You brought up questions which needed to be brought up, and I thank you for doing so.Forgive me if my words seemed harsh - . . .
You brought up questions which needed to be brought up, and I thank you for doing so.Forgive me if my words seemed harsh - . . .
I think the feeling on the part of some conservatives is that at least some of the people who are the ‘other’ or who are partially excluded, don’t really try hard enough to make it in the mainstream system.They thought that Clintoncare would give their taxpayer dollars to aldulterers, drug users, gays, athiests, single mothers, etc. . .
That's exactly what I'm saying. They saw Clinton as a lazy person who would redistribute their money to other lazy people.I think the feeling on the part of some conservatives is that at least some of the people who are the ‘other’ or who are partially excluded, don’t really try hard enough to make it in the mainstream system.
And a goodly number of people expect poor people to . . . handle their insurance as competently as a bridge grandmaster, their expenditures as competently as a zen master.. . . who would redistribute their money to other lazy people.
I think the early 90s recession was when we started seeing a lot of these issues with jobs and health insurance. This was key in breaking the Nixon/Reagan coalition and forming today's Democratic coalition. However, this also lead to the rise of Pat Buchanan and Ross Perot.And a goodly number of people expect poor people to . . . handle their insurance as competently as a bridge grandmaster, their expenditures as competently as a zen master.
And it’s all individually based.
I have a heck of a hard time getting people to see the point that there are less middle-income and above jobs than there are people seeking such jobs. And that with the serious erosion of manufacturing + unions as source of middle-class jobs, not enough different somethings together has taken its place.
An exception is when I talk about the possibility of a slow-motion crisis of automation. Then people do often listen.
I place the start of the decline of the U.S. middle class in the early 1970s.I think the early 90s recession . . .
I place the start of the decline of the U.S. middle class in the early 1970s.
Yes, I tend to agree that Clinton should have focused on middle-class economics like a laser beam, and should have delivered on the middle-class tax cut he had promised in his campaign (instead of what did ask the rich to pay more, but was basically a deficit-reduction plan). . . instead of health care reform (deciding to leave that for his second term), . . .
But he had also promised health care reform.
Granted, but he also seemed to be able to recover from his mistakes in matter-of-fact fashion.. . . But then again Clinton often proved to be his own worst enemy, . . .
But once they did, the Clinton team should have made sure the budget deal (which was primarily deficit-reduction) included at least some aspect(s) which were clear-cut middle-class tax cuts.. . . They shouldn't have promised the tax cut, . . .