And that ain’t the half of it.
Joan Walsh discovers “The Right's Crusade to Repeal the 20th
Century.”
Republicans no longer
accept that it was government intervention in the economy, first in the
Progressive era and then, more forcefully, after the Great Depression, that
created the greatest economic boom and the biggest middle class in history.
The 40-hour work week.
The weekend.
Vacations.
Child labor laws.
The minimum wage.
Social Security.
Health and safety
protection.
All of these
represented government intervention on the side of working people, to balance
the playing field with exploitive employers, and to carve out a realm of family
and personal life that could be protected from ceaseless labor.
Progressive public
policy essentially created childhood, as a time when kids who weren’t wealthy
might be educated and protected from labor abuse.
These became
bipartisan values, with some debating around the margins, through Richard
Nixon’s administration.
But then a
pro-business backlash put all of those gains back on the table.
Republicans are
now trying to repeal the 20th century.
Well, yeah.
I’ve never understood
why Republicans believe rich people need more money to ensure they’ll work
harder, but the non-rich don’t deserve such incentives.
From skyrocketing CEO
pay to lower tax rates, the GOP defends putting more money in the hands of rich
folks as a good thing.
Giving more money to
working people, by contrast, only encourages slackers and moochers.
The president can’t
wait for Republicans to join the 21st century while they’re busy repealing the
20th.
He’s right to do
whatever he can to boost workers’ wages on his own.
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