FEELING NO PAIN

Capitalism is the legitimate racket of the ruling class. ~ Al Capone, American mobster of the 1920s and 1930.

Can somebody explain to me why economic austerity measures must always be shouldered by the working class and poor? Why is it that the captains of industry, the wealthy and the politicians are not asked to tighten their belts in tough economic times?

Since the current economic downturn began in 2008, the income of America's wealthiest one (1%) percent (who control 40% of America's wealth) has grown appreciably each year over the year before. Consumption and demand for goods among people living in that group has never dipped in terms of actual dollars spent or percentage of income. Only their tax burden has decreased. Yet, to hear right-wing politicians speak, that group is being unfairly targeted by Democrats who want to increase taxes on the wealthy in order to return our Nation's economy back to a healthy state.

What's wrong with asking the wealthy to share the pain that the rest of America has been feeling for several years now? After all, it wasn't the working class or poor who tanked the economy in the first place. Workers and the poor didn't ship American jobs overseas! Workers and the poor didn't rob pension funds, bankrupt companies, manipulate the banking system and drive the stock market to ruin. After the economy crashed, workers and the poor didn't collect million dollar bonuses. Millions of citizens who were evicted from homes and apartments didn't reap golden parachute severance packages or walk away with millions of dollars worth of stock options in their pocket. No! The people who shouldered the lion's share of work in America were the same individuals who felt the pain, and are still doing so. Only the wealthy avoid the pain. Al Capone was right. Talk about a racket!