It's the 1% Doctrine, Stupid

[marmar]

Published on Monday, October 31, 2011 by CommonDreams.org

It's the 1% Doctrine, Stupid
The Failure of the “I Got Mine – and Yours, Too” Theory of Governance, And What’s Next?

by John Atcheson


As week seven of Occupy Wall Street dawns, much of the media and the establishment continue to act as if everything about the protests were an ineffable mystery.

Well, it’s really not that mysterious. To paraphrase James Carville yet again, it’s the 1% Doctrine, Stupid.

When 75% of the people support raising taxes on the rich, but their elected “representatives” won’t represent them, what else can people do, but take their grievances to the streets? And this is no isolated case: on issue after issue, elected "representatives" are ignoring the people’s wishes, choosing to represent the ultra-rich and corporations instead.

When government gives banks and Wall Street some $12.8 trillion of the taxpayer’s hard-earned money in direct funds, guarantees and near zero interest loans, and the fat cats turn around and spend it on bonuses and high-risk investments rather than fixing the real economy for the 99% who have been affected, don’t ask why people are angry. Especially when not a single bankster or speculator has been busted for a plethora of real crimes, while people lose their homes to improperly documented foreclosures. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/10/31-2

[xchrom]

1. recommend

[flamingdem]

2. The media ignored the "Tax the 1%" human sign done in San Francisco yesterday

That was a very clear message enough to be seen from a plane but they still can' "see" it huh

[GeorgeGist]

3. Channeling Cheney?

Maybe torture is justified.

[gussmith]

4. Clarify the Demands

It's that..."When government gives banks..." that needs to change. Equalize the burden instead of throwing in a comment that certain taxpayers need to pay more. Get rid of the loop holes, the subsidies, the special interest freebies. A losing argument is just to say "tax the rich more". The sound of it is inherently distasteful without addressing the reasons for inequity.