Barack Obama had a nickname for the highly credentialed economists who surrounded him during his first term. He called them “propeller heads.” It was his way of joshing—and asserting superiority over—figures such as Larry Summers, Peter Orszag, Austan Goolsbee, Jason Furman, and other wonks with impeccable CVs and intimidating confidence in their own opinions. The label reduced these résumé gods to propeller-beanie geeks. Like most Obama statements, it was also a self-flattering way for the president to demonstrate the value he places on intellection, data, and expert knowledge. He and his fellow progressives love the idea that reason, logic, and science legitimize the power they wield through law and bureaucratic diktat.
The public wasn’t so enamored. The weaknesses of the propeller heads became evident over time. No doubt because of their glorious self-image, the propeller heads assumed that government could easily implement their ambitious theories and complicated schemes. They assumed that human beings could be “nudged” into desired behaviors. They placed one set of values—efficiency, equality, safety, carbon or gender neutrality—ahead of others, especially individual freedom and religious liberty. They neglected or waved away unanticipated consequences. They treated disagreement or disobedience as irrational or pathological—a manifestation of racism or sexism or greed. They often went ahead with their plans regardless of disapproval or rejection.
The propeller-head mentality is “we know best.” It dominated the administration. It produced a stimulus that did not stimulate, an unpopular health care plan, a contraceptive mandate that inspired lawsuits against nuns, a cap-and-trade bill that never became law, a financial reform that squeezed community banks, a GM bailout that stiffed non-union pensioners, a series of coal and water regulations that put miners and farmers out of business, an immigration amnesty by fiat that set off a rush for the border, and a nuclear deal that rewarded Iran for its malign behavior. Perhaps the most significant consequence of the imperious and heavy-handed manner in which experts ruled during the Obama years was the political reaction it inspired. The propeller heads like to believe they are the stewards of a healthier, cleaner, safer, saner world. But they are really the midwives of national populism, the doulas of Donald Trump.
And now they are set for a comeback. When you read the Biden-Sanders unity task force recommendations, go over Biden’s potential cabinet picks, or examine the membership of Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board, you see the outlines of an administration committed to the same technocratic principles and top-down, uniform, centralized style of governance as its Democratic precursor. In some cases—if Susan Rice becomes secretary of state, for example—the very same people will be in charge. In other cases, the personalities will be new, but the methods will be similar.
The center-left views of academic, media, and cultural and foreign-policy elites will be ratified as sacrosanct. Officials will attempt, not always successfully and with unpredictable effects, to turn these opinions into policy, through legislation if possible but through regulation mostly. Dissenting forces will be problematized as disingenuous, malevolent, or not entirely sane. The one place where the public will be able to register its opposition is the voting booth.
Many opinion leaders in Washington dispute the above scenario. They point to Biden’s reputation as a moderate, to his decades-long relationship with Mitch McConnell, to the constraints he will face with a narrow House majority and a potential Republican Senate. They hope that the establishment, restored to its former fading glory, will reassert its control and “turn down the temperature.” Biden, they add, will have a “caretaker presidency.” He and McConnell will work out some small-bore tax changes. Maybe an infrastructure plan will pass. Otherwise things will drift merrily along, with Trump tweeting furiously from the sidelines.
My pundit friends forget the nature of the propeller heads. The propeller heads know they are right—their degrees and titles and offices and accolades prove it. They know that government exists to perform the functions of social uplift and rational control. They are not about to sit back and let the Delaware gang and the apex predator of American politics run the show. There’s a virus to crush, a climate to save, a liberal international order to rebuild.
Two of Biden’s appointees to the COVID-19 transition advisory board, for instance, support another national lockdown. Will Biden overrule them as cases mount and the media call for something to be done?
Biden’s deputy campaign manager told Chuck Todd the other day that her boss “campaigned on an incredibly progressive and aggressive agenda” and that “he’s going to make good on those commitments,” including his “big, aggressive” climate plan. Will Biden stand aside as this agenda runs into the maw of Joe Manchin and the Senate Republicans? Or will he say that he, too, has “a pen and a phone” and instruct his EPA and Energy Departments to act accordingly?
