West County Democrats

“The peasants are revolting.”
“Revolting,” said the king, “they’re disgusting.”

 — Allan Sherman 1963

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said Wednesday Congress would extend the additional $600 unemployment benefit provided in the coronavirus relief package past July only “over our dead bodies.”

— The Business Insider

So, here we sit amid a pandemic with at least 20 million working people off the job and one of the leading Republican Senators promising that money to help families survive ceases in mid-summer, even if bad times prevail.

Well, that’s the way Republicans think:  working people only deserve the least possible wage for their labor, and, no American has a right to adequate food, shelter, medical care or legal protection…

■  The Missouri legislature (overwhelmingly Republican) ignored their promise of a 2% pay raise to state workers – among the worst paid government employees in the nation.

■  Accidental governor Mike Parson and his cohorts promise to enact Must Work For Medicaid legislation and other efforts to thwart the coming Medicaid Expansion on November’s ballot.

■  The Missouri legislature keeps chipping away at the ability of those harmed to seek their day in court, ordering judges to protect businesses instead of people.

■  The Trump administration keeps gutting EPA and OSHA regulations while working with their Congressionals to slash food stamps and other programs aiding struggling families.

■  The Orange One orders workers with among the worst jobs in America – slaughterhouse workers – back to work, exempting the plant owners from existing oversight and law.

■  The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour since July 2009. 

Note that the grand, trillion dollar stimulus bills aimed at softening the pandemic’s impact gave millions to restaurant chains and big businesses while, grudgingly, provided modest increase in food stamps and very temporary bonuses to the unemployed – that temporary bonus Lindsey Graham and his ilk swear to terminate.

Why?

Remember that economic progress for the middle class peaked in 1973 – under Richard Nixon.  Since then the gains in purchasing power have resulted from a dramatic increase in two income families, and, well, decreases in the hard costs for what used to be luxuries.

For example, in the early 1970’s my uncle had a Hamilton watch with a small, one-line red LED display.  He was proud it cost him $1,500.  Now you can get a digital watch at any dollar store.

Of course, most folks no longer wear watches.  We get the time from our cellphones.

Yes, virtually every American now has a cellphone, just as most people in the developed nations – and many in the developing world – have cellphones.

Yet, the Republican agenda keeps pushing Americans down from the working class and middle class into the growing ranks of the working poor.  Profits for billionaires are good.  Higher wages for working stiffs are bad.

Many GOP actions (such as work requirements for food stamps and Medicaid, and, the destruction of union labor contracts) are designed to stamp on the fingers of those clinging to the lowest rings of the economic ladder.  The goal, of course, is the creation of a 21^st Century peasantry.  Force everyone to work, pay them as little as possible so they must keep working, and prevent them from accumulating money to better their lot.  Then let them die of poverty.

That’s the reality we’re not supposed to notice.

Stay tuned.

Glenn