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07.25.11 - 4:12 PM
Feeding the Rich
A timely reminder, with numbers and visuals, that our current "debt crisis" in no way had to happen. If corporations and the rich simply paid taxes at the same rate as they did in 1961 - with Bush-era policies primarily to blame for their decline - the debt would vanish.
"No natural disaster, no tsunami, has suddenly pounded the United States out of fiscal balance. We have simply suffered a colossal political failure. Our powers that be, by feeding the rich and their corporations one massive tax break after another, have thrown a monstrous monkey wrench into our national finances."
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15 Comments so far
Show AllThe Bush coup: When the Usurper attacked Iraq he killed the United States of America.
Nay. This has been a 30 year project to crush the social contract in America. Pointing at one party or another only contributes to the delusion they they're different. Obama is playing his part in the late-imperial kabuki, just like Clinton.
We're gonna collapse just like the Soviets.
This has been brewing ever since "Santa Clara County vs Southern Pacific Railroad" granted corporations 'personhood' in error.
Saying that both parties are complicit should not be construed as if the republicans and conservative dialogue have not / are not the steering force. For most of the 30 years in question, the republicans unceasingly criticized democrats as the "tax and spend" party. Now that the corporate stronghold is complete and republicans control the conversation, so that democrats (seemingly) have to play along for their own party survival, it is neither correct nor wise to implicate the democrats as if simply the same as republicans.
FWIW, I have always been against the two-party primary system, corporate lobbying, the lack of a national referendum, and several other procedural shortcomings in the workings of Washington. I wholly believe it is the nature of the beast that undermines political integrity, and do not hold political parties to blame per se. But to let republicans off the hook by saying the democrats are equally to blame is to misrepresent the actual posturing and course of events that got us here.
The content is misleading, because Obama did nothing to end the Bush tax cuts, and in fact they were extended under his watch.
Agree, the whole article and chart is misleading. The Bush tax cuts actually ended, and now they are the Obama tax cuts. As far as the war spending goes, Obama is following his own policies, not Bush's, as there is nothing in the law that says the wars must continue. The whole posting reeks of Democratic Party propaganda. I'd like to know the source of the table, which seems detached from the article.
Obama is so awesome! He has never done anything to subvert democracy! I love Obama! /sarc
Under-funding the stimulus is nothing to crow about.
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Rome is back and fatter than ever!!!!!!
Hail Ceasar(s)
Moon )O(
w to o is wo to u.s., actually it goes back a lot further so just pick any president, they all pretty much basically support the aristocracy. The dollar from around the turn of the 20th century in worth or costs over $21.00.
It really is this simple. By following a 100% balls-all-out capitalism/corporatism-at-the-expense-of-all-else approach to governing, the U.S. has put this country in line to be a 3rd world nation. Or fourth. The U.S. became a Plutocracy in the 90's, beginning with Clinton destroying Glass-Stegall and beginning the destruction of any regulations on corporations. I suppose you could go back to the 1800's, when the SCOTUS ruled that corporations are "people," or at least back to Reagan and his aggressive attack against the New Deal. Either way, the U.S. has gone completely over to the Dark Side.
Our foreign policy - such as it is - is 100% devoted to securing as much profit for U.S. corporations as possible. Our "foreign aid," our wars, our invasions, our 900 military bases, our 1 trillion $/year in "defense" expenses - all for the sole purpose of expanding Amereichan corporate markets and securing cheap foreign labor. Thus NAFTA, and the 50 other free trade agreements that have the sole aim of offshoring Amereichan jobs to 3rd world countries for a dollar/day in wages. More PROFIT.
Our domestic policy: the same. Slash public spending, cut taxes on the rich and the corporations to the point where they don't even have to pay taxes at all, regardless of how much profit they make. Privatize SS and Medicare (eg., turn them over to Corporations for profit), cut benefits to the recipients and raise the retirement age, ensuring that the vast majority of Americans will be working poor serfs until the day they die - if they can find work. Slash wages, destroy unions, ensure health insurance companies control all healthcare at exhorbitant prices so that Amereichans either can't afford it, or must pay by law or be fined into poverty. All of this for the sole purpose of enriching already-rich corporations and the uber-wealthy 1% Elite that runs the Plutocracy that is Amereicha.
Disgusting. Shameful. Evil. Immoral. That is Amereicha today. And forever shall be, until it collapses under the weight of its own hubris, greed, and short-sighted stupidity.
Capitalism, communism, theocracy, whatever, representative government invariably leads to dictatorship.
Direct democracy
It all probably began with Adam and Eve, but since I don't even believe those two ever existed, I'd say it's just a cyclic occurrance that eventually happens to every civilization that arises. Humankind just hasn't "gotten it" yet.
"Humankind just hasn't "gotten it" yet..."
I suggest just the opposite a minority have "gotten it" and the rest of us paid for what they received.
And while you're at it, how about attributions for the quote and the chart? Unworthy practice, and undermines CD's credibility. We need to know who said it; we need to know who researched it. Then we can discuss it.