This structure, combined with historical ignorance, is the most powerful Leftist argument against Conservatism, or what I call Liberalism.
Always, it is assumed at the outset that if you are not a Leftist, that you are opposed to bringing wealth to the poor, and justice to the wronged. Whatever arguments you might make in your own favor, these detriments are assumed at the outset.
In this strange world, balancing the budget “on the backs” of the poor is unjust. Yet, we have 50% unemployment among the youth of our ghettoes. This situation will only get worse as the economy gets worse, and the economy will not get better until business owners–particularly small business owners, who create most of the jobs and pay most of the taxes–feel confident in the future. You don’t sit on piles of cash unless you have a good reason. Huge–record–uncertaintly is a good reason.
The point I want to make clear here is that the choices are between high taxes, high unemployment and high rates of poverty, and low taxes, low unemployment and low rates of poverty. There is nothing to commend the first, and claiming otherwise is, if one understands history, a naked lie.