I just got into another heated discussion with some "friends" on Facebook, actually some of my classmates from our 1961 graduating class. It's always the same few....this time they are actually saying that the rich are being mistreated. Mind you, neither of these guys is rich! They want to know why the rich should not get tax cuts just like everyone else. And, the rich are "hoarding" their money because times are uncertain and as soon as we throw out all the incumbents and "get our country back" they'll start spending, which of course will help the economy.
One of the guys actually said that the rich are getting penalized for earning money and the government wants to collect from them so that it can be redistributed to people who don't want to work! Now, where do you think they are getting this crap from? Of course we all know. But here's the larger point.
How in the hell has the right wing managed to convince middle class people to protect the rich? To actually feel sympathy for rich people? And these two guys are gripped with anti-incumbent fever. "So that common sense will be brought to the government....."
Their anger is palatable. I asked them what specifically in their lives has been taken away from them. All they could say was that we were ALL being screwed, including me, but I just didn't realize it. Hmmm, I thought I was good at knowing when I'm being screwed.
They are angry at ALL the politicians sitting in government. I reminded them that they can only vote in their districts for the candidates who are running. They can't control what other members of Congress do. But they will have none of it. I was accused of being against rich people and that was really bad.
Huh?