When I listen to the parade of right wing pundits and politicians refer, in lockstep, to President Obama's proposed tax increase as "class warfare," I'm left with one thought:  Go fuck yourself.

The GOP is very skilled at the art of class warfare, whether it be economic class, religious class, social class, or any other class that they wish wasn't sharing any of their air.

The GOP demonizes sluts single mothers, niggers minorities, fags gays, ultra fags artists, super-duper fags poets, Godless ragheads Muslims, heathens atheists, liberal baby killers women who have abortions, Mexicans undocumented workers, lazy Mexicans those who are drawing unemployment, slackers union workers, corrupt Ivy League elitists scientists, and anyone else who doesn't fully subscribe to the "I'm rich so go fuck yourself" school of thought.  

Even the phony icon of conservative philosophy, the man who could do no wrong, Ronald Reagan, engaged in class warfare, (unless you think that "Welfare Queen" is a chain of fast food restaurants that accepts food stamps).

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Ronald Reagan lived up to his campaign promise to lower taxes, signing into law the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981.  The highest tax rate was lowered from 70% to 50% while the lowest rate dropped from 14% to 11%. 

Within a year, when it became apparent that the tax cuts reduced revenue well beyond projections, President Reagan signed the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982, which was described by his own economic adviser, Bruce Bartlett, as "the largest peacetime tax increase in the nation's history."

The redistribution of wealth was completed the following year when the Social Security Reform Act was passed into law.

The net effect of these three bills was a tax reduction for the wealthiest Americans and tax increases on the lower and middle class.  This trifecta completed the largest redistribution of wealth in American history.

When Ronald Reagan redistributes the wealth he's a God, but when Barack Obama does it he's a socialist?  Maybe it's because Obama isn't redistributing the wealth in the right direction?

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Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) is the heir-apparent to Ronald Reagan (minus the telegenic good looks, folksy style, and ability to connect with independent voters).

Ryan is so opposed to tax increases that he signed a pledge to never, ever, ever, do it, no matter what, under any circumstances.

AMERICANS FOR TAX REFORM
722 12th Street, WASHINGTON, DC 20005
PHONE (202) 785-0266 FAX (202) 330-5224
United States House of Representatives candidates
Taxpayer Protection Pledge

I, _______________, pledge to the taxpayers of the _____ district
of the state of__________, and to the American people that I will:

ONE, oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax
rates for individuals and/or businesses; and

TWO, oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and
credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.

Okay, it's very clear what Mr. Ryan's stand is on tax increases. 

Except this is what he said yesterday about the midddle class payroll tax deductions that are set to expire at the end of the year.

From The Huffington Post

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said on Sunday that House Republicans would oppose President Barack Obama's payroll tax cuts for both employers and employees, arguing that the policy had already failed to provide a sufficient boost to the economy. "It hasn't worked," Ryan said, suggesting the current temporary tax cut should be allowed to expire, which will amount to a 50 percent tax hike on workers making less than $106,000 per year.

And in the next breath:

He [Ryan] also said he opposes the president's proposal to require millionaires to pay the same tax rate as the middle class, known as the Buffett plan. "Class warfare might make for good politics, but it makes for rotten economics," Ryan said.

So tax cuts for the middle class don't work, but tax cuts for the rich, which also don't work, work?

Either way, isn't Mr. Ryan violating the Norquist pledge?  (Punishment for violating Norquist's pledge is a guarantee that you will face a well-financed primary opponent).

In the past Grover Norquist has been quick to the microphone to reiterate his belief that there are no circumstances that would allow a member of Congress to violate the pledge.

So what does Mr. Norquist have to say about the expiration of the middle class cuts?  Nothing so far.

Don't be fooled.  When you hear the term "class warfare" you are listening to a regurgitated and poll-tested Republican talking point that only exists to make ditto heads and other non-thinkers believe that asking the wealthiest Americans to return to the Clinton-era tax rates is tantamount to treason.

One day in the future, I wonder if historians (if they're still allowed to exist) will discuss how Rush Limbaugh, at $50 million a year, was able to convince millions of middle and lower class voters to abandon their own best interests and vote for his.

Beats the hell out of me... but I'm not a historian.  I'm just a struggling middle class guy who's more concerned about my real problems than I am about Limbaugh's fake ones. 

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So bring on the class warfare.  It will be a West Side Story type of rumble.  But no chains, no zip guns, no switchblades, no blood.  It will take place on November 6, 2012, in tens of thousands of neighborhoods all over the country.  Every legal resident over the age of 18 will be invited to engage in the event.

And if it's a clean, fair fight I have no doubt which class will prevail.