Political Trim Tabs Control the Ship of State

The brilliant inventor, architect, engineer and futurist Buckminster Fuller talked about the power of trim tabs in a 1972 Playboy interview.  

The trim tab is the small rudder on the outside edge of the main rudder, that moves the bigger rudder, that guides the ship.

Think of the Queen Elizabeth — the whole ship goes by and then comes the rudder. And there’s a tiny thing at the edge of the rudder called a trim tab. It’s a miniature rudder. Just moving the little trim tab builds a low pressure that pulls the rudder around. Takes almost no effort at all.

The Republicans have figured out trim tabs — that a small thing can shape a bigger think that steers all.

They know that by electing a few dozen key officials in four or five states, often in down-ballot races like Secretary of State, they can control the rules surrounding ballot counting, poll locations, election maps, and mail order ballots.

A few dozen elected officials in key states can cripple get out the vote efforts in those states and swing the balance of power in the House, Senate, and Electoral College.

In short, the Republicans have figured out how to use trim tab politics to crash the ship of state on the rock of minority-rule fascism.