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Presidential candidate Kamala Harris is making the creation of an “opportunity economy,” with its focus on expanding opportunities for the middle class, the center of her campaign. How entirely appropriate.
A historical oddity is that this same theme was the focal point of a former Republican president, Dwight Eisenhower. As the supreme commander of our forces in World War II, he was all too aware of the sacrifices made by our troops and was fully committed to their well-being when they came home, and this meant helping the average American.
He was a sturdy defender of the progressive tax system, which imposed a rate of 91% on the wealthy and 54% on corporate profits. And, contrary to all the propaganda of Trump Republicans, our economy prospered and personal income rose 45%. Both Wall Street and Main Street loved “Ike.”
Why not? America was growing, the middle class was expanding, a national highway system was launched, Social Security was broadened, a minimum wage was established and the budget was in balance.
In essence, prosperity was trickling upward, and America felt good about itself.
Now we have a tax system designed to transfer the cost of government to the middle class, with the result that it is shrinking even with two parents working and our society is laden with debt, from credit cards to the national government. Even worse, our nation is more divided and self-centered than ever before. Sadly, our sense of community is becoming a distant memory.
