DOLE SAID: > 1) "Politics of class war" As in, Clinton's intention to avoid > [further] tax cuts for the rich to go with tax cuts for the middle > class promotes the politics of class warfare, which we > statespersonlike Republicans wish to avoid... > GIL TRANSLATED: > Translation: yeah, we know that the very richest got obscenely > richer, and the poor poorer, during the Reagan-Bush era (in > significant part due to Reagan's tax "reforms"), and that the US has > the most unequal income and wealth distributions of all developed > countries. But that's fine with us, so let's not talk about it > anymore. > _____________ AJIT OFFERS OTHER TRANSLATION!______________ > No Gil! I think he means "that's why we call it America", and he wants you to > be proud of it. America is for the people who want to "make it" so why tax them > when they make it. Tax the poor who betrayed the "American dream". There is no > class war fare, life is a race in which some win and some lose. And the loser > should be appropriately punished. Having taught about poverty and income redistribution for over 24 years in a college where the students are for the most part children of working class people with "climbing" aspirations (it's a private college), I can't stress enough how pervasive is the view that "you can make it if you try" and anyone who's poor is probably too lazy or too dumb to have "made it." There is a PERVERSE class consciousness that would have done any Victorian proud --- success proves worthiness!! They may grudgingly support giving money to poor people who REALLY need it (and are "trying") but for the most part they have REALLY bought the 'blaming the victim' arguments. Part of the skewed nature of my sample is that my school is virtually lilly-white. AFrican American students are much more sensitive to the possibility that some people have the cards stacked against them. But the average student that I've taught has bought the "anyone can make it" ideology lock, stock 'n' barrel! I can't believe it's that bad at state supported institutions where there's more solidly working-class students. At least I hope not! Mike -- Mike Meeropol Economics Department Cultures Past and Present Program Western New England College Springfield, Massachusetts "Don't blame us, we voted for George McGovern!" Unrepentent Leftist!! [EMAIL PROTECTED] [if at bitnet node: in%"[EMAIL PROTECTED]" but that's fading fast!]
