The War on Democracy: Art Pope and the Rich Bullies

http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/bob-burnett/54539/the-war-on-democracy-art-pope-and-the-rich-bullies

The War on Democracy: Art Pope and the Rich Bullies
Government
by Bob Burnett | March 1, 2014 - 10:50am

Out here on the Left Coast, we're not opposed to capitalism. But we believe it needs constraints. You'll hear two arguments for curbing capitalism. One focuses on poor kids and the other on rich bullies, such as North Carolina's Art Pope.

Americans share the myth of the "rugged individual" who pulls him, or herself, up by their bootstraps and becomes a success. What undergirds this myth is the notion of the level playing field; belief that all American children start with the same resources and, therefore, whether they succeed depends upon their character.

Sadly, most of us recognize that poor children are not offered a level playing field. For a variety of reasons they have inadequate nutrition, housing, education, and health care. While there are stories of poor children becoming very successful, most do not. In my life I've seen that poor kids have a different experience with the police and the court system than rich kids do; if you're a poor kid caught with a joint, you're much more likely to go to jail than a rich kid. If you are a poor kid, you're much more likely to grow up in a home where no one reads and there is no one to encourage you to do your schoolwork.

As important as the plight of poor kids is, the problem of rich bullies has become more disturbing. Of course, there have always been wealthy folks in America. Thomas Jefferson was rich, as was Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. Most Americans would like to be wealthy, but don't actually know any rich people. Nowadays, most member of the one percent live segregated secluded lives.