D-Day in the Class War

[unhappycamper]

D-Day in the Class War
Joseph A. Palermo
Associate Professor, American History, California State University, Sacramento
Posted: November 17, 2010 08:52 PM

After a decade of stagnant or declining real wages, "bipartisan" schemes are proliferating to shift the burden of Washington policymakers' own catastrophic mismanagement of the nation's fiscal policies right onto the shoulders of working people. The press commentary has been abysmal. All "serious" thinkers out there on television or in print are in full agreement that "entitlements" must take a big hit, along with education and health care.

President Obama's "bipartisan" deficit commission, co-chaired by Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, (sometimes referred to as the "Cat Food Commission" because of the likely dietary changes some senior citizens will have to make if its prescriptions are implemented), wants to cut taxes for the wealthy and corporations. Another high-profile group, headed by Pete Domenici and Alice Rivlin, (which might be called the "Kibble Commission"), wants to strip $650 billion out of the Social Security trust fund with a payroll tax holiday (to be paid back later!) that they believe will create economic growth. So the Cat Food Commission views Social Security in crisis and bordering on insolvency, while the Kibble Commission believes that Social Security can absorb a $650 billion hit. And these are the best and the brightest.

Both "bipartisan" bodies claim that "tough decisions" must be made. Yet their policies are only really tough if you happen to belong to America's struggling working middle class. They want to inflict the "pain" on the government programs that have traditionally given working people a slight leg up. In these "bipartisan" schemes the financial services crooks who wrecked the economy come away smelling like roses.

Are we forgetting that it was working- and middle-class taxpayers who bailed out Wall Street's biggest investment banks in what could be the greatest gesture of working-class benevolence toward the super-rich in American history? Working-class taxpayers also paid for the unemployment insurance and infrastructure projects that were needed following the pillaging of America's housing sector. Working-class taxpayers continue to foot the bill for the bloated military budget and two wars. (They've also sent their sons and daughters off to fight.) And about eight million of them who had jobs in 2005 didn't have them anymore by the middle of 2009.

And how are working taxpayers repaid for the assistance they've given to their fellow citizens of the investing class? They get "commissions" and "foundations" and elite "study groups" that are orchestrating the next giant rip-off of America's middle class.

[Greyhound]

1. Funny how "tough" is never applied to the parasite class, ain't it?

"Well, we know what they want. They want more for themselves and less for everybody else..." George Carlin

However, I think it's only fair to add that, in my more cynical moments I think that if people are so stupid, frightened, ignorant, disinterested, and gullible enough to swallow this shit sandwich, they deserve what they are going to get. Of course that unfortunately includes those of us that have been trying to tell them as well.
:kick: & R

[TBF]

4. We lack a strong left -

McCarthyism has taken it's toll. There is no strong left to push back like there was in the 20's/30's - which makes a tremendous difference. The folks who are "low information", working in crappy jobs - they are not listening to their local union reps (because the unions have been successfully busted up by the rich). They are watching FOX news. And so here we are.

It is very frustrating.

[Greyhound]

7. Very.

I think that there are only two options left, stay and most likely die in the coming 'troubles', or get the hell out and watch from a safer distance.

[Cal Carpenter]

9. Problem with these 'troubles'

is they aren't limited by borders. Where ya gonna go? If it ain't happening there yet, it will be soon...

Austerity for 98% of the world and the rich keep getting richer and richer and richer....

[TBF]

11. I see 3 options -

stay scared, get the hell out, or fight back. Some have already left and if I'm honest that is probably what I would prefer to do as well. The problem, as Cal Carpenter reminds us, is where do you go... Austerity cuts all over Europe. Capital is attacking us worldwide (I guess they refer to that as globalisation).

[mdmc]

2. r

[Le Taz Hot]

3. A BIG K & R! n/t

[TBF]

5. "...next giant rip-off of America's middle class"

We really need to talk about how we define terms as well. The media love to talk about "middle class" - as if there is one. With 1% of the population controlling 40% of the wealth it is more accurate to say "owner class" and "worker class". Anyone who is working for a living, little or no savings - you are working class(whether it's at 15K a year or 250K a year).

We've got to target the top echelon - those folks controlling all the wealth - and tax it. If we can't get to it we've got to engage in protests/strikes - bring the thing to a halt (they stop and notice when they are actually losing money).

How much more can we take?

[cilla4progress]

8. I'm totally in

[xchrom]

6. Recommend

[Octafish]

10. Meanwhile corporations shelter profits offshore.

Michael Moore pointed out how little, if any, taxes are paid by Big Corporations like Exxon Mobil. Even Goo-do no evil-gle shelters a billion per offshore. Meanwhile, We the People are asked to tighten our belt and STFU.

[TBF]

12. Right, which is why taxation ultimately may not work.

It's going to take more. We're going to have to fight back as in protests and strikes. At this point with the aggressiveness Capital is showing, I don't see how it can go any other way. Europe has already started - we are behind the ball.