The Crime Of The Century
The Democratic Party, President Trump told an El Paso audience, is becoming the party of socialism, late-term abortions, open borders and crime. He tapped into a long tradition of the right, demonizing socialism precisely as it rises in popularity. With every wave of leftism throughout history, a counter-reaction crashed against it.
The U.S. has had three Red Scares, or right-wing campaigns to inflame public fear of socialism. The first came in 1917 as Bolsheviks remade Russia into the Soviet Union, American workers struck en masse and anarchists mailed bombs to politicians. The government deported hundreds of suspected radicals. The second Red Scare began after World War II as the U.S. and U.S.S.R. fought for supremacy. Sen. Joseph McCarthy hunted for reds in government and media. In the years following the 2008 Wall Street crash, another leftist resurgence sprang up, and with it, a counter-reaction. We are now in the third American Red Scare.
So, if socialism is theft, who are socialists stealing for? Conservatives see them as taking from good, honest, hardworking Americans to give to the undeserving poor. In his 1976 campaign, Reagan regaled crowds with myths of Black women milking the welfare system or public housing with fancy pools. Later Republicans like Mitt Romney talked of the 47 percent who are dependent on government. Sen. Paul Ryan described inner cities as filled with generations of men not even thinking about working.
Political Rifts May Compound The Impacts Of Growing Up In Poverty
One of the most puzzling features of U.S. political life is why many of those close to the bottom of the income distribution vote Republican, given that Republican policies often favor the interests of wealthy business owners.
In addition to appealing to other kinds of policy preferences of these voters, the Republican Party may attract impoverished supporters in part by exploiting fault lines based on race, religion, education, and nationalism.
White Racism
The current President’s rhetoric has appealed to white racists through many not-so-subtle attacks on immigrants, who have been depicted as an invading force taking away their jobs and threatening violence.
Despite explicit attacks on Hispanic immigrants, a sizable fraction of them still voted for the Republican candidate. Why?
Religion
One key consideration may have been religion. Republicans hold themselves out as the party supporting traditional religious beliefs and conservative family practices.
Many immigrants from the Americas are devout Catholics and may be uneasy with the more liberal approach to sexual behavior that prevails among the mainstream. Voting for the Republican Party is thus perceived as a way of supporting traditional marriages and families.
Nationalism
When economic conditions decline, authoritarian leaders seek to apportion blame internationally. This ploy was used by German fascists who perceived themselves as victims of the winners in the First World War.
Coastal Elites
References
‘they Say They Want Less Help For Themselves’
In a report from Minnesota earlier this year the New York Times examined the growing number of people who were simultaneously dependent on government aid and against more government spending. “Many people say they are angry because the government is wasting money and giving money to people who do not deserve it,” it concluded. “But more than that, they say they want to reduce the role of government in their own lives. They are frustrated that they need help, feel guilty for taking it and resent the government for providing it. They say they want less help for themselves; less help in caring for relatives; less assistance when they reach old age.”
In a country where social mobility is assumed â even if it has in fact stalled â and class consciousness is week the poor may vote in the interests of an imagined, but not necessarily imaginary future, rather than solidarity based on shared economic hardships. A Gallup poll in 2005 showed that while only 2% of Americans described themselves as “rich”, 31% thought it very likely or somewhat likely they would “ever be rich”. No doubt that figure will have dropped since the crisis but it doubtless remains high.
“You want to let Bush back in and make things even worse,” asked her friend Gladys Pollard. “Worse than what?” asked Huntington. “Kerry’s not going to get me my operation.”
She did, eventually, vote for Kerry.
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Republicans Despise The Working Class
You can always count on Republicans to do two things: try to cut taxes for the rich and try to weaken the safety net for the poor and the middle class. That was true under George W. Bush, who sharply cut tax rates on the top 1 percent and tried to privatize Social Security. It has been equally true under President Trump; G.O.P. legislative proposals show not a hint of the populism Trump espoused on the campaign trail.
But as a terrible, no good, very bad tax bill heads for a final vote, something has been added to the mix. As usual, Republicans seek to afflict the afflicted and comfort the comfortable, but they dont treat all Americans with a given income the same. Instead, their bill on which we dont have full details, but whose shape is clear hugely privileges owners, whether of businesses or of financial assets, over those who simply work for a living.
And this privileging of nonwage income isnt an accident. Modern Republicans exalt job creators, that is, people who own businesses directly or indirectly via their stockholdings. Meanwhile, they show implicit contempt for mere employees.
As the Centers Howard Gleckman notes, this might mean, for example, that a partner in a real estate development firm might get a far bigger tax cut than a surgeon employed by a hospital, even though their income is the same.
So why are they doing this?
Republicans Get Poverty All Wrong Trust Me Ive Lived It
Jonah Shepp is a writer and editor who lives in New York. His work has appeared at Politico Magazine, New York Magazine, Slate, the Dish, and the Jordan Times.
