The new social democratic normal in America

Well BHO is a success.  He set out to fundamentally transform the nation and with the help of a recession he has succeeded.  We used to be different than Europe in that we had a less activist government that spent a lot less as a percentage of GDP.  The result was higher economic productivity, employment and wealth with more inequality.  Well we no longer spend less on social welfare and we no longer have very much economic growth nor do we have very many people employed anymore.  But the good news is that we've kept the inequality.  Plus we have a government that in many respects is domestically more violent, draconian and arbitrary than that of any other advanced country. All in all, unless you have assets or a rent seeker's sinecure, it's becoming harder and harder to keep up.  Gee, I guess all we need now is a 'lightbringer' to bring us some hope 'n change.  But wait! Didn't we just have one of those 'cats?

Here are three charts to tell the tale.  Hattip Zerohedge.com (remember, use their charts, take their opinions with a block of salt).

As the economy continues to run down, burdened by more and more rent seeking and lawyerization.

Employment has shifted to a social democrat norm with the Dems rationalizing lower unemployment as (In Nancy "Pelociraptor" Pelosi's words) 'allowing people to pursue their dreams, to become an artist'. Boy, there's going to be a shitload of art...

Social benefits have risen by 6% of disposable income - before O'care really gets going!  And this country was utterly bankrupt back before the increase. 

And after five years this looks like the new normal rather than 'muddling through'.

So with our gracious Federal and in many big blue states, state governments size 13 wingtips planted firmly on the nation's trachea strangling growth, more and more people fall out of the labor force and social welfare spending keep rising.  And pretty soon the baby boomers will be pounding the public fisc for another 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 percent of GDP.  And at about that time confidence in the dollar will collapse and we'll turn to our kids and tell them:  "hey, you fucked up, you got born to us".  And they'll say back to us:  "no, Dad, we didn't fuck up, you and Grandad fucked us up".

And that distinction will make all the difference in how the country evolves from there.  And I doubt if it will be particularly progressive. I mean, who could blame our kids after the screwing that they are getting from us if they look upon us with a tad less, shall we say 'charity'?