Mitt Romney just couldn’t beat Santa Claus
By Thom Hartmann A...
At least that’s how he’s spinning his landslide loss to President Obama in last week’s election. According to the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, Mitt Romney convened a conference call with donors on Wednesday and blamed his loss on a President who was “very generous” and promised to give away “big gifts” to women, minorities, and the poor. Those “gifts” Romney is referring to are things like contraceptive access for women, affordable student loans for young people, health care for poor people, and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who’ve been living in this country since they were children. Romney calls them gifts, while the rest of us call them basic essentials needed to make it in America.
Republican strategist Jude Wanniski was the first to label Democrats as Santa Claus back in the 1970’s for giving Americans things like Social Security and Medicare. Wanniski said Republicans had to play Santa Claus, too, by giving people tax cuts, which Republicans have stuck to ever since. Post-election, a lot of Conservative talking heads, from Rush Limbaugh to Bill O’Reilly to now Mitt Romney, have played the “gift card” against President Obama. But what they ignore is that for several generations now, we as Americans through our democracy, have voted in these policies. “We the people” have concluded that we should all be protected from old age, sickness, and unemployment - and have elected representatives to protect these programs.
Some of the millionaires and billionaires like Mitt Romney think that just because they don’t need any help, then no one in America needs help. If they want to whine about these programs now that they've lost the election, then I suggest they find a remote piece of land and begin constructing their Ayn Rand utopia far, far away from the rest of us in “we society” America.
Comments
#2
Sorry Thom that election was no where close to a landslide.
And furthermore, it is up to the leaders to point out to the masses that if you want us to provide all these wonderful things, you need to pay for them also. And if you don't pay for them, we can't give them to you. And no, those evil rich people do not have enough money to float all these wonderful programs, you'll have to hit up the middle class for more tax dollars to make ends meet. But we all know that won't happen, Santa Claus (aka Barak Obama) gives out gifts for free! What a guy!
#3
I consider continuing tax breaks for the rich a pretty nice gift. Isn't that what Romney was running on?
#4
I'm African American, married for 16 years, no children, both me and my husband work, pay property and income taxes every year. I don't think people are looking for a hand out but a hand up. For all of my bible thumping Christians please read Proverbs 19:17: He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. Then cross reference: Matthew 25:40, Luke 6:38, Hewbrews 6:10, Deuteronomy 15:8, Proverbs 14:21, Proverbs 14:31, Proverbs 22:9, Proverbs 28:27, Ecclesiastes 11:2.
#5
Just because God and Jesus said it sure doesn't make it right. (Right, right-wingers?) ;-)
#6
Do you have evidence, history or logic to support what you say?
#7
What gift did Barak give away for free? Finally, he has people paying for the free healthcare they used to get in the ER.
#8
If he had any, he would have said so, don't you think?
#9
Sister, The Good Book pleads for a just, moral, loving world, with one caveat. We are free to choose our own course.
We are free to be good or bad, to love or hate, to use foul language, or to raise ourselves to a more perfect state.
We are also free to read or not read the Bible or any other book, free to believe in or not, the stories passed down from our ancestors.
Politics, on the other hand, forces people into mandatory obeyance to Temporal Powers.
Never the twain shall meet, for when world consciousness is raised, we will not need Leaders, just Administrators. We will know what is right and just, which is good eats for all, a solid home, the end of disease, and "real dressy clothes for the whole family."
Oh Happy Day.
- quote from Ezekiel a story of early Florida celery pickers.
#10
WOW! edgy!lol can't wait to read some more later, but to the point yet again? I sure some "real" third world country would love to have the "Rands" buy up some parcel of land then they can all leave and tak the succesion ilk with them but in the meantime the question everyone should be asking is when will we arrive at "equal" taxation? its not rocket science and i will reitterate over and over again, it is not remotely fair that 100k of taxable income should only have to pay $2,800 and 84k of taxable income should have to pay $13,000. Imagine if every working stiff in America was actually clued in on it and understood just what type of srcew job we do get! And as i walked out of work last night all that echoed in my head was Mr. Buffet and his comments about the issue in respect to his secratary paying more then him...GET IT?
