Poverty and the political right

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

If the right wanted a low-tax small state through democratic means, it would tackle poverty.

The poor derive more direct benefit from public services than the rich. This is why the right, who want a low-tax, small-government state, deny structural poverty and claim the poor are lazy, feckless spendthrifts - basically that they choose to be poor. Public services are, then, the problem: a reason the poor stay poor.

A more rational, less dishonest approach from the right might be to tackle poverty by understanding that poverty isn’t a personality defect but a shortage of money. The right could draw ideological inspiration from religious traditions to inform sensitive policies.

Instead, and inexplicably, the right has instituted a programme of mass impoverishment. It seems most of us are too rich and need a curative dose of poverty. Apart from the very rich, who are, uniquely, improved by being showered in money.

Now the right is forced to set out an entirely dishonest programme for low taxes and a small state - the beneficiaries of which policy will be a tiny minority of super-wealthy individuals.

There are only two ways to get a democracy to vote for this: lies, or fascism.