In a break from the promised civility that was going to be restored to public discourse, the White House has adopted a new (but tired) message: class warfare. Straight from the pages of the Communist Manifesto, the administration’s new favorite whipping boys are the “rich,” in various settings (business, individual, etc.) This isn’t a new choice, however: Karl Marx called them “the bourgeoisie” a few years ago, but the sentiment remains the same.


From punitive taxes and regulations on “fat cat bankers” to the “soak the rich” tax the House included in their health care plan, it turns out that being wealthy and successful is out, and being on the government dole is in. Today’s new proposal to regulate big banks to get our money back is merely the latest example in a growing list of heated rhetoric coming out of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Unfortunately, allowing government policy to devolve into a finger-pointing blame game is not in the best interest of the American people – and should be ended. Immediately.


For the nation to work, all sides need to be involved in moving the economy forward – because when scapegoating is the political modus operandi, a change in government just leads to a change in whose fault everything is. It’s time for legislators and the administration to put real effort into bipartisanship (not a token “we wanted to do this thing, they didn’t, so they’re out” thing, or a “look I invited a lot of people to talk at the White House, it just so happens the only people we invited all agree with me, cool everyone’s happy” thing.) Yes, this is hard. No, not all the things that legislators want to do will get enacted. But real, serious talks about the costs and scope of government programs, as well as the first principles underlying regulations, taxes, and proposals, are in order, and getting buy-in from across the political spectrum, and both the public and the private sector, is the only way to effect meaningful change.