#11
Corporations really believed that they could takeover the world and have not given it up as yet. Bilderberg, TPP, the New Right of Paul Weyrich and their 2000+ republican politicians!! When the American people wake up and realize that they are NOT republicans but the New Right, we will all have a better understanding of what they are doing to this country! Weyrich's ideology (which they all follow to the letter) is Theocracy/Oligarchy and includes dominionism of the Liberterian Party. They have had 40 yrs (since Reagan) to infiltrate and slowly change our laws to their corporate benefit. The battle is not over because Obama won....it has just begun!! We Must continue to erode their influence and laws! Let them think what they want; but, it is Corporations that are the entitled and receive the "gifts" and do NOT pay their fair share. Right NOW...Europe is in the streets fighting their Austerity Agenda and our news will not share that information with us. Right NOW, we must remember that they are speaking up enmasse while we argue about semantics and their outlandish lies. Right NOW, we must continue the movement to restore Democracy and our rights!
#12
YUP!
#13
I'm not surprised the ruplicans call them "gifts" - these same people refer to equal rights for gays as "special" rights. They just have no idea what equal rights and foreberance really are.
#14
If Obama promised his voters "gifts" What exactly do you call it when you promise $1 trillion in tax cuts in exchange for campaign money?
Someone should write a follow-up to "Atlas Shrugged". Maybe "Atlas Shrugged Redux". I'm sure that 10 years later, Dagny Taggart (appropriately named) would have "tagged" 70% of the men in Galt's Gulch, just like she did in the original novel. I wonder which one of the heroes would end up with 95% of all the wealth in the valley by being ruthless capitalists - rendering all the rest "parasites".
What is really sad is that Republicans blame the loss on not appealing to a large enough group (i.e.hispanics and women) by "doing a better job getting their message out". Never once do they consider that their platform and policies might be flawed.
#15
Global: If the rich created their Randian Utopia, what would they eat and who would they get to clean their mansions? Maybe they could eat their money. But then they'd have to clean up after themselves. THAT would be a shock to their systems! Who would build their roads, keep them safe at night, and construct their mansions and cook their food for them?
Yes, by all means the rich should take their cash and flee to their gated community and sit and count the money until they starve to death for all I care.
If the Democrats are "Santa Clause" The Republicans are surely "Ebeneezer Scrooge".
#16
Truly a diabolical strategy the Democrats have, make government work for the people and they'll vote for you. It can be surreal oft times when the Republicans falsely accuse their opponents of the very thing that they, themselves, are guilty of.
Now we, the Democrats, are buying elections by their contorted, euphamistic definition.
#17
We earned those "gifts" with our hard work making all the Mitt Romneys rich.
#18
Still if you have all these wonderful programs,you have to convince the voters to pay for them. And the rich do not have enough money to pay for them, sorry. The middle class will have to be hard hit to pay for Santa Claus's gifts. And the middle class taxpayers have said loud and clear that they are unwilling to pay. So you simply have to cut the programs or convince the middle class to pay. Good luck on the second part of that.
#19
Gifts? Like help for Hurricane Sandy maybe? Or how about Social Security, which we have paid into all our lives and our now getting some of it back. It's not an "entitlement," by the way. That's the word repubs use to make it sound as though we're getting something just because we're all whiny, irresponsible victims.
The rich need to pay more. They need to pay what they did in earlier years--the Clinton years, perhaps, when we had a surplus and a steaming economy.
Yes, I agree, if they keep this up they will not only become irrelevant, but will have a hell of a time finding anyone to grow their food and sew their clothes or wait on them for dinner at their fine clubs.
#20
What are you talking about, Mauiman? The rich have been paying less than ever. They absolutely would be able to take up the slack, however reluctantly, as they had for so long before.
There is NO need to tax the middle class any more.
How do you think the middle class became the middle class?
#21
Jay Cay Johnstone described the willfully misleading language of business when it says things like, "From now on our employees will have to pay more of their own pension." or, "... more of their own health insurance." as though those payments were, until then, charitable generosities on the part of those employers when in fact they were part of the agreed upon compensation of those workers. It's like they're saying, "From now on our employees are going to have to pay more of their own salaries or wages."
Similarly, taxes on business must be seen as the just compensation business must pay to the people who work for them and not a charitability on their part. We earned all the government's social programs with our hard work making Mitt Romneys rich.
Just as Walmart gave its employees in California instruction on how to get on food stamps, most welfare recipients are the "working poor" - which is itself an abomination of any justice - or, grossly undercompensated workers. So, what business doesn't pay in wages it pays in taxes. If it refuses to do either - as it is doing now - you have, resulting, what is happening now, the destruction of the middle class and the pauperization of the working people
#22
Hey Oz, it's called individual freedoms, ingenuity, and necessity that drive man to create great things. But you liberals would not understand that because it is much easier to sit back and let someone else do it. I am not responsible for you, I am responsible for me and my family and the sooner the liberals understand that basic concept everyone will appreciate life a little more instead of being trapped in your life of just existing and envious of the rich.
#23
You wouldn't be rich without us. We don't need you, we'd get along great without you. Just stop sitting on and sucking up our resources. We don't need to buy bottled water from you or anybody.
Relinquish control of our resources and stop crapping on everything. and we'll build you a spaceship so you can mess up a different planet.
#24
Romney doesn't understand the concept of giving.....he only understands getting, and the only thing he has never been able to GET/BUY during his entire life, is the White House....which in my opinion is why he was in a state of shock on election night.
#25
Who would pay? To start with, a non-profit single payer healthcare system would cost about half of what we pay per person right now. I'm sure the rest of the world must think we're complete idiots, paying a for profit health insurance CEO over $100 million per year. So I guess to answer your question, "who will pay," for starters the CEO will, by not receiving 100 million per year for not doing much more than chasing a young secretary around his desk.
#26
What's wrong with the word "entitlements"? It means that we are entitled to receive benefits because of all the money we put in to it. I think the Republicans have manipulated the word just as skillfully as they have all the other words to make them sound like bad names....like "liberals". The fact that their money can buy up all the news media and use it all to do a psy ops propaganda campaign to get people to react adversely to these words has a lot to do with it. They have even created the perverse situation where they can besmirch the word "government" while they corrupt it to favor themselves instead of the majority of people who the government is supposed to protect and help.
#27
Global-No one has implied you are responsible for anyone but yourself and your family. Paying taxes is something everyone does on a daily basis. We elect leaders to determine what should be done with those taxes. If we elect a progressive, as the majority of Americans has, then we will see policies that favor the working man and the middle class. If we elect a conservative, whom we did not do, then the policies generally favor the upper class and the very wealthy. Your man lost and our man won. So, perhaps in the next election for the White House your type of politician will win and put forth his policies. Stop your crying and bitching about your taxes, your starting to sound like Romney for Christ sakes! Be a man and deal with the present political environment and pay your taxes just like we would be doing if that loser Romney had won. If you think health insurance for those with preexisting health issues is a gift, you’re wrong it is a right here in America for the fore seeable future. Taxing the wealthy with a 3% increase is not going to hurt them and it will help the country and fellow Americans. Of course it will not fix all the problems we face, but it's a start in the right direction for us. We have to change some of the funding on certain programs, but there is no reason to cut the programs all together. I hope we do go over the so called fiscal cliff and the taxes will go on you and everyone else and there will be funding adjustments made to programs you Republicans call gifts! Those cuts will include the military and social programs. The Republicans have been bought off to a large degree by the super wealthy and the multi-national corporations and that is why the will do anything to protect the income of their wealthy donors. During the Clinton Administration we had higher taxes on the wealthy and we still had a surplus of revenue and plenty of jobs. So what is it that you guys are really afraid of, your taxes might actually help someone beside the wealthy and those who build weapons for mass killing around the World? Taxes are collected and used as a whole to fund everything from roads to education, and of course the military. I guess the $5,000,000,000 tax cut Romney promised his wealthy donors wasn't a gift or a pay back to get him elected! He stated very clearly he supported the Ryan budget and that included the super tax break to the rich. And one last thing, we won (DEM.'s) and you lost the federal and state elections here. Get used to it and stop moaning about how only you Republicans are the only people that have worked for what you have. You know it is nothing more than a lie to make you feel better after losing the race....
