Teaser: How do you choose to treat an enemy who just got hurt. Do you gloat? Do you laugh? Do you pile on while they are down? Do you try to make it hurt more so they learn their lesson? Or when they go low – do we go high?
Today’s podcast I think that class just Trumped Whiteness or Whiteness may have just been crucified at the altar of the rich.
Today we will talk about:
How Trump used the notion of Whiteness as being under attack and was in need of rescue to position himself for this moment
What just happened how did the White working class just Lost Hard with the Tax Reform Bill – just like I predicted it would
Now what?
Welcome back to the podcast! I actually had written two other podcasts before this one but I am so discouraged and distraught with the senate passing the GOP tax reform bill, I had to write something today and get it out for tomorrow.
As far as the podcast goes I have the ability and am awaiting the means to start advertising again a bit more. Which should be interesting, I think this will be the one I push a bit so if you are a new listener welcome. If you have been a longtime loyal listener thank you for your continued support and listens. Please remember you can email me at inclusiveactivism@cox.net or leave me a voicemail at 860-576-9393. I would love to hear your thoughts!
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So checking in on my Activism:
Went to Aire Libre Elementary school to talk about the cost of violence and anger associated with Labels – expound
In talks with North Canyon High school to do some work with Nonviolent Communication as a means to understand with and find new avenues to dialog with others
Was the MC at a screening of More than a Word with Special Guest Amanda Blackhorse and Jacob Meders – got to meet one of my heroes in person
Also got recognized by a few different grad teacher for a good job that night and that felt good.
Closed the Month of gratitude
Saw the effects in my Emerging Leaders Students which was deeply gratifying.
Self Care:
Lift X3 a week which was great considering I have been sick all week!
Got no Cardio done this week which is a concern that is one of the areas that for some reason I am allowing to slack even knowing that I have a bit of high blood pressure already I need to get back on that again soon
And Meditated for 3X for at least 10-15 mins and will need to get another day in
I am well on the road to recovery from what I am guessing was a muted flu this past week so that is postive
So on to the podcast for today! How the white working class just got sacrifed at the altar of the rich.
First thing: So first how did we get here. Trump really played the working class white people in this country – and to me working class does NOT mean poor – it does not mean middle class, it means basically anyone below the 80% that would mean anyone making $500,000 and below. If you make below that amount these were the groups specifically targeted by Trump in his bid to get elected in the 2016 presidential campaign.
The targeting of working class whiteness was intentional and specific. There is no doubt the world is changing and changing pretty fast right now. Before it was a given that you could buy a home, that you could raise a family, and even send your children off for the opportunity for higher education with one person’s income – especially – statistically speaking if you were a white man – and even moreso a decade or two ago!
Now that is changing radically and the reason for that chance is more and more socio-economic class is creating a have and have not society. Right now the middle class is designated to make between $42K and $125K per year 50% of people fall into this area here.. That would be for a family of three. To be considered upper middle class make 100K – 150K. Upper class which is 14% would make 200K and higher. Lower Middle class would be $18,871 – $47,177 per year for a family of three. Below $18,871 is poverty level 14% of people live here.
But it is important to note 90% of us make below the top 10% which is well over a million dollars earned in a year that is 3,227,620 of us. Of that 1% of us 322,762 make 8 million a year.
That means 20% of us 6,455,240 own 83% of all total wealth in America. And the rest of us $316,306,778 fight and compete for the 17% wealth left. And we are somehow totally ok with that idea because the notion of meritocracy exists.
This notion of meritocracy means that you work for and get what you earn. So either 80% of all of us are lazy as shit – or the game is rigged.
So I think working class whites might feel the game is rigged – but because of this notion of we get what we work for exists. We think the problem comes from the fact we must be getting beat out by the rest of the 80% of us fighting over that 17% of wealth left.
So Trump used that notion of meritocracy to act like it was the immigrant, the undocumented person, the refugee, or terrorists. Or black welfare, or Free Loaders or people of Food Stamps that were the problem those assholes are why we are still poor!
How can that be you are looking at the person with NOTHING and are thinking their existence is the thing keeping you from success?!? While we are ultra aware of the rich and all their opulence being all around us all the time.
Still because we feel the rich earned it, we leave them alone – and Trump allowed us all 80% of us to turn on each other. Black, Mexican, LGBT, and Whites as long as you were working class you were a part of the problem – it is was not Trump alone where that idea came from! Deomcrats can tend to demonize “stupid”, “uneducated”, “cis”, “hetero” and “white” working people for not knowing they are being taken advantage of….
If I need help I don’t need to be blamed – I need to point to the source of the problem! Social Class!
Second: How does this tax bill sacrifice the working class for the benefit of the ultra rich top 5%?
So there are tax cuts in this bill to the tune of $32,000 per person for the richest one per cent, for the top 0.1% those – already super rich people will get a tax cut of $208K per year – now even if every one of them hire two people with those tax savings (benefits cost a ton of money so I’m guessing salary at 60K plus 40K in benefits) that would only be 6 million jobs. NOT ENOUGH FOR 326 million of us!!
