I've been trying to explain this to folks for about a year now, but after talking with more and more people I think i've developed three very good reasons. Check them out below.
1) Taxes
"The federal tax code is dysfunctional. It penalizes hard work, marriage, thrift, and success — the very factors that are the foundations for lasting prosperity." - GOP Platform 2000
If you take issue with this statement, you must be broke. I can see all arguments for why I will benefit from the programs that my taxes go to pay, however, wouldn't it be better if I put money into a fund that actually benefited my demographic. The percentage of programs that benefit the wealthy versus the poor are completely skewed. Meaning, the people who put the most money into the system get the least out of it. And do NOT give me that argument about its for the less fortunate, because to me that says that taxes are now forced charitable contributions. BuLLSH*T. And if that's the case that they are forcing my charitable contributions, then i'd like a line item approach to federal programs, because I can tell you right now, there's a few that I do not want my money going to.
To be perfectly honest with the American people, taxes are a means of income for the United States of America. Let's be real. So my government is supposed to take care of me, but it takes from me so it can survive before I can survive? Good job, Sammy boy. You can keep trying to bamboozle the rest of these fools.
2) Conservativism
Most Buppies will not get to wealth by engaging in liberal careers. Most, some will, but most will not. The majority will end up in Professional Services of some sort; financial services, consulting services, or some service based industry. Others will gain wealth in a sales industry, but that's few and far between. Others will gain wealth by owning their own businesses. However, at some point they will realize that sound decisions are not made radically, but with a tone of conservatism. You will find that these successful buppies in America had to travel the road often travelled. They don't reinvent the wheel, they do what they knew would always work. A lot of us would love to major in English and become a writer and make the NY Best Sellers list. In reality, the person who decides to get his MBA and go to Wall Street is more likely to make it rich.
3) The GOP has always been thought of as a party for the wealthy, not the poor. Quite frankly, we isn't poor, no more.
This is my favorite point. The Democratic party for which we have hung our hat on for so long is that of our parents. It's not ours. We feel differently now. We have different needs and desires from our party. When I was growing up, people in my community always said, Republican make the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Well when I was poor, I hated Republicans, once I am rich, i'm all about that strategy because it benefits me. And in recent years you have seen a switch in the Black urban professional. We are no longer fighting to just be low to mid-middle class citizens, we are becoming ridiculously upper-middle class and wealthy. Our fiscal and political needs have changed.
In conclusion, i'm not saying that someone should be Democratic or Republican. I'm writing this article ask that we examine our issues and see if the political party that we usually vote for is actually the one best fit to serve our needs. I'm asking that we look at the individual platforms of each party. Not just prominent figures like Obama and GW Bush, who represent the upper echelon of the parties and not the majority of what either party stands for. It's funny that more and more Black people are aligning themselves with GOP, yes i'll agree to that, but it is not completely unfounded and not based. I think it's more funny that MOST Black people vote Democratically and have no clue why. (I blame their parents). Just my thoughts.
10 comments:
OK Dr. You simply cannot go around believing things that Republicans (or Democrats for that matter) use as position points. the entire idea of a position point presupposes the most egregious of generalizations of rthe express purpose of engendering the most visceral of response. Take statement number 1. What, in your personal experience or learning would make you think the tax code penalizes marriage, or hard work, much less thrift and success. As a tax lawyer, I can tell you that nothing is further from the truth. In fact the tax code is completely skewed towards favorable tax treatment for wealthy people. In fact, and in spite of what you hear on establishment media, the wealthy avoid most of the taxes they publicly decry, through manipulation of the tax code. They would shit bricks if some form of simplified and fairly apportioned taxation was ever adopted.
And your contention that poor people receive more in the form of government services than wealthy people is again without merit. the biggest beneficiary of governmental largess are the corporations (shell entities for the wealthy) such as agro-business subsidies. It amazes me that an intelligent person could still think that poor people get all the government money when the govenrment just gave the financial industry nearly a Trillion dollars. When was the last time you even heard of a trillion dollar program to help poor people? Think about it, I'll wait.
Your point #3 just saddens me. You acknowledge that the Republican party is out to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. You acknowledge that when you were poor that philosophy was obviously to your detriment. Now, having somehow escaped your personal poverty, you wish to become an agent of the very force that operated to hold you back so you can I guess, hold some other people back.
Your parents would be so proud. They raised an oppressor. You learned the lessons of this country well. You probably have no problem bombing brown people all over the world in an effort to control the natural resources of their lands. After all, it's all good as long as the rich get richer.
Let me change that. I'm not saddened. I'm pretty disgusted.
Wow! Did someone just go in on Dr. J? Dam...I have to re-read this to fully understand the breadth of Mentality's response.
