You know that "redistribution" of wealth the Repubicans are constantly accusing liberals of perpetrating? The truth is, that something they're doing, but by accusing progressives of it, they put themselves on the offense and their opponents, who aren't doing it, on the defense.
Redistribution of this nation's wealth is something Ronald Reagan started and that the GOP and DINOs have been accelerating ever since.
In 1979 the top 1% got only 9% of all personal income in the U.S. Now the top 1% gets 25% of all personal income. And the interestingly, that's OK w/folks who don't realize how much it's hurting them. They, in fact, love it. It makes them feel good.
Why? Because, just like with sports teams, star atheltes, and entertainment celebrities, Americans love and want to back winners. We live vicariously through them. We think that being a fan associates us with whoever or whatever we're being a fan of and, in a perverted kind of way, that raises (if you want to use that perspective) us to their stratosphere. Backing them identifies us with them, and, might even work to make others think more highly of us. We become part of their community, so we need to look out for them. Defend them. Don't sit still when others disparage them.
So it's OK with people who think and behave like that to think that it's OK to give the rich a break. People with that mentality don't mind bearing the rich's load for them. That makes the poor schmucks who do really good guys -- and maybe the rich and famous, in turn, will really like them and perhaps even throw them a crumb.
Here's a story in the New Yorker magazine that explains it. http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2012/04/23/120423crat_atlarge_lemann
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