An alternate view of Wedge Politics

[Stinky The Clown]

While Gay Marriage and Immigration are getting all the ink these days, the Senate, today, debated the potential to remove to tax on the fortunes families pass to their spawn, the likes of whom include Paris Hilton, who's only job is to simply be Paris Hilton.

There are many insidious little bills here, there, and everywhere that have economic or tax issues in them. And **that** is what will bring our Republican voters.

So, instead of seeing our side talk about this, they put up the Wedge Issues. We get sucked in to the debate on *their* terms ....... and we lose.

The Wedge Issues are a huge smoke screen that was VERY skillfully crafted. To be sure it will bring out the Neanderthals. But that's just a bonus. The hardcore greeders will vote only for what they see as their own best interest. The things that matter to the rich, and more importantly, those who *wish* they were rich. Who *dream* they are rich.

The greeders.

That's what they want.

[neoblues]

1. Can't argue with the truth...

Not that I'd want to argue anyway. We are definitely being yanked about; such are the benefits that come from owning the media and having a majority in both houses of Congress and a Presidential Administration of the same party. We can do our best to keep our eyes open and make as much noise as we can to redirect attention to the important... what more?

[Warpy]

2. Well, the real wedge issue is being handed to the Democrats

on a faux silver plastic platter, the issue of WAGES. While the plutocrats keep whittling their tax burden to zero and companies keep posting record profits and CEOs see their pay packages escalate every year while they trumpet it's all due to increased productivity, the working people who actually create all this wealth have been left out in the cold. If they still have jobs, they're terrified of losing them to some third world person whose pay in pesos, bhat, or rupees is a fraction of what his pay in dollars is. He's told every day to do more with less as co workers burn out, retire, or just disappear and aren't replaced, their workloads shoved onto his shoulders without an increase in pay. He's seeing what little leisure time he had eaten up by commuting and overtime, and the latter has become so essential he doesn't dare take two weeks a year without it to enjoy a "vacation" at home, catching up on home repairs.

The state of the US worker's economy is grim and getting grimmer. He knows full well there's a party going on at the very top and that he will never be invited to it and would probably get arrested if he went through the trash cans afterward just to sample the cast off goodies.

The real wedge issue is WAGES, why they've been allowed to fall far enough that they won't support a single person, why they won't allow a sick person to get healthcare, why it takes more than two incomes to raise a family, and why they're so low they have to be compensated for by mounting credit card debt.

The right has no answer to this beyond the tired old "if we raise wages, we'll lose JOBS" lies, something nearly everybody knows is a crock of shit because we're losing jobs with wages at rock bottom.

Any Democrat who doesn't campaign on this issue is a fool.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. Well said

[applegrove]

4. The scapegoats of the wedge issues are hurt. The people who

rely on a certain climate or need family support for who they fall in love with or whatever. These people are being hurt.

So too with the wedges & pot stirring on conspiracy theories. For sure the neocons are a power-network so to not trust them is normal. Look at all they have done. The list is endless. So speculation is rife and justified. So too with voting. Much evidence of many ways GOP tries to suppress the vote. So speculation there too about the meaning of exit polls.

But as soon as terrorists are arrested in Canada.. freepers log on and say "no - this didn't happen". It has been reported in all Canadian papers and news outlets. It is as it is being reported. But stirring the pot and collecting vulnerable posters into not believing the news serves to create discord and probably drive some people nuts. As much as the tricksters in the GOP can keep the opposition from testing & verifying what the facts are.. the more Dems are divided.

These wedges are not healthy or benign. Even if Bush hangs the GOP with its own petard.. people are still being hurt and damaged by the rampant spewing or really bad information.

It is bad. Life was not so good in the dark ages. Christianity said no to usery..interpreting the bible literally.. so it was only the royal families or gentry who could go into ventures or business (by ignoring the church rulings against banking). That went well. Nothing but shit jobs for a 1000 years. Then with the enlightenment came something as simple as mass produced "soap" that increased the health of families all over the west. The neocons want it so badly.. to be that gentry where the rules do not apply to them and everyone else is "busy". They even admit to hating the enlightenment.

Wedges do hurt. So does the 4 year long perpetual campaign (where people are forced to live in myths long term - like the dark ages).

People get hurt. Lives are lost or destroyed. Look at health care? Would you say the lie/wedge that says "public health care is less effective that a private system" is helping people? Nope. Death, illness, development of chronic illness, bankruptcy, bad health education, etc... it all results from the private system.

Many, many people are hurt by myths. Good information is the only way to live a decent life or live in a great country.

By forcing a wedge on the populace..the politicos are forcing myths and lies on people. And other issues are being ignored. And problems not being solved.

Wedges are bad.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. Indeed wedges are bad .... but they're also used as smoke screens

Consider them a twofer. The wedges serve to stir up the stupid and motivate the masses, but they also serve to mask the real issues by misdirecting the debate.

I'm in no way minimizing the Wedges or saying they need not be addressed. I *am* saying they're not the only issue. But sadly, that is just what they become. They suck all the air out of the 'issues' room.

[applegrove]

6. I think Dean changing his mind on playing into a wedge on the issue

of marriage for the GLcommunity worked out. By speaking to the wedge.. we gain perspective back. And certainly this latest attempt at GOP wedging was seen as nothing but a wedge. And a very unkind one. This time around. W

I think it works out pretty well to just speak the truth. When we avoid the wedges.. we give up part of the battle. If the battle is to get the message on real issues out.. then we have to point out how awful wedges are..with so much serious stuff going on out there that needs work.

Why can we not see the forest for the trees? That is leadership.