America's Middle Class

Politicians on both sides of the political spectrum love to rally around the middle class in our society.  However, I believe that in many cases they are promoting a myth.  They need the middle class to keep pumping tax dollars into the system.  They fight over the centrist vote found in the middle class in order to get into office.  The use the middle class lifestyle to both promote the opportunities in America and to justify doctrines based on “fairness” for those seeking to move up the economic ladder in our society.  Unfortunately many of these pictures they paint use lies as their canvas. 

            Our country was not built by the middle class.  I hear this falsehood spread by both parties on the hill.  Our country was built by many things, but the middle class is not one of them.  We were unfortunately built by slaves.  We were built by fearless explorers headed west in covered wagons.  We were built by exploiting our advantages in population, medicine and weaponry over Native Americans.  We were built by lower class factory workers. We were built by farming families. We were built by miners.  We were built by construction workers.  Many people became middle class due to the lessons they learned in tough times.  They learned to save their money and buy a house.  They learned to promote education and discipline at home and at school in order to set their children up for success.  They learned to start their own small business in order to provide for generations of family.  Unfortunately, our government used this advancement as an excuse to provide more things to more people in an attempt to level the playing field.  The belief that those with should provide for those without through the force of government took hold and both politicians and voters have never turned back.  Look at the history of our country and you will not find government support of the individual until somewhat recent history.  The creation of the middle class was not due to the government but in spite of it. 

            Politicians are correct when they say the middle class is important.  The middle class creates a population that threatens the government.  The higher education enjoyed by the middle class can threaten the government through enlightenment.  The lack of financial dependence is another cause for worry among politicians.  Basically, if the middle class doesn’t need the government, our politicians have something to worry about.  So what was their reaction to this threat?  They furthered their influence in the lives of every citizen.  They funnel money to just about any cause in order to group middle class voters together.  Whether it is the arts, farming, oil, banking, sports, radio, television, sexual orientation, marriage or anything else you can think of; there is some government committee or organization influencing your life.  The government has become a beacon of morality while behaving so immorally that collectively we all agree it is broken.  This is quite a feat actually.  In order to convince us all that we need it, it teaches us that it can control opinions and actions.  If you believe in gay marriage, you need to move the moral compass of anyone disagreeing through governmental force.  If you are a minority, then you must force someone to hire you through legislating fairness.  If you are a renter with no savings, you need to force banks to loan you money through the government.  All of these are false.  The idea that our government has any right to define marriage is a joke.  Why, in a country of religious freedom, should we ask much less listen to our government’s opinion about marriage?  Why can I not disagree with the idea as long as I don’t infringe on your right to lead your own life?  Why must I support the idea of gay or straight marriage with tax dollars stolen from me?  Without the intervention of government the two sides could learn to live without limiting either parties ability to live their own life.  As long as we vote based on moral principles we will be easily divided thereby strengthening our government’s control over us.   

            Through promising to control or convert people our government has convinced us that it is the only way to change our society.  Taxes are used for bribes against the voters at every turn.  Think about that for a second.  We are not allowed to make an income without our government taking some of it.  Although we are used to this idea, it wasn’t always so.  They used to be a bit more honest with voters.  If the government needed money, they taxed a product or service directly in order to raise the funds needed.  The people knew why the taxes went up and could support or rally against the new source of revenue.  Who knows where their taxes go now?  Quite literally, they take what they want, change the codes when it suits them, exempt their supporters; then leave us to fight over a few million dollars here and there for our chosen cause.  How can this be the government of liberty?  When did it become acceptable to offer up self determination for the influence of centralized power? 

            The middle class is a threat to Washington’s power.  So far, they have been able to control this threat through dividing it.  When the people realize that they do not need to use force against those they disagree with then liberty will once again flourish.  The threat of law should not guide our moral compass.  The respect between individuals allows for liberty and mutual growth.  The force of government will never truly be applied for the cause of fairness because the proposed “fairness” must be defined by those promising or receiving gifts stolen from others.  Instead of seeking fairness through government power, we ought to enforce the laws protecting us from each other without labels.  We ought to celebrate the ability to disagree without causing harm.  We ought to keep as much money as we can in order to privately fund the programs we support instead of giving it to a government who reacts by holding it hostage in return for votes.  We ought to honor the lessons learned by those who suffered to build this nation instead of listen to our leaders who teach us to expect life’s rewards to be given to us according to our need.  The middle class rose due to the prosperity allowed by liberty and the resourcefulness found in self-reliance.  It was not created by our government but may yet be destroyed by it.