This Saturday, six Republican presidential candidates will gather alongside House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. Tim Scott at a conference on poverty. Organized by three domestic policy think tanks, the Kemp Forum on Expanding Opportunity bills itself as a platform for them to âdiscuss their ideas for fighting poverty and expanding opportunity in America.â
For a party not exactly known for its sympathy toward the less fortunate, that the GOP is talking about them in the first place seems like a sign of progress. With 46 million Americans living in poverty today, both partiesânot just liberal Democratsâought to be taking this issue seriously. And yet, as someone who grew up among the American poor and has listened to politicians talk about how to solve the problem of people like me for decades, I fear we wonât hear much of anything new. In my experience, most of those who claim to know the solution to American poverty have no idea what povertyreally means to those who have lived in it.
Yes, in the end, I managed to claw my way out of poverty and into some semblance of stability. That took a lot of work on my part, but it also depended greatly on the kindness of others, and something politicians donât like to talk about: pure dumb luck.
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Mike Pence Accidentally Admits The Real Reason Republicans Hate Democrats So Much
The grassroots organization People for Bernie on Tuesday advised the Democratic Party to take a page from an unlikely sourceright-wing Vice President Mike Penceafter Pence told a rally crowd in Florida that progressives and Democrats “want to make rich people poorer, and poor people more comfortable.”
“Good message,” tweeted the group, alerting the Democratic National Committee to adopt the vice president’s simple, straightforward description of how the party can prioritize working people over corporations and the rich.
Suggesting that a progressive approach to the economy will harm the countrydespite the fact that other wealthy nations already invest heavily in making low- and middle-income “more comfortable” by taxing corporations and very high earnersPence touted the Republicans’ aim to “cut taxes” and “roll back regulations.”
The vice president didn’t mention how the Trump administration’s 2017 tax cuts overwhelmingly benefited wealthy households and powerful corporations, with corporate income tax rates slashed from 35% to 21%, corporate tax revenues plummeting, and a surge in stock buybacks while workers saw “no discernible wage increase” according to a report released last year by the Economic Policy Institute and the Center for Popular Democracy.
Pence’s description of progressive goals was “exactly” correct, author and commentator Anand Giridharadas tweeted.
“Yes, and what’s wrong with making poor people more comfortable?” asked Rep. Ilhan Omar .
Conservatives Dont Hate Socialism They Hate Equality
They want to take away your hamburgers, former Trump aide Sebastian Gorka in February. This is what Stalin dreamt about America will never be a socialist country! The Conservative Political Action Conference audience cheered. The video played on my phone as I waved at Danny, the homeless man who begs for food every morning at the Newark Penn Station, where scores of poor people sleep in wheelchairs or lean on crutches or stand by the delis to ask for change.
These folks need more than hamburgers. They need jobs and homes. Yet, as the 2020 election season starts, Trump has branded progressives as socialists who will steal property and bring tyranny. The presidents fearmongering contrasts with the actual Green New Deal that some Democrats support but failed to pass in the GOP-controlled Senate. Its a fear driven by ideology. Republicans paint the poor as undeserving, marked by cultural or personal character flaws. Whereas Democratic Socialists believe people have the ability to run the economy and society to meet their needs. Why this difference in perception? It is because Republicans arent afraid of socialism they are afraid of equality with people they see as inferior.
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Why Do Republicans And Born
Why do Republicans in general and born-again Christians in particular hate poor people?
After all if you check the statistics you find that poor people in the United States take a minute share of the wealth while contributing their endless grinding labor to all the jobs the rest of us dont or will not accomplish.
Its bad enough they live difficult lives, but the cant wait to get in your face about Jesus right wing seem to believe the Republic will only survive if the poor have no healthcare coverage.
Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas and slobbering Fox News Republican cheerleader, could have taken up any cause. He chose to represent the cabals assembled to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which has come to be known as Obamacare.
The convention itself spent zero time discussing the differences among provide, promote, protect, and ensure, but 225 years later Dave thinks hes found a crack into which he can insert his free market theology.
So why do the Born Agains need to oppose healthcare for the poor? Why dont Republicans take up in favor of a system whereby everyone can obtain healthcare without going hat in hand to the Real Life Center in Tyrone where they probably dont do heart transplants or dialysis?
Well, first of all, the one group is tied mindlessly to the other. And for the other, the answer, and you will find this all through the Founders thinking, is moneyed interests.
Timothy J. Parker
Reasons Why Conservatives Hate Democrats
November 5, 2014 by Samuel WardeNo Comments
20 Reasons Why Conservatives Hate Democrats
1. Democrats believe in higher education.2. Democrats believe in preserving the environment.3. Democrats believe in science.4. Democrats believe that carbon dioxide is dangerous.5. Democrats do not;believe that minimum wage created our nations unemployment.
6. Democrats do not believe armed rebellion is a viable alternative to elections.7. Democrats do not believe that corporations are people too.8. Democrats do not believe that the sexual revolution created AIDS.9. Democrats do not know the proper height for trees.10. Democrats do not understand decent God-fearing Americans need missile launchers at home.