It was recently disclosed that Iran has 12 times the nuclear material allowed under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and installed advanced centrifuges in its underground research facility. The theocratic government of Ayatollah Khamenei is isolated internationally. Its economy is under tremendous strain from American sanctions. And Biden and his team are ready to reenter the nuclear deal if Iran will have them, rewarding an authoritarian state sponsor of terrorism in order to demonstrate to Europe that “America is back.”
“There’s nothing more dangerous than a propeller head who doesn’t know his limitations,” David Brooks wrote in 2009. Today’s propeller heads are more ambitious than they were a decade ago. And far more moralistic. Come January, they will return to their old offices and resume their old games. Sure, a few of the names will be different. But the results will be the same.
If the election theft of the Dems is allowed to stand, then come January what you’ll see from a Democrat President, in terms of executive orders and regulatory changes, will make what Obama did look like amateur hour. The Democrats will NOT worry about doing things half way this time around. They have learned from their mistakes made under Obama. They will push as much of their agenda through, via regulation and presidential executive orders, as fast as they can.
While you all think a Republican controlled Senate means nothing in the 110 page socialist manifesto will get implemented, what you fail to understand is that while nothing the Democrats wants can be accomplished via legislation in Congress, the Democrats can get 75 to 80 percent of what they want via presidential executive orders and regulatory changes to achieve much of the same thing. Very little to none of it will be reported by the MSM, so the public will remain blissfully unaware. Just how the Dems and the MSM like it. However, the costs of transportation, food production, and most everything else you consume or rely on will begin rising at a steady rate as the increased regulatory burden is reflected in across the board price increases. Of course this increased regulatory burden will act as a drag on the overall economy, so the result will be stagflation.
Certain sectors of the economy, like the fossil fuel industry that powers the engine of our economy, will begin to be hit by heavy regulations to force them out of business in order to “transition us to a green economy” the Dems want. In practical terms, that means we will go from energy independence to once again being dependent on OPEC and other foreign countries for our energy needs. With more regulation and a forced march to “green power” also comes the inevitable rolling brown-outs and black-outs that come with adopting unreliable means of baseload power generation. See California as one example. All this will also means your monthly electricity costs will ultimately triple as is consistent with every other country around the world that has followed this path. See the cost of electricity in Germany, France and much of the EU where they have implemented this insanity on a national scale.
So buckle up and get ready for big changes. Yes, a Republican controlled Senate may prevent the Democrats from passing most of their 110 page agenda, if the Republicans remain unified and folks like Romney, Graham, Rubio, Collins and other RINOs don’t “reach across the aisle” to vote with Democrats. However, a Democrat President and a swamp that is overwhelmingly populated by Democrats can still inflict massive destructive change on our country and its people via presidential executive orders and regulatory changes which do NOT require Congressional approval.
This is so true. I can picture Hillary Clinton as the Secretary for Electronic Communication integrity…
Please add a button to share on Parler. Would love to echo this article. Thank you!
Amen. Lets shut down Twitter and move to Parler. Immediately. Trump made Twitter.
Trump now needs to announce a Twitter replacement. Trump, fire twitter !
IF….IF….IF Biden becomes president, tv, as an industry, is ruined. What will be worth watching. They can’t bash Trump and
will have only sleepy Joe to cover. MSNBC has already started their conversion. Tonight, they covered the increased cost of
housing and another non-political topic. You know. real news. Will the networks place their bets on covering Biden 24/7 or going
back to a conventional news format. Example: what is going on in Syria ? Two years ago the media dropped coverage of the
Syrian revolution in order to bash Trump every second. Is the Syrian war over ? Of course not. The media just dropped the
story. We are now more ignorant about what is going on in the world than we have ever been. And we, as US citizens . have
never been known for knowing much about world affairs.
Please let Biden make Romney ambassador to Equador.
Others run Biden, Expct maybe: HR6666, Immunity cards, Police state, More Big Tech,
Expand Big Tech unless revoke Section 230, More regulations & with virus more power to Govt
Depression 2 & Civil War 2 (Lockdowns)
How that work out eight years of BO economics America ?? As one of his beenie heads said their to stupid to figure it out ! Can Amac cut back on giving free print to the smartest guy in the room and nutty Nancy , Uncle Joe , batty Bernie the Free Press give them unlimited coverage ! When I do taters I stick a fork in them and their Done !! Just like all these old white people .
