The Perennial Punditry of 'Pocketbook Issues'
Mainstream outlets report that Republicans are suddenly fretting over economic issues like inflation and supply chain woes, fearing these will hurt their midterm chances. The Hill, for instance, signals concern within the party that they aren’t doing “enough to address costs.” One might be forgiven for thinking this is a genuine breakthrough in congressional empathy. Curiously, this newfound panic
over “costs” rarely extends to the public expenditures that actually enrich their donor class. Consider the 2003 Iraq War, which, according to Brown University's Costs of War Project, has already tallied over $2 trillion and directly worsened global economic stability through resource grabs. Where was the Republican hand-wringing over those costs, or the trillions pumped into corporate tax cuts
that rarely 'trickle down' to the average American's grocery bill? The pattern is a familiar one: 'economic anxiety' is only weaponized when it can be blamed on the opposition, a convenient cudgel against Democratic administrations. When their own policies, from deregulation that enables corporate price gouging to endless military spending, are the drivers of inflation and wealth disparity, the
silence is deafening. This isn't about solving problems; it's about shifting blame before Election Day, a tactic as old as electoral politics itself. So, as the midterms approach and the 'pocketbook' rhetoric amplifies, watch closely not for what they promise to fix, but for what they deliberately ignore. The real costs often lie hidden in plain sight. 📢 This story won't trend unless YOU make it.