Saturday, September 24, 2011

DISPLACED AGGRESSION

An example of “Displaced Aggression” is you’ve had a tough day at work and you come home and kick the dog sleeping on the porch. Displaced AggressionIn other words, you take your aggravation and frustration out on someone or something else. I’m reminded of that as I look at the “soak the rich” mantra that is being parlayed around. The major problem that is facing America is jobs. Without jobs, not only do people not have the means to support themselves but it takes money out of the economy and lowers the income tax roles. Yet, soaking the rich will not add one new job to the free market economy. When the government is having a tough time, it’s always popular to go after the rich.

Even liberal think tanks have rebuffed President Obama’s assertion that the middle class pays a higher rate than the rich. President Clinton recently stated that increasing the taxes on the rich won’t help the economy. Taking money out of the pockets of the people who supply the jobs doesn’t entice them to hire.

Yet, there is a deeper concern here for me. It’s always popular to ravage the person who has a nicer car, larger house, better vacations, nicer clothes, and such. That is nothing but envy and covetousness. During these difficult times, it’s important that we not allow our frustration and fear to fuel the dark side of our humanity. Displacing our aggravation and frustration about the economy onto the rich won’t solve our problems. It won’t cause a job to open to us and it sure won’t make the high cost of insurance and living go down. It can, however, make us cynical, jealous, envious, and retaliatory people.

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