We are now on the Eve of Destruction. Biden and his socialists wii make sure that the middle class becomes extinct. If you voted for him, good luck with that.
Little non-elected government mini-tyrants are celebrating like crazy right now. They can not compete in the private sector but they exercise the power to stop progress – thus feeling like they have power (unearned). They want more and bigger government so the number of management jobs increase and job security increases ????????
“PaulE” has made many great points.The future under the Trojan-Horse-Biden looks bleak indeed. My question is, and has been, what are we willing to do to “push-back” against this incredibly evil group of liberal Horsemen of the Apocalypse?
You hit the nail on the head. Hang on, pray and fight back in a God honoring way.
The next Congress will be well stocked with propeller head look a likes. The whole program from the past is coming back and this time there will be a motivated mass to assist them. They are loud and they are proud! Divine intervention would be appreciated. There will be a large amount of “nudging” including going on and will definitely include POTUS.
Keep the faith and continue the fight! Avanti!
Just going to end up with the leftist elitism being shoved down everyone’s throat, like it or not. Obama 2.5
The church must continue to fast and pray! God is still in control amd He responds to the believing prayers of his people!
We all know life will be hell if the dems are allowed to get away with stealing the election. What would be more helpful is to publish articles that give information on what people can do to prevent that from happening. Maybe we should take some tips from the liberals playbook and organize protests. Make it known we’re not going to “suck it up” and take it.
There is nothing wore than someone who thinks he knows all about something! These DIMM “geniuses” will foul up everything like they did under BO. “Let’s give money to terrorists.” “Let’s stab our ally Israel in the back.” “Let’s pay for millions of illegal immigrants.”
Major STUPIDITY! Of course, that’s because wisdom comes from God and these nuts have NO connection to HIM.
If the democrats succeed in stealing this election the republicans can forget ever taking the whitehouse again. Just as Obama spent 8yrs. packing the govt. with liberal bureaucrats the democrats will spend the next 4yrs. rigging the system so they won’t ever lose another election.
Just the people who have been discussed as possible cabinet leaders sends shivers down the backs of rational Americans. It is a gang of liberal who’s who. They are completely out of touch with main stream Americans, and it is all about power in their own corner of the world. Watch out….the rollback of relationships with countries like Iran, China, and Russia will be the geo-political steam roller that will crush the USA.
Your article speaks of Biden. Will he indeed be president or just a figure head?
The American people after watching 4 years of the Dumb-o-crats do everything possible to discredit President Trump and fail at every turn will NOT stand for Biden taking us back to the BAD Obama days. Let’s face its Obama was a horrible president and got a free paass for 8 years while in office and it continues today and it’s for one reason and one reason only and it wasn’t for anything he did. No one wanted the heat of critiquing the first African American president. Like it or not that’s the only reason. Do you ever ask yourselves how someone like Obama came into office with minimal wealth and then a few years later buys a $22million home in Cape Cod? Hmm Burisma and China kickbacks from Joe the Snake and Crackhead Hunter?
No the American people are tired of getting screwed over and I feel this time a stand will be taken because we are all tired of being taken for fools!
If President Trump is replaced by Biden, it is obvious from the article that the Demsheviks will revert to “snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory” as their modus operandi as they seek to reverse every achievement President Trump made for all Americans, especially restoring our freedoms and the security of our nation.
What we will see with Biden is the full and complete resurrection and restoration of the “180º Club” (i.e., whatever position is espoused or embraced, the exact opposite is usually true). The swamp denizens who have been hiding under rocks and the radar for the last four years will rise again out of the swamp and resume their misguided efforts to “govern” us according to their dystopian views. The Demsheviks will push their so-called “progressive” agenda in a “take no prisoners” manner, with ninety-nine percent of Americans becoming the “victims” of their distorted and illogical ideological whims. The unfortunate part is that the majority of Americans will be blissfully unaware of what is being perpetrated against them.
Resist…Resist….Resist…in every way possible.
Be prepared for violent confrontation.. the left will come for Republicans
and Trump supporters.
