Thursday, January 26, 2012

Class Warfare Or Just Jealousy?

Jonathan Weiler: Mitt Romney and the Politics of Envy

...The growth in economic inequality and wealth concentration in America has become an ever more incontrovertible fact. Thanks in substantial measure to Occupy Wall Street, wealth distribution has made its long overdue entry into the mainstream of American political discourse. In response, Republicans in general and Mitt Romney in particular have fallen back on a single, simple "insight" to explain the traction of wealth distribution as a galvanizing political issue: envy.

In a recent interview, NBC's Matt Lauer asked Romney whether "anyone who questions the policies and practices of Wall Street and financial institutions, anyone who has questions about the distribution of wealth and power in this country is envious? Is it about jealousy or fairness?"...

3 comments:

billy pilgrim said...

it's not class warfare or jealousy.

it's a total lack of leadership!

o'bumble can't make the hard decisions. his narcissism makes him think he can smile, use his charm, spread a little pixie dust and all will be well with the world.

(there's a very good chance i'm 100% wrong)

Bob Harrison said...

No.You're right. That pixie dust doesn't work on the 1%ers or the GOPers either, but my attempted point was less about the idiots up the food chain and more about campaign rhetoric. I do care for either framing since presumes automatic villainy by anyone in either camp and I don't think that's the case.

Bob Harrison said...

Uh--"don't care" "it presumes" Damn I wish comments had an edit button.