The irony is, of course, that the very moment politicians does something to take on a root cause of the problem, they are thrown into the polarization meatgrinder, which, paradoxically frequently cuts across party lines.

The most recent example is the effort of some House and Senate Republicans to trim back some of the prior Medicaid expansions under Obama (Obamacare) and Biden (“Pandemic emergencies”).

Not only would these initiate some much needed spending cuts.

They would also help address the declining LFPR problem as a significant part of the cuts now envisage would cut Medicaid from able-bodied men if they don’t begin to work.