Posted by
FeargalX on Friday, January 02, 2009 6:07:18 PM
Class hatred, Federalists, Whigs and Republicans
On a recent Rush Limbaugh broadcast, Rush stated a point I have heard for the last 30 years: union members simply “get too much” when they retire.
Defined benefit pensions have literally existed for thousands of years. Humanity has always understood that as we get older, some of us are unable to continue to work, while others might be interested in pursuing family or hobby interests. Auto workers, like many other workers, have traditionally had defined benefits pensions. Like many police officers, and other public sector workers, after putting in 25 years pension benefits can rival what people earned while working full time.
I have heard countless “conservatives” including Rush state that it is unfair that someone should be able to retire at age 55. Why is that? What is wrong with that concept?
Some rich people retire at age 40 with a lot more money than auto workers or police officers. Why do “conservatives” single out auto workers and public sector workers for their earnings?
“Conservatives” could have an arguable point if benefits were going up for retired union workers – but they are not. In the past 30 years, union and public sector employees have been getting worse and worse benefits.
Why do conservatives target middle class retirees for criticism?
At the same time, these conservatives defend an SEC that does not regulate at all (it would interfere with markets) and they celebrate no-bid contracts to politically connected groups (like Blackwater) and justify the non-regulation of hedge funds involving people like Walter Noel and Bernard Madoff.
To “conservatives,” Noel and Madoff are creative people using skills – but an auto worker is a serf that should be replaced by Chinese slave labor.
Much of the Republican ideology (which is every bit as strong an ideology as strident Marxism) touts the Noel and Madoff type of people of this world. The typical response to those who question the value of these people is “class envy” and “jealousy.”
I have the experience of being around both working class people and Noel/Madoff people – nobody should be jealous of the idle rich with vapid values. Such people refuse to do any physical labor (how many fast food workers in Greenwich are from Greenwich – few) and ridicule those who have performed physical labor.
Madoff/Noel types offer nothing to society – they distort markets and hurt many middle class people who have pension funds tied up with their phony investment scams.
These people have helped seriously damage the Republican party (yes I know Madoff is a Democrat, and Noel is a Republican).
Read the detailed memos repeatedly sent to the SEC concerning Madoff/Noel. Nothing was done despite detailed reasoning that the funds were clearly a fraud.