Overcoming The Two Americas

Sen. John Edwards' powerful theme about "the two Americas" – one for the rich and powerful and one for everyone else – captivated Democrats and Republicans alike with frank yet optimistic discussions about overcoming inequality in our society. Policies that honor work rather than wealth and promote real opportunities for America's middle class and those struggling to get ahead are important ideas for overcoming these divisions.

• Under conservative leadership, we have become more divided than ever. As Edwards states in his speeches, we have, "One America that does the work, another America that reaps the reward. One America that pays the taxes, another America that gets the tax breaks. One America that will do anything to leave its children a better life, another America that never has to do a thing because its children are already set for life."
• The division of America by conservative leaders is no accident. For more than 30 years, conservative ideologues have driven national policy toward greater economic divisions as they seek to consolidate power and privilege at every level of government. President Bush's entire economic agenda turns on rewarding the already wealthy with lavish tax breaks and subsidies, while shifting burdens onto the poor and middle class. As the last four years have proven, conservatives are the ones waging class warfare, not progressives.
• Overcoming the two Americas requires a fundamental shift in policies and priorities. First, we must reform our tax system to make it more progressive, help the struggling middle class and create economic growth. Unearned wealth and labor should be taxed at similar rates, so those profiting from investments pay as much as those working multiple jobs and long hours just to get by. And we must stop giving tax breaks to corporations and CEO's that move their headquarters overseas and pay themselves lavish salaries and perks while cutting pay and benefits for their employees.

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