Do Republicans really care about the "War on Poverty?"
By Thom Hartmann A...
On Tuesday, the Senate advanced legislation to extend long-term unemployment benefits, and all but six Republicans declined to vote for it. Instead of helping to restore this financial lifeline to out-of-work Americans, Conservative lawmakers say that they are launching their own plan to help the poor. Today, Senator Marco Rubio will deliver a speech marking the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty, and he's expected to lay out the Republican plan to fight economic inequality.
Considering this is the same party that wants to slash food stamps, subject welfare recipients to drug tests, and kick people off unemployment assistance, it's hard to imagine how their ideas will include anything except for tax cuts for the rich. In a video message previewing today's speech, Senator Rubio asked, “After 50 years, isn't it time to declare big government's war on poverty a failure?” But, despite decades of Republicans trying to slash the social safety net, the war on poverty has actually been a success.
Just days ago, the New York Times released a report showing that the poverty rate would be twice as high without the government programs that the Right loves to hate. Republicans don't care about the war on poverty – they've been waging war on the poor for decades. If their tax cuts and austerity weren't so harmful to our nation, it would almost be laughable to hear conservatives talk about helping the poor. But the fact is – poverty isn't a joke.
Comments
#2
I work at Beaver Creek, Colorado. People do not see how the 1% live. They have a 12 million dollar home behind secured gates. This home may be one of two or three other homes. Many of these homes are empty except for a few days a year. They have private security. Heated driveways. Think nothing of paying $800 plus tip for a ski lesson for the 6 year old grandchild. They socialize in private clubs and private restaurants where the $100,000.00 initiation fee is probably tax deductible. They are not concerned about infrastructure except where they live. They fly in Private jets. They shop in exclusive stores, not malls. They live in their own world and do not care about what is outside. The majority of the population does not see this. There are several enclaves like this in Colorado. Vail, Aspen and Telluride are others.
#3
Thanks for sharing that, Legend. I think I'm about to lose my lunch...
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Fabian, I agree. There's a lot of truth to what you are saying. I am enormously disillusioned with the Democratic Party as I have been for many years. You needn't convince me of the Democrats' share of the blame; ditto the middle class itself, for embracing what ultimately became the means to its own demise. Still, I stand by every word in post #2. Thom's topic of the day is about the so-called Republicon "plan" to "help" the poor. Those teabrains haven't exactly been passive onlookers through this whole charade. They've orchestrated more than their share, with the Blue Dogs as enablers, while much of the middle class either applauded or looked the other way. And now it's come back to bite 'em in the butt.
On another note, I'm disturbed by how the word "liberal" gets used these days. The neo-con media has twisted the meaning of that word beyond recognition; hence our adoption of "progressive" in place of "liberal". Nowadays people often use "liberal" in reference to a toxic sort of psuedo-liberalism which more closely resembles a corporatist world view or ideology. And that bothers me. The dictionary's definition of a liberal is someone who is "open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values", more closely aligned with my understanding of the term. I really resent the word games conservatives play, to manipulate and confuse the public. - Aliceinwonderland