Economic vs Social Issues

What is maybe the most interesting thing about politics in America is how people who are often the most in need of Government assistance have in many cases become loyal to a party that is determined to take that assistance away.

To a large extent this has been accomplished by making politics about social issues more than economic ones.

It has coincided with the erosion of Unions in this country and the erosion of the middle class.

Things like Abortion, Gun Rights, immigration, and anti-Political Correctness have prompted many people to vote against what is clearly in their best economic interests.

Of course they are told that by helping business and giving tax breaks to big business while reducing regulations they will benefit down the road with more jobs and better economics, but that hasn't worked yet and isn't going to.

Even an issue that the Republicans have pushed for ages, free trade (which made the same promises) has somehow been turned upside down and blamed on the Democrats.

In fact, while much of the nation is finding their economics in trouble as low paying service jobs have replaced the high paying manufacturing jobs they once had, these same people have been persuaded to support the people largely responsible.

On the other hand, many of the people who have benefited the most have gone the other way.

The hard working farmer in Mississippi who sees the Democrats as the devils representatives on earth because they want to abort his kids, take away his guns and turn his children gay is supporting a party that is putting tariffs on his exports, making it harder to hire inexpensive help and making health care unaffordable.

The current economy is in a sense a false positive as workforce participation and low paying service jobs have created statistics that look good.  Clearly a job is better generally than no job, but its far from the best economy ever, at least for the working man.  For much of our history we had a labor shortage but now with automation and overseas production, we have a labor surplus.

We are going to need more Government services and probably a better way to pay for them.

Its something that needs to be talked about.