somewhere, rational people!

Having watched the mini-revolution in Egypt and nearby nations, I'm left with a few thoughts, one of which is envy. Apparently, these people, using massive non-violent demonstrations, have brought down the status quo.
Meanwhile, over here, the assault on the poor and the middle class continues, aided largely by the poor and middle class. Two years after the financial meltdown (where the Wall Street Banks, gambling with other people's money had to be bailed out by the taxpayers) the Republicans and tea partiers have got their base convinced that the real problem is not huge unemployment, its deficit spending. The same Republicans that quietly allowed the national debt to balloon under "W" in order to borrow to give tax breaks to the wealthy, fight two unfunded wars and create an unfunded Medicare prescription drug plan, are now in a full blown panic over the deficit.
And the solution? More war on the middle class!
Wall Street is back to making money and banker's billions in bonuses are no longer on the front burner, so its time to attack unions for trying to help the middle class.
In Wisconsin, the governor is trying to break the public employee unions over a "debt crisis" that many believe is simply made up.
I wrote some time ago about this new mantra that government workers are earning way more than their private counterparts, and its now rooted deeply into the Republican theory of governance.
Two months ago, the Republicans blocked O'Bama's attempt to let the "W" tax reductions for the rich expire, costing the Treasury $700 billion over the next ten years. Now they're in a total hissy fit because of the shortfall and have targeted the poor and middle class to make up the difference.
Think about it: The Republican meme in December against letting the Bush tax cuts for the rich expire was, "now is not the time to raise taxes on anyone!" but a couple of months later its time to cut salaries and negotiation power of the middle class and poor? Raising taxes on the rich or cutting salaries of government workers are both ways to either cut costs or raise revenue, so why would we want to place the burden on the class less able to bear it? Why the f**k can't the people of this country see what the conservatives are up to?
Wake up, people! The policies of the Democrats DID NOT get us into this mess, and this total assault on the middle class and unions WON'T get us out of it.
Taxes on the rich have not been lower in over 50 years, yet its still not enough.
The sight of those Egyptians out in the streets protesting their oppression was impressive. Here, though, our oppressors have us convinced that our middle class is making too much money, and its more likely to see the tea baggers out in the street insisting that the poor and middle class get less.

here's Paul Krugman's take from today's NYT:

www.nytimes.com/2011/02/21/opinion/21krugman.html?_r=1&hp