#28
You are wrong, Global. Our social programs like Social Security and Medicare are paid for through payroll taxes. Social Security payroll taxes apply to the first $110,000 of income earned each year. Social Security has not contributed a single dime to the national debt. It currently has a 2.7 trillion dollar surplus that makes Soc. Sec. funded fully for the next 35 years. In order to make it fully funded for the foreseeable future, all we need to do is remove the earnings cap. It would be the Ayn Rand utopia that would collapse without the support of the American tax payer - predominately the middle class. The middle class pays the vast majority of the taxes in this country.
#29
I keep hearing right wingers saying the rich done have enough money to pay for stuff. Sounds like a major crock heap to me. As does calling it a gift to allow the people who actually earn the money to keep a bigger piece of the pie. I'm starting to think we should not engage conservatives in these discussions, because all the bullshit makes it a waste of time.
#30
I am wondering if, when the President asks for more money for the victims of the recent hurricane, the Republicans will once again want a dollar cut for every $3.00 more they conotribute to FEMA!?! Perhaps we should get ready for another drawn-out fight. The Republican idea is for us to use philanthropy (our own, middle class earnings - after taxes) to help each other up... and just leave them and their millions and billions alone. We certainly get taxed on every dollar we make, before the allowable deductions; why don't they have to do the same, regardlless of what each one of them makes? If we all paid the same rate on every dollar we make - regardless it it's under $250K or over a hundred million, we wouldn't have a national debt. We'd have a very large surplus. And as long as the Democrats have the key to the cash drawer, most of us would get a fair shake. he Republicans, however, would use the cash drawer keys to operate it as a non-profit... In other words, every year they'd split up the overages between themselves. That's how non-profits work.
#31
Hi #26 2950-10K
Yes, the rest of the world cannot understand why the USA does't want a not-for-profit health care system. In the UK we wonder what on earth is wrong with you people.
#32
BTW 2950-10K I was agreeing with you. It's the (poor misguided) TeaPartiers and Repugs I'd go after. I may be in the UK but I lived in Houston long enough (3 years) to get the drift - saw enough of Fox Snooze, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly to last me for several lifetimes. Had to get de-loused every time I chanced upon them.
First heard Thom on am radio in Chicago before and during the 2008 election and been a big fan ever since - a breath of fresh air at last!!
#33
These are statements designed to deflect from the issue that the GOP feels they are the entitled and Americans are less deserving than them for getting a Christmas present,...very juvenile.
#34
And Romney wasn't promising any goodies to his supporters? How about the deeper tax cuts for the wealthy and for corporations, even less regulation for the financial and corporate worlds, a boon for war contractors and oil magnets by going to war against Iran, and the end of so-called "entitlements" for the rest of us "moochers" without which the wealthy and corporations would not have their wealth.
Even with all these gifts the greedy wealthy have enjoyed the past 12 years, they have created very few jobs and economic growth, have contributed even less to the government and the US economy, have taken their earnings OUT of the country, and have acted as ungrateful spoiled bastards. They have failed. They are the ones who should be fired! It's time to let someone else, more responsible and with a better knowledge of how an economy works, be the "job creators."
Trump was right about calling for revolution, but the proper revolution would be to wrest his kind from power.
And Romney wasn't promising gifts to his wealthy "minority"? More tax cuts for the wealthy, even less regulation for business, the promise of more oil control and war contractor profits in a war with Iran, more control of the government by the wealthy and corporations, the end of "entitlements" for the rest of us "moochers" without which the wealthy would not have their wealth. All gifts the wealthy have received for the past 12 years and they have "created" very few jobs. They are the great failure. Mr Romney should try reading in the comment/blog world. I see many fine Republicans who say they abandoned their party because of the excessive butt-kissing of the wealthy and the embrace of the extremists and religious crazies (their word)to brainwash people to vote for them.
#35
I don't know what happened with my comment, but I could not edit it. The edit window did not show the bottom paragraph.
#36
This election showed America how out of balance or cockeyed our system is. Isn’t Santa a basic notion of philanthropy? But maybe also a spiritual transcending from the almighty. The old world folklore, or, now, a joyous time with generosity for those who are good to be rewarded by the divine rich job creators?