I believe that the American people are going to resist this lying, cheating ineligible fraud president if they put him in the White House…you may get in but the people know that you won by fraudulent votes and they will not comply…already governors have stated that they will not accept a mandatory mask wearing….they don’t care who Biden thinks he is. And it would not surprise me if there were assassinations over this….people are angry as hell.
So, what can the average citizen do NOW since it is obvious to any reasonable person that there was a great deal of fraud and voter manipulation in this election???
I have already contacted my state’s congressional delegation and asked for a complete investigation of the vote in all states AND an immediate computer forensic analysis of all the Dominion Voting machines that were used as there is sufficient information that these can be hacked and manipulated.
Unless the 73 million + voters and up to 10% or more of Biden voters get a full explanation, then the only people making money will be attorneys as everything will head to court .
There are far more informed citizens now, because of the Obama/Biden debacle of a presidency. We have not forgotten all the damage they did. And we are not stupid! Praying for Trump to win this election because of and despite the cheating by the left!
The Democrats need to move to another country to live the they want and leave the USA!!
Whenever I hear a Democrats say, “I am not a progressive”, I ask them who they voted for. Their response has been the same, “Joe Biden and the entire ticket”. It is then I remind them they voted for a progressive agenda for America and can no longer say, “I am not a progressive”. Simple as that. The problem? THEY do NOT get it! For some inexplicable reason they believe Democrats are NOT progressives yet they watch and listen to all the MSM and NPR (another disgrace) that promotes the progressive agenda.
I fear this time they really messed up. They are so ignorant of what has been transpiring in our country they really believe Donald Trump is a racist, hater of all things American, and believe the problem is white supremacists. MAMA MIA! Folks, strap on you big boy pants because the next two years, at the very least, will be a terrifying ride, especially after they rid themselves of Joe Biden within the first year.
In my last podcast I explained why the Paris Climate Accords was, and is, a total sham with no teeth that was entered into with a degree of ignorance, stupidity, and recklessness that should have been punished by the voters. Check it out at The Resting Pendulum if you like the truth.
I fear the level of corruption our elected officials have risen to will destroy our country in a matter of years, unless, of course, Socialism becomes a popular way of life. With the under 50 crowd being fans of non-productive lives that simply allow them to “feel” good, we may have reached the tipping point. Sorry to report that as long as mass unchecked voting by cartels rein, WE, THE PEOPLE, lose. Democrats now know gaming the system works like a charm.
If the bureaucrats reinstate the Obama principles to our federal gov. this nation will speedily revert to a 2nd.class status. And we didn’t serve our nation to lose our freedoms. So our prayers are for our Lord to intercede.
I am NOT a fan of Biden or the Obamas and never plan on being so could you stop sending me info on them???
Why can’t the bureaucrat play in the sandbox?
Cats keep covering [preferred PC personal pronoun] up.
With a Biden Presidency, his administration will go against ensuring Israel that the U.S. will have their back. When we turn our back on Israel, nothing else will matter at this point. God’s vengeance will reign upon this nation to bring total destruction against it. May not happen right away but it is assured. Look up for your redemption draweth nigh. I pray it won’t happen this way in my lifetime and that God will intervene and forgive this nation and destroy our enemies.
Win or lose in court, it is still mind boggling how so many could vote for these people!
U.S. voters have really been “dumbed down” through the years, and they will eventually rue the day when they realize what their lack of voter education has wrought!
Disgusted at how our journalism, media, has been politicized. Along with our law enforcement being weaponized against those with whom they disagree. No accountability, where am I?
All of the things we write about here should be written to The White House for Donald Trump. Write. Write . Write. He needs our help and support. He needs to know what we think.
We are screwed.
God help us all if this comes to pass
From my reading of all past and present Socialist countries the leaders knew just how to do it in steps. Start out by convincing people you know what is best for them and the government will pay for everything etc. Then little by little the Socialists take away guns, property, money and rights while brainwashing people that the government is helping them. After being lied to over and over again the people believe the government and become complacent with their new lives in Communism. During the Nuremburg Trials it was learned how the Germans lied to the Jewish people over and over again so there was little resistance. We have seen in our public schools and universities the real history of America has been rewritten to make it easier to brainwash the younger generations into accepting Socialism. We conservatives have to keep praying continually for America!
