Let Them Eat Cake!

Dear Madame L,

I get it that people like me don't want to have their taxes raised, and I get it that many of the working poor pay little or no payroll taxes, but what I don't get is why the Republicans are so opposed to getting rid of tax cuts for the wealthy. 

I mean, of course I get one part of it: These politicians depend on campaign contributions and junkets from their rich friends and can't afford to bite the hands that feed them.

I guess what I don't get is the hypocrisy with which they are now calling for raising taxes on people like me.

Sincerely,

Can you explain?

Dear Reader,

Yes, unfortunately, Madame L thinks she has an explanation for this hypocrisy: It is the same assumption that we have been seeing so much lately in American politics: that we, the unwashed masses, so to speak, are all fairly dumb or forgetful, or perhaps somewhat hypocritical, ourselves. 

Also, Madame L suspects some Republican politicians would oppose any idea, even an idea they used to support, even an idea they originally proposed, just because Pres. Obama supports it.

Madame L has met people who support so-called "Tea Party" ideas about lowering taxes and reducing government, who have time to attend Tea Party rallies and anti-progressive rallies because they are living on Social Security and who have earned a decent living before retirement because of the advances of the U.S. labor movement. Hypocrisy? Or pure ignorance? Madame L doesn't know.

But Madame L is not surprised to learn that Tea Party Republicans are now calling for increasing taxes on poor people while maintaining cuts for the wealthy. 

Madame L doesn't agree with their argument that low taxes for "job-creators" will spur hiring and increase investment in American companies. And you know why Madame L doesn't agree with that argument? It's simply because it has never been borne out by the facts. Never. And particularly not in the past two years, when tax rates for the rich are low, corporate profits are very high, and job creation has been almost zero.

Madame L would almost call this class warfare. No, Madame L would DEFINITELY call this class warfare.

And Madame L wonders if we deserve to be thought of as ignorant and/or stupid. Madame L hopes the Tea Party and Republican leaders don't really represent the actual views of their constituents. 

Good luck to you and all of us,

Madame L