Class warfare? Bring it on.

[babylonsister]

Class warfare? Bring it on.
Joan Walsh


I found 470 mentions of Obama and "class warfare" in Google news just since Feb. 3. The LA Times may have been the most alarmist of mainstream sites: "Obama's budget: Taxing for fairness or class warfare?" on Friday. The same day David Horowitz's right wing "Front Page Magazine" framed the question as a statement: "The Budget as Class Warfare." Personally I've heard the claim out of the mouths of MSNBC's Michelle Bernard and former Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich on "Hardball" this past week. But they're Republicans paid to spout talking points. Why are mainstream reporters pushing this storyline?

Media Matters captured the AP's Jennifer Loven asking White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, "Are you all worried at all that that kind of argument, that 'class warfare' argument could sink the ability to get some of these big priorities through?" Maybe the worst offender Media Matters found was Politico's Jeanne Cummings, whose "Class warfare returns to D.C." dripped with elitism as well as poor economic fundamentals.

"Obama's creative juices seemed to run dry as he turned Thursday to his party's most predictable revenue enhancer: taxing the wealthy," Cummings began, going on to lament "Some economists argue that the anticipation of a return to higher tax rates may be enough to thwart critical investments and purchases." But she didn't quote one. Then we got this chestnut: "And who are the people out there today with the cash -- and confidence -- to spend? Most often they are people and families with earnings ranked in the top echelons and who will be subject to the Obama tax hike."

I'd say the class warfare is coming from media moguls like Politico backer Robert Albritton, who's funding such lame-brained and ideological reporting. Give that woman a raise!

I'm not shocked by the media taking to the barricades on behalf of the rich. I'm pleasantly surprised by liberals fighting back. I enjoyed the New York Times piece about Ralph Neas's new outfit, National Coalition on Health Care, that's pushing aggressive reform. It remains to be seen whether a group with corporate backing can truly agitate for the fundamental change needed, but with labor and other advocates at the table, the big questions will come up.

more...

http://www.salon.com/opinion/walsh/politics/2009/03/02/class_warfare/index.html

[ixion]

1. "Class warfare returns to D.C."

That title betrays the authors bias. Returns? Returns?

The middle class has been under heavy siege by the ruling class for the last eight years, and yet the author used "returns" to imply that all was peachy keen back then.

Thus, she discredits her premise from the get-go.

[Orrex]

2. A good--though sickening--post

The wealthy have been aggressively waging class warfare for millennia, and apparently that's just fine.

But the media just can't help crying "Havoc!" whenever someone says "It would be nice if poor people could live indoors."


Complicit bastards. All of them.

[Dollface]

3. Starting to expect this from Politico

[babylonsister]

4. Yep. And I'm using them less and less for any kind of source if

there's someone's opinion involved. They're r/w hacks with an agenda.

[fasttense]

5. Funny how the media only calls it class warfare when the uber wealthy are taxed.

We didn't hear any class warfare talk when Raygun doubled working class families' taxes while giving the uber wealthy a tax cut. Funny, there was no mention of class warfare as social programs for the poor were cut and reduced while the richest corporations had their taxes and fees cut and reduced.

It's only when the uber wealthy have to pay their fair share that suddenly we have class warfare.

[anonymous171]

7. That's because the reporters themselves are quite wealthy.

That's why I use blogs instead. Less class bias.

[Daveparts]

6. Warren Buffet

“There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning."

[FirstLight]

8. I can't even bring myself to read the whole thing

But I woke up this morning pretty outraged - from giving AIG more money, to the whole idea that we are EVER going to recover by acting like nothing with the entire SYSTEM is even wrong...

Today, I am ready for revolution.
Today, I say, Fuck the MAN

I HOPE the dow falls so low that the banks will finally come to that point of no return.
Today I am so pissed at the rich that I want them all to jump out of their collective windows over their loss of status.
You see, this thing has been hurting US for years - but THEY are barely beginning to feel the pinch.
So I say hell YEAH, a little class warfare could be just the ticket.

Torches & pitchforks, my friends...tell me when & where


You know, the funny part is that the Right is throwing all their anger at the wrong place. Instead of attacking the govt, just attack the rich fucks and TAKE it BACK!!!! ANYONE who receives a million or more in BONUSES deserves to get strung up by his garters!

[grasswire]

13. a little something from the last century

"And the Day shall come with a red red dawn
And you in your gilded halls
Shall taste the wrath and the vengeance
Of the men in the overalls."

[wackywaggin]

9. Attack where it hurts the rich the most.

In their pocketbooks and public exposure of their lies. They thrive on control and looking down on others, take that away and they are nothing.

[vinylsolution]

10. Eat the Rich!

Ever noticed that when you switch on your TV, all you ever see are millionaires.

They say nothing to me about my life, or the vast majority of Americans.

Off with their heads!

[Robbie88]

11. This is a point that those of us the left absolutely NEED to start stressing

From the reader comments left on the article:

Tax Hike on the Rich does NOT Hurt Small Biz!

Joan,

I like your points. What is most bogus about this class-warfare pitch being made in the media is the bit about higher taxes on the rich hurting small businesses.

As a small business owner, I want to say loud and clear to as many as will listen: This is complete BS! I do not pay taxes on business expenses. Ever. They are all deductible (except for just half of meals). So any money I plow back into the business is never taxed! This is law.

It's only when I am able to and decide to take a cut for myself--take a profit--that I get taxed. If I take a $500,000+ per year cut for myself, darn right I should get taxed on it! If, on the other hand, I use most of that $ to grow my business, I shouldn't get taxed as much, and guess what MSM reporters! --I don't.

* * *

Re Glenn Greenwald, normally I think he's excellent, but I think he's jumping the gun on the state secrets stuff. I wrote another letter on this. Let's wait and see. Hard for me to believe Obama is doing so well on other fronts and screwing up on this as bad as Glenn thinks he is.

* * *

Re Maureen Dowd, I don't think the Spock thing will stick, for just the reasons you said. Obama is all about emotions.

Best,
-- csturgeo

[TankLV]

12. One word when talking with the OBSCENELY rich: GUILLOTINE.

I always bring the word up.

And I'm always DEADLY serious.

And I'm DEADLY serious now, also...

[DUlover2909]

14. Guillotine is rather humane don't you think?

:hi: