At last, America’s political leaders now feel the pain of the poor and empathize with the millions of working families slipping out of the middle class.
For years, politicians paid no attention to the ever-widening chasm between the rich and the rest of us. But it’s recently emerged as a central issue for such Republican presidential contenders as Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio. They’re publicly lamenting the wealth gap and – by golly – proposing solutions.
Specifically, their solution is to cut taxes on corporations and the rich, do away with environmental and labor protections, and cut or privatize government programs – from Head Start to Social Security – that ordinary people count on. Alas, though, the “solution” they’re proposing isn’t to help the downfallen. It’s to shill for the same corporate elites who’ve been knocking down the middle class and holding down the poor.
For example, Rubio , even though the need for it is greater than ever, and redirect that money into what he calls a subsidy for low-wage workers. That’s not a subsidy for workers. It’s a handout to low-wage employers.
Why should taxpayers subsidize the poverty pay of profitable giants like McDonald’s, rather than making them pay living wages?
I guess we should count it as progress that candidates are at least admitting that inequality is a problem. But come on – offering the same old failed, anti-government snake oil is an insult to the American people.
Jeb Bush shows how vacuous their flim-flammery is. To address the ever-widening wealth and income gap, he says that he’ll “celebrate success” and “cherish free enterprise.”
Gosh, what a comfort that’ll be to America’s hard-hit majority.
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We’ve borne witness to a chaotic first few months in Trump’s presidency.
Over the last months, each executive order has delivered shock and bewilderment — a core part of a strategy to make the right-wing turn feel inevitable and overwhelming. But, as organizer Sandra Avalos implored us to remember in Truthout last November, “Together, we are more powerful than Trump.”
Indeed, the Trump administration is pushing through executive orders, but — as we’ve reported at Truthout — many are in legal limbo and face court challenges from unions and civil rights groups. Efforts to quash anti-racist teaching and DEI programs are stalled by education faculty, staff, and students refusing to comply. And communities across the country are coming together to raise the alarm on ICE raids, inform neighbors of their civil rights, and protect each other in moving shows of solidarity.
It will be a long fight ahead. And as nonprofit movement media, Truthout plans to be there documenting and uplifting resistance.
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