The trouble is, Don, people voted for 'voodoo economics'. My theory is that the political Right latched on to the fact that 'ordinary' people dislike and resent those of a lower social status than themselves and defer to the rich and 'successful'. All that the Right had to do was to use their all pervasive media to demonise the poor. In Britain the Left didn't help either - because they need the poor so that they can continue feeling smug and superior (we REALLY CARE about the poor!).