The travesty of tax policy of current right wing is the natual conclusion of the sell out that began with Taint Ronnie Reagan and enabled by Clinton. The foundation of which is the hearty endorsement of unfettered corporate consolidation and concentration of power. The demonization of government was a primary tactic.
Reagan and his cabal started the modern era of anti-government nihilistic treason. Finding it a way to get press coverage, acolytes like Gingrich, Ryan, Norquist et. al. latched on to the simplistic themes of “onerous government regulations” and “best government is least government” to champion the bankrupt philosophy of “every man for himself = freedom”.
But even more destructive was the background policy changes that embraced merger and acquisitions path to industry consolidation. This is where Clinton and his take over of the Democratic Party enabled the concentration of corporate power control of the political process.
Allowing industry to merge and consolidate resulted directly in the rise of globalization since as industries became dominated by a handful of corporations, the national market became too small. Consolidated industries, lacking any meaningful competition, quickly saturated the domestic market demand and could only expand to international reach. Clinton played a very big role in green lighting the massive mergers and acquisition boom of the 1990s.
Globalization has also increased foreign ownership of US corporations — nearly tripling since Clinton policy changes. This makes the right wing tax prioritization of reducing rates and regulations on corporate profits a direct benefit to foreign powers — Saudi princes, et. al. at the expense of needed US common good of infrastructure, health care, etc.
Clinton embraced many Reaganomic principles and it was great while the economy boomed. The Democratic Party received windfall contributions from corporations and the wealthy. Great, except for the party of the people part of it. Catering to the donor class and ignoring the working class set up massive Democratic electoral failures and the complete take over of all three branches of government by the right wing.
A very sizable voting bloc was not incorrect is concluding “there is no difference” and “they’re all the same”. Even Obama was in reality was far closer to Bush-lite than he was to FDR. As a result, the right wing has had a open field to harvest disenchantment, disillusioned and disposessed convincing the to vote against their own best interests in favor of a inchoate rejection of corporatism. At least so they thought/think.
Even now, Democratic “leadership” seems to be more focused on the size and structure of tax cuts instead of championing the need for taxes to pay for urgent common goods — education, infrastructure, health care, etc. It is very rare to see or hear Democratic Party leadership proposing and fighting for these basic needs. More often they are just a slightly different voice in the same chorus of corporate appeasement.
I would like to end with a call to action, but I am out of ideas and inspiration.
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