Comments on: Drawing The Battle Lines Of Class Warfare
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- Defense of the Middle Class
Commentators call it class warfare, as if they were programmed to defend the very rich. In 1990 the top 1% of the population accounted for 14.3% of the wealth. Over the past twenty years this has risen to 22.9%, a peak not seen since the days of the great depression. The middle class in rising to defend itself, first has to overcome a misconception, rising from the upper class and propagated by the media, that the rich can take whatever they want, however they want, and if anyone protests that it must be class warfare. The warfare perpetrated by the rich is never criticized.
The subject arises in times of distress, because people look for causes. We live through periodic cycles of bust and boom. Much of it spawned by speculators, but much of it also driven by systematic looting by those in power. William K. Black in his book, "The Best Way to Rob a Bank Is to Own One," reminds us that all that wealth is often illgotten.
The myth of class warfare assumes the middle class envies the rich for being richer and then tries to pull them down a peg. Jeff Greenfield in his piece on the subject goes out of his way to give us one sided interviews that express anger and unrest but without critical thinking. Never once does Greenfield ask the question, are you mad at those who got there honestly, or only at those who cheated, made fraudulent loans, created credit default swaps, securitized bad loans, etc.
Ask Greenfield if he will do the real story. No one asked the proper way would blame the rich who earned their way up the ladder. Bill Gates, for example, is envied, his product is useful, even if occasionally predatory. Ask Greenfield if he will talk to someone like Black. Ask Greenfield to document the class warfare that he and other media members allowed to be raged against the middle class over the last twenty years.
Your program is my favorite time of the week. Please hold true to its people oriented balanced approach and tell the story as the middle calss finally waking up to defend itself. - Reply to this comment
- Free trade is class warfare.
Obama is just another lapdog of the ultrawealthy.
Obama supports free trade.
Obama hates the people who voted for him. - Reply to this comment
- I am profoundly disappointed that a SOCIOLOGIST was not included in the report on "Class Warfare." Data and perspective would have been provided specifying the stratification system in the US and its impact on American lives. Second, the story on recent killings NEEDS the criminological research. It is available, but why doesn't CBS bring it to the viewer. Critical thinking and reporting is a must in our society.
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- Because as corrupt as Clinton may have been...
Posted by brianbwb-2009 at 6:05 PM : Apr 5, 2009
Translation: You can't defend Clinton without bringing up Bush.
You say both sides are to blame, but then you defend Clinton and bash Bush. In fact, you attempt to defend Clinton BY bashing Bush.
Which really says there's no way to defend Clinton on his own merits. The same as Obama. He can't stand on his own merits.
If Clinton is corrupt, that's it. Corrupt is corrupt. His guilt is not related to any other person.
So what you're saying is, you admit Clinton is corrupt but you want us to ignore his guilt and just focus on bashing Bush.
Then you try to sugar coat it by pretending you believe "both sides are to blame."
Madoff is a staunch Democrat. He contributed heavily to Hillary Clinton's campaign. He probably contributed heavily to Bill Clinton as well.
When Bill Clinton gave Madoff a free pass when he was turned in to the SEC in 2000, it creates the suspicion that he let Madoff go free in exchange for his political contributions.
Nobody can accuse Bush of playing political favorites with Madoff.
But Slick Willy can be.
Liberals want to live in denial. They want to just ignore the rampant fraud that occurred on Clinton's watch. They want to pretent they don't see the culpability of Bill Clinton.
No, you can't play the game of "Bush first, then Clinton." Clinton served first. He should be busted first. - Reply to this comment
- I accept the challenge of Republican Congressman Jeff Flake of Arizona. If you compare most western European countries you'll find most have lower infant mortality, higher life expectancy, lower poverty as a % of population by about half! The only number that the US consistently (but not always) ranks higher is in per capita income. I would argue that the number dollars you have is not the only, nor the best indicator of quality of life. I would also argue that if 1 in 8 of our people is in poverty then the overall QOL is reduced for all.
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- I blame the government and mindless media for this whole mess. BO called his buddies over at Acorn and told them to get all riled up and harass the rich and guess who shows up? the media, of course, but let people protest the government like at tea parties and no media show up. So again I blame the government and the willing obama-mania-media because they are pushing this class warfare.
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- "You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. Youcannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away peoples initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for the masses, what they could and should do for themselves.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln had more to say about class warfare than anything that has been said on this thread thus far. We can blame the polititions for everything that has been done wrong so far, but don't forget, when you are busy pointing your finger at someone else there are three fingers pointing back at yourself.
If we the people want to get this country back on its feet we will find that if we do it the way the polititions want, it will never happen. All that stimulus money will be put through a filter, that filter is made up of "polititions and friends", whatever makes it through that filter will find its way to the people. But don't hold your breath.
If we the people are going to survive this time in our history, we will have to take back the power we have as a united people and make the polititions realise they work for us. As long as we rely on republicans or democrats we will remain in the quandry we are in.
Abraham Lincoln called us a government of, by, and for the people. The polititions believe that speech was meant for them as the government, they have made a mockery of the words, and the American people as well. The changes they want to make will strip us of our freedom and any rights we have left, and as long as they can keep us flailing back and forth at each other they can go behind our backs and do all they want to own us.
We have a choice, united we stand, divided, we fall. - Reply to this comment
- "Then why do you keep trying to blame things on the Bushes, but not Clinton?" Posted by sndkzyaa
Lets see, on one hand we have Clinton, engaged in the usual dirty politics that are the very core of American society, and have been since its inception.
On the other we have Bush, who went beyond our borders, and on the basis of lies ordered mass murder of hundreds of thousands, and the kidnappings and tortures of people for no other reason than personal profit.
Which one should be brought to justice first? I say the one who has committed crimes against humanity, war crimes and treason, abrogated our signed international treaties which we are obligated by our constitution to observe, and that would be Bush. - Reply to this comment
- " ...Then why do you keep trying to blame things on the Bushes, but not Clinton?" Posted by sndkzyaa
Because as corrupt as Clinton may have been, at least he did not cause us to engage in two different military misadventures, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands, the other serious harms of millions, and the US economy to bleed ten billion dollars a month in these misadventures, and all on the basis of lies.
You see I have a sense of perspective that you obviously lack. Like the prophet Issa bin Maryum is reputed to have said, "you strain at a gnat, but swallow a camel".
Worst crimes first, I happen to believe that the murder of hundreds of thousands of prople for profit is more serious than anything Clinton ever did. After we bring Bush to justice, then I'm all for calling Clinton up to the carpet. - Reply to this comment
- It is not a defense, it is only the position that neither party is clean,
Posted by brianbwb-2009 at 5:33 PM : Apr 5, 2009
Then why do you keep trying to blame things on the Bushes, but not Clinton?
You have your political persuasion, too. You say both sides are dirty, but you blame only Bush.
There's no shortage of Bush bashers. As long as people thing only one side is to blame, nothing will ever change.
I try to fill in the missing pieces about Clinton. I have posted over and over that I will never forgive Bush for his failures. But that always gets forgotten.
Until the public loses its love for Clinton and the pandering Democrats, we will be mired in this partisan quagmire until we are all enslaved by our Chinese masters. - Reply to this comment
