Hillary
Clinton’s take on what to do about inequality is weaker than Canadian hot
sauce.
It’s futile to hope that the GOP’s gaggle of
corporate-hugging, right-wing presidential candidates will seriously address
the issue of rising inequality in our land. How about the Democrats?
Well, Hillary Clinton has warned that “extreme inequality has corrupted other
societies.”
Uh…yes. But what about our society?
Clinton says: “We have to have a concerted effort to meet a consensus about how
to deal with this.”
Huh? That’s not an answer, much less a solution. It’s a
political tap dance around a crucial matter facing America. Why would she dodge
a chance to swing away at a down-the-middle issue that’s right in the
wheelhouse of her party’s populist strength?
Turns out there’s one tiny constituency whose opinion
outweighs all others on this issue: the 1-percenters.
Clinton and other top Democrats are weaker than
Canadian hot sauce when it comes to embracing the real populism that voters
want. Here’s a possible explanation for that mystery: Only 13 percent of the superrich think government should take
action to redress inequality.
These privileged Americans blame widening inequity on the
very people losing their jobs, income, and wealth. They claim that hard-up
people should simply improve their work ethic and character.
Why would Democrats care what these few elites
think? Well, because meek Democrats like Clinton have become so
dependent on rich people’s campaign checks that they let them restrict the
party’s policies and message, thus alienating the workaday majority.
When both parties kow-tow to money, the people’s needs
are ignored, and politics becomes illegitimate.
OtherWords
columnist Jim Hightower is a radio commentator, writer, and public speaker.
He’s also editor of the populist newsletter, The Hightower Lowdown. OtherWords.org.
