Living in the heart of the Bible belt, it’s hard not to discuss politics and religion in the same conversation. Many people base their political beliefs from their religious beliefs. The Jesus I know would not vote to eliminate vital resources to “the least of these” while drastically increasing funding for corporations that thrive due to the labor of the very ones about whom Jesus speaks. Allow rich corporations to pay for elections? I don’t think so.
Jesus sought out the poor, the hungry, and the oppressed. He implores us in Matthew 25: 35-40 to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in strangers, clothe those who are naked, visit the sick and those who are imprisoned. He tells us that when we do, we have done so to Him.
Our country has traditionally done just that. From the 1930’s and 1940’s (when most of the legislation was passed that protected the “least of these”), the poor and the middle class pursued the American Dream and we prospered. Our corporations thrived, too, but the rest of us moved upward at about the same pace as the very rich. Times were great. Our ancestors worked hard, bought homes—with televisions, cars, washers and dryers, and all the modern conveniences the corporations we worked for made. The wealthiest Americans made about 200 times more than the bottom 90% of us made, but they thrived and built more and made more. We were all happy. The American Dream was within reach for most of us.
From the early 1930’s until 1980, the top marginal tax rate was never less than 70%. In fact, from 1951 until 1963, the rate was above 90% for the top group. During all that time (over 40 years), the wealthiest Americans made about 200 times more than the bottom 90% of us.
It was not until the mid-1980’s that we stopped gaining ground. That’s when we were told that, by rewarding the very rich and their companies, we would also reap the benefits because it would “trickle down” to us eventually. It didn’t. We didn’t notice it much because we had done well and things stayed pretty much the same for us. The wealthiest became wealthier and, by 2006, were making 976 times what the bottom 90% of us were making.
In 1981, that top tax rate dropped from 70% to 69.125%. In 1982, it dropped again—to 50%, then to 38.5% in 1987, and further yet in 1988 to 28%.
By the mid-1980’s, the difference had rapidly grown to over 400 times more than what the bottom 90% made. It hasn’t been less than 350 times more since, and that didn’t last long!
By 2006, the difference between what the top 0.01% made had escalated to 976 times what 90% of us made.
The rich are getting much, much richer on the laboring backs of the rest of us. They’re getting richer by “buying” Congressional members who push through their agenda to reduce their taxes, eliminate regulations, and expand loopholes. And, now, after getting huge additional tax breaks, they want to take more. This time, though, they’re targeting “the least of these” by promoting the removal of Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance, unions, regulations that protect us, health care for women, and so much more.
"I hope we shall . . . crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country." --Thomas Jefferson
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