Letter to the Editor by Brian O’Donoghue
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
FORT LAUDERDALE
This article is in response to the July 28 column by Travis Rowley, “Patriots can save Rhode Island yet.”
“Patriots can save Rhode Island yet.” This is about the only truth in this whole article. But it begs the question: “How do you define a patriot?” Travis is apparently an angry young man. He managed to regurgitate just about every tired piece of Republican propaganda that one could think of in a single column. I’ll try to tell the truth in less space.
First, unions are not to blame. Think back to when they were strong; before Ronald Reagan ruined this country with his anti-worker, smaller-government mantra. Back when mothers did not have to work and when the American dream was attainable to a much greater portion of our working class than it is today.
Back in the ’70s I worked in Rhode Island in a non-union shop. Our salaries were comparable to union shops because my firm had to compete with the union shops for the best labor.
Yes, in those days unions helped everyone, even those who did not belong to a union. Over the last 30 years salaries (adjusted for inflation) of non-college educated workers have dropped. They have remained about the same for college-educated workers. This all occurred while the Republican Party ran amok with our economy and managed to weaken unions to the point that they could no longer help the wages of the rest of us because union workers became a smaller part of our work force — killing a major factor in allowing working folks to stay above water.
The Republicans often use Europe as an example of failed socialist policy. It only takes a trip to Europe to see how false that premise is. Yes, people may pay a higher percentage of their higher salaries in taxes, but a much higher proportion of those taxes go directly back to the people and not to unnecessary wars, military spending and tax breaks for the rich.
Have you noticed Europeans visiting this country for weeks on end? This is because they have laws that guarantee mandatory vacation time for all workers. Large portions of our work force do not receive any vacation — or sick leave, for that matter. What does that say about the greatest country in history?
Deficits: Republicans, during the “W” years would often say that deficits are not necessarily a bad thing. During periods of high deficits, entitlements are easier to eliminate. Over that last 30 years Republican presidents have increased our country’s deficit many times more than the few Democratic presidents. Reagan spent more than all previous presidents combined. Then Clinton came alone and balanced the budget and actually left office with a surplus. Then George W. Bush came along and spent more than Reagan did on two ridiculous unfunded wars, one of which was waged for fictitious reasons, and huge unfunded tax cuts for the wealthiest citizens.
Republicans do a masterful job in dividing the middle and lower class against each other. They have also done a great job in dividing the middle class between liberal and conservative. This is all a ploy to keep us weak against the real enemy — the corporate elite.
As long as they succeed with this strategy, they still have a chance to control us. Without this they go the way of the “Know Nothings.” They drive home the idea that the poor are driving us all to the poorhouse with all these entitlements.
That’s while the facts clearly show that it is the wealthy that benefited the most from our domestic economic policies of the last 30 years.
Bob McIntyre, an economist and director of the Washington-based Citizens for Tax Justice, found that in 2007 the bottom 60 percent of American households (with income of less than $50,000) benefited from government programs to a tune of $445 billion.
The top 20 percent (with income of over $85,000 per year) got a striking $539 billion in tax breaks. And the top 1 percent (with incomes above $450,000 a year) received $298 billion. This sheds new light on the welfare queens that they are always talking about.
Until the working class finally realizes what is really going on and unites against the real enemy, nothing will change.
The greatest redistribution of wealth in history took place over the last 30 years. When Ronald Reagan took office in 1981, the wealthiest 10 percent owned the same amount of wealth as the bottom 40 percent. As of 2008 the wealthiest 1 percent owned the same amount of wealth as the bottom 90 percent. What kind of conservative patriot would want to defend that kind of shift of wealth?
But they try.
Yes, this young man is no doubt dedicated to his ideology. And he does have an excellent grasp of right-wing talking points. It’s too bad that he hadn’t done his homework.
Brian O’Donoghue lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.