A Trillion Here, A Trillion There…

What does the pandemic have in common with income inequality? Both target the same low-income people, and enrich the already-wealthy. According to Inequality.org, U.S. billionaires have seen their wealth jump over $930 billion since mid-March alone. If this interminable election season finally ends, and if–as polls suggest is possible (I’m too superstitious to say “likely”)–DemocratsContinue reading “A Trillion Here, A Trillion There…”

Rich Guys For Higher Taxes, Businesses For Single-Payer

Are more zillionaires joining “renegade” rich guys like Nick Hanauer and Warren Buffett and recognizing the dangers posed by the current gap between the rich and the rest? A recent article from the Guardian was titled “Patriotic millionaires want to pay more taxes.” Those millionaires didn’t mince words. If you believe the prevailing philosophy of US conservative ideology,Continue reading “Rich Guys For Higher Taxes, Businesses For Single-Payer”

Culture Of Entitlement

Among the (many) things that irritate me is the widespread habit of attributing characteristics or behaviors to whole groups of people. I’m not just talking about obviously reprehensible–and racist–broad-brush assertions about African-Americans or Jews or Muslims, etc., but accusations about “businessmen” or “poor people” or the growing animus against “rich folks.” With respect to richContinue reading “Culture Of Entitlement”

Patriotic Millionaires

Prejudices against “those people” tend to be the familiar age-old biases based upon race, religion and the like, but other stereotypes abound and can be equally misleading. (In his teens, my middle son looked askance at  anyone in the “business class”– he felt they all valued profit over people.  When he grew up, he cameContinue reading “Patriotic Millionaires”