Yellow Matter Custard: Chapter 9

[H2O Man]

Let's take a brief look at a man/woman who lives in any town or city across the country, who makes about $45,000 per year. If this person identifies themself as a "republican," and believes that they have more in common with a millionaire republican inhabiting the halls of Washington, DC, than that millionaire republican has in common with a millionaire democrat inhabiting those same halls, what does this make that person? A good republican, or a fool?

What if we consider a person making $45,000 or under, who identifies themself as a democrat? Do they have more in common with the democratic millionaire in Washington, than that democratic millionaire has in common with his/her republican millionaire counterpart?

I'm curious what others think.

[LSparkle]

1. I think it has to do with empathy ...

It doesn't matter how much someone makes -- it's
whether they feel only for themselves or if they
can feel for others ... Either remembering what it
was like coming up or just being able to empathize
with those who are struggling even though they may
be OK. We have rich Repugs and rich Dems -- it
doesn't matter how much money they have; it's whether
they still can feel for others (and how they spend
that money as a result -- i.e., giving to charities
or just amassing a huge fortune).

[H2O Man]

5. Good points.

I was speaking of two slightly different things, though: if the "common" person needs to think outside of the box in terms of how they identify the economic crisis they face; and about those people in the Congress, rather than "rich" people in general. But you certainly raise important and related points. Thanks!

[rosesaylavee]

2. I think it has more to do with how these two groups

view morality than what's in their paycheck. The R view is skewed to self-interest and the D view is inclusive of others. Witness the two political conventions this summer. At the DEM convention, groups of people enjoying themselves and when interviewed talked about the group they represented from their state or region. At the Rwingers convention, few individuals standing around and when interviewed, spoke of how the economy or something else bad was effecting them personally.

[H2O Man]

6. Do you think

that there is a stratification within each political party, which the "common" citizen should take into consideration? Does that stratification impact, for example, the manner in which some of the empathetic democrats in Congress do business? Is it significantly different from the way that the average family in America (I know, I know, there really isn't an "average" family) approaches its approach to economic survival in tough times?

[rosesaylavee]

11. I think those that have money

have a very different outlook from those of us who don't. I have met Dems who have great monetary resources and connections and though the meeting and conversation were both friendly affairs and much sharing of views, etc. I don't think they will be coming over to my house or me to theirs. And I say this as a confident person in my own skin and I don't think I have too many hangups about money. But that is a separation there and I am not sure that that will ever change.

However, I don't get that from President Obama. I think that may be his appeal. I think if I were to invite him to my humble abode, he would come and share soup and some laughs.

And, as a former Republican who was raised as Republican in a home with money, the stratification as you put it is much more intense.

edit: in further answer to your question... I think DEMS in DC may be empathetic by nature or perhaps have a memory of earlier difficult times and that has fed their empathetic tendencies. However, I do not see them hanging out with the common folk in any meaningful way. They come by when they are campaigning. Not sure they know how powerful it would be if they were to go to local events as a participant rather than the star entertainment. I may be way off base in lala land but that would give them a good idea of what we are going thru.

[bulldogge]

3. $$$

Financially speaking they have nothing in common with either group of millionaires. Ethically I think that it is possible that some 5 figure or less "republicans" seem to mistake conservative values as being the same thing as being a republican and the republican party loves to play to this error in definition. They are the party that represents 6 figures and up any one below that is simply daydreaming about being part of the boys club. As for the Dem's I think that ethically speaking you can have a similar liberal vision, maybe a poor Dem is a bit more leftist than a rich one? But they are certainly able to agree somewhere along the line due to their compassion for their fellow man, my main example would be Obama.

[H2O Man]

7. Interesting.

I agree. And that includes in identifying Obama as a politician in DC who has an awareness of the problems that common folk face.

I asked the question in terms of "group consciousness." I think that you understood this, perhaps best. I may not have expressed it as clearly as I wisjed/attempted to, though I tried.

[panader0]

4. I would like to believe that there are some people who, regardless

of their wealth, that they understand the plight of the poor. Kennedy, Kerry, and many more wealthy people are liberals. Of course, they can afford it.

[H2O Man]

8. Absolutely.

Kennedy, Kerry, and others are fine examples. I do think they tend to be the best examples, because they tend to be far more active in their attempts to help people from both the lower and middle economic class.

My question, though, has more to do with the "common" folk. Are the political parties stratified in such a manner (economically) where, taking away judgements of "good" vs "bad," it makes sense for those common folk to identify approaches to economic survival/political activity that expands upon an awareness of that stratification?

[Me.]

9. The Mistake, I Think, Is That Most People Believe

that group identification means you are all on the same team, that you can depend on others in your group for understanding and commonality of goals. It is why middle class R's looked to * for the empathy they never received. It is why a progressive cannot understand the obstructionism of a blue dog. The fact is very few millionaires in either party have anything in common with middle class people. They have a totally different head set. In these modern times the divide isn't really party but financial though that doesn't necessarily have to be so. Boxer has a good understanding while Feinstein does not. However you will find more in the dem party who wish to see the country as a whole thrive than in the R's. I also believe there are more R millionaires which is why tax cuts are so important to them, totally self serving.

[H2O Man]

10. Very good.

I tend to advocate coalition politics .... or "confederacies." But in order to do so, one must have a solid sense of self-identification.

[Me.]

12. Which, When Lock Step Is In Place

and the spin is being spun is often ahsent. What is the underlying cause of the political mob mentality where you would refuse to even acknowledge French Fries.