"The spectacle of government workers, cranky retirees, militant unionists, and mad dog socialists locked arm in arm protesting reality is a sight we'd better get used to." (Bill Frezza - Our Greek Future)As Robert Samuelson notes dryly, we are witnessing "the death spiral of the welfare state." Greece now, with the rest of Europe and the US soon to follow.
Virtually every advanced nation, including the United States, faces the same prospect. Aging populations have been promised huge health and retirement benefits, which countries haven't fully covered with taxes. The reckoning has arrived in Greece, but it awaits most wealthy societies.
Budget deficits and debt are the real problems; and these stem from all the welfare benefits (unemployment insurance, old-age assistance, health insurance) provided by modern governments.
Taxing the Rich at 100% Still Won't Pay for the Democratic Socialist Agenda
The Wall Street Journal notes that Obama has set a post-WWII record for government spending. His feral beast now consumes 25% of GDP, besting Reagan's highest spending level by three percentage points. Here are a few salient points from the article:
$$$ Taxing all millionaires and billionaires at 100% "yields merely about $938 billion..."
$$$ Taxing the "top 10%, or everyone with income over $114,000 [...] throws up only $3.4 trillion."
And that's assuming these job creators will just lay down and take it as federal bandits rape them and steal their property. Contrary to wild-eyed liberal fantasies, they won't.
Progressivism is morally, intellectually and financially bankrupt. From Europe to the United States, there's not enough money in the world to pay for the Utopian agenda.
Further Reading:
The Library of Economics & Liberty article Reaganomics does an excellent job combating the liberal lies about President Reagan's record.
One can hope the Welfare State is in a Death Spiral. It is more likly the Democratic State, or Republic if you prefer.
ReplyDeleteBut the smartest guy in the room has a plan. He is going to put the Fed's printing presses on double time, crash the world's economies with funny money, start a major war and, then set-up the New World Order with himself in charge. So don't worry.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if that plan doesn't work, look for civil disorder like this country has never seen before.
Yup, keep reading the WSJ and defending the rich and the fact they are tax the lowest in decades. I'm sure a rich person will pay for you mother's heart operation out of pocket. Wake up lemmings.
ReplyDeletebd: Pull your head out of your MSNBC. I am not defending the rich. I am showing you that even if you tax them at a 100% rate it won't cover the nation's expenses.
ReplyDeleteGet off you propaganda talking points and address the issue at hand, or do you have a problem with reality?
He certainly has a hard time "accepting" reality. I guess all liberal's are left with is "wishful thinking".
ReplyDeleteThersites: That is what this is about: Seeing reality as it really is. Jersey, good progressive that he is loves to scream "Science!" "History!" "Math!" while ignoring all three.
ReplyDelete18% of GDP is what government historically can collect, and I've just shown that milking "the rich" like cows won't close the gap.
OK, libs. How do we pay for it?
Put up or shut up.
The libs don't live in the real world. There is plenty of evidence that their policies don't work, but they just won't listen.
ReplyDeleteNews report today that Amazon is cutting ties with 10,000 affiliates in California because of the new online sales tax. (http://www.foxbusiness.com/2011/06/30/amazon-drops-10000-california-partners-report/)
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's sure gonna help eliminate California's deficit...
But hey, blaming the people that have consistently taken chances, made good decisions, and succeeded (the "rich" people) makes me feel better about my own pathetic life. And it's all about how I feel, right?
Beamish: I showed that video to my kids. They get it, but the President of the United States and his hopium smoking hallelujah choir does not...
ReplyDeleteBeing bound by oath to protect the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic when I am President, as Commander-in-Chief I will issue a military order stating that tax hike proposals must pass with 100% of Congress behind them, or all Senators and Congressmen that voted for the tax hike will be executed and the law not implemented.
ReplyDeleteVote for Beamish or go screw yourself. Are you tired of screwing yourself? ;)
Taxing the rich who own businesses is NOT the answer. If they see they are losing money, the first thing they will do is downsize.
ReplyDeleteThis government had better get their act together and quit with the finger pointing.
Great video Beamish... great stout too!
ReplyDeleteCheers!
"Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy."
ReplyDelete"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
Fanatics of every kind, whether they be Marxist, Muslim, Conservative, Christian or Libertarian invariably lack these two qualities that are an essential part of what it takes to make a creative, constructive, caring human being.
The purely utilitarian approach to economics might enable us to maintain a balanced budget, but it would at this point pull the rug out from under a great many poor souls who've become conditioned to a life of chronic dependency that deadens the soul, kills all initiative and weakens the mind. But these people are VICTIMS of the corrupt, abusive, irrational policies foisted on us by Marxian operatives who long ago infiltrated our culture.
