Posted on 10/08/2013 8:47:35 AM PDT by CharlesThe Hammer
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Former President Jimmy Carter said Monday that the income gap in the United States has increased to the point where members of the middle class resemble the Americans who lived in poverty when he occupied the White House.
Carter offered his assessment of the nation's economic challenges Monday at a Habitat for Humanity construction site in Oakland - the first of five cities he and wife Rosalynn plan to visit this week to commemorate their three-decade alliance with the international nonprofit that promotes and builds affordable housing.
The recent economic downturn revealed that families living in even comparatively well-off, but expensive regions like the San Francisco Bay Area are economically insecure, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
While it's true the middle class is being devastated by Obamanomics, Carter's claim that the causes of that devastation are insufficient government expenditures on "affordable housing" and economic regulation like the minimum wage, the truth is that socialist, central planning grinds down the middle class. He is completely oblivious to the tragic irony.
Not surprised that Jimmy doesn’t link the worsening position of the middle class to failed Progressive attempts to manage our economy. We need pro-growth policies and a less intrusive federal government, not greater “investment” by an all-powerful, central government in housing for our middle class families.
It’s called “Marxism”.
Karl Marx HATED the middle class. He wanted their blood running in the streets.
So here we are in 2013 attempting to use Marx’s ideas to make life better for the middle class.
And it’s the middle class pushing these Marxist policies.
So what do you want me to say?
Carter should be proud of his role in helping democrats drag America down to third-world status.
I think Jimmy is happy to no longer be the worst president in living memory.
I don't think he hated America like the present president.
Anyone that is worried about an “income gap” or “wealth gap” doesn’t care about the poor at all. In fact, they would be just fine if the poor were poorer, so long as the rich was less rich!
Exactly these people are only happy when everyone else is miserable.
Old jimmuh wants more communism.
LLS
He didn’t. He was a lousy President, but I think we do have to give credit where it is due. Carter did not deliberately lie to us, and only a handful politicians to come after him can say the same.
That was at the end of Carter’s term not at the beginning.
Their solution is everybody should have two apples. And they really consider it a "win" for society if they succeed.
I remember when trying to buy a house during "Jimma's" reign, the interest rate was double digit, yeah like 10 to 13% or more.
That was pretty much like using your VISA card to buy a house.
I also remember that towards the end of his four year reign, regular people could not afford to wear nice clothes - the Carter "uniform" was worn out tee shirts and jeans and broken down tennis shoes. And haircuts. Who got haircuts? Who could afford a haircut?
And then, there were the gas lines.
So, his personal experience is bonafide crap.
Yep, Jimmah. Obama has passed you as the worst president in US history.
Of course, he got 2 terms to do it in. His first term was a disaster. After a few tweeks, however, his second term is even worse — and Obamacare hasn’t really kicked in yet. Give that 2 more years, and more cities may resemble Detriot 2013.
Carter’s new legacy: My presidency was better than Obama’s.
I will have to disagree with you there. When the economy is being deliberately rigged to siphon off all wealth past present and future into the pockets of a very tiny group of already extremely-well-off people.
Nobody begrudges a person who makes their wealth honestly, but that’s not how wealth is made these days. You try to make wealth honestly today, you get the whole alphabet soup of government agencies come in to destroy anything you’ve built. If you try to make wealth by some form of legalized scam, then you’re golden in this political economy.
99% of income gains since the 2008 crisis have gone to the top 1% of the wealth holders, in an economy which is thoroughly politicized. It is the politics, not merit, which is driving the movement of wealth away from the bulk of the people and into the hands of this class of financial grifters.
If you want to make serious big money today, you get the government to take it away from someone else. These ain’t the Reagan Years anymore.
Today's “poor” have shelter, cars, TVs, microwaves, and many things the “middle class” went without, 50 years ago.
It is precisely because they have more that mere “necessities”, that they remain unmotivated to improve their situation.
carter should know, he created a lot of poor during his term. people that were missle class, many of them farmers. his grain embargo did a lot of damage to the economy and the country.
He got one thing right. Even if he got it right for the wrong reasons. The democrat dominated gerrymandered districts that have secured the elimination of the middle class with no chance for this to change.
50 years ago was 1963. Carter ended his term 33 years ago. Quite a bit changed from 1963-1980.
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