Money

Gordon Fitch gcf at panix.com
Mon Sep 3 12:55:43 PDT 2001


Doug Henwood:
> ...
> But why do people believe that (unspecified) government spending is
> wasteful? Aside from the usually present racial subtext, it's also
> that they've been hearing this crap from politicians and pundits for
> decades. And why to politicians and pundits say that? Because they
> get their ideas and money from the ruling class, which has a deep
> material interest in spreading that rancid gospel.

Further explanation is required, because to the extent that the ruling class controls the government - pretty completely - government spending must be directed towards its interests and desires and it would have no conflict with it. There is no reason, inherent in their situation, for which large capitalists and their entourages should dislike a powerful government and large government expenditures.

On the other hand, percipient working- and lower-middle-class people would be aware that it was they, and not the rich, who pay for the expenditures of the government. This awareness might dampen their enthusiasm even for programs from which they might be imagined to benefit, and certainly for those from which others benefited.



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