Edsall’s Concern for the Economy, Essay Example

Since the financial crash of the economy in 2008, there has been growing hostility between conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats. Instead of cooperating to improve matters in the United States, they are focusing on attacking each other and engaging in political warfare. The concern for Thomas Byrne Edsall is that because of this “zero-sum” philosophy, the economic state of the country will continue to decline.

Due to the current economic conditions in the United States, fear is playing a dominant role in the political arena.Many factors contribute to this fear, such as high taxes and unemployment, a large amount of debt, and an unequal distribution of wealth. According to Henry Blodget in 2011, the only people who are financially secure in this economy are the major corporations, banks, and the country’s top 1% of American workers.

Edsall’s concern is that the economic problems in the country will continue to grow, ultimately leading to brutality. The lack of cooperation between Republicans and Democrats is causing both parties lose focus not effectively solve problems. Because Edsall feels that conservatives are more aggressive, they are better equipped to deal with the political battles than the liberals. Edsall predicts this will strengthen the conservative parties while causing further fragmentation of the liberal parties.

The strengthening of conservative values may ultimately lead to further unequal distribution of wealth. The financial gap will continue to widen between the rich and the poor unless policies are changed. However, due to blatant hostility and lack of communication, Edsall does not predict a favorable outcome in the near future for the economy.

Work Cited

Blodget, Henry. “CHARTS: Here’s What The Wall Street Protesters Are So Angry About….”

Business Insider. N.p., 11 Oct, 2011. Web. 3 Nov 2012. <http://www.businessinsider.com/what-wall-street-protesters-are-so-angry-about-2011-10?op=1>.