I found a video created by the Teacher's Union that demonstrates just how nutty Liberals really are...complete with a snarky MSNBC-type narrator. Amazing! ...this is what Liberals actually believe!
Clearly, with 95% of the income gains going to the wealthiest people in the country these days, the system is broken or just completely skewed in their favor. You can't tell me that the wealthy are just that much better at generating wealth than the rest of the country. The system is generating their wealth for them. And why does it work so well for them specifically? They have bought and sold our government representatives, financed Quid pro quo legislation that benefits them or their industry specifically, carved out tax loopholes with only their situation benefiting from the loophole, and they hide their money off-shore to avoid paying taxes on it even though it was generated from this country. They also receive huge tax subsidies no matter how profitable they are. And you idiots defend them to all of our ruin. I just can't imagine how hard they must be laughing at your guys. They must be the happiest people on earth to have minions like you guys licking their boots. Heck, I bet that they actually go out of their way to step in piles of crap just to watch you guys lick their boots clean. It certain explains all the shit coming out of your mouths on a daily basis.
That is what happens when you try to patronize the economy into growing. And just who was in charge when "these bought and sold our government representatives, financed Quid pro quo legislation that benefits them or their industry specifically, carved out tax loopholes with only their situation benefiting from the loophole, and they hide their money off-shore to avoid paying taxes on it even though it was generated from this country"? BTW Why are you such an unhappy negative nasty old man? You bring every single thread to the lowest level possible. Are you just that angry all the time? Get help. All you can produce are insults to back up your points.
I'd be interested in seeing some criticism of the substance of that video. So far, just a vague reference to "nutty Liberals" (from a person for whom apparently the label "Liberal" is equal to "I don't like this" and is therefore meaningless). Jim Hightower addresses some of the same issues: I don't know why some people are so willing to have their taxes subsidize fat salaries for corporate executives and nice returns for investors.
The "Tax the Rich" video opens with references to some unspecified time in the past when things were better. I agree with the critique in that such completely vague assertions are not useful in establishing a base-line from which to evaluate the present circumstances. One might deduce that the video is referring to the Eisenhower era, a time when crime rates were low, schools produced students who achieved higher SAT scores than any time since, and unemployment was generally low. Coincidentally, the income tax rate on the richest Americans was much, much higher than it is now. So, considering the topic of the video, one might logically assume that it's referring to the Eisenhower era. However, it is a valid criticism to note the failure of the video to be explicit in that regard. Given the failure I noted, "HowTheWorldWorks" is free to pick and choose which era he would like to examine. Of course he chooses to examine crime rates that begin after the Eisenhower era. Can't blame him--it fits his narrative. He's ripping up a staw man, though, since as I noted there is no definite period given by the video to which he might be justified in comparing with the present. "HowTheWorldWorks" sidesteps and denies the next point, which is that the middle class is indeed getting squeezed. So far, he hasn't impressed me with his honesty. "HowTheWorldWorks" then talks about how "taxes were cut across the board," but now it is he who is being vague as to what time period he's talking about. I guess we'll assume that both the original video and "HowTheWorldWorks" are talking about the Bush tax cuts. In examining the original video's assertion that services have been cut as a result of the tax cuts, "HowTheWorldWorks" ignores everything except education spending. Such basic services as firefighting and police did suffer losses due to tax and financial policies during the Bush era before the recession. "HowTheWorldWorks" has failed in his criticism of the original video's point on this topic. The fact that because of the Bush tax cuts, those in the upper levels of society have been contributing less financially (as a percentage) than before is not addressed by "HowTheWorldWorks." Rather, he disingenuously goes into a spiel in which he criticizes the way the original video phrased the point, talking about how the rich are not keeping more of their "taxes," they're keeping more of their income. Much easier to spout talking points than to address the actual issue. Then "HowTheWorldWorks" says that "no evidence is presented that the rich are more likely to cheat on their taxes." This is true, but that doesn't address the point. Here's the thing: "HowTheWorldWorks" certainly doesn't present any evidence that the rich are not more likely to cheat on their taxes. Could that be because the rich actually are more likely to cheat on their taxes? At this point, I'm about half way through the critique from "HowTheWorldWorks." I agree with "HowTheWorldWorks" that the original video is full a faults, but his criticism is no better. I may wade through the rest of it, but honestly I don't see any improvement.
It is nothing more than propaganda in the form of a fairy tale written to produce an emotional response in a non-thinking individual. It's a mind virus and not a very good one. It's based on the age old adage of poor me and it's their fault, with a romantic view of "what once was". Every political and social movement has used his type of ploy to convert others to their world view. The thinking is as two dimensional as he graphics. As to the video's world view, read something by Marx or Engels. It's a bit more honest. As to the rich out pacing the poor, we've been here before. In the 1920's there was a high tech boom. Opportunity was abundant and the rich became very rich. Even the small investor had opportunity to do well. And crime was at an all-time high. Then there was a Great Depression which in itself, was a great equalizer. By the time it and a world war were done, the disparity between rich and poor was at an all-time low, or as our cartoon alluded, remember when. The degree of regulation and high tax rates on the rich did not create the low disparity, it was the depression which wiped out a lot of wealth. The tax on the rich was over 50% 1917 to 1923. The 90% mark was set in 1944, dipped a little after he war but was maintained until Kennedy's 20% tax break for the rich. Low rates were in effect 1924 to 1932, and 1987 to present. A list is provided here; http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/history-of-american-income-tax-rates/ As to our overpaid CEOs, it's a lot like congress. The owners are absent and the hired help have run amuck and voted themselves raises. The days of JP Morgan, Andrew Mellon are over. There are no single dynamic majority share owners to corporations anymore. Bill Gates owns less than 20% of Microsoft and Steve Jobs was voted out of Apple early on. If you want to see who owns the fortune 500, look in the mirror. Anyone with a retirement fund, 401K, or trust qualifies. Funds own 90% of most corporations. This creates a big disconnect where there is no one in charge with a long term vested interest in the company. This digresses to short term goals, quarterly thinking, and no viable long term plans. CEO has become a temp job with eyes on moving up to a bigger and better deal. This is where Steve Levitts "weak'n'shit" principle comes into play. Any CEO applying for the job asking for less than what the last guy made is going to come off "weak'n'shit" and not get the job. Until there is some sort of long term ownership and being vested long term in a corporation will short term thinking come to an end. Here's a link to Levitt's site; http://freakonomics.com/ Oh well, back to the cartoons.
