What will be the next wedge issue that the .........

[socialist_n_TN]

PTB put out to divide the working/middle classes?

I think it will be the "age" wedge. They'll try to drive a wedge between boomers and younger folks probably over the deficit/social security/medicare. Remember social security is a covenant between generations. Boomers paid in to give benefits for the generation before and expect to have benefits paid for by younger workers. If the capitalists can convince the younger workers that boomers are selfish (not much of a stretch in a lot of cases) and are taking away THEIR retirement, it'll probably work.

I think we saw the opening gambit with Alan Simpson's rant against Vietnam era veterans. If those guys can be demonized as "greedy and unpatriotic", it should be easy to demonize the rest of us "hippies".

[RKP5637]

1. Yep, I think you're quite correct. We've already seen it start to happen, pitting

the old against the young. In many ways this has become a disgusting country as many let the real freeloaders, the over the board capitalists, pit one segment of society against the other. The most amazing part is how citizens so easily fall in line and enable those least interested in them or the country, but rather only money and increasing their profits. This place has had such a brain-drain...

[socialist_n_TN]

5. They've had a LOT of practice RKP...............

This is what capitalists do and what they've ALWAYS done. Since we outnumber them by so much, the only way they can keep their ill gotten gains is to divide us, the potential opposition. They started with dividing poor blacks and poor whites with racism, moved on to demonizing "communists", and now it's Latino immigrants and Muslims. I'm fully convinced that it'll be age next. That's actually what the "culture wars" are REALLY about, dividing the working class, so that they don't see who their REAL oppressors are.

I'm not sure it helps, but I think it would at least give us some warning if we knew what was coming next.

[tularetom]

2. There's one thing that distinguishes we old farts from younger people

We VOTE. In numbers far larger than younger demographics, we actually exercise our franchise.

I get that they'd like to make a wedge out of the "ungrateful seniors" line, but I doubt they'll push it too hard in an election year.

[socialist_n_TN]

4. True. And I don't think it'll be a big part of THIS cycle..........

but IMO it's coming. They'll probably wait til the next election cycle since it's a presidential election and more young folks come out in presidential years than in midterms.

It would be tailor made to split the young franchise away from electing more progressives in a presidential year.

[LongTomH]

3. They've been doing that for years!

Catch-phrases are: "The Geezer Lobby" or "Generational Equity." Usually that's a lead-in to discussion of cutting Social Security. Scapegoating and 'divide and conquer' are time-dishonored tactics in politics.

[socialist_n_TN]

6. Also true, but it doesn't have the push behind it yet............

like with Latino immigrants or Muslims this year. The push is coming, probably right after the elections.