Pity the Billionaire, by Thomas
Frank
Have you ever wondered why the Conservatives are so angry even
when everything seems to be going their way?
And where are the angry Liberals?
In
Pity the Billionaire, Thomas Frank finds enough righteous Liberal anger
to satisfy everyone and serves it up with a healthy dollop of withering humor.
So, why is Thomas Frank so angry? Because crushing economic circumstances have
brought tremendous power to the
very ideas, beliefs, and people who created those circumstances. And while Conservatives scream and yell and
boo-hoo over their victimization, Liberals stand mumbling ineffectively in the
background.
The Right has been very
busy usurping all the Left’s arguments, turning them on their heads and
demanding even harsher punishment for victims of the economic crash and even greater
rewards for the perpetrators. Too many
of us are now thinking of the traders who made out like bandits before
everything crashed and then cashed in at our expense afterwards as “the little
guys” struggling bravely against big government.
Paul Ryan became the darling of big business by ranting for
small business and entrepreneurs and blaming all our woes on government
interference in free markets. We have
become a nation where “your mortgage is not MY problem” as one tea party rally
sign expressed it. We have a situation
in which the guy in the breadline is worried about the guy lounging on his
yacht!
Public discourse has gone all topsy-turvy and Thomas Frank
explains how it happened with wit, humor, and righteous anger.
So, do you pity the billionaire? Does government have a role in our
recovery? Can the policies that got us
in this mess get us out of it? And most
importantly, who do you think should lead us through economic recovery? Are you angry yet? At this critical time, share your thoughts!
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