Organizing for America | The Large N Limit: On : Obama's New Attack on Those Who Don't Want Higher Taxes: ‘Selfishness’

On : Obama's New Attack on Those Who Don't Want Higher Taxes: ‘Selfishness’

By PDSimic - Nov 1st, 2008 at 3:53 am EDT

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http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/10/obamas-new-atta.html?cid=137258875#comment-137258875

Political Punch: Jake Tapper, ABC News' Senior National Correspondent, October 31, 2008.

Counterpunch by: PDSimic

American people are good, generous people. It is just that they have been massively brainwashed for so long that even the otherwise reasonable and functioning people become complete zombies the moment the key word "sharing", or "socialist", is pressed. It would be funny if not sad, and, as the last 8 years testify, very dangerous for everybody (including the zombies themselves).

Yet, they never learn, and so a guy who is determined to give them a tax break is called names and branded a "socialist", while the rich old guy who is proponent of the failed "trickle down" philosophy which ends every 10 years in a massive redistribution of wealth from the tax payers to the rich old guys on Wall St (who, by the way, get to keep their past multimillion dollar spoils), gets their vote...and so we can have more of the same upward redistribution of wealth again and again and again...Not this time, I hope.

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Selfishness is the Right Word | Report to Admin

By Rosanne in Tennessee Nov 1st 2008 at 5:30 am EDT (Updated Nov 1st 2008 at 5:30 am EDT)

Selfishness is the right and perfect word to describe the sector Obama is targeting which is the SUPERCLASS. They feel no compulsion to help others if it does not benefit them monetarily; we see this in a bailout that is giving these same CEOS perks (dividends and spa retreats for example). He is NOT referring to middle class and even most of upper class America who rose to assist after 9-11, Tsunami, and Katrina.
The Superclass socks their money in offshore accounts and knows how to avoid paying income tax; they loan expensive painting to art galleries and take numerous tax writeoffs as that one piece travels the globe. That's who he is addressing when he says "selfish." They never pay INTO the system; money goes in one direction only for them---IN. And they are self-focused which is what selfish means.

The common good sorely needs our attention | Report to Admin

By John C. Linwood NJ Nov 1st 2008 at 6:40 am EDT (Updated Nov 1st 2008 at 6:40 am EDT)

Ever since Reagan said government was not the solution to our problem – it was the problem; we have been unable to have a rational public discussion about taxing and spending in this country.

I think we as a nation have lost sight of the positive reasons we pay taxes. They are an investment in our society - in roads, bridges, schools, the military, and in people (human capital, if you will). People who benefit the most economically in our society seem to forget that their success is owed in good measure directly to these public investments. How can we ship goods or provide services without good infrastructure and a well educated, trained workforce without making investments in these things?

But the biggest benefit of all is right under our collective noses and we all take it for granted. We don’t even think about it. I’m talking about political stability, the absence of civil strife. How long do you think you could hold on to your American dream if we lived in a society wracked by civil war, revolution, or frequent violence? Could you have even achieved your dream in the first instance without stable government institutions supported by tax dollars – yours, mine and everyone’s - that maintain peace and preserve order at home?

No one likes taxes. I’m not saying go on a governmental spending spree. I consider myself a fiscal conservative. The public debate should be: What do we spend our money on? How much must we spend? Who pays what? On that last question it seems basically fair to me that those who benefit the most should pay a proportionately larger share of the cost.

And if that means reorienting the self-absorbed from self interest to the common good (Promote the General Welfare as the Constitution's Preamble states) then so be it.

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