That is the crux of it. They believe it is. Wholeheartedly. It’s part of their core being at this point. If someone is receiving something, they must be losing something in return. It’s their tax money.
They’re incapable of making the mental connection that corporations and the rich aren’t paying anywhere near even a fair share of taxes that could entirely pay for those programs to apply to every citizen, including themselves. And the media preys on that to further pit themselves against their fellow citizens because it’s all owned by those same rich assholes.
That is the crux of it. They believe it is. Wholeheartedly. It’s part of their core being at this point. If someone is receiving something, they must be losing something in return. It’s their tax money.
They’re incapable of making the mental connection that corporations and the rich aren’t paying anywhere near even a fair share of taxes that could entirely pay for those programs to apply to every citizen, including themselves. And the media preys on that to further pit themselves against their fellow citizens because it’s all owned by those same rich assholes.
And even if it was zero sum, they still wouldn’t grasp who’s getting the plus for their minus.