July 11, 2004

Edward's life belies his "Two Americas"
Posted by McQ

It certainly sounds good on the stump, I suppose, especially if the message is what you want to hear ... two Americas ... rich and poor, with a barracade between them which keeps the rich rich and the poor poor. Standard Class warfare. Democrat 101 stuff. Red meat for the legions.

But as David Gelernter points out in today's LA Times, John Edward's life, in fact his very success, disputes his claim:

Edwards' whole campaign shtick suggests he's a regular guy, just plain folks, a slob like us. So if he got over this barricade (or barrier or whatever it is), why can't anyone who really wants to? Answer: Anyone can, and everyone knows it. Edwards' story says so loud and clear. This is still the land of opportunity, where a talented working-class boy can grow up to be stinking rich and even be (a candidate for vice) president.

Because of this, and you can bet it will be pointed out again and again, and because so many Americans have done precisely what John Edwards has done (though prehaps with not as much success) is why the "Two Americas" speech will begin to wear thin. While rhetorically pleasing to the faithful, its problem is its just not true and most people know that.

But I can't believe the public is going to buy this act. Last week, I heard an admiring TV pundit explain, to general agreement from his fellows, that Edwards' "two Americas speech" is his No. 1 asset, followed closely by his self-made-man, up-from-the-working-class life story. The problem is, they cancel each other out.

That "two Americas" stuff suggests a country divided by a barricade, with the poor stuck on one side and the rich living it up on the other. We know this is false. Economic historians keep telling us so; they love talking about the high "mobility among income quintiles" that continues to typify this country. American society is a perpetual-motion machine, with constant movement from poor to medium to rich (and, sometimes, back again).

He has a point. It'll be interesting to see if the Edwards message gets retooled. Remember, he's no longer trying to pursuade just democrats to vote for he and Kerry. He's now going to try to woo independents and disaffected Republicans. And they're much less likely to accept his contradictory message than the faithful of the left who actually believe what Edwards has been say, contradictions and all.

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Comments

Moore promulgates the same hypocritial lie, when he routinely charges that the "American Drean is dead, and that your chances are 1,000,000-to-1 on becoming a millionaire." [paraphrased]

In fact, your chances are 20-1 and Moore himself became one without a college education or a silver spoon - or a infintesimal desire to tell the truth.

Moore's hypocrisy extends even further: when he and the other loonies of the Left charge that the right ot free speech and of dissent has somehow been eroded - on purpose - by Bush and Ashcroft (thorugh the Patroit Act, and by their treatment of enemy combatants).

Moore's movie is PROOF POSITIVE that no such thing is true, NOT EVEN REMOTELY. And the recent SCOTUS decision also proves that this charge is false.

What Moore's and Edwards's true life stories DO PROVE is this:

"AMERICA: Is this a great country or what?"

This is even more true in the face of their lies, and in ther face of the false recriminations of the Left against Bush and the USA.

Posted by: dan at July 11, 2004 03:17 PM

There was someone else who talked about 2 Americas.

Read below.

For there are two Americas—and millions of the people already distinguish between them.
One is the America of the imperialists—of the little clique of capitalists, landlords, and militarists who are threatening and terrifying the world. This is the America the people of the world hate and fear.
There is the other America—the America of the workers and farmers and the “little people”. They constitute the great majority of the people. They do the work of the country. They revere its old democratic traditions—its old record of friendship for the people of other lands, in their struggles against kings and despots—its generous asylum once freely granted to the oppressed."

If you said John Kerry or John Edwards you are wrong.

This was part of a speech made by James P. Cannon

The following keynote address was delivered on July 1, 1948 to the 13th National Convention of the Socialist Workers Party. It was broadcast live by the American Broadcasting System over a nationwide network. It was published in the Militant, July 12, 1948.

Go here to read the rest.

http://www.marxists.org/archive/cannon/works/1948/twoamer.htm

Posted by: retired military at July 11, 2004 05:12 PM