photo credit: pfala

“Spread the wealth around: We will focus acutely on that,” said Steve Schmidt, Mr. McCain’s chief strategist. “Spread the wealth around is a big mistake.”

Polls Cause Campaigns to Change Their Itineraries – NYTimes.com.

Exactly what is wrong with spreading the wealth around? Isn’t that exactly what both parties want to do – they just have different methods of doing it. One is the hugely successful ‘trickle down effect’ that has resulted in an enormous class of working poor in the US – this is the method favoured by the Republicans. The other is redistribution of wealth through government programs and the welfare and tax system – favoured by Democrats.

But both in the end are about “spreading the wealth around” aren’t they? Surely? Or is Mr Schmidt advocating that only a few in American society should share the wealth and the rest can go to hell in a hand basket – is that the expression? How out of touch are these people that they cannot even understand the language and concepts that they are spouting. How bereft of humanity and compassion is the man that has made this statement? The mind simply boggles.

WEE can only hope that these monsters don’t get anywhere near the presidency come 4 November. They do not deserve to win – the statement above combined with a very negative campaign that personally attacks their opponent, not for his policies, but for his lack of patriotism reflects a society that is going nowhere.

The once great American dream has been subsumed by narrow-focused men and women who do not put country first. They put power first. They put hate first. This won’t stop if Obama wins the election. And who knows what will happen if McCain wins. The crumbling prestige and authority that the US once held internationally is not going to be well served with another four Republican years in the White House, and it’s not entirely clear that the other side can reverse the damage if they come to power.

If Obama does win, it’s going to take some hard work and a generation to expunge the poison that now passes for political debate in the US. Other two party systems in western democracies face the same dangers – that after 100 years of western democracy the political class have become to adept at manipulating the system. WEE see it in Australia and it is laid bare for all to see in the US.

To get to the point where spreading the wealth of a nation to all of its citizens is somehow seen as a ‘big mistake’ is quite the most shocking statement of this election. Far worse that accusations of racism or terrorism or anti-Americanism, this statement reveals a political class that is truly sick.

WEE can only hope that someone in the US wakes up. There isn’t much time left.