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Comment by dtquad | Hacker News Reader

>Since then the Republican party has largely embraced the working class while the Democratic party continues to favor more and more towards the rich voters and massive corporations, finishing off the full party flip.

Insane to say this when Trump and Republicans want to lower taxes for the rich and even suggest "abolishing the IRS".

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Tax is always paid by the workers. “The rich” are not the problem, they own the businesses that create jobs and add value to the economy. The problem is the government that can never have enough.

You need to reduce the need for tax money, not increase the amount paid.

Cutting taxes on the rich helps the rich, it doesn't directly hurt the working class. More importantly, Trump and the Republicans embracing the working class has everything to do with rhetoric and who they target for voting and very little to do with policies they actually enact. Most voters end up caring about what is said and pay little attention to what is done.

> it doesn't directly hurt the working class

Until the programs and benefits that the working class relies on are cut because "who's gonna pay for it?!" And "we've gotta reduce the deficit!". Then the working class will be directly and painfully effected because they are the ones that need tax credits and Healthcare options and foodstamps and support! Who's gonna pay for it? The people that already have enough! I understand the human urge to hold on to everything you have. But when did we stop caring about contributing to a functioning society?

That's all totally possible, sure. But those are down stream impacts that are influenced heavily by other factors and by how people react to a change in taxes, for this example. Its way more complicated than that.

> I understand the human urge to hold on to everything you have. But when did we stop caring about contributing to a functioning society?

I'd ask when we decided that a functioning society was only possible with a powerful government collecting and redistributing wealth. Neither are required in my opinion, though we likely couldn't be as centralized as we are today without large governments and taxes.

It's a matter of fact that Trump has pulled a huge portion of the working class vote from the Democrats

You probably think the working class is just stupid.

I think the working class is way smarter than you think. If you genuinely explore that possibility you will understand clearly why Trump won.

I'm sure we'll see a flourishing of the working class under the Republicans, then. We'll see Trump going to bat for unions in their fights against Corporate America, we'll see minimum wage increases throughout the country, maternal leave, and much more.

Or, people have fallen for a demagogue selling them a cheap lie (it's not corporate America keeping you in low paying jobs despite massive productivity and profitability, it's those damn immigrants stealing your jobs!).

You're trying to make it cut and dry that Dems good Repubs bad for the working class. And working class too dumb to know it.

It's simply not true and we can go through every line item and add nuance.

> Trump going to bat for unions

Union jobs have been exported to other countries

> we'll see minimum wage increases

No taxes on tips

> maternal leave

Higher child tax credit, and generally pro-family

These things are not as simple as you make it to be. Maybe you disagree with Trump voters, but that does not make them stupid and gullible.

> Higher child tax credit, and generally pro-family

You mean like the one that democrats proposed and republicans in the senate killed?

Getting a block of voters to support you is very different from actually doing right by those voters in the long run. If the Republican party doesn't end up doing much, or anything, to help the working class voters that Trump brought to the table they'll lose those voters eventually. Its just a lagging indicator since it first has to become clear that the party isn't actually on those voters' side.

Trump wants to lower taxes for everyone, not just the rich. Which will have more of an effect on the working class.

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