Quote of the Day: “Class warfare. War on teachers. War on business. War in America?”
Our political Quote of the Day comes from a must-read-in-full column in The Christian Science Monitor titled “Class warfare. War on teachers. War on business. War in America?” by Jeremy Shapiro, psychologist and director of YouCutTheBudget.com. Here are a few chunks from it:
It is a common observation that American political discourse has become rife with hyperbole and hostility. Fierce partisans on both the left and right, not content to simply point out errors in each others’ reasoning, frequently accuse each other of outright malevolence. This enraged tone is epitomized by the frequency with which policies and proposals are said to represent “wars” on various innocent sectors of society.
While the “war” metaphor may win media coverage and rile voters, it prevents Americans from having the type of debate that could lead to more effective responses to our society’s problems.
The length of the following list of examples, which was culled from mainstream politicians and commentators using simple Google searches, illustrates the extent of this phenomenon.
The left accuses the right of waging:The right accuses the left of waging
War on the poor Class warfare
War on working people War on business
War on the middle class War on the middle class (yes, both)
War on immigrants War on savers
War on the family War on the family (again, both)
War on children War on marriage
War on the elderly War on the American way of life
War on public employees War on religion
War on teachers War on Christmas
It’s a miracle any of us are still alive! Taken at face value, this partisan rhetoric claims there are wars being waged against virtually all Americans, with most of us being attacked on multiple fronts. Obviously this rhetoric is absurd, but the war talk is worth delving into because it is absurd in specific ways that have serious consequences.Let us clarify what this particular war metaphor is not. It is different from the metaphor of war on social ills such as poverty, drugs, and terrorism. Warfare might be a simplistic model for these efforts, but we really do want to eliminate poverty, drug abuse, and terrorism, so in this sense, it is fair to say that we are waging war against them. However, the notion that any mainstream political faction is actually trying to harm the middle class, children, or the institution of marriage is not just simplistic but preposterous and grotesque.
The problem is not simply one of exaggeration. If it were, the distortion would be quantitative, but this distortion is qualitative. If partisans viewed their opponents as well intentioned but sadly mistaken in their beliefs, they could exaggerate by calling the other side uninformed, unreasonable, ignorant, stupid, or even idiotic.
The war metaphor means something different; it says opponents are not well intentioned but are engaged in a purposeful attempt to harm.
GO TO THE LINK to read the rest and read it in full.
4 Responses to “Quote of the Day: “Class warfare. War on teachers. War on business. War in America?””
It is a war.
It is war between the rich, the middle class, and, the poor.
It is a war the rich or the poor cannot win without the middle class.
I remember a statistical pole taken a few years back. I have no idea of it’s accuracy, but it said that 99% of America’s wealth is held by 3% of the population, but 20% of the population believe they are in that 3%. It also said that it is that exact 20% whom are most outspoken against Social Programs for the poor, not the genuine 3% rich. To this I can only say; That the effectiveness of propaganda is darn good in this country.
So if class warfare is what we are gearing up for, it’s going to be quite a learning experience all around, IMO.
Allen said, “99% of America’s wealth is held by 3% of the population, but 20% of the population believe they are in that 3%.”
I’m not addressing the percentages- just the belief around those 20% of Americans….
Yes, I think in most communities the people in the top 20% of income believe they are doing well. They are probably better off than their parents and most of the others in their community. Certainly someone earning $100,000 in Jackson, MS is much better off (buying power) than someone in Manhattan or SF earning $100,000.
So when I hear politicians say something nebulous such as “raise the taxes on the rich” I cringe. However when Obama came out and said, “raise the taxes on those earning over $1,000,000″ I was happy because there was a set amount and people could determine objectively whether they would fall into that particular “rich” category or not.
Perhaps the writer is comfortable in his career and financial life and prospects, in which case it is more likely to seem hyperbole and rhetoric than real. To those many Americans who are are suffering and struggling, I can assure you that not only is the word, “war” unexaggerated, but it seems like a war they have no chance of winning. This is not an abstract concept for writers to play with, it is a reality. If and when congress shows some genuine (that is the key word) dedication to resolving the issues that crop up related to class warfare, then it will be time to stop using the word. Until then, expect to continue seeing it.
Part and parcel of how we conduct politics in this country. We don’t discuss issues so much as accuse the “other side” of being bad people who are out of destroy the country. As usual, I blame the two party system.