This tax cut for these people will cost 1.5 trillion dollars. This is for people who are ALREADY RICH!
If you make less than 75K per year you will be seeing a tax hike. And if this is supposed to be budget neutral that means if you make less that 75K per year – well buster you are paying for this “tax cut”.
This will hurt people with retirement benefits: Because the plan proposes to add at least $1.5 trillion to the national debt, fiscal conservatives say the imbalance needs to be offset by either cuts of “entitlement” programs like Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid or tax increases
The GOP Plan Would Really Raise Taxes for Middle Class Over Time. President Trump and his GOP allies have been crowing about how middle class families will receive a tax cut in their plan.
The truth is obscured by the fact that several tax breaks — like personal exemptions and property tax write-offs — are cut or limited
Moreover, whatever meager personal cuts are proposed now go away in the future to pay for huge rate reductions for global corporations and the ultra-wealthy. Here’s Catherine Rampell in the Washington Post:
“Republican leaders keep claiming the bill focuses on helping the middle class. But voters are already catching on to the fact that the biggest tax cuts go to the wealthiest.
Lately the public has learned that the Senate bill will actually raise taxes for households making less than $75,000 by 2027, relative to current law. Yes you read that right. And it’s true even if you don’t count the bill’s changes to Obamacare.”
Graduate students and families paying off college debt see whatever modest tax breaks vanish. That will further mushroom the outrageous cost of college.
Instead of giving families tax credits for college bills and nursing/home care bills, they pay more out of pocket while the estate and alternative minimum tax on the ultra-affluent disappear.
And on health care, the GOP tax reform template would cause millions to lose their health coverage or pay more, according to a fresh analysis from the AARP Public Policy Institute:
— People ages 50 to 64 would face average premium increases of up to $1,500 in 2019 as a result of the bill, the AARP study found.
This bill is slated to add to the deficit and it is going need to be paid for by Working Class People of all backgrounds – if you make below 200K a year this is bad news for you.
Additionally what will be the repercussion of those who NEED to spend their money for basic substance 50% of us JUST LOST MONEY. And the people who got those most – who don’t need to spend it got the most money. Where will the new spending come from, people who don’t need to spend it already?
If there is no new demand supply backs up – which is why if you want to stimulate an economy you do it with the people who need to spend it rather than waste it on who can save it.
Trump just turned of the very people he counts on to get them elected – the question is as inclusive activists can we help them notice they just got screwed with care and compassion.
Lastly – this could be a major turning point. Pretty much all working class people are going to get hurt by this bill. And as of this podcasts posting the senate bill just pass – the house is going to rubber stamp this f-er as fast as possible.
I think there is too much smoke with this Muller investigation and there are so many GOP problems with pedophiles (not that the Dems are doing much better on this issue) with Russia, with a clear misunderstanding how compling onto the problem of social class more and more and more that this is a really bad omen.
Now what? Will be blame the people who got suckered? After all they voted for the rich guy – the guy that has always been rich his whole life to help the beleaguered working class.
They turned to the guy who doesn’t pay his contractors for services delivered and jams them up in court with his high priced lawyers knowing that they cannot fight and will need to give up move on or go bankrupt.
The white working class block that voted for Trump just got hammered. Was it a stupid move to trust this guy on their part – sure it was. Did we tell them so – f yeah we did. But how will we choose to react right now in this moment of betrayal?
All of us non-cis hetero white rich citizen English speaking able bodied non-hypenated Americans know EXACTLY what it feels like to be ripped off, lied to, taken advantage of, and have been victims of an oppressive system, We know that pain and we understand that fear – really and truly.
How will be act – will we gloat, and posture. We well let them know just exactly how stupid they were, or how we tried over and over again to tell them SO – WE TOLD YOU SO
Or will we see our fellow human – ass in the dust, knocked the fuck out by their champion, turned on, betrayed, and humiliated and offer them a hand up. Will we welcome them in – knowing white is still a measure of diversity – even if overvalued by social hierarchy. And take this pivotal opportunity to make a friend.
That my friend is up to you! I know my stance – this can be an opportunity – don’t make me say I told you so
So in review major points of this podcast were:
- How Trump used working class white people to get elected by manipulating oddly enough white fragility
- How this bill just hurt non-working class people and just how bad they got screwed
- How will we act, and what will we do now?
SO if this made you think something, if you have a question or even more shocking a critique let me know. You can call me at 860-576-9393
This space is a place to talk back ask me questions, hit me with scenarios of how to react to situations real time. Depending on how good your stuff is I will give it my “first take response” or if it’s good it might be a future podcast!
Also as always if you’re interested in booking me to bring the power of inclusive activism to your organization you can always do so at inclusiveactivism@cox.net or you can learn more about this organization at www.inclusiveactivism.com