What Happens When You Rob from the Poor to Pay the Rich

I believe that there will ultimately be a clash between the oppressed and those that do the oppressing. I believe that there will be a clash between those who want freedom, justice and equality for everyone and those who want to continue the systems of exploitation.

Malcolm X


I was reading this well-meaning, but ill-informed blog this morning, when I found myself trying to answer a basic question.

Why does any person who is middle class or lower, ever, ever vote Republican? Ever?

Why?

Strike that, why does any intelligent person ever vote Republican?

Here’s what Republican’s value if you analyze the House budget cut bill (which passed by two votes yesterday):

Extending tax cuts on capital gains through 2008 (being rich is great!)
The war against Iraq (killing people...oops I mean spreading freedom is great!)
Alaska oil drilling (the earth is horrible and must be stopped!)

Here’s what they don’t value:

Medicaid (they're poor and they're sick...um...ew)
Food stamps (who would eat postage?)
Student loan subsidies (johnny can't read? not my problem)
Public schools (mark me down as against)
Resolving the flaws in the alternative minimum tax (the what in the what?)

Here’s what they tried to get away with:

Limiting eligibility for food stamps (nice, dare I say "compassionate")
Eliminating lunches for 40,000 students whose parents would lose their food stamp eligibility (hunger is the new black).
Making the poorest Medicare recipients pay more for their health care (sucks to be them!).

They wanted it in the bill, but they had to take it out in order to get it to pass by two votes.


Down to its most basic level, Republicans are lining the pockets of the super wealthy and Halliburton and big oil with a war they lied their way into, all the while cutting taxes.

The way they propose to pay for it is to sucker punch the middle class and the poor (the poor also get kicked while they're down).

Taking from the poor to give to the rich. Reverse Robin-hood-ism. And believe me when I tell you that the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer is not a recipe for harmony.

Better read your Malcolm, elephants...better read your Malcolm.