Much has been said by Republicans about class warfare, and how the left is trying to wage class warfare against common Americans. It is a plot by snooty East Coast liberals against working people. It is rich, wine drinking aethiests against small business owners and farmers. It is gay actors and celebrities against the perfect nuclear family.
I don't think that class warfare is the solution to our country's problems, it is merely a distraction from the real issues, but the right is waging the war whether we like it or not. Everyone is losing because so many people are fighting for the wrong side.
Part of me would like to take people aside and explain as gently as possible that they, like me, are not upper class. No, I'm sorry Billy, you're just a working class guy, so am I. Sorry "Mr. All Nite Pump Jockey", you're not the guy GW is talking about when he mentions "middle America". If you're a Wal-Mart employee... unless you're the subject of some Paris Hilton-esque realitly series...I'm afraid you're not gonna need to worry about that "death tax" anytime soon. (I have to mention that the Dems talk a lot about the "middle class" too. What happened to "working class"? I'm sure that middle class families have some problems, but we single urban renters would like a little acknowledgement sometimes.)
Class isn't strictly an economic division, and people certainly are capable of transcending class barriers, but it more often works going down rather than up. Class isn't even a handicap, as I'm fairly sure many of us "peasants" are just as happy as the priveledged few. But they class division are real, and they are being used to divide us all. The American dream of success is being used against the people who want so desperately to achieve that success.
Knowing what your class is doesn't change your class, but the awareness may bring some understanding of what is happening around you. Maybe it'll help us know who is really working for our benefit, and who is manipulating us.
The Republicans started a fistfight in a darkened room and are waiting for us to finish beating ourselves up. I just wonder if it's time to turn on the lights and see who we all are. I don't mind the fight, I just think we oughta pick teams.