An economics article in Bloomberg.com on Friday by Rich Miller highlights in one sentence a major element of what is wrong with our elites in the United States.

President Donald Trump failed to achieve his much-ballyhooed 3% target for economic growth in 2018 after all.

I would meekly point out that it was actually the United States — not "Donald Trump" — that failed to achieve 3% GDP growth.  That is, you and me, our standard of living, and the prospects that our kids will face.

Failure to achieve 3% GDP likely lies with our current trade war with the rulers of the People's Republic of China, the despotic folks who have been gutting our manufacturing sector for the last 40 years, and whose president recently installed himself for life.  And yet that uppity Trump decided to raise a ruckus, ruffle the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (and all RINOs), and take the (economic) fight to the Chinese.  (Of course, that raises the question of where were the previous four presidents who sat idly by, or who — like the last and worst — simply and blithely said that those manufacturing jobs are gone for good (translated means "Rust Belt, f--- you").  Yeah, the Trade War doesn't help, nor does one million illegal aliens crossing our border annually and incurring an enormous strain on our tax base, education, and health care systems.

I can imagine the Bloomberg news room high-fiving when those GDP numbers less than 3% came in!  "That'll show that blowhard, Trump."  Yes, high fives, smug expressions, knowing smirks all around.  And great opening dinner conversation lines at chic bistros up and down both coasts and every university campus. And the elites wonder why middle Americans so — and utterly — despise them? 

This also highlights a major problem for any democracy.  When you can't effectively communicate facts — and truth — to your electorate, democracy stands no chance.  The near ironclad control of the progressive Left over media dissemination of (massaged) facts and opinions masquerading as facts in the U.S. sounds a death knell for Government by the People.