Sure is not happening now for the average American, is it? Or, for those forty seven percent that can never be reached, should they get a piece of coal instead of a gift according to folklore. Or support Romney with your coal job and loose pay or your job if you don’t support Romney. With a ho ho ho, so impoverished girls don’t have to prostitute themselves we have womb testing. Oh oh oh now proctology testing too. The Republican Ram rods from one end to the other offering reign of tearing faction and civil butchery.
Just incredible what America has tolerated, From Waterboarding to help decision making, virginal probes, now the Annulus Brutus, the southern governor, the Sid Cæsar of modern politics, Haley Barbour. Offering his wisdom that America does need. Our sewage system infrastructure needs reconstruction overdue in feces forensic analysis. March ahead with the fuhrer in facitical goose step.
Oh yes, gifts from habitual thinking from Romney to take the derivative of his true cast, the North Pole now at the Canary Islands or in precession weaving through tax loop holes, from the Swiss bank market avoiding climate change? Let dancer and prance by French mission deeds God bless America and the elevator repairman.
If you can tolerate five minutes of comedy drama and a message this silent video by Sid Ceasar is different. Reminds me of our media.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEhF-7suDsM
#37
mcowley01: I know what you mean about Texas, my youngest sister lives in the hill country outside of Austin and thinks Glen Beck is God. Also I had the good fortune to spend a month in the UK way back in the summer of 78 as a member of a track and field team from the US. I recall meeting a pre-med student at the University of Birmingham and was greatly impressed when he mentioned that his passion to help others, not financial gain or status, was the driving force behind his efforts to become a Doctor.
#38
Ken ware, Elioflight.......WELL SAID!
#39
HoHoHo...HAHAHA...HEHEHE...Please stop my face is hurting from laughing...I shared your comments with five co-workers (we are all republicans. All of us voted for someone other than Romney)...You wanna know what their response was to you rant(s)...And I quote; " This guy is a perfect example of why more and more people do not like the republican party and why more people voted AGAINST Romney than for Obama."
You seriously need to relax...United We Stand DIVIDED We Fall.
I admit that Obama is/was not my choice for President. However, Romney and the republican party would be no better for the good of the PEOPLE, which infact IS the country. As it is today NEITHER party is truely working for the public...They are working for the BIG Corporations.
I think it is absolutly wonderful and amazing that you take complete care of yourself and don't depend on anyone else to "pay your way" OR "Lend a hand"...If this is ABSOULUTLY true then you should have NO ONE else to thank but yourself. So yes hord all your nutts (and you will), lock all your doors and live in your little ticky tacky bubble that you call reality.
Mean while the rest of us poor schmucks all have to thank each other for the helping hand.
You see I don't mind helping someone who is down and out (for whatever reason)...I myself have been in dire straights before and needed assistance from my family, my friends, my employer and yes even MY Government. I would much rather see MY Government spend MY tax money on: Education, Healthcare, and programms to help those in need, rather then spend trillions on illegal and unnecessary wars, and expanding our Military Industrial Complex.
There is one thing about our country that has never changed in our 236 yr history...Rich white men not wanting to pay taxes and the poor white baffoons that buy into their rehtoric with hopes of joining the club.
Yes I am a conservative...But I am a humanitarian first.
When the world embraces the power of love rather then the love for power...The world will then know peace. (???)
#40
Rather than a remote piece of land, we should set them adrift on an ice floe in the Arctic Ocean. That ice floe will rapidly shrink due to climate change, and will eventually disappear.
#41
What about the gifts Romney was going to give his cronies? Perpetual tax cuts & exemptions, gov, subsidies & loopholes! What about favors to Sheldon Adelson like halting investigations on his sleazy gambling operations & possibly invading Iran for this crusty old Zionist? Letting the Koch Bros. to continue to pollute, that's a pretty big gift I'd say!
#42
Historywriter writes: Gifts? Like help for Hurricane Sandy maybe? Or how about Social Security, which we have paid into all our lives and our now getting some of it back. It's not an "entitlement," by the way. That's the word repubs use to make it sound as though we're getting something just because we're all whiny, irresponsible victims.
