I know why
1) globalization makes American "middle class jobs" too expensive to compete
And yet middle-class incomes haven't increased much over the years yet the argument wrongfully continues to be that the middle-class are worried about tax increases. I doubt it; most low and low-middle-class wage earners are just trying to make a living off what little they have. We may worry about whether or not we receive a tax refund, but most aren't that worried about their taxes going up. We're just trying to survive and maintain a living, and considering that most Americans have seen more money in their paychecks via the "Making Work Pay" tax credit, I doubt too many are sitting home believing that their taxes have increased. They may complain that their dollar doesn't go as far today as it did 2-3 yrs ago due to market forces, i.e., the price of gas going up which effects every other consumer item, but most aren't that worried about their taxes increasing.
2) education--those who don't have it cannot compete with those who have it
And yet the GOP in their budget proposal have reduced the amount of funds college students would receive from Pell Grants. Does that not smell of those in power trying to keep those who are less fortunate than they out of the upper tier income brackets? Even if it doesn't, doesn't this disturb you? If not, it should because it has been your side who continue to make the claim that the poor need to do things to improve their way of life and the best way to do that IS to become better educated and/her learn a (new) skill or trade so that one CAN find better work and start "taking more responsibility for their own financial situation". You call it "social welfare"; I call it government helping those who otherwise can't help themselves to do better so that they can stop being a drain on their communities, their state and the federal government.
3) lots of americans engage in life choices that prevent them from getting the necessary education
Go on...you can say it...people who become addicted to drugs and alcohol or teen pregnancy/single parents. It's okay...nothing taboo here. People get caught up doing alot of things they shouldn't be doing or their life situation places them in unfortunate situations. Still, I think it unfair to paint everyone in these such situations with such a broad brush. You don't know what led them to be in their current situation. The addicts aside, I think most others really want better for themselves, they just don't know how to turn things around. It's why I suggested to apbst and Conservative at one point instead of condemning these types of people, why don't you take one by the hand and teach him/her your ways. For as the saying goes, "success breads success". So, if you consider yourself to be a successful individual, why not mentor someone and teach him/her your ways? Put your time and money where your mouth is.
4) the breeding rates of those unable to compete tend to be much higher than those who do
Again, you talk down about people who have nothing as if they have anything more to do. If you don't know how to do better for yourself or don't see end-roads towards improving your current situation, what else are you to do? Sex relieves stress, but unprotected sex tends to breed yet one more mouth to feed. Poor people don't know that they can get birth control (condoms) for free just by going to their local health department. Even Planned Parenthood gives them out for free. Still, as the saying goes, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink." Same goes for condoms; you can get them into the hands of most adolensence, but getting the young men to wear them is a different story...until you send them to see the struggles of young parents, single-mothers who are teens. Better yet, give more teenaged girls babysitting jobs like my wife and I attempted to do with our 17 yr old daughter. She quickly learned that being responsible for a child was hard work! Hasn't stopped her from having sex, just stopped her from having "unprotected sex". See the difference?
5) we have made losing too comfortable in the United States and the darwinian forces that motivated many to compete have been decreased.
What a foolish statement. People will risk what small fortune they may have IF they can adequately judge the risk OR if they believe they have nothing else to lose. It's very difficult to move from the bottom and make it anywhere near the top if you don't have 1) the resources (money) to invest (risk) accordingly, or 2) some level of support to fall back on. Those who have made it big either got lucky, got creative, or increased their networth over time. Therefore, unless you were either born with a silver spoon in your mouth, lucked into some large inheritance or won the lotto, or happen to know friends and family who were willing to help support (finance) your ambitions or you took out a loan or put up some collateral against your risk, you're really not going to move from your present station in life. The only other "safe" risk for most is getting a quality education and then applying what you've learned into better income opportunities. Thus, that takes us all the way back to your #1 issue. We've come full circle.
6) the democratic party needs lots of people in the underclass to both justify their income redistribution programs (that tend to enrich dem politicians) and to supply them votes. the dems have had control of congress for most of the 50 years following the New Deal and thus cemented into our society the programs that create and maintain this underclass
Ah! I see you've either been listening to Conservative talk radio or read, Revolt: A Patriots Guide. Well, so have I, and IMO, alot of what Dick Morris and Eileen McGann write about are flawed. But you keep running your play-by-play using this Conservative Manifesto and your side will likely lose.
