George W. Bush and the Republicans' plan to redistribute Americans' income to the wealthiest 1 percent is working quite well. The Republicans, while claiming they're looking out for "regular folks", have been cutting services for the middle class and transferring the savings to the wealthiest Americans.

The Wall Street Journal reported today:

In a new sign of increasing inequality in the U.S., the richest 1% of Americans in 2006 garnered the highest share of the nation's adjusted gross income for two decades, and possibly the highest since 1929, according to Internal Revenue Service data. Meanwhile, the average tax rate of the wealthiest 1% fell to its lowest level in at least 18 years.

I don't know that it's possible to be overly horrified at this. We are returning to the robber-baron period of the 1920s, after decades of progress on income inequality. And what's worse, the Republicans are telling us that we should continue to lower the taxes on the wealthiest.

The wealthiest in our country owe this nation everything. Our nation's strong economy, its investments in infrastructure and education, its preeminence in the world, and its healthy middle class have provided the foundation on which entrepreneurs have built their fortunes. Without the platform provided by our nation and its citizens, they would have nothing, and they, more than anyone, have cause to give back.

We once had a system in which we invested in our citizens, and anyone could dream of one day being wealthy. But now, our Republican government has decided to kill the American dream--if you're rich, you'll stay rich, and if you're poor, you'll stay poor. Over the last 20 years, they've shown that they have absolutely no connection with what has made our country the greatest nation. They can wear flag pins all they want; their policies show that they don't love this country, they just love themselves.