Republicans want a "Grand Bargain"? OK, here it is

[Tom Rinaldo]

The overwhelming majority of Americans will continue to tolerate a tiny minority of self entitled elites hoarding vast sums of obscene personal wealth in return for an adaquate fully functioning economic safety net for the rest of us. Without that minimum guarentee, the Social Contract is Null and Void. Class warfare will no longer be waged exclusively on battlefields of the super wealthy's choosing.

Peace and stability comes with a price, and that is the price. Deal or No Deal?

[ewagner]

1. Interesting....n/t

[Tom Rinaldo]

2. "The Social Contract" used to be a term well understood in American politics

Most recently it was voided beyond redemption on the issue of race and the price came due during the 1960's. Society scrambled to update and re-instate it rather than face the full reprecussions of losing it. It is now voided on the issue of class and the reprecussions are coming due, rapidly.

[ewagner]

10. The original "Grand Bargain"

(as Robert Reich pointed out in his book, The Work of Nations, Knopf 1992), Government/Society, would provide an educated, reliable workforce and business would provide stable, living-wage jobs and build a solid middle class.

Business broke the deal....

they sent jobs over seas

they learned to make money through finance and not production

they enriched themselves at the expense of the laborers (race to the bottom...destroy the unions etc)

The created a need for the social safety net and now they're trying to destroy that too...in the Libertarian fantasy land, EVERYBODY is at the top of the food chain and if they are not it's because, they're too lazy, too stupid or made "bad choices"..(like not being born into a millionaire family?)

I never thought I'd see the class struggle come to this..but..

IT'S ON

[Tom Rinaldo]

12. "Business broke the deal". Yes they did.

That is, pun intended, the bottom line. And they are advancing their aggressive war in Michigan as we speak.

[plethoro]

3. Excellent post......................nft

dddddddddddd

[docgee]

4. If they would crack open a history book they would find out eventually that is ALWAYS the deal. nt

[Demeter]

6. Or the alternate ending

ala France, 1789, Russia 1917, China 1949, etc...

[We People]

5. K&R

[kcass1954]

7. Mr k keeps asking if I've sharpened my pitchfork.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

8. Here is MY idea of a "Grand Bargain"...

STFU Republicans or we declare "Supply Side" a failure and go back to the tax rates before we tried it.

70%

[starroute]

9. Obscene income inequality plus a social safety net is ***not*** acceptable

The only grand bargain I'd like to see would be one that reverses the trend whereby gains in productivity to exclusively to the already wealthy, while wages for everyone else flatline.

As has been pointed out repeatedly, if it weren't for income equality the Social Security Trust Fund would be in fine shape -- it's the unexpected number of people making well below the cap that throws off the calculations done in the 1980s.

And income inequality makes us all less happy, less secure, and less creative -- the rich as well as everyone else.

Plus which, as long as some hoard a disproportionate amount of the nation's wealth, everyone else will be poor and dependent -- meaning the bargain could be cancelled at any time the rich decide there are a few more pennies they could be scooping up.

So no -- bargain not accepted.

[Tom Rinaldo]

11. I had my "realist" hat on

As i stated, I think that is the grand bargain that the vast majority of Americans would accept - now. If the Super Wealthy know what's best for them, they would take it. Those terms too will become null and void if the class war procedes any further.