Redistribution of wealth is a right wing myth!

[less lee]

Saturday, September 25, 2010

The Monopolization of Wealth

I was more annoyed than a Libertarian who doesn’t have enough money to pay for parking in a private lot. It bugs me to no end when the right wing media uses a catch phrase that is erroneous and just plain wrong. For example: “The Redistribution of Wealth.” The couch potato dolt that watches Fox News and hears one of their pseudo-pundits utter that phrase automatically assumes it to be true. They think that Karl Marx authored the phrase. No sir re, bob! Actually, the origins of the phrase are unknown. A lot of early 20th Century economists, like the archconservative Henry C. Carey, used it. Originally the phrase was, “Distribution of wealth.” Right wing commentators changed it to make it more dramatic. Marx wanted the abolition of wealth. The more moderate liberals wanted “The Equal Distribution of Wealth” by Progressive Income Redistribution. The term, “Retribution of wealth” is just redundant. It grammatically does not make uncommon sense. Does the term imply that you blundered in distribution of wealth, so you have to do it over again? What? Maybe the right wing is implying Robin Hood. Taking from the rich to give to the poor? If they are, they better find a better phrase. There is the phrase, “Regressive redistribution Wealth” That implies, the monopolization of Wealth. Those righties! They so busy imitating the left that they forget about their elementary school education.
We are talking 20th Century here. Do you think it was free market advocates who created the philosophy that the fruits of profits are to be hoarded by Capitalists as a reward for their efforts? Do you think it was the works of Rudolf Rocker or Ayn Rand based on their secular economic theories? Ayn Rand was an atheist and so was Rocker. So where did the concept of capitalism came from?
Actually, it was a religious concept. It was the Protestant sect, the Calvinists, who believed that salvation is found through work. God blesses those who become wealthy. Another Protestant sect, the Unitarians, was the antithesis of the Calvinists. These were people who were getting sick of Calvinists’ rigidity; they were more liberal. Matter of fact, the Unitarians was the first to ordain a female priest. Ironically, in the 19th Century, they’d had in their midst, a pied piper for the Prosperity Gospel. Prosperity Gospel meant that God wanted you to be rich. He was the son of a Unitarian Minister, Horatio Alger. He studied at the Harvard Divinity School. He took a job at Unitarian church in 1864 then he had to resign due to having inappropriate relationship with teenage boys. (What is up with this right wing fixation with homosexuality? Even way back then, they were fooling around!) Well, Mr. Alger would write fictional stories about (sic) boys who would go from rags to riches. That was the leitmotif of most his stories. It was thus that the phrase, “Rugged Individual” was coined.
The only person who came close to using the phrase, “Redistribution of Wealth” was the British philosopher, Francis Bacon. He was quoted as saying, in the 19th century, “Above all things, good policy is to be used to that treasures and monies is a state. Be not gathering in a few hands. Money is muck! Not good except when it’s spread around.”
Here we are in 21st Century USA. The political right is trying to unite the religious Right, Neo-Conservatives, Paleo-conservatives, and Libertarians, the Militia movement, nationalists and States Rights advocates. This is not syncretism! This is muddied muck! When muck is wet, it’s useless! The institutional racism of the ruling class pays billions to political researchers for social engineering the masses. They created a fake populace movement called the “Tea Party” and pump phrases like, “Redistribution of Wealth” or “Common Sense” into their stupid heads. The difference between the Right and Left is that the Left tells the masses they are stupid, and the Right ingratiates and manipulates them. Let’s say they: Patronize the patriots. In private, the Right wing elitist laughs at the masses because he knows they are stupid. Consider what Karl Rove said about the Religious right.
The real issue is not the “Redistribution of Wealth.” That would be literally impossible. The rich hide their money. They yearn for the “Monopolization of Wealth.” There is no progressive conspiracy to enslave the Aryan ruling class! Obama isn’t a Socialist! Really!!!
What is so contradictory is that patriotism is based on collective action sacrifice, loyalty to the state, and volunteerism. Libertarianism, on the other hand, believes in the sovereignty of the individual and is opposed to any collective action, unless that action is brain surgery that would significantly enhance a Libertarian’s IQ. What does this mean? Rather than the act of a patriot serving his country, Right-wingers believe that the country must serve the rich!
I don’t know…call me old fashioned! But, paying taxes for social programs doesn’t bug me at all. Out of every dollar I am taxed, a penny and a half goes to social programs. Hmmm…No problem. However, my money going to Halliburton, or to mercenaries like, “Black water,”--yeah I have a big problem with that!
What the top 2% should realize is that the “Hoarding of Wealth” will only hurt them in the end. What liberal billionaires know is that public relations are vital to their well-being. If they act like reclusive tycoons in their ivory towers, they alienate the middle class and the poor. Conversely, when they make donations to schools and show up to soup kitchens occasionally, they are protected. Right wing billionaires are paranoid and vindictive. They are also latent racists. They have no social intercourse with the public outside their gates. Sound familiar? The only thing they lack is a moat filled with crocodiles. Why don’t they just pay their God damn taxes instead of investing billions into Right think tanks! Perhaps they need psychiatric help. They are obviously suffering from obsessive/compulsive disorder. They have a money addiction: They want more, more, MORE!! They have pills for those…don’t they??

[FiveGoodMen]

1. I would have said that redistribution of wealth is the primary right wing goal.

The myth is that they are not the primary beneficiaries of the redistribution. (Via bribes to Congress that tilt the playing field in their favor)