The Inherent Contradictions In GOP Policy Highlight The Class and Race War They Are Waging

The inherent racism and class warfare in Republican policies is really getting pretty obvious these days. And sometimes, since the ascendancy of Trump and the rising power of the alt-right in the party, it actually breaks out into the open.

One of the biggest internal contradictions of GOP policy is that the poor and underprivileged should not be “given” anything because they will have no incentive to use it. Only the rich will be able to “invest” what the government gives them wisely and somehow take care of the rest of us. The GOP opposes direct welfare payments to poor people because they will become “dependent”, shiftless, and lazy. This despite all evidence that poor people are essentially forced to spend a higher percentage of their income on essentials than any other group. If you really wanted to infuse growth in the American economy, the best way would be to give cash payments to poor people.

But when it comes to rich people, Republicans need to give them a tax cut and put more money in their pockets because they are the only people who can invest that money wisely and somehow create jobs. This despite the evidence that richer people are far more likely to pocket the tax breaks they receive than other groups. And now the GOP is extending that logic to corporate taxes, saying that giving more money to businesses will allow them to give raises to workers. If you really wanted to give raises to workers, you could cut their taxes directly. The reality is businesses have a fiduciary responsibility to maximize shareholder value and will pass along these tax cuts as dividends to more rich people, not as wage increases. The primacy of shareholder value is one of the most important reasons why inflation-adjusted wages have not risen in nearly 40 years, almost exactly the time when the primacy of shareholder value took hold.

We see this same kind of attitude when it comes to health care. On Fox Business News, a host actually asked, “The poorest Americans who are getting their copays and things like that covered, what’s the motivation for them to live a healthier lifestyle? I mean, if it doesn’t cost them anything to go to the doctor, what’s the motivation?” The inherent racism and classism in that question is simply beyond belief. And it reflects the idea that the poor are somehow incapable of wanting what everyone else in this country wants, a better life for themselves and their families. I would suggest, just like rich white families, the poor would want to stay healthy in order to go to work and save money to help get their kids ahead. But Republicans think differently.

And the ultimate inherent contradiction in the thinking reflected by the Fox host is how Republicans approach the estate tax. If these kids are going to inherit so much money that they never have to worry about jobs or health care, what’s their motivation to stay healthy and contribute to society. The answer, or course, is who the rich tend to be.