Using our tax dollars to pay for the things our country needs is not giving away “free stuff.” But, that's the line we keep hearing in response to our push to expand social programs.

When we talk about things like free college, expanding Social Security, or expanding Medicare to cover all Americans, the typical Republican reply is that we simply can't afford such big ideas. But, those same people never bat an eyelash when we spend astronomical amounts on war, tax cuts, or corporate welfare.

According to recent article over at USUnCut.com, expanding health care, investing in new public works programs, offering free college at public universities, and enacting paid family leave would cost our nation an estimated one and a half trillion dollars.

But, we could easily pay for such programs by eliminating the big government handouts to Wall Street, Big Oil, defense contractors, and other corporate welfare recipients. And, that doesn't even consider how much the progressive proposals mentioned earlier will stimulate our economy by putting more money in the pockets of Americans who will go out and spend.

Ever since the Reagan presidency, we've been told that government is the problem and that slashing taxes is the solution. Then, the rich and the powerful rigged the system to make sure that government is still large enough to hand out corporate welfare and that taxes only cut for those at the top.

The fact of the matter is that We, The People are the government, and we get to decide how to spend our tax dollars. We can either have a government that supports the billionaires, or we can have a government that works for average Americans.

The only “free stuff” we can't afford is the pile of conservative talking points designed to make us believe that we shouldn't want a government that works for us.

-Thom

(What do you think? Tell us here.)

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10pm... Is A Republican Being Considered For the Supreme Court? (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

Community Square

"The Truth and nothing but the Truth"

Wednesday's Daily Stack

In for Thom today... Progressive Talkers Danielle & Shane-O.

Article: "Donald Trump cements frontrunner status after big win in Nevada" by Paul Lewis, Maria L La Ganga and Sabrina Siddiqui in Las Vegas and Nicky Woolf.

Video: CNN Full Town Hall: Democratic Presidential Town Hall South Carolina 2016 Columbia, February 23, 2016.

Article: "Watch Bernie Sanders' Moving Explanation Of Why Faith Matters" by Alana Horowitz Satlin.

Article: "'Grab, grab, grab for America!' Trump storms to victory in Nevada" by ninemsn.

Book: It Takes a Village by Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Article: "Gordon Gekko" by Wikipedia.

Documentary: You've Been Trumped.

Article: "Donald Trump continues ‘winning, winning, winning’" by Chris Cassidy.

Article: "“I love the poorly educated”—Read Donald Trump’s full Nevada victory speech" by Quartz.

Article: "Godwin's law" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Noam Chomsky: We Owe the Rise of Trump to Fear and the 'Breakdown of Society'" by Aaron Williams.

Article: "Is America Really Getting More Tolerant? 100 New Hate Groups Appeared Last Year" by Alexandra Rosenmann.

Article: "Joe Biden in 1992: Bush better not pick a Supreme Court nominee before the election" by Dylan Matthews.

Article: "Mayer: Trump bravado bests actual record" by William G. Mayer.

Article: "Unless The Democrats Run Sanders, A Trump Nomination Means A Trump Presidency" by Nathan J. Robinson.

Article: "Nevada Makes Donald Trump Unstoppable: The Unthinkable Becomes Inevitable as He Barrels Toward GOP Nomination" by Sean Illing.

Article: "FBI Insists Apple Cooperate Despite Resetting iCloud Password on Shooter's iPhone" by Joe Rossignol.

Case: "Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission" (2010).

Hour Two: Why We Must Stop Trump...
- Professor Danielle Allen, Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard University/Our Declaration

Article: "The moment of truth: We must stop Trump" by Danielle Allen.

Article: "Donald Trump: My Fans Were Right To Beat Up Black Protester" by Aviva Shen.

Article: "CNN town hall: Clinton, Sanders make pitch to minority voters" by Stephen Collinson.

Article: "Why AARP's New Social Security Campaign Is Upsetting Progressives" by Daniel Marans.

