Class Warfare

Whenever it is suggested that the rich should pay more taxes and share more of the burden of recovering from this deep recession, Republican/Teaparty politicians claim that class warfare is being waged against the rich. My question is: Who is waging this war against them? Is it the middle class? I don’t think so. If the middle class had declared war on the American plutocracy the bankers who ran their businesses into the ground and took the economy with it would be sitting in prison. The politicians who were willing accomplices to the Wall St. miscreants would be sitting in a cell beside them. If the middle class had fought against the corporatocracy they would not have allowed their jobs to be outsourced to other countries.

Class warfare has been a part of American life, especially since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, but it has been waged by the upper classes against the working people. Most readers of this blog can remember a time, just after WWII when the economy was booming. Having a job meant staying with a company for a lifetime and receiving retirement and other benefits. Home ownership was within the grasp of most workers. Automobiles were affordable. A college education was inexpensive. So, what happened? Did the carpenters get too greedy and bring it all down? The teachers, policemen, and factory workers? Did unions get so powerful that they ruined the economy with their demands? During those post war times rich people were taxed at higher rates than they are now, but they were doing well. They certainly weren’t suffering. But, if you are rich enough to buy a congressman or two, you can legislate your way to even greater riches. Financial practices that were banned in the banking reform of the 30’s are once again legal although still just as unethical and immoral.

Corporate and government leaders are now telling us that entitlement programs such Medicare and Social Security have brought us to brink of national bankruptcy. They say it’s necessary to outsource labor to stay competitive in the world market place. Are they telling us the truth?

According to a study done by the Brookings Institution in 2008 the citizens of Canada, France, Germany, Spain, and Australia as well as the Scandinavian countries are living the American dream as Americans are failing in the attempt. What do all these countries have in common? They all have high taxes, universal health care, generous social services and well maintained infrastructures. So I ask this question: Who is waging class warfare against whom?