Failure is not an option

The problem is, I no longer know what real success looks like when Republican lite is considered a win.

I had to take a day off yesterday because frustration is exhausting, and Lord, was I frustrated in my previous piece. It’s always good to take a moment to reflect, read, and try to better understand why it feels like nobody is listening to an imperative, no-cost, safe solution to stop fueling their own demise. Our senseless addiction to consumption is the bullet in the chamber of a game of economic Russian Roulette, and the American people seem happy to play. They have become economic diabetics willing to sacrifice a foot to be able to continue eating cake because they will still have one foot after losing the other. Even after that, the second foot becomes a price worth paying because there’s always a wheelchair. Where does it end, other than in tears?

Unfortunately, we inhabit a world where discipline and sacrifice have become too big a price to pay for a better tomorrow for future generations. Nobody is being asked to go and fight a war and risk death; they are simply being asked not to press the ‘buy now ’ button. I ask myself, why should I care? I’m in the autumn of my life, walking up the ramp to the departure lounge. I’ve done my bit; I brought up three kids, put them through college, etc. Nobody could blame me for taking it easy. enjoying my garden while reflecting on a life that has largely been good to me. Why should I care if a county an ocean away wants to set fire to democracy, integrity and moral decency?

The answer is, for all my faults and failings, I CARE. I can’t just sit and watch while that happens. Not least because of the many happy times I have spent in the US over the years. Don’t misunderstand, I don’t see myself as someone worthy of praise for what I do. My dedication to this fight is as much selfish as it is altruistic. In an interconnected world that has the possibility to deliver a better life for so many, I feel I owe it to those who will be deprived of the prosperity and progress I have enjoyed because of the craved ambition of a handful of primarily white men. Men who seem to have decided that they know what’s best for those suffering as a direct result of their criminal behaviour.

It has long been the case that we here in the UK have this awful habit of importing political poison from the US. There is, of course, a strange irony that America learned that very behaviour from its former masters and their global domination through Empire, which once covered 25% of the world’s landmass. It seems British History is the playbook this regime is more than keen to adopt. We have a long and checkered history of feudal rule and raising armies to conquer. America merely became our apprentice, and now it seems to have escaped the lab like some horrible experiment gone dreadfully wrong.

In the current economic climate, it’s almost impossible to assess the US economy or indeed consumer confidence with any real degree of certainty. But the fact remains that it’s an economy currently propped up by a handful of tech companies and the consumer spending of the top 10%. In many ways, the regime now avoids forensic economic scrutiny simply because of the War in Iran. One thing remains clear, however: non-essential spending remains unhealthily high and shows no real sign of abating. It seems strange that this addition is keeping a government afloat, while they dismantle the very services American spending addicts expect to be there to rescue them when they fall.

We live in a strange old world, as we see Trump setting his eyes on creating a wartime economy. It’s odd coming from a president who campaigned on a ‘no more wars’ platform. As you would expect, he will attempt to achieve this through the reconciliation process to up the defence slush fund to $1.5 trillion using only Republican votes. While I think this represents a big challenge, given the damage it would cause to Republicans seeking reelection in November, it still remains a possibility, as does the passage of the Save America Act and the abolition of the filibuster.

It’s no secret that there will be an avalanche of attempts to push through legislation that is unpopular with the American public. It’s just another reminder that these monsters don’t give a damn about anyone but their paymasters. Everywhere you turn in the battle to preserve democracy, there are red flags waving and sirens screaming, but Americans appear to prefer to place their fingers in their ears and scream ‘La, la, la’ at the top of their voice, as they live their lives in the belief that the consequences will hit others before it hits them.

I estimate that getting this government to sit up and take notice through street protests would require 11 million people on the streets for a sustained period, which would inevitably mean people not turning up for work, with all the risks that entails. Anything less represents a performative messaging opportunity. The argument, of course, is that sporadic days of action have a cumulative effect, and while I agree to some extent, I also believe that the effect is not enough to move the dial in the current environment.

Regardless of these plaudible efforts, all roads lead back to strategic economic disengagement. It is the only immediate impact measure that would plant a flag on behalf of ‘we the people’. I’m more than aware that there will generally be no co-operation from the top 10%, because they are doing just fine. In addition, the 36 million Americans living below the poverty line are in a perpetual state of economic disengagement because they have no choice. So the responsibility to make this happen would inevitably fall on the shoulders of those in the middle who have long been an extorted segment of society by the governments of both stripes.

