Dana Blankenhorn

Dealing with MAGA Abuse

America is in an abusive relationship with most of the Republican Party.

What do you do if you’re in an abusive relationship?

Every expert says the same thing.

You walk away.

This is what Democrats need to do. Walk away.

It’s hard, I know. When you turn away from an abuser they escalate. They scream. They threaten violence. Their lies become ever-more extreme. They’ll even make all sorts of promises if you just give in this once.

It’s hard to leave any abusive relationship. Women have died trying to leave abusive relationships. So have children. That’s why we have so many people doing the hard work of protecting the abused from the abusers. God bless them.

Behind the Housing Crisis

Today’s housing crisis is the perfect storm of demographics and inefficiency driven by politics.

The demographic thing is easy. I’m 66 and I’m not moving. There are lots of us boomers. Staying alive. Enjoying our homes. This means fewer homes for younger people. Eventually we die and the baby bust enters the housing market. We become Japan. Just not now.

Housing has resisted Moore’s Law in 3 ways. Most of the costs are political.

1. State building codes keep out new building new technology. That’s politics.
2. Local zoning keeps out all but politically-connected builders. That’s politics.
3. Transactions resist automation. This can be fixed.

Right now, it can cost 15% of your equity to move. That’s about 6% on each side of the transaction, buying and selling, then 3% for the actual move. The idea of a starter home, a home for kids, then downsizing means 45% of your equity goes out the door during your life. The only people getting rich are the agents and brokers taking your money.

Political Secrets of Madison Avenue

Next time you see an ad, any ad, look closely.

It’s telling you which way the wind is blowing.

Advertising is a psychological mirror. It offers images of what we think ourselves to be. It must do that to do its job. We see the people in an ad, we identify with them, and through that we identify with the product or service being sold to us. If we don’t identify with those people, we don’t buy the product. Thus, ads can’t make mistakes.

Look at the history of advertising, and you’ll see that clearly. You will see it in cleaning products, in cooking products, in cars and insurance ads. It’s why Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben were beloved brand names for a century, until we saw the racism inside them. It’s why Toyota ads never change.

In 2021 ads are shouting one word. Diversity. They’re showing mixed-race couples far more often than you see them on the street. They’re showing same sex couples in the same way. Most spokesmen are now spokeswomen. An ad for VMware shows Cyrina Fiallo wearing sneakers and casual clothes  telling viewers to “welcome change.” What’s striking about the new Verizon ad with Kate McKinnon is that she’s wearing heels. Then again, Verizon is a conservative company.