Class Warfare

Boehner: Obama wrong to push 'class warfare'
By Tom Cohen, CNN
November 6, 2011 -- Updated 1548 GMT (2348 HKT)

Washington (CNN) -- House Speaker John Boehner says he and President Barack Obama have a "pretty good relationship," but he also criticized Obama for fomenting what Boehner called "class warfare" in the political debate over spending, taxes and job creation. 

In an interview broadcast Sunday on ABC's "This Week" program, Boehner defended Republican opposition to efforts by Obama and Democrats to increase taxes on wealthy Americans as part of deficit reduction and job creation measures.

"Come on. The top 1% paid 38% of income taxes in America," Boehner, R-Ohio, said in the interview taped Friday when asked about the persistent GOP stand against tax increases. "How much more do you want them to pay?"

Common Sense says "Really?"

Common Sense notes that class warfare isn't new.  Mr Obama certainly didn't invent it.  Don't think so?  Consider Warren Buffett's famous remark "There's class warfare, all right, but it's my class, the rich class, that's making war, and we're winning."


So the top 1% paid 38% of income taxes in America.  OK, but they control 48% of the wealth.  And the fact that they paid 38% of taxes says nothing about their tax rate.  Many many Americans have total tax rates well over 38%.


Common Sense notes that the distribution of wealth has become so skewed that social unrest and class warfare is inevitable.  Consider this:

That wealth is unevenly distributed in a free market society is to be expected.  But, when it becomes this skewed as a result of long term structural inequality social unrest invariably occurs.  Common Sense thinks that ultimately that is what the Occupy movement is all about.  


Mr Boehner and many radical conservatives fail to realize that the essence of democracy is fairness, that democracy depends on the govern believing that society and government is reasonably fair.  Sadly, that is no longer the case in contemporary America.  While that remains so, class warfare and civil unrest are inevitable.  That's unfortunately common sense.

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• Elizabeth Warren Rips GOP 'Class Warfare' Charge (VIDEO) (blippitt.com)