The August 08 Essence had a article about the psyche of the Black Republican that I believed was really good although I did not agree with all the points. I think it was a more accurate description of why many Blacks on all economic levels are Republican. I wrote a synopsis on it on buppie. (It is in the archives under August 08 if anyone cares to read it) I do not consider myself to be Democrat or Republican however I do notice that I OFTEN not always but OFTEN vote Democrat because I feel that they are more in tune with my needs. Now quite frankly this bup aint rich! I went to school for one of those "liberal careers" that you speak of. However I do not believe my personal success is defined by wealth. I am quite successful. I am financially comfortable and am having the opportunity to see the world. But this post Dr. J has enlightened me on some ideas about your personal character fa real! The Uppity Negro has taken OVA! LOL
@Exodus - I had a long response to your comment, but after reading it more and more, i've realized the flaw in your argument and can address it quickly.
1) Be careful about assuming what side the writer is on. I could just be offering the opinion of the opposition, and you may be arguing points that I agree with.
2) You are confusing who benefits the most about tax, with who is able to cheat paying taxes. The payouts of tax revenue determine who benefits the most.
3) I haven't agreed with my parents ever on politics since a child. So they raised me very well, don't get it twisted.
@ Up & Coming - I know you not calling me uppity. However, I will say this, there's a lot of ish below me that I will just not engage in anymore. Doesn't make me better than them. But I always remember, "It's hard to fly with eagles, when you live with turkeys."
PS - Exodus, do not respond again, because then I will actually answer your comment.
I think you missed a huge demographic of why a lot of black people think they are Republican...religion. Simply put, religion. Why do you think a lot og the GOP, go to Baptist churches, they rebuke abortion, homosexuality, and anything that's immoral...
As a matter of fact, most blacks I know, that align themselves with the Republican party, do it based on their religious beliefs, not for financial reasons...
I may have crossed the line with the parents thing. I certainly didn't intend to disparage them in any way, and I apologize if offense was taken in that regard.
But are you in effect daring me not to come back to your space? Like I should be concerned that you might respond to what I wrote? That is in fact why I wrote it, so knock yourself out.
I did take the editorializing after the numbered items to be your particular point of view. Are you now saying that it's not?
And just so you don't get it twisted, I'm not talking about tax cheats. I'm talking about all the various completely legal ways there are to avoid taxes. The tax code is was not made that complicated just to collect taxes. That part of the code is pretty simple. They tax all income. The convoluted part is all the various rules and regulations that are constantly added or changed to allow for various tax loopholes. Most of these items are things that would only wealthy people.
And as for who is actually receiving the benefits of your tax dollars, it's not that hard to follow the money. That part your statement appears to be most concerned with the money that goes towards welfare type services. As a percentage of government spending, it's not even double digit. Know what is double digit? All the money that goes to military contractors. That's your tax dollars at work.
Now feel free to inundate me with flaky statistics from dubious sources.
@ Exodus - You know what, you got it. I'm gracefully bowing out.
I loved this. Though I no longer really identify with the Christian Right version of the Republican Party at present, I am definitely a fiscal conservative. To the first point, programs designated for "the poor" or "underprivileged" dont necessarily benefit Black communities directly in all cases. Latinos outnumber us at this point so wheres that money really going?
Regardless at this point our community cant keep looking to the govt for help...the track record isnt great so we need to help one another figure out how to generate wealth in our own communities instead of blindly following liberals down the path of giving away all of our resources to immigrants and folks who just don't feel like working. You cant be genetically predisposed to a political ideology. Whats hurting us as a people is that liberals ignore us because they know we'll blindly follow along while the conservatives dont even bother pandering to the Black community. Making our presence known on both sides based on each persons own political interests would allow the Black community to have a little more influence in American politics. Black people are scared to be Republican or to consider themselves conservative but you need to do for you..."keepin it real" dont pay the bills, yall. You might be poor now, but when you do finally get paid, do you really want a million hands in your pockets taking what you had to work so hard to achieve? Thats what most fiscal conservatives are trying to prevent and limit.
Thank you Shaka for your comments.
I think Exdous hit the nail with all my thoughts so I'ma keep it short (as possible).
I am a democrat....but like C Rock said, you'd have to be a fuckin idiot to be completely one or the other. There are somethings I am Democrat about, somethings i'm Republican about.
Taxes - democratic. Why? Because the taxes are income of the government. Road repairs, social services, education, etc. Those come from taxes. And just because the rich don't CURRENTLY utilize some of the services, it doesn't mean they haven't in the past. It is VERY UPPITY and VERY HYPOCRITICAL to move up the ladder and then look at the people below you and pull the ladder up on them, sayin it doesn't benefit me anymore so get rid of it. This is the land of "equal" opportunity but for the rich, equal means someone that's also rich. Secondly, if you want to keep your wealth and health, you better create programs to enrich the lives of the beaten and trodden otherwise you'll have the hopeless ready to kill you and your family just to put food on their table.
When it comes to spending - Republican. I don't think it's in anyone's best interest to live beyond their means. But even the Republicans have been loose with the pocket books. Instead of spending money to enrich the lives of Americans, they spent it on a pointless war for the past 8 years. Now a Dem. President wants to spend that money on the people, and Republicans are cryin foul? Hypocrites.
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