Pitying billionaires as America starves

[dajoki]

Let Them Eat Cake
Monday, Oct 17, 2011 11:58 AM 14:20:29 EDT
Pitying billionaires as America starves
A record number of people are living in poverty. Meanwhile, politicians bemoan the fate of the "persecuted" wealthy
By David Sirota
http://www.salon.com/2011/10/17/pitying_billionaires_as_america_starves/singleton/

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We’ve reached the economic end times, and we’re now seeing the deep fissures of our society laid bare. On one side, throngs of protesters have hit the street demanding justice for the 99 percenters — otherwise known as The Rest of Us. On the other side, the top 1 percent are complaining about “only” clearing $400,000 a year, and about throngs of poor people getting between them and their steak dinners.

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For all the enduring mythology about laziness being the cause of unemployment, this recession has seen the biggest ratio of job applicants to job openings on record. When massive crowds of jobless citizens appear when even a few of the lowest-paid jobs open up, it’s pretty clear that it’s not lack of work ethic that’s causing unemployment — it’s a lack of jobs, coupled with discrimination against those who are currently out of work. This latter problem is so acute, that President Obama and some states have proposed bills to ban the practice.

<<snip>>

$400,000 a Year isn’t Enough

In opposing President Obama’s proposal to force millionaires to at least pay the same tax rate as middle income Americans, Rep. John Fleming, R-La., took to national television to make a MSNBC appearance to imply that the $6 million in annual revenue his small business represents a form of poverty, because after business expenses and taxes, “by the time I feed my family, I have maybe $400,000 left over.” This allegedly meager sum, of course, is on top of his $174,000-a-year taxpayer-funded government salary.

When MSNBC’s Chris Jansing asked Fleming why the average person out there making “40, 50, $60,000 a year” should see his situation as a “sympathetic position,” Fleming then accused her of “class warfare.”

Who Cares about Record Income Inequality?

“Who cares?” is another phrase that encapsulates the “Let Them Eat Cake” sentiment — rich people simply don’t, and shouldn’t, care about the plight of others. So we owe wealthy Fox News pundit Brit Hume a thank-you for his sheer honesty.

During an O’Reilly Factor discussion about income inequality hitting record levels in America, Hume accused Democrats of being “obsessed” with economic fairness, and then declared that “If inequality is at a very much higher level, who cares?”

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[yellerpup]

1. Who cares?

About 99% of everyone else.

[sam11111]

2. 3 million jobs, 29 million jobless says DOL

See sig link, box there, and details ...in link at end of box there.

D of Labor gathers job opening stat but few seem to use this to rebut the RW

Pls start rebutting the RW

Facts are on our side

[dajoki]

6. Yes, we need another WPA n/t

[DirkGently]

3. As if lobbyists & oil subsidies & tax breaks & no-bid war contracts & bailouts aren't

"class warfare." Another day. Another disingenuous meme.

[Maven]

4. Obama is concerned that we are demonizing the people who work on Wall Street.

Very, very concerned.

[dajoki]

5. The people who work on Wall Street...

will be fine. Its time he turns his attention to the rest of us who are struggling to pay our bills and put food on the table.