What are some of the root causes of the wealth disparity in America? How is this so huge, yet such a phantasm in the mindset of the average American. An American that is slipping out of the middle class and struggling at an alarmingly accelerated rate. To understand this question, one must understand a core philosophical economic underpinning of the Conservative movement. Supply Side Economics, aka “Trickle-Down Economics” has been sold to the American public for the last 50 years. Its results have been spectacular for the upper echelon of society. Even so, the social contract implicitly contrived via this philosophy has been an utter failure.
Neo-Victorian Ideologies gives a framework to understanding the mindset driving the desire to implement Supply Side Economics. At face value, the Larry Kudlow’s of the world sell this economic philosophy via traditional media outlets. Its stated desire is to create greater GDP through the acceleration of wealth to the “Job Creators” of the US. A pragmatic understanding of this is that Supply Side Economics believes in Bourgeois altruism. “Trickle-Down Economics” is truly an economic model that advocates massive wealth on the top; to better create wealth for the masses within society. In doing so, through the lens of history, we see that this Conservative ideology is harking back to fantasies of a bygone era. Looking at the Robber Barons of the world, Conservative Economists believe economic expansion can only be achieved through the accumulation of wealth in the power elite, which in turn move the cogs of the economy. Rockefeller’s, Carnegie’s, JP Morgan’s are seen as utter heroes devoid of any social ills created by this societal model. 1865-1929 is the golden age attempting to be re-achieved by the Conservative power-elite within the United States. Post 1929 lessons of depression resulting from this model are sorely ignored.
On the coattails of anti-communist propaganda & an ailing economy in the 1970’s the Republican Party took the banner of Supply Side Economics as the means to economic salvation. The Reagan Revolution and his “Reaganomics” built a framework of massive salesmanship to this end. Supply Side Reaganomics brought wanton disregard to Keynesian Economic Theory while implementing it fully in a matter of realpolitik. Low corporate tax rates and rates for the wealthy were seen as crucial to jump-starting the American Economy wavering from a failed decade of Vietnam and the OPEC Cartel. Deregulation was seen as essential to lowering the barriers of overhead costs. All this was sold while the Republican Executive Branch under Ronald Reagan began a massive debt-driven spending campaign. This fueled the economic expansion (at the expense of future suffering that we experience now).
Conservatives have ridden high on the idealism of the Trickle-Down Economy. It’s still being propagated today on the idealism of the Reagan Era. Unfortunately, the 21st century has proven this economic model to be an utter failure. Today we have a shut-down government with impending debt ceiling due dates. Without increasing this massive amount of debt to fund the government, the US will go into default for the first time in American history. The Economic and Political cost will be tremendous. Real wages have been stagnant since the Reagan Era. The elite have siphoned more and more wealth to the top echelons of society while the Middle Class is dwindling. All while the least of these are accused of leeching from society and require a dismantling of the social safety-net. Throughout this historical economic reality of politics, quality jobs have disappeared. The masses of tax paying citizens have been stripped of economic power to better their lives. Debt instruments are sold at a predatory level. Usury as a concept is now non-existent. Again, the least of these, with the least education and power, are left with the most predatory economic framework. How else can you explain the proliferation of Payday Loans.
When explained this way, it seems utterly outrageous that this has been allowed to occur. The United States of America has had a silent coup by an economic Oligarchy. Through corporate welfare, offshore accounts, and tax havens, this wealth is not seeing the recycling into the greater economy. Half the voting population actually votes in an election if the United States is lucky. Of this half, half of these voters are blindly loyal to the Republican party that is selling most of them short for the gain of their big silent donors. It seems insane but this is the reality of today. The Tea-Party is classic in its foundation and machinations. Extremism in the name of personal freedom and liberty is a big money front from these silent economic oligarchs. Of the political realities created by the Tea-Party, the Rich are the only ones poised to gain. The poor fend for themselves, and the middle-class will destroy itself from within grasping for the dream of economic success.
Compounding this economic reality is the political reality facing this country: through the Conservative uptick beginning with the Reagan Era. The Executive, Legislative, & Judicial branches of Government have been inundated with Conservatives over the past few decades. This has given undue political advantage via gerrymandering and judicial review. The crux of this is the Citizens United case. If all of this was not enough, unlimited non-transparent funds are allowed to flood political campaigns. This has in effect legalized money as speech and has instituted a new era of legalized corruption.
So, trickle me this! What do we do?! Are we absolutely screwed? Has the oligarchy won and have already taken over? NO! We must unite through the power of the information age. The 1st amendment in its freedoms of speech, press, assembly must not be infringed. Those that want to institute a Theocratic political system via the “Christian Nation” belief cannot be allowed to reinforce the demands of Conservatives. This is a little cryptic at the moment, but future blog posts will enlighten the correlation between wealth disparity and religious fundamentalism.
Utilizing information technologies, we must disseminate scientific logic and reason to the masses. We cannot waiver in our belief in Truth and the foundations of the Deistic Constitution. Tyranny was reason for revolution. We cannot be economically enslaved any longer. This is by no means a call to action for revolution. This is not a call to dictatorship or communistic despotism. This is a call for the US populace to stand up together for a more egalitarian society. Economic diversification is the sole means to economic prosperity and stability. This concept is no different within the political economy. If anything can be done, the public must begin standing up against the theory of supply-side economics. If citizens cannot win the intellectual, ideological battle then all will be lost.