There is an article out explaining the reasons why people vote against their own best interests. It’s good. And it’s thorough. And it’s about more than I’m saying about it here and well worth the time to read. It’s been written up here @ Daily Kos covering a lot of ground. One of the points made is that the social safety net has been systematically stigmatized for many years by the “conservative” movement. Another is that there has been a..
“decades-long decline in support for redistributive policies and an increase in conservatism in the electorate even as inequality worsens”
There it is; “redistributive policies” — the false accusation and key to what the right-wing has largely succeeded in defining as “conservatism”, and as I see it, foundational to the GOP as an institution itself. There is nothing conservative about this lie. It’s Grand theft. A stolen mantle. The false rendering that enables the elite to take possession of what is not theirs to take. The wedge used by a tiny elite minority to divide, conquer and hold power over the many. “Preservatism” - of a hierarchal anti-democratic system with a ruling few might be more accurate
The last line reads:
If fewer people need the safety net to get by, the stigma will fade, and low-income citizens will be more likely to re-engage in their communities — not least by turning out to vote.
But there is something else. Something that must be dealt with. This supposed “increase in conservatism"? Not true. An increase of the false narrative? The wedge? Yes.
We as a nation have been deceived and have bought the narrative that the way to fix the massive inequality in America; the vast percentage of gains from our productivity that goes to those most wealthy must be fixed by “wealth redistributing”. Those words. As if that wealth was not ours that produced it, but the property of those who profited off our labor, and receive special systematic consideration for their theft. As our wages continue to flat-line
That’s the con
Too many have bought that. Once that fabrication is embedded, it’s an easy leap for the “conservatives” to accuse Dems of wanting to “take from the rich” and “give to the poor”. That is the story. It’s bullshit. But it’s been around for so many years now that any solution, it seems, has been limited by that false narrative, to measures that are always described as “to re-distribute the wealth”. Easily attacked by the GOP corporate lackey’s once it is established that all wealth gains belong to the supply-siders for them to distribute (trickle down) as they see fit
The better option is to stop the systematic theft of our labor in the first place. The system that favors capital over labor. And not by a little bit. Preempt the wedge designed by the Oligarchy to pit one worker against another using race or religion, or anything else.
We undo that republican narrative and then, who knows how many people who currently vote for politicians Hell bent on “slashing the safety net” will come around. Maybe even switch that vote. Especially when it dawns on them just how much has been systematically ripped-off right out of their paychecks and pensions having already taken the bulk of their lives to earn
The result of this long term GOP deception?
Wealth and income disparity has grown to a size not seen since the last great depression, and most people are unaware of just how bad it is. It has been studied (pdf). People when questioned do not believe, for instance that 1% elite have captured nearly half of the wealth in this country and control a far higher percentage of financial assets, a reported $32 trillion of which are stashed off shore to evade taxes; or that Wall Street’s 2013 Bonuses Were More Than All Workers Earned Making the Federal Minimum
It is also why the GOP has spent decades demonizing Unions: As Union Membership Has Declined, Income Inequality Has Skyrocketed In The United States
I wrote about this awhile ago here…
..with this excerpt that includes Jared Bernstein @ CBPP:
For starters is this. Jared Bernstein @ CBPP has the accurate telling of it; Primary distribution of wealth means that wealth is moving from those of lower to modest/median income to those most wealthy. A reverse Robin Hood scheme that has become the norm and that "conservatives" insist we need more of to "fix" what ails this country.
So long as Dems allow the language of the right-wing party and elites to frame the debate, while trying to analyze why people in republican states (or as the article is asking; Blue states turning Red), especially very poor republicans that keep voting against their own best interests, without first at least acknowledging this republican coup of narrative, we will continue to wonder. And republicans will continue to vote for their oppressors and arguably as important, against good policies — imo
Lets’ get back to this 1st:
sources:
• Predistribution, not Redistribution, is the Way to Reduce Inequality by L. Randall Wray · July 7th, 2013
• Can We Afford to Wait for Redistribution? by By Sam Pizzigati, Too Much | Op-Ed
• Predistribution by Wikipedia
Pre-distribution is the idea that the state should try to prevent inequalities occurring in the first place rather than ameliorating inequalities through the tax and benefits system once they have occurred as occurs under redistribution
• Pre-distribution or redistribution? The Piketty moment, the Democrats, and the oncoming elections by lambert on Fri, 05/23/2014
• “Predistribution”: powerful idea or window dressing for austerity? by Chris Bertram on September 24, 2012
• Predistribution: an unsnappy name for an inspiring idea by Martin O’Neill Wednesday 12 September 2012
All of the above links/concerns should precede this next question of the article that is of topic | and be answered before this next question can get a fair/complete answer:
Who Turned My Blue State Red?: Why poor areas vote for politicians who want to slash the safety net.
Which leads me to this next question:
I think we can and we have it to do
note: I still believe that a very progressive system of taxation is vital, and in fact should have more higher top marginal tax brackets added to our current system
Just as bit of news and opinionating this 21st day of November 2015 — and time to turn in — thanks for stopping by :)
p.s. apologies for being disorganized and cramming so much together, I’ll get it someday :)