Suck it up whiners, Part XXIII
by digby
The right wingers love to portray themselves as the tough guy who are working three jobs and swimming in debt without complaint as the Real Americans, while lecturing those who are unable to find work or have the nerve to protest the greedheads on Wall Street as “whiners.” In fact, they’ve turned it into the “53%” mantra.
But who are the real whiners in our society? Well, before he cancelled his speech due to the possibility that he might not be feted like a conquering hero by the public, Eric Canter was going to step up and defend them:
There are politicians and others who want to demonize people that have earned success in certain sectors of our society. They claim that these people have now made enough, and haven’t paid their fair share. But, pitting Americans against one another tends to deflate the aspirational spirit of our people and fade the American dream. I believe that the most successful among us are positioned to use their talents to help grow our economy and give everyone a hand up the ladder and the dignity of a job. We should encourage them to extend their creativity and generosity to helping build the community infrastructure that provides a hand up and a fair shot to those less fortunate.
Instead of talking about a fair share or spending time trying to push those at the top down, elected leaders in Washington should be trying to ensure that everyone has a fair shot and the opportunity to earn success up the ladder. The goal shouldn’t be for everyone to meet in the middle of the ladder. We should want all people to be moving up and no one to be pulled down. How do we do that? It cannot simply be about wealth redistribution. You don’t just take from the guy at the top to give to the guy at the bottom and expect our problems to be solved.
He sounds like Dr Phil. Evidently, the GOP’s answer to income inequality is to lecture everyone about being nice to rich people because … we should want everyone to be nice. Or something.
Here’s the next generation of “successful” people we’re all supposed to be “nice” to just cuz — the Wharton business students to whom Cantor was scheduled to speak, standing in the balcony yelling down at the protesters:
The real whiners in our society are the insufferable masters of the Universe who behave as if they’ve been literally crucufied for being called on their selfishness and greed and act like psychopathic frat boys when confronted with their disgusting behavior. You’d think they’d be mature enough to just suck their thumbs and roll around in all that money to soothe themselves, but apparently not. We’re all required to love them for exploiting us. Or else.
Their deluded minions, the nasty “suck it up whiners” crowd, have made it quite clear that they are most concerned about those just below them on the ladder, the single moms and elderly and young people just getting started, who are the real problems. They must be forced to pay their “fair share” so that the wealthy little boys chanting in the video won’t get their little feelings hurt by being asked to pay what amounts to tip money when they make (or inherit) their millions. None of them have any intention of giving anyone a hand up or a fair shot. These “suck it up” thugs are supposed to do the wet work for the top 1% and push all those lazy single moms and poor minorities off the ladder completely. (I’m sure they’ll be kicked a little chump change for their trouble. Or get a nice pat on the head anyway.)
Me, I’m going to get rich myself and I’ll happily pay my taxes. I’ve just taken a long position in pitchfork futures because if this keeps up, I know it’s going to pay off.
Update: Also, too, these breathless little admonitions about “dividing people” is making me laugh. The right in this country is organized around dividing people between un-American and Real American and always has been. The divide between the rich and the poor is the only one they don’t acknowledge — although they’re happy to exploit it. On behalf of the rich, of course.
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