We have come to the end of a long-standing stalemate. Problems that have haunted us for many years have been put on the back burner of United States politics for years. In a massive concession to the ultra wealthy, we have put off changes in the tax code that could have raised hundreds of billions, if not trillions of dollars. i have used the analogy before, but it is so appropriate in helping to understand our current "crisis", that it bears repeating. Like the child who has won all the marbles, the uber-rich just want to go home, taking with them the ability of the rest of us to ever play again. The right wing political leaders in our country are standing shoulder to shoulder with the ruffians who would sacrifice the majority for the sake of their own wealth, power and prestige.
In spite of the fact that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the non-partisan office that determines the consequences of policies and legislation that congress impose on the American public, has calculated an inevitable risk of another slight recession, or a slower recovery than there would be if the "fiscal cliff" could be avoided, the longer term prospects are better if we do go over the "cliff" than if we do not. Virtually nothing has been said about this in the mainstream media. Instead, the gloom and doom stories that do make it onto our airwaves are designed to instill fear and undermine confidence in not only our elected officials, but the economy and the very fabric of our culture. The wealthiest classes, who stand to lose a tiny bit of their wealth if their taxes were to go up are screaming bloody murder about the danger that the cliff poses to our way of life. (their way of living)
There is a cost to living in a free society. The last time we pulled ourselves out of depression, tax rates were up around 90% for the most wealthy individuals. Somehow, they still found ways to ride around in chauffeur driven limousines, live high on the hog and wield their immense power in the halls of government. Currently, many of the most wealthy don't even work for their money, instead they invest in the companies of others and only take a portion of the profits through interest and dividends. these forms if income are treated completely differently than pay for work. Whereas I pay about thirty percent of my earnings in tax, the beneficiaries of this non-work related income only have to pay fifteen percent. This is even more heinous because of two compounding factors. corporate welfare that flows to corporations who then pass on increased profitability to their investors and the ability of the ultra-wealthy to spend top dollar on tax attorneys who can make sure that every loophole is exploited. Add to this the fact that there are many tax havens for investment income, including states with no income taxes and offshore accounts that are completely invisible to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) and you can see the perfect storm that has been brewing for decades.
Those who refuse to pay any share at all into the system that they exploit for amassing their unimaginable wealth are both traitors and thieves who pick the pockets of those least able to defend themselves. They simultaneously have their minions sweep up any scraps left after their feasting on the steaks and caviar, sucking at the marrow bones of our society and fleecing the markets for the lion's share of the wealth that our country has to offer.
If we had the power to determine the terms of the discussion, a completely different story would emerge. Instead of living under the threat of "going off the fiscal cliff", we would be able to see an end to the unfair treatment of the wealthiest classes. Those who peddle fear, hate and anger for their personal enrichment would be called our as the lazy cheats that they are, and the "benevolent" philanthropists could be seen as the exploiters that they really are. The point has been made very well by others, paying far greater attention than I, that the true philanthropists are the wait staff, the maids, nannies, the line cooks, chefs, the dry cleaners and the lowly service sector workers, the migrant workers, etc. who give their entire lives so that the wealthy can live their lives of ease.
Allowing the continued exploitation of the lowest classes for the enrichment of the wealthy must not continue. We are standing up, but the revolution is not being televised. People around the world are not willing to continue taking the shitty end of the stick. The time has come to wrest power form those who would keep us down, stop negotiating with those who make all the decisions and to force them to pay their fair share of the costs of our civil society. There are hand holds all the way down and if we are careful, attentive and thoughtful about where we want to end up, the climb down from where we find ourselves will present a welcome challenge that will serve to make us a better country. The only reason that we find ourselves in trouble today is because we have allowed the ship of state to be overtaken by pirates.
In spite of the fact that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the non-partisan office that determines the consequences of policies and legislation that congress impose on the American public, has calculated an inevitable risk of another slight recession, or a slower recovery than there would be if the "fiscal cliff" could be avoided, the longer term prospects are better if we do go over the "cliff" than if we do not. Virtually nothing has been said about this in the mainstream media. Instead, the gloom and doom stories that do make it onto our airwaves are designed to instill fear and undermine confidence in not only our elected officials, but the economy and the very fabric of our culture. The wealthiest classes, who stand to lose a tiny bit of their wealth if their taxes were to go up are screaming bloody murder about the danger that the cliff poses to our way of life. (their way of living)
There is a cost to living in a free society. The last time we pulled ourselves out of depression, tax rates were up around 90% for the most wealthy individuals. Somehow, they still found ways to ride around in chauffeur driven limousines, live high on the hog and wield their immense power in the halls of government. Currently, many of the most wealthy don't even work for their money, instead they invest in the companies of others and only take a portion of the profits through interest and dividends. these forms if income are treated completely differently than pay for work. Whereas I pay about thirty percent of my earnings in tax, the beneficiaries of this non-work related income only have to pay fifteen percent. This is even more heinous because of two compounding factors. corporate welfare that flows to corporations who then pass on increased profitability to their investors and the ability of the ultra-wealthy to spend top dollar on tax attorneys who can make sure that every loophole is exploited. Add to this the fact that there are many tax havens for investment income, including states with no income taxes and offshore accounts that are completely invisible to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) and you can see the perfect storm that has been brewing for decades.
Those who refuse to pay any share at all into the system that they exploit for amassing their unimaginable wealth are both traitors and thieves who pick the pockets of those least able to defend themselves. They simultaneously have their minions sweep up any scraps left after their feasting on the steaks and caviar, sucking at the marrow bones of our society and fleecing the markets for the lion's share of the wealth that our country has to offer.
If we had the power to determine the terms of the discussion, a completely different story would emerge. Instead of living under the threat of "going off the fiscal cliff", we would be able to see an end to the unfair treatment of the wealthiest classes. Those who peddle fear, hate and anger for their personal enrichment would be called our as the lazy cheats that they are, and the "benevolent" philanthropists could be seen as the exploiters that they really are. The point has been made very well by others, paying far greater attention than I, that the true philanthropists are the wait staff, the maids, nannies, the line cooks, chefs, the dry cleaners and the lowly service sector workers, the migrant workers, etc. who give their entire lives so that the wealthy can live their lives of ease.
Allowing the continued exploitation of the lowest classes for the enrichment of the wealthy must not continue. We are standing up, but the revolution is not being televised. People around the world are not willing to continue taking the shitty end of the stick. The time has come to wrest power form those who would keep us down, stop negotiating with those who make all the decisions and to force them to pay their fair share of the costs of our civil society. There are hand holds all the way down and if we are careful, attentive and thoughtful about where we want to end up, the climb down from where we find ourselves will present a welcome challenge that will serve to make us a better country. The only reason that we find ourselves in trouble today is because we have allowed the ship of state to be overtaken by pirates.
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