As I wrote yesterday, the fact that politicians are now openly talking about class in America, a country almost absurdly proud of the fact that its citizens don't discuss class relations, is a major triumph of Occupy Wall Street and other economic disparity-focused groups.
That message of fairness has been at the heart of OWS since day one, and the widespread uprisings provided a framework in which the president could finally get specific about his proposal for a "Buffett Rule":
a requirement that anyone making more than $1 million a year pay no less than 30 percent in taxes. And, he added, anyone making less than $250,000 a year – the case for 98 percent of American families – should not see a tax increase.
The president threw around the "C" word fearlessly, a telling strategy that indicates a populist tide change.
In the past, Democratic politicians ran from accusations of class warfare, but in his address last night, Obama confronted those allegations head on.
“Now, you can call this class warfare all you want,” Obama said, anticipating the Republican rebuttal. “But asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes? Most Americans would call that common sense.”
Last night's speech marked the moment the president finally fell into step with the majority of American people who want higher taxes on the wealthy.
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