Socialist/dems have been stealing elections for decades at every level of government, only because PRESIDENT TRUMP fought back that people are beginning to see the truth, the msm has ALWAYS gone along with this criminal activity and helped evil destroy this nation, if the left steals this election we will be controlled by china and all these GROSSLY OVERPAID MORONS in the news media will no longer be necessary and they like thier idiot cousins in entertainment? WILL be the first to have thier wealth re-distributated and begin thier new jobs sweeping out factories because they are too stupid to do anythibg else.
Kinda just feel sorry for Biden, he reminds me of people that take advantage of the elderly, all they want is everything we worked for for all of our lives without paying into the system. Hate saying this, I don’t like using God’s name, but in this case I have to say God Help Us. The Lord and me really don’t pray, we just talk and I give Thanks For Him Watching Over Me. We’ve kinda fought so much over the years, I used to be a Doc and would fight Him over every patient, sometimes He’d let me win, but we bith knew who was in charge and it wasn’t me. If I was still a doc I’d be fighting God everyday over patients. Seems stupid huh? He always does the best he can with this idiot that Luv’s Him.
They did NOT win, they CHEATED. They lied, stole, threatened, and bullied. Do NOT let them convince the People that they ran an honest campaign, they can’t even do THAT in a little rural town of less than 2000 people! NO Democrat that holds office won that election without cheating, it’s the ONLY way they CAN win! Keep the HEAT ON and take our election and our country BACK!
Am I missing something or are we giving up just when Sydney has enough to dismiss the election? Why are we accepting the media diagnosis of this election?
The DemocRats/Communists and Media are controlling the Swamp!! Their funding is primarily from international sources, Soros and ChiComs!! The DOJ knows most of the Monies are international and therefore are illegal but are doing nothing!! The SWAMP refuses to enforce our laws!!! We must be ready to “Take-up Arms and FIGHT!!” Join the Trump Movement – The American Revolution Version 2!!! Become a Counter-Revolutionary!!! Stand-up for America!!!! Remove Every DemocRat!!!!!
At this moment, the only thing that is certain is that the majority of Americans have been brainwashed by the Mass Media, the Education Unions, and the Entertainment Industry!! Fact, the DemocRat Party has become the Communist Party in America!!! The “ole line” Republicans have also become Communists!!! No voter who has not been brainwashed “could possibly vote DemocRat”!!!! Trump Republicans are TRULY become the only Americans left!!!!! We must be ready to “Take-up Arms and FIGHT!!” Join the Trump Movement – The American Revolution Version 2!!! Become a Counter-Revolutionary!!! Stand-up for America!!!! Remove Every DemocRat!!!!!
The vast majority of Mail-In Ballots were not approved by their State Legislature and are therefore not Constitutional!!! Get this issue to the Supreme Court and America’s battle is WON and the cheating DemocRat/Communists LOSE!!! Join the Trump Movement – The American Revolution 2.0!!! Become a Counter-Revolutionary!!! Stand-up for Our Republic!!!! Remove Every DemocRat!!!!!
All you “bloggers’ ( foggers ) need to wake up. Trump is a VERY smart guy. He set up an exec. order that is going to crush the ( D ) communist party of Amer. You just watch. It’s a long ways off for Jo(k)e to Jan. 20th. His party will never get there. Exec. Ord.
The “propeller heads” can have an alphabet soup of letters behind their names, but if common sense isn’t included, the rest are mute.
The “propeller heads” can be very much like a helicopter, a craft that doesn’t really fly but only beats the air into submission and falls if the power or other critical parts fails. Likewise their ideas are as fragile as a helicopter’s and only fly as long as forces like unlimited deficits and money creation are applied until those will eventually fail too.
Biden is a puppet for the far left dems and he will do what is is told. He has no backbone and he can’t remember where he is half the time. Sleepy Joe will be in a Nursing home or passed away before his term ends.
(If) Harris/Biden LEGALLY become our Leaders I feel America will be in grave danger of a Socialist Government.
I hold out hope Rudy will be able to prove his cases… and Biden et al will be relegated to the scrap heap where they belong (and I cleaned that up considerably)! If not… we’re in trouble unless we fight back immediately. We absolutely can’t let this happen. Let’s band together to keep our wonderful ‘American experiment’ going for another 200 years…