Some initial background:
I’m white, married with kids, and college educated.
I have a professional job and am lucky enough to be in the top 10% of income
I’m a progressive Democrat.
I’m a cradle Catholic.
My father was a unionized sheet metal worker.
I can not understand why the people in the bottom 90% of income appear to be duped and vote for politicians who favor policies that allow those at the top to get further ahead while the middle class falls further behind. How can our politicians continually vote to shift the tax burden onto the middle class and the vast majority of the people be OK with this?
I have been in marketing my whole career and I believe the answer to why people who earn little support the people that earn it all is simple.
ReplyDeleteReally effective marketing.
Glen Beck can convince people that already believe the drivel he spurts out as truth, that the newest twist on how the dirty lefties are trying to turn this country into a socialist haven for lecherous homos and long hairs. I believe you cannot convince anyone of anything they don't already believe on some level. So Beck and his cohorts (Hannity is the worst) simply reinforce the belief that unenlightened people have about the worst thing in the universe (that being, evil...manifested as a government taking money from its citizens). Truth is not the issue, belief is the issue.
Bill Maher made a great analogy the other day about how things work with the rich vs. the rest. He said, imagine having a pizza party for 100 people with a 100 slice pizza. The first guy (the 1% wealthiest) walks up and takes 80 slices for himself. This is how the wealth and revenue flow works in this country and if anyone dares challenge it, extended arms with pointed fingers shout SOCIALISTS!
Dan, thanks for the comment.
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