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The Republican Party
Byrnzie
Posts: 21,037
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... s-politics
The party of the rich, by the rich, for the rich
Never have Republican values been so brazenly apparent than in holding the unemployed to ransom for the Bush tax cuts
Paul Harris
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 2 December 2010
Rarely has the true face of the modern Republican party in America been exposed so obviously.
Just a day after President Barack Obama met with Republican leaders and came out talking of a new era of co-operation, Republican senators united around Mitch McConnell to sign a letter declaring they would pass no legislation without movement on extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.
That legislation they are willing to scupper includes extending unemployment benefits for millions of jobless Americans, still suffering the terrible hangover of the Great Recession. The tax cuts the Republicans are really fired up over will benefit only the top 2% of Americans.
To put it even more simply: Republican leaders are happy to go virtually on strike in order to win a tax cut worth billions of dollars for America's most wealthy people (which includes themselves and many of their top campaign donors). At the same time, they are willing to deny help to America's most vulnerable; standing by as once middle-class people lose their homes as their benefits disappear.
The hypocrisy is staggering and almost beyond belief. One of the arguments the Republicans continually use to justify cutting jobless benefits is that America cannot afford such largesse because it would inflate the deficit. Too bad, they say, but these are tough times and you just have to grit your teeth and take the pain to get the nation's fiscal house in order.
Yet, that very same deficit would also be massively boosted by saving Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy from expiry. That, however, does not seem to bother them. It's unfair, they howl, to raise anyone's taxes at such a time – failing to point out that "raising taxes" is very different from letting tax cuts expire on time (as they were designed to do, not by Obama, but by President George W Bush).
It is a staggering confidence trick that the Republicans are seeking to pull off. Except that most such con jobs at least vaguely try and disguise themselves. This one is being carried out in plain sight.
The Republicans are fond of using tough language about Obama. They call him an extremist and a socialist and a revolutionary. Well, perhaps some of that tone should be used back at them. This Republican strategy is not about politics. It is about class war: waged by the rich against the poor.
It will be a terrible indictment of America's political system and the weakness of Obama's political will if they get away with it.
The party of the rich, by the rich, for the rich
Never have Republican values been so brazenly apparent than in holding the unemployed to ransom for the Bush tax cuts
Paul Harris
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 2 December 2010
Rarely has the true face of the modern Republican party in America been exposed so obviously.
Just a day after President Barack Obama met with Republican leaders and came out talking of a new era of co-operation, Republican senators united around Mitch McConnell to sign a letter declaring they would pass no legislation without movement on extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.
That legislation they are willing to scupper includes extending unemployment benefits for millions of jobless Americans, still suffering the terrible hangover of the Great Recession. The tax cuts the Republicans are really fired up over will benefit only the top 2% of Americans.
To put it even more simply: Republican leaders are happy to go virtually on strike in order to win a tax cut worth billions of dollars for America's most wealthy people (which includes themselves and many of their top campaign donors). At the same time, they are willing to deny help to America's most vulnerable; standing by as once middle-class people lose their homes as their benefits disappear.
The hypocrisy is staggering and almost beyond belief. One of the arguments the Republicans continually use to justify cutting jobless benefits is that America cannot afford such largesse because it would inflate the deficit. Too bad, they say, but these are tough times and you just have to grit your teeth and take the pain to get the nation's fiscal house in order.
Yet, that very same deficit would also be massively boosted by saving Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy from expiry. That, however, does not seem to bother them. It's unfair, they howl, to raise anyone's taxes at such a time – failing to point out that "raising taxes" is very different from letting tax cuts expire on time (as they were designed to do, not by Obama, but by President George W Bush).
It is a staggering confidence trick that the Republicans are seeking to pull off. Except that most such con jobs at least vaguely try and disguise themselves. This one is being carried out in plain sight.
The Republicans are fond of using tough language about Obama. They call him an extremist and a socialist and a revolutionary. Well, perhaps some of that tone should be used back at them. This Republican strategy is not about politics. It is about class war: waged by the rich against the poor.
It will be a terrible indictment of America's political system and the weakness of Obama's political will if they get away with it.
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Comments
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
This is the equivalent of MSNBC saying Republicans are bad.