According to Statista, around 37% of US households earn between $35,000 and $100,000. This breaks down as follows

• $35,000 to $49,999 - Around 9.9% of households

• $50,000 to $74,999 - Around 15.1% of households

• $75,000 to $99,999 - Around 12% of households

Those households earning between $55,000 and $167,000 represent the core middle-income tier. If ever you wanted evidence that this demographic has been the biggest losers in the wealth gap war, evidence shows this demographic owns about 17% of the nation’s aggregated wealth, down from 32% in 1983 (and this is based on data from 2016 from Pew Research In a broader context, the middle class is shrinking. In 1971, it represented 61% of Americans. By 2021, it stood at 51%, and it looks set to shrink further as core middle-class occupations will likely come under siege from AI VERY SOON.

To recap, US consumer spending in 2025 amounted to $16.7 trillion. In order to better isolate our demographic, in the current E-shaped economy, as described by Moody’s Analytics, the top 20% account for 60% of that spending ($10.02 trillion), which leaves $6.68. trillion distributed between the bottom 80%. It’s almost impossible to break down the share of that spending, given the complexity of geography, debt commitments, and myriad other social factors. However, it’s safe to say that, while disposable income is lower, it is still present in the core middle-class demographic. Holidays, cars, house renovation, white goods, etc.

The economic disengagement argument is NOT about a spending strike; it’s about a spending deferral to achieve a societal objective through sustained targeted economic celibacy. It’s certainly NOT about single days of action. So we are absolutely clear, consumer spending is fueling the tyranny you are being subjected to. It’s a system specifically designed to promote social Darwinism, where only the strong survive, and nobody cares about those left behind. The harsh truth is that for many, social Darwinism is not on their radar until it touches them. Who cares about politics until gas tops $4, your healthcare doubles, you can’t afford to take a flight, and your grocery bill skyrockets?

America is a country in which NOBODY, let alone 36 million of its citizens, should be living below the poverty line, yet we shrug our shoulders until that poverty line canes us on the ass, then we have a different perspective. Healthcare for all can be delivered to ALL Americans at much lower cost. Paid family leave and affordable childcare will not bankrupt America, and it sure as hell isn’t socialism; it’s called social responsibility. The US is a total outlier when it comes to social responsibility. The rich evade taxes worth more than the annual US Defence budget, yet they demand trillions more in tax breaks not to take their money and run. Then they have the audacity to call themselves patriots.

I often talk about MAGA voters punching themselves in the face daily as they are herded into economic slavery, but it seems middle-class Democrats and Independents alike are doing the same, by using their spending to fuel the cowboys coralling the bottom 80% into economic slave colonies. The regime has slashed the value of the dollar in your pocket while chaining you to their dependency treadmill for life, in return for ever-diminishing prosperity. Might I be so bold as to suggest that’s not the best deal in town? It seems, however, it’s fine as long as they are hurting the people below you more. At what point do you recognise they are laughing themselves to sleep every night at the thought of your persistent compliance in advance?

I can absolutely guarantee that if collective economic disengagement forced a 4% drop in consumer spending, the regime would have no choice but to listen. Given the current economy, the cost of hitting that number would be around $667 billion in reduced consumption spending, split among 108 million households, which is roughly $500 per month per household if the cost were equally spread. Clearly, that’s not possible, given that 36 million are already economically disengaged, and not by choice. It must be understood that those in the middle would have to play a more active role, so the cost could be as high as $700 per household per month. Therein, dare I say, may lie the problem.

You have to remember that this is not an indefinite spending cut; it is merely a sustained deferred spending campaign, which leaves money in your account gathering interest while you participate in a silent, risk-free coup. Before you start talking about the economic downside in terms of job losses, etc., this is about a highly visible campaign based on a threat to act. It’s why you target a high-profile streaming service first as a mark of intent, then you ratchet up a coordinated response. The only requirement is mass participation and central coordination. A mass ‘Don’t Pay Now’ campaign.

I have no intention of flogging a dead horse, but I did want to document my further thoughts, so I left it all out there. I will, of course, continue to advocate for this action because tragically, there is no other option, and believe me, I’ve looked. As I said in my last piece, if all you’re in this for is a Democratic win, you will get your wish in November on the back of Trump losing. My question is then what? There’s a reason the public trusts neither party, so I fear expecting anything but the same old, same old is to delude yourself.

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