The rich need to pay more. They need to pay what they did in earlier years--the Clinton years, perhaps, when we had a surplus and a steaming economy.
Yes, I agree, if they keep this up they will not only become irrelevant, but will have a hell of a time finding anyone to grow their food and sew their clothes or wait on them for dinner at their fine clubs.
Response A couple of points here.
You don't hear me criticizing money spent to help victims of hurricanes. Those people need help and that is not what is breaking the budget.
As far as social security goes, that is nothing but a Ponzi scheme courtesy of the federal governmant. Unless you are retired right now, that will be one of the biggest rip offs you will ever get hit with. In my case, I went back and calculated that with my donations to social security, just getting the 30 year T Bill rate of return, I should have a 2 million dollar plus account waiting for me when I retire. Instead I will get about 35-40,000 a year. What a rip off!!!!!!!!!! And note, I am not discussing the disability part of social security, that is separate, I am only looking at the pension aspect of the program, which is about 85% of it.
Don't for think for a minute think that the rich have enough money to float what the Federal Government is spending right now, you are truly decieved if you think that for even one nanosecond.
Note that Clinton dropped the capital gains rate, and 18 months later that budget was balanced. And because he had to deal with a Republican congress for his last 6 years, he did not spend nearly the amount of money that President Santa Claus is spending now.
#43
Mark Saulys writes: What are you talking about, Mauiman? The rich have been paying less than ever. They absolutely would be able to take up the slack, however reluctantly, as they had for so long before.
There is NO need to tax the middle class any more.
How do you think the middle class became the middle class?
Reply: If you really think that those making over $250,000 could cough up enough tax dollars to fund what the federal government is spending right now, you are must be doing some awfully fine drugs. Can you send me some of what you are smoking, it must be good stuff!!
Last I saw, the combined income of those making over $250,000 was 2 trillion a year. The Federal Government is spending money at about a 3.7 trillion dollar a year rate.
So how is it that those evil rich people can pay enough tax dollars to cut the middle class tax rate to zero.
Send me those drugs you are smoking please!!!
#44
IMO without the BS from the RWNJ, these blogs would be empty. Similarly, I often wonder without FAUX news what would Jon Stewart talk about. Also, one could have some hope that we might provide some information to the RWNJ.
#45
Mauiman
You (Repubs) intentionally bankrupt the government with unneccessary military spending (and more recently with two unfunded wars and UNPRECEDENTED tax cuts) and then we have a hard time affording anything else (incidentally, MANY scholars think that is a willfull Repub strategy to force privatization - Jude Wanninski aside - to make government serve a few profiteers rather than the people). But we can easily afford our social programs as we have for many decades before. They are, after all, nothing more or less than just compensation for all the hard work we do making those assholes rich.
You either don't know the facts, Mauiman, or hope we don't.
#46
OK, here are the facts, tell me where I am wrong:
Federal Government spending- 3.7 trilion a year
Total income for those making over $250,000 a year- 2 trilion a year
Military budget- 600 billion a year
Yearly federal deficit- 1 trillion dollars a year
Yes we could easily fund our social programs as we have in decades before AT THE SAME FUNDING LEVELS AS THEY WERE AT DECADES BEFORE. But Santa Claus (and others) have pushed those programs to above the point where we can hope to pay for them. And the dems have not sold the middle class on turning over 45% of their income to the federal government like the socialist governments in Europe have. Until you can convince middle class taxpayers to fork over 40-45% of their income, this welfare state will go bankrupt.
There is a theroy that says a democracy can only last 200 years or so. Once the masses realize they can vote themselves tax dollars at the ballot box, the whole system collapses and gets replaced by a dictatorship. We certainly seem to be heading that direction right now, and people like you are leading the way.
