Really, this whole mess got started when we were hunting with the in laws and their dreary friends - the rich people. Honestly, despite the accusations by the in laws about Democrats hating rich people, I don't and I am technically not even a Democrat. I have known a number of well to do persons and probably could have married one or two of them. Some well off/wealthy persons are very nice and some are not.
The rich couple, who just plain got lucky and marketed a new check writing process that is netting them gazillions of dollars at just the right moment in history, [IMHO] have been hanging out with the blue collar set for hunting trips. That would be the in laws. Of course, the rich couple don't ever think that they are lucky to have this item work out well for them. After all, I have known very talented people who have patents on different items who are not wealthy.
The in laws are retired but don't try to drive the hour and a half to see us. We generally see them for Thanksgiving and Christmas. You'd think they lived in another state instead of another town.
Anyway, the rich couple who are Christians and go to church are also tea party types. So, we are on a hunting trip and they are talking like we don't need a heath care policy that includes everyone being covered and other trite bull about not needing a Social Security program and such. I said, "Doesn't it seem a bit like worshiping Mammon?" That is money for you non-Christians.
I was being really gentle and trying to point out how money isn't everything and that I don't mind if some of the taxes I pay go to make sure people have decent healthcare. Also, that unions may have their place since many businesses have been neglectful of worker safety and don't care if their workers aren't making a fair living. I probably threw in that Social Security seems like a good thing to me since I wouldn't want old people standing on street corners begging like those poor widows in India.
They started acting like I was some ignorant piece of dirt that just didn't get it. I finally lost my temper and gave them what for. I told them the trickle down theory has always struck me as seeming a lot more like being peed on from above than money raining down into the economy and it certainly doesn't hurt the wealthy to pay a bit more in taxes. Those rich people absolutely benefit from living in a politically stable country with an educated populace and a decent police force and fire protection. Let's not forget the good roads and ports that allow them to send their goods easily to market. Then, I was so upset at myself for losing my temper that I just sat there while these selfish, prideful people - the in laws and the rich couple - lectured me for an hour on the joys of capitalism and how I just don't understand the trickle down theory of economics.
Here are people that have totally benefited from Social Security, being in a union and their extra pensions and health care now that they are retired on top of that They also take advantage of Medicare health benefits. They went on and on and on explaining capitalism to me like I didn't understand anything.
I couldn't even spit out that although doing business is a fine thing it should not come at the expense of the environment and workers health. Doesn't anybody remember just how polluted the waters of America used to be? How about workers losing their lives and/or health because management finds it cheaper to hire more workers than to care about the people that work for them? Surely there has to be a balance here.
Ever since then, the in laws have figured out I really don't believe in their sacred tea party crapola and they are not even trying to be nice to me any more. That is the way it is. I really hate being confrontational. I don't want to talk about politics and the government take over. I don't believe that the Republicans have regular people best interests at heart. The Democrats aren't much better. I don't like being around them. There is no balance in their thought processes when it comes to capitalism, Republicans or guns.
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