How is this news?
you're right ... this isn't news ... that republicans cater to the rich should not be new information to anyone ...
the prosperity gap in the US is at an all time high ... the rich just keep getting richer and it is on the backs of the middle class and poor ...
I don't care how much you make, no one should be forced to give more of their hard-earned money to this circus. If there is anything we should all be united on, stopping tax increases should be it. If you are in favor of giving more of your money to the government, do it by donation please and leave me out of the fray.
I agree with the repub comments but I have to ask my self how do the rich get richer and how can I get rich ?
do we all have the same opportunity ?
Godfather.
I hate to jump behind the republican party on this b/c I lost any sense of association with them years ago, but the fact is they are pushing for maintaining tax cuts for all. The dems are pushing to maintain tax cuts for some. It's an unfortunate part of partisan politics that other legislation (e.g., extending unemployment benes) can get caught up in the fight for another piece of legislation. But if you think the repubs are the only ones that do that, you really do spend too much time on the guardian and huffpo.
not really ... with nominal investments in education ... you will see a continued consolidation of wealth ... unless you become an overpaid athlete or overblown celebrity ...
The republicans are not only out for the rich. That is crazy political speak. They have a different set of priorities though. All this Stuff and Nonsense is starting to agitate me. I attempted to watch Rachel Maddow last night and was getting so pissed that I had to turn off the TV. There is no real, open dialogue, just political speak, posturing, and straight up bullshit.
then why are so many prominent billionaires asking to be taxed more? ... and no, i never said that the republicans are the only ones favouring the rich ... that's your own partisan voice talking ...
all you need to do is look at the stats to see that what i say is true ...
give me one substantial policy idea put out by republicans that are aimed to address the properity gap and/or the poor ...
Tax cuts for all helps all. How do people not see that? It's crazy to treat people differently based upon how much they earn.
If I were in the house, I would have voted for the bill still, but I can see why they the voted against it. It's not because they don't want the "poor" to get a tax break, it's because they want everyone to and they think this is the only way to get the Dem to have that debate and vote through tax cuts for all.
trickle down economics never worked ... people don't see it because it doesn't work ...
I think I'll just stop now, we'll both just be banging our heads against the wall.
Well, trickle-up poverty isn't working so well, either.
Also, a couple making $250K combined income each year would need to work for 400 years (saving every dollar and untaxed to boot!) to become a billionaire. There is an illusion that this tax just affects the Monopoly Man and Donald Trump. It easy to just say it will apply to 2%, but when you consider a population of over 300 million people, 2% is a staggering amount of individuals.
As well, there is an illusion that this money will go to social programs and somehow close a wage gap. It will more likely go to a social program that focuses on dropping bombs in the middle east.
We need to unite from allowing the government to take more money from its citizens until they can prove to be fiscally responsible.
All I have to do is look at the stats to see that folks in the 35% income bracket (2008 numbers on irs.gov, iirc; and of which I am not one) are already paying 40-50% of total tax "revenue". BTW love how the gov likes to call taking money from us at gunpoint "revenue" but that's a whole other bucket of semantic dogshit.
i've never heard of that ...
in any case - the people define the kind of nation they want to be ... the US has always been an individualistic nation so the income gaps are not surprising and has been perpetuated by both sides of the establishment (dems/repubs) ...
countries that have smaller gaps tend to have higher taxation and invest in social services such as education ... i'm not sure why anyone would argue against this reality ... and why anyone would say the republicans aren't for the rich ... it's an obvious fact ... and is only an issue if you believe in some myth that republicans are concerned about everyone ...
Tell me why I should vote for a Democrat, because I can give you many reasons why I won't.
and why would anybody on this forum defend these rich assholes who have taken much more than they have given? why should they pay a smaller percentage of their money in taxes than someone who lives on $27,000 a year? it makes no sense to me at all. these people making > $250,000 can afford to pay more. those making $27,000 can not. why do the rich pay less of their income in taxes pecentagewise than the poor and middle class? if you want to financially ruin a large portion of the population and take away their spendable income thus ruining the economy even more, then raise taxes on those that can't afford it. if you want to cut into the deficit and make things fair, then tax the ones who will not miss that money....
i saw a video clip of a deomcratic senator when they were debating the bush cuts before they passed them. he was standing next to a lexus and he said "the average person making a million dollars would receive $40,000 in tax breaks under bush proposed cuts, which is enough money to buy this lexus. the average person making under $40,000 will receive $298, which is barely enough to buy the muffler."
pretty compelling if you ask me, when rich people get back more in tax breaks than what the average worker makes. if that is somethig you can support then good for you. i am not ever going to support that inequality. ever.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
by the way, what are your thoughts on this?
posting.php?mode=quote&f=13&p=3328198
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
as if warren buffett and bill gates will ever see the inside of one of the homes in harlem or the houseing projects of chicago, or get food from a homeless shelter...
