Some please explain class warfare to me

I am talking about on the news and in our government. They want a new tax to pay for this or that...tax the rich. I hear that the rich "aren't paying their fair share" or "can afford it". Not so much here..this is a pretty conservative group for the most part...but some news channels and some people on other sites seem to think the rich are the cause of all of our problems and should hand over all their money...or at least a really large chunck of it. I don't hate the rich or the poor. But it sure does get fustrating to hear all this BS from our politicans about how horrible the rich are and how they should pay more money for this or that program.

lot of stirring going on there. wanting people who earn more to pay more taxes - fine. no need to try and get resentment going though, any more than you need to get people slamming those on welfare which is the other side of that coin. it is kind of a tricky one for the politicians in question - they are aiming at middle america - which is not wealthy, or poor - and trying to get them to resent one or other (or ideally both) of the extremes. tough job. seems to be going none too badly though..

I agree...too much stiring of the pot. I guess our politicans think if we are hating each other that we won't have time to hate them anymore. LOL. Good plan. Hope it doesn't work though. I hate misdirection but our politicans do it sooo well.

Who is forcing whom?

I agree. I don't think anyone should hold anyone down...but I also don't think they should be forced to give anyone a hand up either.

The first paragraph of this responce is not so much a description of class envy as a classic description of "divide and conquer". Unfortunately, it is alive and well in the USA. Why else are so many Americans willing to vote against their own best interests?

Well said Bob. Thank you!

I certainly agree with you that Americans need to support their own companies more. It's one of my biggest peeves that American companies making quality products are hanging by a thread while our markets are flooded with cheap Asian knock offs of the same product. However, those are not the jobs being outsourced. I know there is a global economy and I know that outsourcing to some degree is a necessary evil BUT I think the tax credits whould be given to the companies struggling to stay open here and not to the companies sending jobs to other countries which is what is happening. the fact remains also that the companies outsourcing are the biggest and the richest while the companies struggling to stay open in America are mostly medium sized companies employing average Americans. As far as I can see, the best ways to supportthose companies is to take the tax creditsfrom the larger companies aiding foreign economies and give them to comanies on American soil. Also, anytime there is a situation in ANY country where the rich get richer and richer, the poor get porer and porrer and the middle class rapidly joins the ranks of the poor, there is a problem and it's the problem we have right now. I thought that it had been exposed by the Wall Street scandals of 2008 but apparently, there is still strong sentiment for the blameless of the uber wealthy. They are about as blamesless as the French aristocracy when the revolution came. You say there is blame all around. I agree and some of that blame definitely defintiely doeswith the rich and the reality is that it is a whole lot easier for them to temper their greed than it is for the poor guy wondering if he'll have his UC benefitts to pay for winter fuel. Millions of Americans are hanging by such a thin thread right now that they cannot afford to support any business, American or foreign based.

just a few more things here: 1) what buying power do the working poor and the 9%+ unemoployed and those on EC benefits have? How can foks make sure to buy american when the only things they can buy at all are what the Dollar Stores and the Thrifts have on offer at any given time. 2)I don't think education is killing us (although it might be about to kill Cameron's English government). But when it comes to outsourcing, education doesn't have a lot to do with it anyway. Thousands and thousands of these jobs are service jobs requiring short term minimal training. There have been a number of surveys done recently that verified there are thousands of health care insured Americans (eg retirees, stay at home moms) willing to work for small wages if they can do the work from their own homes and their own computers. Should be no problem since that is very feasible. The problem is that the super rich would rather send the jobs overseas so they can get outsourcing tax cuts. Maybe that doesn't make you angry but frankly, it infuriates me. I want those credits eliminated and if people want to say it's because I hate the rich, so be it. Frankly, I think that the whole idea of the rich always working hard for their money is bunk. My personal knowledge of rich is limited. I know two multi millionaires but no billionaires and in both cases, there was a very strong element of luck and just being the right person at the right time in the right place. To his credit one of them doesn't mind paying heavy taxes and has a strong social conscience. I like him. Nor so for the other guy whom I I consider a greedy, self serving idiot and do not like. Seems to me that the lower end of the working class is pushing harder than ever with mom and dad both working full time and no hope at all of sharing in the American dream. Once it wasspossible for an average family with a hard working father to own a home, have a car and save money. Now, they both work full time, rent and use public transportation. There's no doubt in my mind that the poor are the ones getting a bad rap. Not the rich. I worked nine years in a Welfare office and I've seen first hand the way the working poor get treated.

Oh I understand too well what is going on. But I don't blame capitalism for it. I blame us changing into a global economy. Most corporations are international now and do not consider themselves to be an "american" company or a "any country" company. So therefore they have not loyalties. I also blame the consumer. Want jobs in America? Buy American good...create a demand for them. It is all about supply and demand. American consumers wield HUGE power. We are one the top consuming countries in the world. What we want...we get. What have we told companies we want? Goods at the cheapest price possible. Well American workers costs more than they do in other parts of the world...so they find the cheapest labor they can to keep their overhead low so they can offer low prices. Consumers really need to start showing using their power. I don't think the average consumer realizes how much power they have. But they do. Look at all the money spent on advertizing. All those companies fighting for your dollars. They WANT to sell you things. they want your business...they practically beg for it. USE THAT POWER. No it won't happen over night. But if we had a big culture change in this country where people starting honestly caring about supporting this country's economy and supporting JOBS right here in this country. The businesses would listen. Heck they would fall all over themselves to get it to sell it to us. They would make commericals about it. We are really missing the boat on this one. Also education is killing us. We have really fallen behind. There are good jobs out there espeically in science and math fields...but companies have to bring people in from other companies to fill the positions because there are not enough qualified people for the jobs here. We are no longer known for having the brighest and best educated people. But we are known to be the one of the most expensive countries to employee people. yes people have every right to be upset about what is happening.But they have to realize they were part of the problem too. there is plenty room for blame all around. This problem did not just come about...it has been a long time coming and our government on both sides have done little about it. Sure they talk a good game...but what have they really done about it? Did they stay on the cutting edge with education? No. Did they make some horrible trade deals? Yes. Did they make the American public realize how they could help along the way? the fell asleep at the wheel and not the rest of the world has caught up to us and now passing us. That does not really have anything to do with the rich and everything to do with this country becoming complacant and stagnic.

LOL...thanks for clearing that up for me. Can you tell me why the gym class gave the bank geeks wedgies in the first place?

Most people who are rich or even just well off worked their butts off to get there and are still working their butts off to stay there. You can't fix the problems on the back of the rich...it is going to take all our backs. Sad fact...but true. We all got into this mess so it is going to take all of us to get out of it. If I were rich I would be mighty ticked off right now. Especially at washington who want to treat them live an ATM machine.

They are...at least the ones I know.