For 45 years people have bought into the Repigs culture war.

[Duncanpup]

And they once again fail to understand we should be fighting a class war instead.

[Skittles]

1. repukes know how easily manipulated conservatives are

the subjects change but the underlying sentiment remains the same:

“If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you.”
― Lyndon B. Johnson

[SheltieLover]

2. Absokutely correct!

[AmericaUnderSiege]

3. It gets confusing, with everything that overlaps.

I'm of the opinion that racism is the source of almost all our misery. We were doing superbly with Obama, but look how crazy these animals are going chasing down the nonexistent "DEI" bogeyman.

We see that it's the Russians pumping this craziness, but what's even beneath that? I really think it's oil. Fossil fuels. The raw power is gives some people. Address that and we address class by default.

[Walleye]

5. Also misogyny. Sometimes it's subtle, but it's always a driving force.

[AmericaUnderSiege]

6. For sure, corruption is tangled with other corruption.

You pull the thread and things start unraveling. But this country, especially in the political classes, racism is the one to pick. Because of the compromises of our formation, our government is full of unreconstructed racists: People who wouldn't even be tolerated in normal society if they weren't rich. Pull on that thread.

[Walleye]

13. My feeling is that racism could not exist without misogyny

[BobsYourUncle]

12. I knew a Korean War veteran who told his daughter

that he “just can’t vote for a woman for president.” in ‘16, so he voted for TSF! Never missed a vote in his life. I am sure there was some of that affecting Kamala’s loss. Did I miss any discussion about this?

[Walleye]

14. I'm positive that's the reason we've never had a woman for president. Many people in this country think the president

Is the ultimate macho position. In the movie about Nixon, John Dean says they were “at the top of macho Mountain”.

[HarryM]

4. And it was started by

none other than Ronnie Rat Raygun

[benfranklin1776]

7. Absolutely ✊🏼

As Doctor King recognized, poverty caused by the psychopathic hoarding of wealth at the expense of those who helped create it is the single greatest driver of poverty, and the common enemy of all people who should unite to defeat it, no matter their race or creed.

[Walleye]

15. "Psychopathic hoarding" that's exactly what's happening here

Old stacks of newspapers or billions of dollars it’s the same disease

[benfranklin1776]

16. Yes as Abraham Lincoln described it:

The same old serpent.

“You will find that all the arguments in favor of king-craft were of this class; they always bestrode the necks of the people, not that they wanted to do it, but because the people were better off for being ridden. That is their argument, and this argument of the Judge is the same old serpent that says you work and I eat, you toil and I will enjoy the fruits of it.

"Turn it whatever way you will---whether it come from the mouth of a King, an excuse for enslaving the people of his country, or from the mouth of men of one race as a reason for enslaving the men of another race, it is all the same old serpent." -- Abraham Lincoln. Speech at Chicago, Illinois | July 10, 1858

[Walleye]

17. Great quote. I wish we had more people who could think and speak clearly like that

[benfranklin1776]

19. Me too although our Lincolns and Kings are out there

People like Bernie, AOC, Jasmine Crockett, Maxwell Frost and many others who do not as yet hold office. And they are giving their best full measure of devotion to stop this destruction of our democracy and to rebuild a better America in which everyone shares the blessings of their labors and true justice. Their words and ideas will break through just as Lincoln’s did! ✊🏼

[Martin Eden]

8. Repigs have been waging -- and winning -- a class war for 45 years

Now they're coming after the Social Security and Medicare we've already paid for with paycheck deductions our entire working lives.

Comforting the rich while afflicting the poor, the sick, and the elderly is the "Christian" thing to do, right?

[no_hypocrisy]

9. Part of their "success" starting with Reagan was

they got Baby Boomers to switch their addiction from drugs and alcohol to wealth and power.

The Middle Class in 1980 was doing fine. Inflation was a solvable problem. But Reagan promised his programs would enhance financial security and prowess beyond the New Deal. And the voters bought it.

[underpants]

11. "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous" seems like psy-ops now

When I joined DU there was a regular column called “Ask Auntie Pinko”. The first one I saw was “Dear Auntie Pinko, if I vote Republican will I become rich?”

[Lonestarblue]

10. An interesting book to read on class is Isabel Wilkerson's book, Caste.

I think I need to re-read it.

[maxrandb]

18. They have committed the greatest scam in American history

They convinced a large number of Middle Class Americans, making $48K-$50K a year, with shit wages, no pensions, bullshit benefits and zero labor protections, that there true enemy was their fellow Middle Class Americans making $50K-$52K a year, with less shitty wages, a modest pension, barely passable benefits and minor labor protections.

It's why a large segment of the Middle Class are gleeful to see Civil Servants get screwed.

If they ever start questioning why their wages, pensions, benefits and labor protections suck so much, instead of being pissed at their neighbors that are just barely doing marginally better than they are, the trickle-down bullshit that has been shoved up the American Middle classes ass for 50 fucking years, collapses like a house of cards.

Their idea of workplace standards is; everyone should get as fucked over as I do.

That's their idea of fairness.

It's bad enough that these Middle Class Americans, that enjoy some modest labor benefits, have to fight the billionaires and corporate America. It's criminal that they also need to fight 10s of millions of their fellow Middle Class Americans.

I have a pension and benefits from 30 years in the military. You'd be shocked at the number of my neighbors that consider me a "Lucky Ducky".

[JustAnotherGen]

20. I think we've fought the class war

But lost.

Culture is where it is at. Sell a lifestyle and ideal and see where the chips fall.

Culture can include class.

We need to portray Maga as 'welfare kings and queens' who want the government to hand them everything on a silver platter.
We need to portray them as Entitled. Not selfish, but as entitled people who don't want to work hard for anything.
Lazy - unable to lift a finger to help themselves.
Controlling.
UnAmerican - for enemies.

[Tickle]

21. My brother was not supposed to

collect all of his social security, he just got a $3300 check as back pay and every third Wednesday of the month he'll be getting a SS check. He started working for the post office in the 70s and was grandfathered in when they started changing the retirement plans. Oh, and he lives in Florida. Loves Trump

[Zambero]

22. The Social Security Fairness Act

was signed into law over a year ago by President Biden. It did away with the so-called "windfall" provision which penalized individuals who had paid into Social Security for an extended period of time and subsequently enrolled into another federal retirement system. The new law signed by Biden is effective this month. Your brother and others may attribute the back pay and future SS checks to Trump, but they would be mistaken.

[Tickle]

23. Thank you, I can't wait

for our next call 🤙😁