Roll Back Republican Tax Cuts!
By Thom Hartmann A...
Congress is debating how much money to give to corporations and average Americans to try to blunt the economic impact of this pandemic. Republicans have repeatedly blocked or reduced efforts to get more money to individuals at the low-end of the economic scale, saying that we can't afford to spend this much money. But those same Republicans enthusiastically voted for a $1.5 trillion tax cut for billionaires and big corporations just two years ago.Shouldn't any efforts going forward begin by repealing the Trump tax cut? And, while we're at it, repealing the Bush tax cuts and the Reagan tax cuts and taking us back to an economy that actually worked for everyone?
-Thom
Comments
#2
I can still recall a TV interview from many years ago when an explanation was given as to why the middle class was being so highly taxed. The answer was simple. "Because that's where most of the money is." How times have changed! It's still a sound economic solution for today's finantial woes. So, what class has most of the money now?
#3
They are coming with all sorts of plans to spend money. It is money that they do not have, I have heard nothing about cuts in spending. Increase taxes, suspend wall building, cut military spending etc. I hope that they give the money to the ones that need it. Many small business's have been shutdown and the low paid employees laid off. Give them money. Corporations such as Boeing can borrow if they need it with almost zero percent interest.
#4
On the virus, one thing that I paid attention to is what other countries were doing. Taiwan has has about a 100 cases total. South Korea after a huge outbreak is now close to zero new cases. We are currrently tracking a few weeks behind Italy which is a disaster. And Russia: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/21/europe/putin-coronavirus-russia-intl/index.html
#5
The DNC needs to plan on the Democratic Convention being done online. It is schedule for July 13 thru 16 in Milwaukee. Need to change it to online so that delagates do not have to travel. Many could be sick or spreading it. Immediate planning is needed.
#6
That's right. By July, we'll likely be in a completely different world in so many fundamental ways, especially politically. The sooner Biden and the other corporate Dems realize that and face the fast-approaching hard reality with resolve and true leadership, the easier it will be to relegate the cultish Republican Party to political oblivion where it belongs.
It will be a world where countless thousands upon thousands have died needlessly due to an inexcusable lack of foresight and planning by the Trump crime family despite plenty of warning -- a fake president who failed in leadership to maintain an adequate supply of critical medical equipment, especially PPE, test kits, ventilators, and ICU beds; who failed in leadership to ensure a sufficient number of doctors, nurses, specialists, and staff; who failed in leadership to increase the number and capacity of hospitals and clinics to match the urgent need throughout the country; who failed in leadership to provide informed guidance and a steady hand while lying profusely and trying to make it all about himself ...again.
It will be a world where: unemployment will have doubled or tripled that of the Great Depression; family bills can't be paid and probably never will be thanks to Trump's moronic response to the pandemic and resulting economic collapse, but also to decades of creeping corporate Republican fascism; homeowners and renters alike are mercilessly evicted after months of nonpayment; homelessness, crime, drug use, domestic violence, divorce, and suicides are rising inexorably.
It will be a world where the wealthy predators and ruling elite have deserted the People, as traitors always do. And like the medieval kings and queens before them, they will be sequestered and untouchable behind sumptuous fortresses with impenetrable walls, ever keeping the proper social and economic distancing.
It will be a world ripe for democratic socialism and universal, single-payer healthcare -- as a direct result, predictably, of the limitless greed and selfishness of unregulated capitalism/fascism, oligarchy, and free-market radicalism that have finally killed the middle-class and our frail democracy. The pandemic was only the trigger.
But hey, good news! There'll still be plenty of toilet paper once ignorant and panicky Trumpees (chronically slow on the uptake, just like their leader) belatedly realize that it's not intestinal.
#7
Oh yeah, here we go again: Trump as ...wait, wait, drum roll, ominous music, splashy chyron, tanks in the street, jets overhead, enter center stage, ta-da... *** The War President! ***
Generalissimo in all his glory; the ultimate reality-show production; gaslighting at its finest. Trump habitually fondling the flag, creepy and repulsive as that is, turns on the weird wingers anyway. At least for the rest of us, there are a few good laughs still to be had in these anxious times of piss-poor leadership that maybe aren't as visually obnoxious as they are deeply troubling. Sometimes, all you can do is laugh.
Once again, shell-shocked fascist followers resort to hiding behind the polite and politically tactical words of professional politicians and pundits who are, like everyone else with a brain, desperate for action, any action, from this egomaniacal buffoon in clown makeup who fancies himself a respected statesman in charge. Whatever, Bolo -- just do something or get out of the gawddamn way, you "f*cking moron!" (Rex Tillerson)
And now, we have starry-eyed Trumpsters even boasting about the endorsements of socialists, Democrats, and (Grab your pearls, mama!) a CNN journalist no less -- to make some vague point that apparently can't be made directly using one's own words without sounding like a flaming hypocrite.
