Paul Ryan's own "class warfare"

Republican representative fails to see hypocrisy in accusation against Obama

It isn't a "class war" to expand basic health coverage to those unable to afford it, nor to attempt to fix the budget through a modest tax increase on the wealthy, who control more than 40 percent of the wealth in this country.

But U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Janesville) seems to think differently. Ryan recently accused President Barack Obama of engaging in "class warfare" through his domestic priorities, including Obama's insistence that the top 2 percent pay more in taxes to help cover the country's debts and fund important programs.

"The president says that only the richest people in America would be affected by his plan," Ryan said, arguing that "class warfare may be clever politics, but it is terrible economics."

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"Sowing social unrest and class envy makes America weaker, not stronger," the Wisconsin Republican argued.

Mr. Ryan seems to have his priorities backward -- or rather, the priorities of the American people. Most don't care to continue the subsidies for the top 2 percent of income earners, and no one with a sound mind believes in the tired mantra that these people are "job creators" and therefore need more wealth than those actually struggling to find work.

But people DO believe in the importance of helping those in need. Programs designed to help those without, if administered properly, remain popular -- and for good reason: they work, at least when funded properly.

Again, Paul Ryan disagrees with the American people. Unveiling the GOP's proposed budget, Ryan's plan calls drastic for changes to Social Security as well as Medicare, turning the celebrated program into a voucher system.

Doing this will make purchasing insurance more difficult for seniors, who rely on the universal care dispensed by Medicare in their golden years and can't otherwise afford to make up the difference under the proposed voucher program.

It seems that the real culprits of "class warfare" aren't the lawmakers trying to make improvements for a number of people's lives but rather those that blatantly attack an entire segment of the population's ability to seek better opportunities. Call Obama's proposed tax increases what you will -- in the end, the lifestyle of the rich remains intact. Conversely, Ryan's proposal for the poor, the sick, the elderly, etc., makes life more difficult, makes living conditions for the middle- and poorer classes more strained in a time of economic duress.

A common talking point among conservatives is that a "shared sacrifice" is needed among the American people. To balance the budget, fix our economy, and increase the number of jobs in our nation, a shared sacrifice may indeed be required of us -- but the Republican Party's plans for shared sacrifice only includes the working classes, those that are facing the brunt of the crisis our nation is dealing with.

If Paul Ryan wants to talk class warfare, he should consider for a moment which classes are getting hit hardest by his economic vision, and then consider how rich the wealthy will remain under Obama's plan as well. Obama doesn't hit the wealthy too hard with his proposal; Ryan's plan, on the other hand, hits the poorest Americans beyond what is acceptable.