Rulers who begin to acquire great wealth will become hostile masters of other citizens rather than their leaders and allies. (Plato)
When economic power becomes concentrated in a few hands, political power flows to those possessors and away from the citizens, ultimately resulting in an oligarchy or tyranny. (John Adams)
Metaphorically, white American’s forebears and my forebears came to America on different ships, theirs on the Mayflower and mine on slave ships, but we are in the same boat now that Plutocracy and fascism have arrived. Descendants of the formerly oppressed groups – the First People/Indigenous people, the descendants of America’s Slave Class, women, and the Poor – who are stuck in lower educational/socioeconomic levels will be harmed disproportionately. Unfortunately, too many descendants of the Mayflower forebears have been gaslighted into believing they will fare much better in a Plutocracy than their Black and brown counterparts. That conception has been fostered by myths and stereotypes about welfare recipients long held by many whites and Blacks, such as:
- They’re lazy.
- They refuse to work and have more kids just to collect more money.
- Once they’re on welfare, they choose to stay on it, rather than work.
- They are most often people of color.
One cannot tell societal outcomes for poor Blacks from the outcomes for poor whites if their race is not indicated. Poverty is fatal and does not discriminate – more Americans, by far, die from poverty than in wars. (Columbia University’s School of Public Health).
An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all nations. (Plutarch)
Facts About Poverty In America
America has the highest overall poverty rate among developed nations.
America devotes fewer resources to social welfare programs as compared with other Western industrialized countries.
America ranks second highest in per capita income but third highest in the percentage of its population with incomes below the poverty line. (SOURCE: Poverty Among Industrialized Nations)
In severe poverty, people are unable to meet basic needs for physical well-being: food, shelter, medical care, clothing, transportation and education. Severe poverty fosters Spiritual, Cognitive/Intellectual, Emotional, and Self-esteem debilitation. One author said, if the world beats you with poverty long enough, you will come to blame and beat yourself.
“Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it makes some virtues impracticable, and others extremely difficult.” (Samuel Johnson)
Facts About Welfare Recipients
Working-class whites without a college degree constitute the largest number of beneficiaries of federal poverty-reduction programs (Welfare), even though Blacks and Hispanics have substantially higher rates of poverty. (Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)
my to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it makes some virtues impracticable, and others extremely difficult.” (Samuel Johnson)
Facts About Welfare Recipients
Working-class whites without a college degree constitute the largest number of beneficiaries of federal poverty-reduction programs (Welfare), even though Blacks and Hispanics have substantially higher rates of poverty. (Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)
Numerical Rates: White – 6.2 Million; Black – 2.8 Million; Hispanic – 2.4 Million; Other – 700,000. (SOURCE: The Washington Post, February 16, 2017.)
A 2023 survey conducted by Payroll.org highlighted that 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. They struggle to save or invest after paying for their monthly expenses. Baby Boomers, at 49%, constitute a higher percentage of this group than any other generation. (FORBES, April 2, 2024)
Whites qualify for credit at a much greater rate than Blacks; consequently, it is conceivable that a higher proportion of whites are among the people who depend on credit cards to meet their needs.
Collectively, Americans now owe a record $1.17 trillion on their credit cards, (SOURCE: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, www.cnbc.com/2024/11/13)
Myth Driven Politics
GOP candidates, including Trump, have been especially effective in using stereotypes and myths about welfare to gain voter support.
President Lyndon Johnson was once asked why poor, white Republicans repeatedly vote against their own best interests, and this was his response: “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.”
Cuts in welfare payments will negatively affect both poor people and corporate coffers because poor people do not invest in the stock market and put money into savings – they spend it on things made and sold by corporate America.
Corporate greed and wealthy American’s unrelenting proclivity to increase the amount of money they already have will not decline under Trump’s rule.
Buyers’ Remorse: Trump made numerous promises to his largest support group — poor whites with lower education levels — which he will not meet fast enough, if at all. Eventually, their demands for gratification and personally defined benefits, especially financial, will begin to outweigh their Cult Leader’s capacity to respond. This happens in all “revolutions,” even when citizens vote for openly professed despots. The question is how the resulting animosity will be manifested by those persons who have been gaslighted, although not likely will it be directed at the gaslighter.