11. Democrats do not understand that banning abortions for high risk pregnancies can be a positive experience for women.12. Democrats do not understand that intelligent design is a proven scientific theory.13. Democrats do not understand that marriage is related to national security.14. Democrats do not understand that the media is a threat to national security.15. Democrats forgot that Hitler coined the phrase separation of church and state.
16. Democrats seem oblivious to the fact that most good Americans oppose gay marriage.17. Democrats seldom bring guns to crowded public events.18. Democrats want to force innocent multi-millionaires to pay taxes.19. Democrats want to let gays vote.20. Democrats want to let immigrants vote.
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Why Do Republicans Hate America
Why do Republicans hate America? No, really. Its not a rhetorical question. Since consolidating its power in January 2017, the GOP has systematically set out to dismantle the economic strength of this nation, coddle predators, shield traitors, attack those who are working, and strip protections from the most vulnerable. Are these the actions of a party that loves the nation it has sworn to serve?
Consider the GOPs attempts over the last year to blow up the U.S. economy and make life harder for its constituents. The Republicans first try at demolishing the economy as if it were nothing but an old abandoned building was their reckless attempt to destroy the Affordable Care Act, which housed and protected millions of American citizens. The GOPs congressional leaders held no hearings, refused to even listen to expert testimony and were utterly unconcerned about the impact that dismantling a key component of the nations health care system would have on one-sixth of the American economy.
Consider the myriad other ways that the Republicans have demonstrated their destructive contempt for America. They removed protections for students against predatory lenders and financially hobbled the capacity of the next generation of leaders to actually engage in anything but mere survival. In August 2017, they sheared off millions of acres from public parks and seem;ready to sell them to the highest bidder.
Colorado Gop Group Apologizes For Post Saying Republicans ‘hate Poor People’
A Colorado GOP group has apologized for a social media posting that said Republicans “hate poor people.”
The Alamosa County Republicans issued an on Sunday, saying;that the author of the original post has resigned.
“Out of self-respect be Republican,” the original post read. “Democrats love poor people because they think that poor people will vote Democrat. Republicans hate poor people because they think the dignity of man is above being poor.”
In the apology, the group called the post “inappropriate and offensive.”
“The author acted independently and without the concurrence of any other member of the Alamosa County Republicans,” the post read. “The regrettable post was made with the intention of condemning poverty, not persons affected by poverty, and was not meant to insult anyone.”
“The author sincerely regrets the post and has offered his resignation from his position with the Alamosa County Republicans, which has been accepted,” the post continued. “Actions have consequences.”
The Facebook post has since been deleted, according to Denver NBC-affiliate 9 News,;but a tweet with the same message was still posted as of Sunday evening.;
Out of self-respect–be Republican. Democrats love poor people because they think that poor people will vote Democrat. Republicans hate poor people because they think the dignity of man is above being poor.
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Why Does The Lower Middle Class Vote Republican
During the 2008 Presidential election, 51% of white voters who earned less than $50,000a year voted for John McCain. The Pew Research Center reported that, during the 2012 election, the GOP held a 54 percent to 37 per cent advantage over Democrats among whites without a college degree — which correlates with income at a lower level. While people at the very bottom of the income level vote Democratic, a majority of white people in the lower middle class vote Republican. Of the ten states with the lowest household median income in 2008, nine voted Republican.
Why should this be so? Based purely on self-interest, such lower wage earners should vote for the party that would help them the most economically. The Democrats favor a higher minimum wage, protection of union rights, generous, if not free, medical care programs for working class Americans, safety regulations for the working place, reducing global warning , higher taxes on rich people to pay for even more generous social programs, and maintaining if not increasing social security payments. Republicans, on the other hand, want to reduce taxes on the rich, restrict union rights, repeal Obamacare, privitize social security benefits and eliminate various regulations on business, including safety requirements and efforts to deal with global warming.
Leon Friedman is a Professor of Constitutional Law at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University.
Confidence Interval: Qanon Is Not Going Anywhere
Because of this deep conservative antipathy for the liberal version of America, Joanne Freeman, a professor of history and American studies at Yale University, has compared the state of America today to the 1850s, right before the U.S. Civil War.
Mass violence in Congress seemed possible in 1850. Now, 171 years later, its in the national mindscape once again. And for good reason. The echoes of 1850 are striking. Were at a moment of extreme polarization when outcomes matter, sometimes profoundly, Freeman wrote in a recent essay in The New York Times.
The Republicans, she continued, whose ironclad grip on the Senate has dominated the federal government, feel entitled to that power and increasingly threatened; they know theyre swimming against the demographic tide in a diversifying nation. They have proven themselves ready and eager for minority rule; voter suppression centered on people of color is on the rise and has been for some time. And some of them are willing to protect what they deem right with threats of violence.
At the same time, Republican voters have stuck with the party despite its recent shift toward move overt and aggressive anti-democratic behavior. This stuff seems not a deal-breaker to the vast majority of Republican voters, said Zimmer.
In his inaugural speech, Biden said, We have learned again that democracy is precious. Democracy is fragile. And at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.
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