Tuesday, September 17, 2013

doolittle democrats

good news, 99%!  your incomes increased by 1% last year!!  (nevermind that top earners' -- the so-called, "1%" -- incomes jumped 22.5% last year!!) 

if you consider a new gilded age a problem (like most progressives do), might i point out that within the 99%, BOTH liberal AND conservatives' incomes have failed to rise? 

these data show no tribal divide!

both red and blue -- indeed almost the whole population -- have seen their incomes rise only 1%!!

wage stagnation affects left and right alike, and yet the 99% fail to unite to put up a fight!!  hmmm...

what keeps us so divided?

do we on the left think we need the other side to fight inequity?

if so, how do we talk about it in a way that unites, not divides us, the 99%?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You could start by changing the title of your post, since it's basically saying that Democrats need to be like Dr. Doolittle to talk to Republicans cuz afterall, we're just a bunch of animals, right? hahaha! Real civil.

Aren't you doing exactly what this post is preaching against?

mr. c. said...

I suppose you're right. I hadn't really thought about that.

The thing is - I wasn't trying to denigrate Republicans, believe it or not - I was actually trying to chastise those on the left who SEE Republicans that way and 'do little' to engage in dialogue with anyone they disagree.

I am truly sorry that my weak attempt at a punny/clever title came across as uncivil.

It serves as a good reminder to me of how mindful I must be when discussing important topics like income inequality in these highly fraught and tribalized times.