Could it be something about the mighty capitalist Trump, "a very stable genius," turning into a meek little mouse that was just plain dumb about it all from the get-go? Sure, after being dragged kicking and screaming to the microphones, Mini Mouse finally had to acknowledge that a serious pandemic was afoot. Ya think?
Could it be that the all-powerful, unregulated, Ayn Rand, super greed-mongers, who don't need no stinkin SOCIALISM! (And "the virus will disappear, and everyone will be just fine.") are disastrously wrongheaded about virtually everything of any import that contributes to a healthy, functioning society?
Are the wingnut true-blue believers flip-flopping now, going full-blown socialism on us? Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Roosevelt, Keynesian economics, proving nearly every point Bernie Sanders has been making his entire life? Wow! Welcome aboard! May the Force be with you.
Sickness and death everywhere; a do-nothing blowhard at the helm, a stunning drop in the stock market; a sudden rise of massive unemployment; the historical reversal of a failed, fascist wet dream of economic rugged individualism, do it alone hypocrisy, unapologetic selfishness, and unfettered greed, which to disciples of "conservative," loony-toon dogma might sound perfectly sane at CPAC, the circle jerk for the right-wing fringe, but nowhere else.
Who woulda thunk? Turns out a good healthy dose of socialism is just what this woefully under-prepared nation needs now that the leader, in name only, of the so-called "free" market proved his utter worthlessness during this truly pivotal moment in history.
So, Jane and John Q. Public, you are hereby commanded to forget all about the entire Republican cult rocking on Trump's little stink-finger thumb for those three crucial months, lying, denying, delaying, blaming Democrats -- priceless time that we'll never get back, that could have made all the difference and saved so many American lives.
Honest to God, reality never happened; believe me; how dare you ask; you very bad, terrible reporter; shut up and sit down; don't worry your pretty little head, Peter Alexander! Big Daddy Trump's got this: “I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic.”
#8
Post#7
If you are going to post quotes from Fox News on this site you should try looking at this site several times a week. https://www.mediamatters.org/ Yeah, Trump is doing a great job.
We have moved up the chart to #3 behind China and Italy. We will pass China even with weeks of warning. We have 1/4 the population of China. And that is with poor testing. There is a lot more out there. https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/donald-trump-mike-pence-testing-delays-092924892.html
https://www.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-u-axed-cdc-expert-202454983.html
#9
Thank you Willie W and Tinhip. It's gives me faith that this site is more than a place for a mental patient with OCD and a hateful, pompous scumbag who won't believe today's date unless it's verified......we are all in this together. We will come through it, and be stronger and better because of it.....
#10
This is purely opinion. One of the worse things of the Trump dynasty has been the acceptance of low IQ third grade name calling. As if it is factual or intelligent. I will take a wild guess and bet that the 3 referenced are senior citizens that watch Fox News and listen to right wing radio. These are 2 medias that are designed around molding your opinion. I prefer to call it brainwashing. The other effect of the Trump dynasty is the acceptance of the lie. You would not have accepted a lie by Obama but over 16000 by Trump is ok??? Fox News lies to you. Rush Limbaugh lies to you. I know that you hate Rachel Maddow but try to find a lie. Compare that to 16000. This man and Fox News has turned you into low intelligence, bitter old men. This forms early dementia and you will have to live with that. Try researching your posts and posting fact that can be verified. It will make for a better site. By the way, you are seniors and your president is going to try and kill you starting next Monday.
#11
Tinhip and Worn out doorknobs are sitting on top of a mountain of lies and are using Thom's blog to disseminate them. When the trolls are called out, as they must be, they resort to sophomoric ad hominem attacks, because that's all they got, emulating Trump who "thinks" just like them.
Sadly, closed minds filled with hate and pettiness usually don't improve with age. Trump is the poster boy for that dysfunctional behavior and should be removed from office before he divides our country any further. The next ten months until Inauguration Day will be interminable ...and dangerous.
#12
BTW, Willie is exactly right that it's time to tax the super-rich their fair share since they have the lion's share of the nation's wealth, which should be a helluva lot more than they're paying now. It's way past time for the masters of greed to start giving back instead of taking it all. America can no longer afford to carry billionaire freeloaders on the backs of the workers.
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Of course, for any of that to happen, we need to "throw the bums out!"
Bought-off Republican politicians and their not-so-rich, not-so-bright constituents would rather sacrifice their children and grandchildren than agree to rollback tax cuts on their billionaire benefactors or to re-regulate their anti-competitive, anti-democratic monopolies, which are relentlessly raping whole economies with extreme wealth disparity, plundering dwindling resources, waging endless war, and destroying essential environmental systems that sustain all of life.
Come to think of it, they already have sacrificed their children and grandchildren, and ours ...on the altar of wealth and power.