#47
Military spending: The military budget of the United States during FY 2011 was approximately $740 billion in expenses for the Department of Defense (DoD), $141 billion for veteran expenses, and $48 billion in expenses for the Department of Homeland Security, for a total of $929 billion.[37] The U.S. defense budget (excluding spending for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Homeland Security, and Veteran's Affairs) is around 5% of GDP. Adding these other costs places defense spending between 6% and 7% of GDP. The DoD baseline budget, excluding supplemental funding for the wars, has grown from $297 billion in FY2001 to a budgeted $534 billion for FY2010, an 81% increase.[38] According to the CBO, defense spending grew 9% annually on average from fiscal year 2000-2009.[39] Much of the costs for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have not been funded through regular appropriations bills, but through emergency supplemental appropriations bills. As such, most of these expenses were not included in the budget deficit calculation prior to FY2010. Some budget experts argue that emergency supplemental appropriations bills do not receive the same level of legislative care as regular appropriations bills.[40]
Returning to Clinton Era tax levels would help a lot and to pre Reagan (perhaps Johnson era) levels would solve the problem even more to my liking.
The theory of democracy lasting 200 years because of welfare programs is patently absurd and fraudulent. The opposite is true. The wealthy will convince the common people that they are not entitled to or deserving to have government work for them but must work only for the wealthy and that they must deliver themselves willingly into oligarchic tyranny.
Government should serve the people's well being. That is nothing but democratic.
#48
Let's also not forget that there is an off-the-books "black budget" and scads of money that has just "disappeared"... unaccountable-for just like the "black budget". It was very suspect that just a day before 9/11 Rumsfeld announced that billions of dollars had just become unaccounted for...missing...from the Pentagon coffers..somehow just disappeared in Iraq. Like those billions of dollars worth of illegal bonds that were to come due on 9/12 and all the records of investigations into the massive illegal actions of some of the largest corporations in the US all just disappeared on 9/11. We are all at the mercy of these ruthless traitors because many still accept the "official" (corrupt) propaganda and "psy ops" scare tactics and believe in their "false flags".
The Pentagon, along with all of the MIC corporations that are all sucking on the Pentagon teats, is the worlds biggest "welfare queen". Isn't it quite suspect that a few pretender wealthy wannabees, who are the truly wealthy's useful idiots, seem to find the time to participate in these blogs..lowering themselves to communicating with all of the "riff raff"?
It is a very indisputable well-known fact that the wealthy elite have continuously made statements and conducted actions that indicated that they were way beyond just wanting a fair and level playing field in business and accumulating wealth. They have been conducting a financial war against us...a class war...that they started when they began a systematic effort to reduce our wages, take away benefits like health care, break unions, ship our jobs overseas, lay off workers here at home and expecting the remaining workers to double up their responsibilities.
There is nothing fair and honest or patriotic in what these economic bully boys have been doing. They are no better than mobsters and gangsters. They are selfish, greedy, and unpatriotic. We need a strong, fair, and honest government, uncorrupted by these arrogant economic bully boys, to keep them from destroying this country. These criminal parasites have been sucking out the life's blood of America..and the World... and will turn it into a dystopian carrionated corpse.
“A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude.”
― Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
Do you "love your servitude" yet? No? More propaganda will make them sleep! There's no place like "ohm"! And ohm is a unit of measure of......?
#49
Mark, thanks for the correction on the DOD budget, I was a little low. Certainly you don't suggest cuts for the veterens and homeland defense.
My point still stands, if we have all these wonderful programs, someone has to pay for them. And the rich do not have enough money to do it, so "tax the rich" will not work, it has to come from the middle class. And the middle class has refused to allow their taxes to go up. So programs have to get cut. And "cut the military" won't work, there is not enough to cut.
Sorry those are the facts, whether you like them or not.
#50
What you're missing is the increase in military budget, 81% from 2001-2010 - turning Clinton's surplus into a deficit - and similarly again and again, before that, under consecutive Republican administrations since Nixon's that caused the deficits - that Clinton turned into a surplus with a 3% increase in the top tax bracket and cuts to the military budget. Previous administrations had top tax brackets up to more than twice that level. Beginning with Reagan the military budget was inflated beyond any sense of necessity and taxes were cut absent the same sense having a deleterious effect on the economy, creating deficits and manufacturing a budget crisis that artificially made social programs seem expensive (Lyndon Johnson also had a budget surplus).
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Don't think so Thom, if they built that Ayn Rand utopia who would be left to pay for all your socialist, progressive demands? I think Hollywood would collapse under the pressure.