President Obama, has totally adopted the loathsome practice, so deeply embedded in the Democrat Party and the Nanny-State Media, of preaching the hate of Class Warfare/Class Envy.
President John F. Kennedy never did.
Unfortunately many uninformed Americans are taken in by LEFTIST deceit, so skillful at acting out Willful Misunderstanding, along with a serious helping of economic illiteracy.
Creating Legions of Victims and Victim Groups
Since LBJ's War on Poverty, which turned out to be more of a war on fathers living at home and more of a war on persistence and self-sufficiency, millions of the irresponsible, have gone on the dole, and stayed there for decades, now, stretching into generations.
Yet the drumbeat of victim hood, by Democrats and a Media interested only in Nanny-State-Activism, each under the guise of compassion, only reinforces this irresponsible behavior, encouraging its continuance.
This creates a double negative on America. We first must pay a hefty amount of our daily labor supporting these individuals, while simultaneously, the nation is robbed of their productivity and contribution to society, not the least of which is government revenues.
How Has This Happened
Partly by obscuring the LAWS OF ECONOMICS, more by engaging in Willful Misunderstanding, even outright deceit.
JFK Prioritized Free Market Success First and Foremost
JFK's legislation, immediately out of the box, emphatically stressed the need for government, to limit spending to necessities, making clear the absolute necessity of maximum investment capital remaining in the private sector to spur growth.
He knew the importance of an expanding pie for all to go after, through hard work and persistence so that the larger population and America as a whole would benefit.
Today's class warfare would have been abominable to JFK
"It is a paradoxical truth,'' he told the Economic Club of New York, in 1962, "that tax rates are too high today and tax revenues are too low and the soundest way to raise the revenues in the long run is to cut the rates now.''
JFK--Economically Literate, no class warfare, no willful misunderstanding.
The young President proposed "an across-the-board, top-to-bottom cut in personal and corporate income taxes.'
Notice, top to bottom, tax cuts, for individuals--no class warfare/class envy. Tax cuts also for corporations, those evil entities that hear the constant vitriol of President Obama and those on the left.
"It {economic growth] could also be done by increasing Federal expenditures more rapidly than necessary, but such a course would soon demoralize both the Government and our economy."
Again Economically Literate, no class warfare, no Willful Misunderstanding.
What do Democrats fight endlessly for today?
The constant creation of victim groups, who receive other people's money, by filling out government forms (means-testing) rather than working for their money and becoming proud, self sufficient citizens.
Today's elected Democrats, constantly rely on phrases like "those without a voice" "those who can't help themselves" and "the working poor." This suggests that anyone who wants a voice, can't have one or anyone who wants to help himself, can't do so in America. Preposterous!
As to the working poor, does anyone know, even 1 American who has made responsible decisions in his/her life who is actually poor and stays so. Many responsible people have rough periods in their lives, but poor???
Even those classified by our federal government, as living below the poverty level, enjoy many everyday comforts, for example clean, spacious 3 bedroom homes, including air-conditioning, garages, porches or patios, 2 color TV's, at least 1 car and practically every other amenity including DVD'S or VCR'S. Our so-called poor, have more living space than "average" Europeans living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens and practically every other European city.
This data all comes from the United States Census Bureau.
There is just a tiny degree of destitution, in America and almost no undernourished adults or children, except for very short periods and among very, very few. Obesity among children, dwarfs, lack of nourishment.
Economics In One Lesson
One of the most widely read and respected ECONOMICS books, over the last 30 years is Henry Hazlitt's ECONOMICS IN ONE LESSON, in which Mr. Hazlitt declares the entire matter of sound economics can be reduced to the following:
"The art of economics consists in looking not merely at the immediate but at the longer effects of any act or policy; it consists in tracing the consequences of that policy not merely for one group but for all groups.
The examples of redistribution of the earnings of those who actually pay net taxes, to Democrat special interests, has become egregious, to an almost unimaginable degree.
Public employees unions, low income workers, high school dropouts, out of wedlock mothers--have made a complete mockery of the above principal and American principals in general.
