Only higher taxes on the rich will save us from riots in the street

Did I miss a memo? When did this become the new talking point?

Is the strategy now to scare folks into supporting higher taxes, because I've seen a lot of this kind of rhetoric lately?

NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg:

Massachusetts Senate Candidate Elizabeth Warren:

Our own Alma:

Zbigniew Brzezinski on Morning Joe (no link):

Is this really where we are, or is this just rhetoric?

And, what does it say about liberal elites and their opinion of the "poor", if they think the "poor" are on the verge of riots?

To me, it's incredibly condescending. It calls their values into question and is borderline racist.

 

Hasn't that always been a talking point? That's one of the basic assumptions of the social contract: That we don't want to reach a point where the people who don't have just up and take from the people who do.

 

And we're close to a tipping point now? Really?

Give me a break. It's total BS.

 

I think it's a stretch to group Mika Sr.'s "social conflict" into that same collection of quotes.

And I don't buy the racism argument. I think "poor," I think Ozarks and Appalachia as much as I think Detroit and Cleveland.

 

No, we don't. Look around. In other countries, the boiling point is far lower.

You saw consistent, broad hints of it here, in the early '30s, with 25% UEP.

 

We can argue the policy proposal all day and night. But from a purely political standpoint, you have to give the president credit for delivering a direct shot this week. Finally.

 

No, we're not at a tipping point. But taxes aren't robbing people of incentive to work, either. It's natural for rhetoric to be pushed to the extremes.

 

Scarborough was talking about this a little bit this morning, indirectly. He thinks - and it's probably at least somewhat true - that we won't necessarily reach that tipping point because Americans still think that they can join the wealthy if they work hard. Or, if they can't, their children can.

 

A hungry man is an angry man.

The Welfare System was established to by the rich to keep the poor happy and content. We are not there yet, but keep pissing on the poor, and you might not like what you see.

Take away health care, jobs and food from these people, and something will happen. I'm not saying a civil war, but this will not be a nice place to live or everyone but 5% of all Americans (those with enough money to protect themselves). Hell, we have already started down the path.

I would be worried about those without forcefully taking from those who have something. Drugs make people do this, but it would be a shame if the greed of a few did it as well. If your children are starving, what are you going to do?

 

People in the '30s had their reasons why they cheered Dillinger, Pretty Boy, Baby Face, and Ma.

 

Probably around the same time the Republican governors received the memo to declare war on private-sector unions and blame them for all the financial troubles Wall Street caused. Their declaration of war on those of color and those in poverty strikes me as condescending and racist.

 

Periods of great wealth inequality are historically periods of great social unrest. Race has nothing to do with it.

How long ago were the riots in London? Month and a half?

Not much memory for current events here.