NPR and Fox News contributor Juan Williams does not see vitriolic blanket-statements condemning conservatives as "racist," "homophobic," heartless, anti-intellectual, and depraved (to name a few), as divisive or erroneous in the least.
Aside from possibly race and identity-politics, there are few things more toxic and effective than the poisonous doctrine of class warfare - no matter how many times leaders may promise heaven on earth. In his April 7 speech at Harvard University, AFL-CIO leader (and corrupt money-laundering extraordinaire) Richard Trumka did his part to perpetuate fear and hate of conservatives - repeatedly inciting the "righteous anger" the "working class" should have against "servants of economic privilege" and "apostles of hate."
"There are forces in our country that are working hard to convert justifiable anger about an economy that only seems to work for a few of us into racist and homophobic hate and violence directed at our President and heroes like Congressman John Lewis," Trumka said. "Most of all, those forces of hate seek to divide working people -- to turn our anger against each other."
Interviewed by Fox Business anchor Stuart Varney, Williams recently appeared on the network's "Varney & Co." and agreed with Trumka's message - income inequality is a threat to democracy, and more punitive measures must be taken against the rich.
"The way I saw the speech was there's greater class division in American society," Williams said. "And Trumka makes the case that this has been fed that we have had tax policies that have benefited higher income Americans since the Reagan years and of course throughout the Bush years, and have been continued by Obama - and that there's need now to make investments in trying to repair that divide and to bridge it, to get people at the lower end of the economic scale in better position. For example he wouldn't oppose more taxes on the rich."
"You know what's coming down the pike, you can't tax the rich anymore," Varney interjected. "You've got to start taking money off of America's middle class - you've got to if you want these entitlements."
Williams acknowledged that additional taxes like the value-added tax should be considered along with other measures to "bridge" the inequality-gap - even though he acknowledged Varney's point that new taxes would hurt everyone.
"I just want to know where you think the administration stands on the political spectrum. Seems to me it's pretty far-left," inquired Varney.
"Well far-left in the sense of saying we have to do more for people who have been poor and left behind," Williams replied.
"You're a centrist-Democrat - are you happy with this Juan?"
"When I look at something like health care reform, I think of in terms of moral imperative I think it's important we not have people laying in the street or crowding our emergency rooms," Williams said.
"And when you talk about expanding regulation - gosh there's such anger at Wall Street these days and of course we're on the cusp of financial reform coming through the Senate right now. But what's driving that is populist rage at Wall Street. So I'm not sure I agree with the way that you're putting it. In fact I think there's lots of Americans who want to see some regulatory force and don't see it as taking us toward some European-style socialism."
