Only when the American people experience universal poverty will

[Skidmore]

they reject the regressive political machine owned by the corporate aristocracy. Discuss.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. I assume

by "universal poverty" you are not including the CEO's of said corporate aristocracy?

[Skidmore]

2. Nope, I'm talking about "the teeming masses."

[TallahasseeGrannie]

7. Gotcha

the ones yearning to be free and all that.

Well... here's the sticking point, where they have our winkies in a vise. They sell so cheap because of slave labor and overseas manufacturing and volume buying that it allows us to keep a bit more of our disposable income, and while I think of myself as a compassionate person, if I can find it cheaper at WalMart, I buy it there. I know, I know.. I should have the strength of my convictions.

So my guess is that the masses won't rise up, they will collapse and die from walking from a parking spot a mile away and then trekking through 100 acres of garishly lit, hard-floored torture chamber filled with rude people.

I have to take a nap when I go to those places.

[ladjf]

3. I'm hoping that they will wise up before it goes that far.

[HereSince1628]

4. .Discuss. ?What like you are assigning an essay?

[Skidmore]

5. With penalty for turning it in late.

:)

[druidity33]

6. poverty

mustn't the path to enlightenment at some point involve ridding oneself of "worldly possessions"?

[H2O Man]

8. Fear of poverty

may be more motivational.

[depakid]

9. Historically, that's what it takes

to remove repressive and corrupt governments from power- an economic collapse (or a disasterous war- or an environmental disaster- or a virulent pandemic).

Hell, the Republicans just might hit the trifecta!

[pretzel4gore]

10. here's hoping...glub...

the bush extravaganza has driven home this uneasy suspicion that behind the smoke and mirrors of mass media the ruling elite were incompetent, crude, nasty, short tempered and insanely greedy/gluttonous. It defies understanding, created by a lifetime of reading and absorbing this notion that 'all's in good hands' (even conceding a few mistakes, that's ordinary politics, but the bald faced hitlerization of government and economy is incredible, since it's happened so sudden)...it was only in 1992, 13 years ago, that Zoe Baird was knocked out of contention for high gov. office because she had an ILLEGAL NANNY, her nanny was undocumented! And the news pigmedia tore the woman to pieces for it!
holy fukk!

[FormerDittoHead]

11. They must first educate themselves....

In Pennsylvania, they are trying to change the tax system so that sales taxes will pay for education, rather than property taxes (to bring property taxes down)

I think we can all agree that sales taxes are truly regressive, whereas people with greater wealth do tend to own more property...

The proposed change in Pennsylvania is supposed to make things more equitable, but IMO, the reverse is true, esp when the change does nothing to the funding that schools actually get - ie: wealthly community schools will get the same amount they do now, as will poor community schools. Only if their populations go up will they get more money, but at the same per-student rate they have now...

But on radio the other day, the state senator who was proposing this change said, in comparing sales tax with property taxes, referred to property taxes as "the MOST regressive of taxes"...

So, leaving out the part where my head exploded, things won't change until such remarks are met with laughter...

[WritingIsMyReligion]

12. Only when the American people take their

collective head out of the sand will they reject this fascist, theo-con, regressive machine. When we all experience evolution and grow up from being ostriches, then perhaps people will see how fucked-up we are.

For Satan's sake, the REST of the world knows how fucked we are! I guess this is a case of missing what's right in front of your eyes.

[jus_the_facts]

13. History proves again and again...and always points out the folly of men...

[catmandu57]

14. We came pretty damn close to meltdown in the thirties

During the depression. Along came FDR and pulled the fat out of the fire, and the rich vilified and hated him for saving their asses. We're a ways away from the same conditions, but I don't see a man of the same caliber out there.

[eallen]

15. In the nation with the highest median income in history?

For anyone whose statistical skills are rusty, "median" means half of those have higher income, half lower. It is a much better measure of what is typical than the mean, which is pulled up by a few outliers on the high end. If a few of us and Bill Gates were in a room together, the mean income in that room would be very, very high. The median likely would be about what it is in the US. (FWIW, my income this past year was on the low side of the US median.)

I'm pretty critical of Bush's economic policies. And I also believe we need programs aimed at those on the lower economic rungs. But anyone pinning their political aspirations on the notion that soon most Americans will be impoverished are pinning their politics on fantasy.

[ultraist]

18. The median income has been stagnant for five years running

At minimum, five million people have fallen into poverty under Bush. There IS cause for alarm. The middle class IS dwindling and the poverty rate IS rising, while the rich are getting richer. In fact, we are seeing the biggest gaps between the rich and the poor, ever, in our history.

As H20 man said, it's about: "fear of poverty."

[eallen]

22. I agree. The political repercussions will come before universal poverty.

Long, long before. I think the original poster both underestimates how far away America is from that, and how sensitive Americans are to the issue.

:hippie:

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. Yes, you're talking about revolution.

If things become dire, then you can assume a violent counter-revolution. Bush knows it's coming. That's why he wants the freedom to militarize everything.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

17. Everyone in this entire country is just one major illness away from

personal bankruptcy. We are the only major industrialized country in the world where this is true and it is a disgrace.

Even if you have health insurance, there are caps and lifetime limits. You be shocked how quickly you can hit those limits with the price of American healthcare. Why do the citizens of every other country pay less for their prescriptions? Why?Because we allow it.

Aside from that - skyrocketing real estate has caused sky-rocketing property taxes. You bought your modest home twenty years ago but now the taxes are forcing you from it. Why? Because we allow it.

It is laughable what your basic services cost. In my area cable tv is closing in on $100 a month per expanded service. The only reason it can be so high is because we have one, yes one cable provider. We are very close to canceling it and just going basic supplemented by netflix. How about that phone bill too? Did you ever think you would be spending hundreds of dollars a month for phone and TV? Why? Because we allow it.

Utilities? - please! We are at the mercy of the Enrons of the world who laugh about screwing Grandma Millie. Why? Because we allow it.

Energy? - Do you think the price at the pump is in any way reflective of the real cost to bring it to the pump? The oil companies are making so much money they are shredding it to mulch the plants around their corporate headquarters.

Americans have bought the big lie that government and regulation is bad and the free market and private enterprise will always ensure that the basic laws of competition will in the end benefit everyone. We have all been the lab rats who have proved that this is not the case. Unregulated companies stifle competition and create monopolies that suck the life and health and income out of American citizens,
BECAUSE WE ALLOW IT.

[area51]

20. "... one major illness away from personal bankruptcy."

Excellent post, Phoebe Loosinhouse. How disgusting it is that we're already paying enough for universal healthcare, but our govt. instead chooses to throw our tax $$ at the military-industrial complex. The nazi party's attitude toward decent American citizens is "go fsck yourself & die if you get sick." They get a woody everytime somebody dies.

[Deja Q]

21. They are the antichrist.

And with each day I slowly realize my failing health is a blessing in disguise.

[McCamy Taylor]

19. Wont take that much, already have the Depression in N'tl Consciousness

[Sapphire Blue]

23. Is that why there are more replies to this thread...

... than there are to this one? http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5068373