I'm sorry but it's ignoble even to think of punishing victims for the crimes committed against them.
What we need to do, however, is gradually PHASE OUT the government programs that FOSTER this sick dependency. The D'Rats will accuse US of being heartless and cruel, but it is THEY who've been that by promoting the pernicious doctrines that created the stinking financial mess we're in.
The quality of mercy may not be strained, but it sure can be MISGUIDED. So many who love to think of themselves as genuine do-gooders have in fact done incalculable harm.
But kicking helpless people when they're down, and waltzing off to let them die in the gutter in order to save US money is morally indefensible.
There are higher considerations in play than sound economic practices.
~ FreeThinke
and it is anything but Utopia my friend! Have a fabulous July 4th weekend u patriot u!..
ReplyDeleteThe purely utilitarian approach to economics might enable us to maintain a balanced budget, but it would at this point pull the rug out from under a great many poor souls who've become conditioned to a life of chronic dependency that deadens the soul, kills all initiative and weakens the mind. But these people are VICTIMS of the corrupt, abusive, irrational policies foisted on us by Marxian operatives who long ago infiltrated our culture.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry but it's ignoble even to think of punishing victims for the crimes committed against them.
Actually, it's this kind of thinking that created and perpetuated the problems America faces in the first place. This thinking that Americans are "entitled" to the fiscal and welfare poisons addicting and killing them.
You're going to be "punished" if the government training wheels come off your bike?
America's children need to grow up. Especially the gray-haired ones.
Anthony Weiner exposed himself in one way.
ReplyDeleteOthers expose themselves in others.
Too often self exposure of any kind results in embarrassment -- especially for whose who witness it by chance.
Almost invariably Pride goeth before a fall.
~ FreeThinke
What we need to do is gradually PHASE OUT the government programs that FOSTER this sick dependency. The D'Rats will accuse US of being heartless and cruel, but it is THEY who've been that by promoting the pernicious doctrines that created the stinking financial mess we're in.
ReplyDeleteThe quality of mercy may not be strained, but it sure can be MISGUIDED. So many who love to think of themselves as genuine do-gooders have in fact done incalculable harm.
NEVERTHELESS, kicking helpless people when they're down, and waltzing off to let them die in the gutter in order to save strong healthy taxpayers a bit of money is morally indefensible.
There are higher considerations in play than sound economic practices.
~ FreeThinke
Watch and learn, lemmings:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/13/966461/-Jon-Stewarts-must-see-takedown-of-Paul-Ryan
Bd: The leftwing Glenn Beck reading what his gag writers wrote for him means nothing.
ReplyDeleteFace to face confrontations are what count, and Ryan has won every one, including his face off with our bumbling president, who was left stammering.
We're talking economics and you're talking show business. I can see why you voted for Obama.
Did you not see my response to your last daily kook comment?
18% of GDP is what government historically can collect, and I've just shown that milking "the rich" like cows won't close the gap.
OK, libs. How do we pay for it?
Put up or shut up.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFeetStinke,
ReplyDeleteReasserting your leftism in bold letters merely reasserts your leftism.
Look at your own "argument." Slowly and gradually phasing out government programs, or ending them as abruptly as they started, you and your fellow national socialists will bitch and moan about how "heartless and cruel" it is.
So they won't be touched at all.
The slow phase out would lead to some category of people being named ineligible for the "entitlements" (by age, race, religion, something....) and all the attendant bait and switches of a different government program for them, and you've already impugned the motives of those who seek an abrupt end to the "entitlements" altogether as "immoral."
What a nice racket you've joined. You even sing from the same choir book as Obama.
As the worthless drain on society you've aspired all your life to be, it isn't all that surprising that you'd break leftwards on the issue and kick the problem down the road for others to be discomforted with. Just let you die with your "entitlements" intact, because it's the "moral" thing to do. Uncle Sugar's gonna take care of you.
Left-wingers like yourself are all the same. Actually believing that if the government isn't holding you up, no one will. And not once. ever, standing on your own unless it's to put you hand out for your monthly mailbox Democrat dog biscuit loyalty beggin' treat.
You "worked" all your life for that? Really?
Well, the left is well-versed at subjecting soft-headed voters to an endless parade of human misery, abandoned to die by the mean and selfish republicans.
ReplyDeleteUS citizens give over $300 billion to charity every year. That is more than enough to sustain the truly needy, but it's a battle of ideas.
Pulling the rug out would fail (see paragraph 1), so we need some smart republicans with some strategery and pr skills to make it work.
It's a propaganda battle. The left has nuclear weapons and the right and libertarians have sticks and popguns.