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
If you think the Democrats care about the people, you're fooling yourself. They've passed several pieces of grossly unpopular legislation, defying the will of the people, defying the Constitution.
But then again, I guess they know what's better for me than I do, right?
trickle up poverty? lol that is good. where is trickle up poverty an economic strategy? i don't see anyone involved with the fed or any other economics advocating this? do you really think taxing 2% at a little higher rate is "trickle up poverty"??
as is warren buffett and bill gates will ever see the inside of one of the homes in harlem or the houseing projects of chicago, or get food from a homeless shelter...[/quote]
Yeah, it's Nancy Pelosi's economic strategy. "Redistribute" to those who rely on entitlements by stealing from those who make a living.
as is warren buffett and bill gates will ever see the inside of one of the homes in harlem or the houseing projects of chicago, or get food from a homeless shelter...[/quote]
Yeah, it's Nancy Pelosi's economic strategy. "Redistribute" to those who rely on entitlements by stealing from those who make a living.[/quote]
wow, you should work at fox news...
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Yeah, it's Nancy Pelosi's economic strategy. "Redistribute" to those who rely on entitlements by stealing from those who make a living.[/quote]
wow, you should work at fox news...[/quote]
Facts are facts.
Facts are facts.[/quote]
nothing in any of your posts in this thread have been "factual". have you got any facts and figures or any links to back your contention on "trickle up poverty"? is sounds like something boehner, cantor, mcconnell, or rush or beck or bachmann would say...really, i am asking because i want to read about it.
you are using buzzwords like "redistribute", and "trickle up poverty" which is very dramatic by the way" and even using "pelosi" in a negative way to try to instill fear. i'm not buying it.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
you are using buzzwords like "redistribute", and "trickle up poverty" which is very dramatic by the way" and even using "pelosi" in a negative way to try to instill fear. i'm not buying it.[/quote]
Facts, figures, or links? Seriously?
Do you have any idea what the economic policies of this administration are going to do this country long term? We will end up being another Greece. As it stands, .40 of every dollar is borrowed. We will reach a point where stagnation, rampant unemployment, and super high interest rates will drag us into the doldrums even further.
How are we supposed to get out of this? The Dems seem to think spending trillions of dollars more will fix the problem, but ultimately, they don't want the problem fixed. The Obama agenda is, and always has been, to undermine our way of living. He has nothing but contempt for this nation and this people.
The fact is, we must stop spending or there will be no way out of this mess. What's so hard about that?
Facts, figures, or links? Seriously?
Do you have any idea what the economic policies of this administration are going to do this country long term? We will end up being another Greece. As it stands, .40 of every dollar is borrowed. We will reach a point where stagnation, rampant unemployment, and super high interest rates will drag us into the doldrums even further.
How are we supposed to get out of this? The Dems seem to think spending trillions of dollars more will fix the problem, but ultimately, they don't want the problem fixed. The Obama agenda is, and always has been, to undermine our way of living. He has nothing but contempt for this nation and this people.
The fact is, we must stop spending or there will be no way out of this mess. What's so hard about that?[/quote]
we can start by getting the fuck out of iraq and afghanistan and cutting the pentagon, homeland security, and military budgets...but all of those are sacred cows, the people in power on your side want to cut medicare, medicaid, unemployment, and welfare. does it strike you are utterly sad that we can not afford these programs to help the american citizens in tough times, but when the army needs another dozen tanks and humvees, and the air force needs another squadron of f-22s the money is always there to be had??
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
The only thing that is fact is that the government is trying to take more of it's citizens money . . . that is the only thing that is certain. After that, the money could be spent on F-22 Raptors or it could be spent on a new overpass in Nebraska. Who knows?
Let's keep our eyes on the ball and stay focused. The government is proposing to take more money from its citizens.