The U.S. poverty rate has risen to 12.7 percent in the past year, adding more than 1.1 million more people to the ranks of those living in poverty — meaning that 37 million Americans are now in the poorest sector of society. Interestingly, the poorest areas of the nation are the south and the midwest. Why, may I ask, are these people still voting for Republicans who economically exploit them and sell their interests down the river in the name of big oil, war-mongering and half-cocked versions of “morality”?
Anyone else think it’s a coincidence that the last time the poverty rate fell was in 2000 — right before Our Great Leader took office?
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I suspect a lot of this might be due to the fact that the Democrats themselves have moved, as a party, to the right on economic issues. That has created political space for the GOP to create a narrative of being “just like” those voters and convincing them that what isn’t in their interest really is.
1.1 More Fall Below the Poverty Line
The Times continues the bad news day with the announcement of new poverty stats:While disappointed, the Bush administration — which has not seen a decline in poverty numbers since the president took office — said it was not surprised by
I think there are enough people willing to suffer economically as long as they feel they aren’t “socialists” or as long as teh gheys can’t get married.
“Why, may I ask, are these people still voting for Republicans who economically exploit them and sell their interests down the river in the name of big oil, war-mongering and half-cocked versions of “morality”?”
The short answer: they place a higher importance on their moral well-being than their economic well-being. All the wealth in the world won’t buy you a ticket out of Hell.
“We may be eating shrimp-n-salsa-flavored Ramen three times a day, but no exposed titty during the Super Bowl halftime show will go unpunished!”
Because nothing says getting into heaven like screwing over the poor. It’s right there in the Bible where Jesus said, “Fuck the poor. The strong shall inherit the earth.”
Its like when we had our Billionaires for Bush protest, there was a boy out at the counterprotest holding up a sign that said, “Im working class and I’m republican.” I still think about that with my mouth wide open.
Because no self-respecting man wants to be labelled a big ol’ woman like John Kerry.
(It hurt to type that.)
The short answer: they place a higher importance on their moral well-being than their economic well-being. All the wealth in the world won’t buy you a ticket out of Hell.
Feeding hatred of the other, self-satisfied chauvinism, and ignorance is moral?
As far as poverty goes, people who are under the official poverty line still vote Dem… but there is a struggling group who have a fingertip hold on being middle class, for instance, assistant managers at Pep Boys, Wal-Mart, etc., and the higher-ups in the corporation press the AMs to squeeze the employees for work off the time clock. And this group, not the actual poor, is voting GOP.
Of course, Linnaeus point is correct. What, really, do the Dems promise for the poor these days?
Because the media does its damnedest to make sure that we never put all the pieces together, as to how conservative policies ruin economies. Just listen closely – even now, they’re doing their best to cover up for the disaster of Bushco/Cheneyburton wrt looting the FEMA funds for NOLA these past years, and why aren’t there 20000 guardsment to send in like they did when florida was hit???
Economists in this country, except for a few liberal blogging ones, exist to lie with numbers to keep people confused and docile. The rest of the media posts nonstop on sharks, sports, American Idol, movie stars and whatever trivia of the moment can be used to keep the racket of noise drowning out thought.
Ray Bradbury described it all, in detail, in 1955.
they place a higher importance on their moral well-being than their economic well-being. All the wealth in the world won’t buy you a ticket out of Hell.
I wonder who will have the faster ticket out of Hell — the left-leaning community activist who helps put food on the table for poor families and who defends the humanity of immigrants, or the people in the Bush administration. Bottom line: morality is what you do, not how you vote. Checking the “Republican” box doesn’t buy you any Heaven points.
Others have already responded, but what exactly is moral about allowing the poor to starve, funding oil companies that destroy God’s earth (He did give us a responsiblity to care for it), and launching preemptive wars that have killed tens of thousands of people? Are women’s rights and marriage equality really the only two issues by which we measure one’s morality?
Short answer again: they don’t think of things the same way you think of them. Not surprisingly, this results in their drawing different conclusions concerning the intersection of politics and their personal views.