The Battle for the Cities Is Over. The Battle for the Suburbs Has Begun

[Geee]

American Greatness

“Sauron’s wrath will be terrible, his retribution swift. The battle for Helm’s Deep is over, the battle for Middle Earth has begun.”

—Gandalf the White, “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” (2002)

When applied to American politics and public policy, this quote from one of Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic Lord of the Rings novel succeeds as a metaphor in two related contexts. First, it might describe the 2016 election, where the good guys won, just as they did in the Battle of Helm’s Deep. Now the relentless assaults by the deep state and its formidable lineup of violent activists and their allies in the press and in both political parties (Sauron’s minions) march against the Trump Administration and its supporters in the War for Middle Earth.

But there is another more specific way to view this metaphor. The Battle for Helm’s Deep represents the battle for voters in America’s cities, and the Battle for Middle Earth represents the battle for voters in America’s suburbs. Only in this case, the good guys lost the first battle. America’s cities are lost to the forces of Mordor. The following image graphically depicts just how thoroughly the Uruk Haidominate America’s cities, controlling elections at the same time as they destroy the schools, dismantle law and order, and allow the overall quality of life to deteriorate.

[Valin]

Meanwhile over at ABC