Law: "Civil Rights Act of 1964" by Wikipedia.

Law: "Voting Rights Act of 1965".

Article: "Southern strategy" by Wikipedia.

Video: "Ronald Reagan States' Rights Speech in Philadelphia, MS", August 3, 1980.

Speech: from the movie ""The American President" (1995)" by "President Andrew Shepherd".

Article: "Big lie" by Wikipedia.

Talk Media News Segment:
- Ellen Ratner, Bureau Chief

Site: Governor Free Don Siegelman

Article: "Indictment dropped against Rick Perry" by Sophie Tatum.

Article: "Kasich would beat Clinton in Ohio, new poll shows" by Jim Provance.

Article: "RNC chair bashes Washington Post editorial calling him 'irrational'" by Ann Marie Awad.

Article: "Republican leaders’ silence on Trump is inexcusable — and irrational" by Washington Post.

Article: "Texas GOP Polls 2016: Ted Cruz Ahead of Donald Trump" by Jonathan Adams.

Article: "Texas Gov. Abbott endorses Cruz ahead of Super Tuesday" by William McDonald.

Article: "Chris Collins becomes first sitting member of Congress to endorse Trump" by Jerry Zremski.

Article: "San Diego County Rep. Duncan Hunter Endorses Trump For President" by KPBS News.

Article: "Sen. Ayotte Says She Won't Meet With Obama's Supreme Court Nominee" by Sara Jerde.

Article: "Senate approves Obama's FDA chief" by Jordain Carney.

Article: "Sen. Harry Reid endorses Hillary Clinton: CNN" by Nick Salazar.

Article: "Obama to Speak at Precision Medicine Initiative Summit" by Mary Ellen Mcintire.

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Hour Three: How Bernie Can Win in November
- Joshua Holland, The Nation

Article: "Here’s How Bernie Sanders Could Win in November" by Joshua Holland.

Article: "Here's How Donald Trump Could Become President" by Zach Carter, Ryan Grim.

Article: "Donald Trump Threatens To Punch Protester In The Face" by Ned Simons.

Article: "I feel the need to say something" by gcomeau.

Article: "How The Government Could Make Public College Free For All Students" by Bryce Covert, Jan 12, 2014.

Movie: "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy".

Article: "Apple face uphill battle against law enforcement" by Brad Heath.

Movie: "Story of Stuff".

Article: "How Your Tax Dollars Are Spent, in 10 Photos" by Sean Williams.

Article: "Visualizing Where Your Taxes Go" by Dave Gilson.

Article: "Sandoval being vetted for US Supreme Court" by Jeff Mason and Richard Cowan.

Site: The Hartmann Report.

Do you have all the info you need to vote for @BernieSanders? Find it here.

Thursday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET

We'll be asking Jackie Zubrzycki of Yes! Magazine, How Much Does Justice Cost in America?

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Why the Arabs Don't Want Us in Syria

The Caucus Room Conspiracy Part 2 - SCOTUS

Why Is the GOP So Worked Up About Gitmo?

Wow…Watch Spike Lee Feel The Bern...

The Death Knell For Establishment Politics

Full Show 2/23/16: Hillary’s Feeling Bern’s Policies

Tonight’s Politics Panel discusses Obama’s plan to close Guantanamo Bay, McConnell’s refusal to hold hearings for Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, and Hillary’s move left. Thom discusses why the Arabs don’t want us in Syria with attorney and radio host Bobby Kennedy, the 2016 presidential race with Al Jazeera America's David Shuster, and in tonight’s Daily Take Thom discusses how Rubio is sounding more and more like Trump.

The Democratic Presidential Race - A Look Ahead...

An African American Woman's Case for Hillary

Caller: Donald Trump is the Best the Republicans can Come up With?

Today's Republicans Employing Lee Atwater's Dog Whistle Racism

Closing GITMO Wasn't Partisan Until Obama Proposed it!

Republicans Hurting America to Deny Obama a Legacy!