Public Employee Unions
Public employees salaries and benefits represent a whopping $200 billion dollar plus drain, on the federal treasury. These employees openly declare they are underpaid and fight like fierce warriors to increase not only their salary and benefits but their power in the Democrat Party and they succeed.
February 2010 data shows that in this deep recession the Obama Administration has added, more than 143,000 NEW federal civilian workers, now averaging above $110, 000 a year in salary and benefits and of course 143,000 new Democrat voters.
The percentage of federal civil servants earning more than $100,000 a year has risen from 14% to 19% during the first year and a half of the recession, according to USA Today. At the beginning of the recession, the Transportation Department had one person making $170,000 or more a year; now it has 1,690 making that.
Whereas private sector workers, directly create 100% of all wealth at no cost to taxpayers and instead pay taxes, public employees, directly create no wealth, thus are a "net" whopping expense to taxpayers.
Federal civilian workers earn more than double the amount of those who pay them--private sector workers. This becomes a case of the boss (private sector workers) making half the amount of their employees (government workers).
Low Income Workers
Low levels of parental work and high levels of out-of-wedlock childbearing with accompanying single parenthood, resulted in redistributing $714 billion in welfare (means-tested programs) in 2008.
The average so-called poor family with children, typically works an average, of just 16 hours per week. What is the equation here? 16 hour work week=little earnings=much welfare.
Nearly two-thirds of poor children live in single-parent homes. promoting soaring, out-of-wedlock childbearing in low-income communities. When LBJ's War on Poverty began, 7% of American children were born out of wedlock; today it's 39%.
The blatant violation of Hazlitt's basic economic principal, which is, benefits must be lasting and serve all groups equally, results from most government projects today. These projects temporarily look good and feel good but mostly benefit politically connected states, political parties, government workers through their unions but mostly congressmen/women, who get rich, powerful and reelected; some for their entire working lives. Many give the appearance of being a plus but often in the long run, result in a negative from a cost/benefit analysis.
Some of these projects, if awarded fairly to private sector companies, might create some new wealth but properly allocating investment capital, outside the free market and free of favortism, has a very dubious history.
President Obama's special interest, reckless spending has outraged the American population, including overwhelming numbers of unaffiliated voters, to the extent that even the solidly Democrat state of Massachusetts, rebelled when it elected a Republican to the seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy.
With President Obama Redistribution is King
President Obama fervently believes in taking from those who earn, to redistribute to those who don't. His speeches and statements can be found everywhere, proving it.
In July 2008, Pres. Obama promised to triple the Earned Income Tax Credit, which would take the maximum benefit from $5663 to $16, 989. The EITC is a total welfare program. This would simply take $16, 989 from someone who earned it at work and give it to someone who did nothing to actually earn it--absolutely nothing.
When Liberal news anchor, Charlie Gibson asked in 2008 why Mr. Obama wanted to raise capital gains tax rates, stating that historically, when rates rise, revenues to government decline, and that always, when rates dropped, revenues to government increased:
The president told Gibson, what he would later tell Joe The Plumber--it was a matter of fairness.
In a 2001 radio interview, in Chicago, President Obama, talked about the Civil Rights movement not focusing enough on community organizing as the means to bring about "redistributive change"
This all proves unequivocally that he believes it's alright for the larger population to have less and be forced to give to his perceived victims.
The so called-Stimulus Package has given us new Orwellian 1984 NEWSPEAK (Saved Jobs). No new wealth is being created under this huge addition to the deficit and total debt. It will more likely drain wealth, causing a shrinking pie for an expanding population.
Unfortunately the national microphone is heavily dominated by the LEFT; the MEDIA, the PUBLIC SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES, presently Congress and the White House, Book Publishers and Hollywood.
There must be a way, America can work on helping these groups end their economic illiteracy, along with the practice of willful misunderstanding. Maybe we can persuade them to read ECONOMICS IN ONE LESSON.
Mick McNesby is a former tax advisor, consultant and negotiator. He was a frequent guest on political talk shows in Atlantic City, N.J., discussing the benefits of the lower cost of government. He can be visited at http://conservative-politics-infofind.com
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