Why Do Many Americans Vote, Against Their Own Interest, For Republicans Who Transfer Wealth to the Richest 1%?

Question

Wealth has become even more concentrated during the Bush years. Today, the richest one percent of Americans has 22 percent of all income and about 40 percent of all wealth. This is the biggest concentration of income and wealth since 1928. In 2005, average CEO pay was 369 times that of the average worker, compared with 131 times in 1993 and 36 times in 1976. At the pinnacle of America’s economic pyramid, the nation’s 400 billionaires own 1.25 trillion dollars in total net worth - the same amount as the 56 million American families at the bottom half of wealth distribution.

USMC-"the best health care system in the world, and the average worker makes more today than he ever has. So what is your point exactly?"LOL
The World Health Organization ranks the United States 37th in healthcare
http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html
-I guess that means best among the "GOD Bless America Only" Crowd...the U.S. doesn't rank in the top 25 in life expectancy...
http://www.geographyiq.com/ranking/ranking_Life_expectancy_at_birth_top25.htm

the average worker has not kept up with inflation...
As Robert Kuttner observes in his new book, The Squandering of America, from 1966 to 2001, the wealthiest one-tenth of all Americans captured the lion’s share of society’s productivity growth. But it was the top one tenth of 1 percent that gained the very most. Those between the 80th and 90th percentiles about held their own. Those between the 95th and 99th percentiles gained 29 percent, while those between the top 99 and 99.9 percentile, gained 73 percent and top .1 291%!

Answer 1

The answer is 'Jesus'. The GOP got the Jesus freaks to vote them into office because they were going to abolish abortion, shove gays back into the closet, destroy public education, stop stem cell research, give federal cash to 'faith based' operations, give them a little bit of a 'tax break', deny the effects of climate change, and 'get the government off their backs'. They sold this BS via right wing radio and the mega-churches. It worked. What didn't happen is that the entire government doesn't work anymore except for the trans-national corporations and the Oil Mafia in particular. I think the Jesus freaks are a little more aware this time, but I still have a feeling that they're going to vote a straight 'Jesus' ticket again next fall. Some people never learn.

Answer 2

So will you explain to me where the transferring of funds from the government to the rich is happening and how they are doing it. Are you trying to say that Republicans use taxes? So the presidents and CEO's that make the deal to earn money for the company are bad people because everytime they earn some money they dont run down the halls handing everyone a bonus? The last time i checked we are still the best nation in the world to live in, with the best health care system in the world, and the average worker makes more today than he ever has. So what is your point exactly?


so why did people from all of those 36 nations ahead of us on that list come here to recieve treatment that they cant get in their own nation? That list is a bunch of bulls*** and you know it. you are doing well spewing your communist propaganda. Get a job stop looking for a hand out. The government is not there to take care of you. In the great words of your democrat icon" Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country"


1 France
2 Italy
3 San Marino
4 Andorra- false
5 Malta- false
6 Singapore
7 Spain
8 Oman- false
9 Austria-
10 Japan
11 Norway
12 Portugal
13 Monaco-false
14 Greece-false
15 Iceland
16 Luxembourg
17 Netherlands
18 United Kingdom-false
19 Ireland-false
20 Switzerland
21 Belgium
22 Colombia-LOL false
23 Sweden
24 Cyprus- FALSE
25 Germany
26 Saudi Arabia-FALSE
27 United Arab Emirates-FALSE
28 Israel
29 Morocco-FALSE
30 Canada-FALSE
31 Finland
32 Australia
33 Chile-FALSE
34 Denmark
35 Dominica-FALSE
36 Costa Rica-FALSE

Places marked false i have been to and seen conditions of hosipitals or know for a fact that it cant be possible some of those or third world nations for christ sakes. the WHO is a bias organization full of Liberal p*****s like you.

To further discredit you number 22 on your life expectanc list is the Virgin Island, they arent their own nation part belongs to us and part belongs to Great Britian.

Furthure more you call it wealth distrubution that kind of rhetoric is a little bit scary. This is a capitolistic society not a socialists one, but people like you that dont really want to work for anything want it to be.

Answer 3

I reject your premise as utter nonsense. Do wise men become wise at the expense of fools. Do men become strong at the expense of the weak. Do the industrious become prosperous at the expense of the lazy. I think not.

What is happening is that the majority pay small fraction of the tax burden while a small fraction of the highest income earners carry the majority of the taxes. The risk is an Atlas Shrugged situation where a small percentage of the population suddenly leaves and majority government depending loafers starve.

Answer 4

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35% of the taxes and 40% of the wealth
that would mean the people that hold 60% of the wealth pay 65% of the taxes.
Do you need a children's math game to figure out the problem here, even if your numbers where correct?

Answer 5

Because the GOP rallying 30% of the base with, GOD< GAYS and GUNS, and their forget the pocket books issues. Such a tax cuts for the rich, the exporting of good jobs over seas, and the importing of cheap labor with business support of illigal immigrants. How do you think a little known governor from Arkansas by the unlikely name of Huckabee is doing so well

Answer 6

good propaganda. They are very good at convincing ordinary people to forget their own interest or think that some sub group is stealing from them ....when the real thieves are the upper class who steal from all the rest...its a sort of divide and conquer technique. If they convince 2 thirds of the middle class that the lower classes are a threat to them, then they basically have americans divided up and less effective in uniting against the elite. They also have in recent years hijacked religion. They have perverted what it means to be christian. It used to mean you were a kind hearted compassionate person....now it means you are a selfish I got mine why dont you have yours money changer type attittude.

Answer 7

You should see a documentary that the Bushes made before they were presdients, and before they were extremely wealthy. And who was helping them out. I know it was aires on ABC about a year or so ago, over here in Australia. It was very interesting.

Answer 8

yeah i guess thats why the top 1 percent pay over 35% percent of all taxes, and the top 10% contribute 70%, and the top 50% contribute 96%. Wealth redistribution to the rich? I don't think so. I don't see how you can disagrre with that. Your response is awaited.

Answer 9

Actually I believe that it is way more than 40 percent, at least of the control over the resources of this world, and I for one, do not vote against my interest. That is why I used to support Gravel, and now I support Kucinich. *sm*

Answer 10

Its the american way , morals say you should vote , but we know it does not change anything.......it just makes us look good in the world..........remember america is only a billboard of hope.....putting on the shine