What Would America Be Like If The Top 1% Got Everything They Wanted?
It is not that hard to figure out what America’s top 1 percent want. A passing glance at contemporary history pretty much lays it all out. The donor class wants to exempt their businesses from all government regulations. And if they had their way, wouldn’t pay a dime in taxes.
Any attempts to predict exactly how America would look if the one-percent got their wish is pure speculation. But there are already trends that offer more than a few clues. They start with the explosive growth of income inequality in the wake of the 2008 financial market collapse. Since then, the middle class has shrunk further, poverty rates have grown, and more Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck.
The wealthiest Americans are under the impression that poor people live easy lives because of ‘government handouts.’ Yet anytime this argument comes up, those on the whining end fail to mention that the top 1 percent get a lot more ‘free stuff’ than lower income Americans.
About $59 billion is spent on traditional social welfare programs. $92 billion is spent on corporate subsidies. So, the government spent 50% more on corporate welfare than it did on food stamps and housing assistance in 2006.
Those numbers have only risen since then, and the effect on local governments is astonishing. A report by the New York Times revealed:
States, counties and cities are giving up more than $80 billion each year to companies. The beneficiaries come from virtually every corner of the corporate world, encompassing oil and coal conglomerates, technology and entertainment companies, banks and big-box retail chains.
It’s pretty obvious that the more the rich take from the government, the more everyone else is forced to struggle on less. And that is exactly how the donor class wants it. Look no further than the Koch brothers for all the proof you need. The Koch’s are using their billions to fund candidates that will do their bidding, and further rig the system in their favor.
Don’t like what America is becoming in a post-Citizens United world? Take some advice from President Barack Obama, “Don’t boo. Vote.”
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*** Maryann Tobin is the author of “Afterlife: The Journey Of A Dog’s Spirit”
This heartwarming story is told through the eyes of an animal spirit that has been sent back to earth in the body of a small dog. His mission is to help a young woman discover that their destinies are more connected to the powers of the Spirit World than either of them ever imagined. If you’ve ever shared your life with a dog or any other pet, you will never look at them the same way again after reading this book. Afterlife: The Journey of a Dog’s Spirit is available now on Amazon.com.
