I am no politician, but hell, I am politically astute enough to know not to say something like this: "Trust me, after taxes, a million dollars is not a lot of money." Tell that to the millions of people who have been out of work for months, or in some cases, years. Tell that to the senior citizen trying to figure out how to fill the doughnut hole created in the prescription drug bill. Tell that to the families in need of health care who wish they had a fraction of a million dollars at their disposal.
I am not going to jump on Michael Steele for being a Republican saying this, because it would not be fair. This is the perspective of the people who are in the top 2% of income earners, almost across the board. Steele simply said it out loud. And don't think that people across parties don't share his sentiment; they are just politically savvy enough not to say it out loud.
This is an example of how class really does play a particularly prominent role in our society. And we, as a nation, try desperately to pretend that we are not a class-based society. We most certainly are. Now, it is true that there is mobility among the various classes, and that is one of the best aspects of American society. But do not think for a second that the wealthiest among us do not think in a class-based fashion: they most certainly do. And I firmly believe that our elected officials in Washington have been waging class warfare for decades; it's just that the wealthiest have been winning (the rest of us have gotten what really amounts to table scraps).
We are a nation of "haves," "sorta-haves," "have-nots," and "likely won't ever haves." Steele just helped to remind us of the economic perspective of a "have." Now think about that, and ask yourself (if you are in any category other than a "have") the following question: why again is it so difficult to get Congress to support legislation that actually helps the vast majority of Americans economically?
2 comments:
So the sticklers for historical accuracy claim that she probably never said it, but the famous line attributed to Ms. Marie does describe the attitude of the GOP--
"Let them eat cake."
The classic combination of indifference and stupidity.
But you know Scott, if you really think about it, most of the people in leadership positions (and their minions) in Washington, regardless of party or ideology, have that attitude. I think that the GOP is much more open about it. And I think a fair few Dems have displayed that combination of indifference and stupidity. Though I know that some of my conservative friends would call me crazy, but I still hold that the Dems need many more Alan Graysons than Evan Bayhs.
But the bottom line is that there is this fantasy mentality about that says that individuals can make it on their own without help, without assistance. It's bullshit. Everyone needs a hand in some form or another, and it's particularly galling when people who've received all sorts of help and opportunities act as though they put in all of this so-called work.
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