We should turn the GOP "Redistribution of Wealth" meme against them

[Armstead]

One of the many labels that GOP CONservatives use to demonize Democrats, liberals and "the left" is the claim that we are the side who wants to "redistribute wealth."

It's a code phrase for Commie, Socialist.

Democrats and the "left" want to take your hard earned money and give it to undeserving minority slugs on welfare. Democrats and the "left" want to take all the money from productive business leaders and the middle class and impoverish everyone by bringing them to the same level of misery.

Or, a slight variation, penalize productive people in the private sector, and reward the undeserving and pointy-headed bureaucrats.

This misinformation campaign has been largely successful in convincing many Americans that the Conservative/Liberal or GOP/Democratic political divide is all about the ability to keep the money you earn. "Those nasty liberals want to steal your money and leave you broke, The GOP will protect your assets and keep money in the private sector."

That is, of course, a lot of hogwash on many levels.

First of all, the basic nature and purpose of any working economic system is the redistribution of wealth. Whenever you buy or sell something, you are redistributing wealth. So, it is not a matter of one side being for redistribution and the other against it.

The real question is HOW wealth is redistributed, and to whom.

In a nutshell, conservatives want to allow the inherent impartial unfairness of the universe to determine how wealth is redistributed. It is a form of cruel fatalism. The strong deserve to receive wealth, while the weak deserve to receive misery. They forget about such things as the arbitrariness of birth, physical and mental assets, social systems and the other factors that push toward inequality. And by so doing, they encourage inequality.

Liberals and "the left" on the other hand, believe that we as members of society have the power to challenge the inherent unfairness of life. Liberalism is about the idea that we are able to create conditions that enable more people to live better, and to overcome artificial obstacles such as class, race and poverty. We also believe that it is necessary to have a balance to ensure that hard work IS rewarded, through fair wages and other aspects of economic justice.

Thus in a nutshell, liberals do believe in redistribution of wealth. So do conservatives. But the core difference is that liberals believe an economy and public policies should improve the lives for as many people as possible, while conservatives believe that a larger number should suffer so that a few can benefit more.

Therefore, the conclusion is that -- except for a very tiny percentage of the population -- liberalism is self interest for the vast majority of people in the lower and middle class. It is even in the interests of most people who are in the upper classes (at least those who are not pathologically greedy).

So how -- without having to make such a long-winded case all the time -- can Democrats and the progressive left come up with ways to counter the GOP lie about "redistribution" and turn it against them?

This, IMO, is a fundamental political and social challenge today.

[n2doc]

1. We are borrowing money and giving it to the rich

By running a gigantic deficit each year and cutting taxes primarily for the wealthy, we all are subsidizing them. The elimination of the estate tax is another huge subsidy for the rich as it is not paid for with any cuts, just more borrowing.

[Armstead]

2. That's part of the much larger framework

IMO the whole difference includes those issues within the context of overall political positions and basic social values.

The redistribution you mentioned should be considered outrageous by almost everyone as an affront to common sense and commo0n decency.

The fact that there is not widespread outrage shows how far we've gone in the wrong direction.

[niceypoo]

3. Republicans are taking from the middle and lower class...

and redistributing it to the rich in the form of supply side economics. Oh, and by the way, supply side economics is NOT capitalism.

[Armstead]

4. How to get that across though?

[bobbolink]

5. You're so right. Now, do you hear any Dems coming close to saying this?

Nope.

Slim to none chance of it.

They have plenty of resources (Lakoff, etc) that they could have learned before this to regain their edge.

For whatever reason (and wouldn't we love to know that reason?!), they chose not to.

:shrug:

[Armstead]

8. Yes, if the Dems would start going for the core of it....

I believe they could wipe the floor with the GOP.

But so far...

[bobbolink]

10. It leaves one to wonder what the agenda truly is.

Certainly the DLC was geared towards cutting people out of the party.

What's happening now is more of a question.

Corporative ownership?

That's the only thing I can guess.

[Armstead]

11. A combination, methinks

Some of it is timidity. The left side of the spectrum turned tail and ran in the later 70's and 80's, as the GOP successfully tarnished the image of liberalism. Instead of fighting that and defending liberalism, too many in the Democratic establishment became reactivem and allowed the GOP to set the terms and debate.

Also, some centrist Democrats are corporatists.

[bobbolink]

12. You may be right, but I don't know that it's so much "turned tail

and ran" (that image always makes me chuckle...:) ) as much as letting the DLC gain so much power.

You may be right, but I'm not so sure that Kennedy and the CBC and those became more timid. I think they got outshouted by the corporatist. Certainly, those of us who consider ourselves "left" aren't timid! :hi: Actually, one only has to read a small amount here on DU to see the vilification HERE of us on the left. :(

At any rate, we're now in a mess, and it's going to take a lot of committed work to get the citizens to understand what liberals have added to their lives. I don't see that happening, yet.

At any rate, those who were chased off by the DLC need to be reassured that we are, indeed, welcome back into the party. I've compared notes with too many people to not be aware that there was actually a move to get rid of us!

[kineneb]

6. GOP: The Reverse Robin Hoods!

Give to the Rich and steal from the Poor. A Republican Family Value.

Or:

-If you are hungry and homeless, thank a Republican.
-Lost your job to Bangelore? Thank the Republicans.

...and so on. We just need to make up the correctly worded bumper sticker slogans. Be creative.

[Armstead]

7. GOP Takes from You and Gives to Them

Well, it's a start

[eccles12]

9. Yes, yes, the Republicans re-distribute wealth, they just don't tell you.

They re-distribute wealth so that the rich get richer and poor get poorer.

[Vickers]

13. GOP Robber Barons: the re-concentration of wealth.

Just like the good old days! :eyes: