of the latinos. It hates the white christian conservative middle class. And it desires only to destroy the white middle class. It doesn’t care if it destroys the American economy in the process, because that will wipe the smirk off the faces of the white middle class and bring it down to the level of the non-white lower class.
We now have an America which is completely polarized, where only half the people are productive and pay taxes, while the other half lives off of those taxes. The Democratic “plan” is to keep on taxing, keep on borrowing, and keep on spending and redistributing until the white middle class and America are bankrupt.
At that point, the delusional Democrats think they can transform and rebuild America as a utopian, egalitarian, socialist, majority non-white society, which will somehow be prosperous.
It’s a slow-motion train wreck, and we are watching America self-destruct before our eyes.
Ted another comment blocked?
Dear Congressman: Thanks to the XIV Amendment, Rejecting the Budget Sellout is an Easy No Vote for All Sides
America has become a fascist country… “The merger of Business and Industry with government” “Obama is not a socialist, he is a fascist.”
Jive talk part 1
Jive Talk 2
American Losers everything they touch goes South
The business of America used to be Business and now it’s WAR!!!
“Politics is nothing more than show business for ugly people”
A COVERUP, NOT A RECOVERY
How screwed is the American middle class?
Every few months we hear about the “mysterious” jobless recovery, and the “possibility” of a double dip recession. Except nothing ever gets better, and no one knows when the current recession ever actually ended.
We all understand in our guts what the explanation is, but we are terrified to say it out loud.
What we are seeing is the new normal. America is in permanent decline, and the white middle class is in the process of being destroyed.
Chinese workers can make anything an American worker can make, just as good and for a lot cheaper. So where does that leave middle class American workers? Out of work, of course, with no prospect for any new jobs. The days when you can pay a white high school graduate $50,000 a year plus benefits to build a car or make steel are over forever.
Since the middle class is predominantly white, and the lower class predominantly non-white, we are seeing a form of low-level class and race warfare. The Republicans represent the white middle class, and the Democrats the coalition of white liberals and lower class non-whites.
And the Republicans are fighting a losing battle. Whether Obama gets re-elected or not, America is in terminal decline. And the supposed “muslim menace” to America is a distraction purposely used to hide the truth. Muslims form an insignificant proportion of the American populace.
The object of the Democrats is to turn America into a majority non-white nation as quickly as possible. And they do that by encouraging massive numbers of poor and poorly-eductaed latinos to move into America across its southern border.
And the Republicans are silent co-conspirators. At first, they liked the hard working latinos as a cheap replacement for unionized labor. The Democrats took advantage of this to open the floodgates to illegal latinos. When the white Republicans finally began to protest, the Democrats screamed “racism”.
Now it is way too late. Texas is already majority non-white, and the Republicans are hanging on there by a thread. And when Texas goes, America becomes permanently Democrat. And remember that the last Republican presidential candidates, Bush and McCain, were already so desperate for latino votes that they were afraid to say anything about limiting illegal latino immigration.
Democratic beliefs are insane. They are driven by a hatred for middle class white christian conservatives. They are only too happy to destroy the American middle class and spend America into bankruptcy, so that America becomes indistinguishable from Mexico: a small rich white ruling elite, a small white middle class, and masses of poor people, predominantly non-white.
And there is no way to stop it: the train has not only left the station, but it is hurdling down the track.