The Republicans taught their cult to distrust government, and to expect little from it. Then Republican leadership went on to prove themselves right by screwing over the middle and lower classes, blaming others.

The plutocratic libertarians backing the republicans have implemented a winning strategy. They want less government, so transforming its preferred party into a cynical anti-government incompetence machine is a huge win. The repugs launch grenades from the sidelines when out of power, and dismantle institutions when in power, undermining faith in government at every turn. Good governance is not their goal.

The result? Plutocratic libertarians achieve their ends of less government, lower taxes, and more plutocracy. One day soon, however, their ability to protect their privileges will collapse with the state in an increasingly multipolar world. Will American plutocrats turn to China to defend their class privileges when the American state has been so successfully neutered?