Tom Toles for September 03, 2018

It’s good to remember that greed has no limits.

The “trickle down” scam has never worked.

Didn’t work under Herbert Hoover.

Didn’t work under Ronald Reagan.

Didn’t work under George Bush.

Or maybe it has worked perfectly for its true purpose, just the way they designed it — to REDISTRIBUTE the wealth produced by middle class working people to the few richest elites who already have the most while pretending it is supposed to help working people and the middle class.

It does NOT work the way scam artists try to sell it to gullible suckers.

It works perfectly for billionaire CON men.

(The term “Trickle down” was first coined by Will Rogers, ridiculing the failed Herbert Hoover strategy for ending the Great Depression that resulted from his economic policies. Rogers said: “The money was all appropriated for the top in the hopes that it would trickle down to the needy. Mr. Hoover was an engineer. He knew that water trickled down. Put it uphill and let it go and it will reach the driest little spot. But he didn’t know that money trickled up. Give it to the people at the bottom and the people at the top will have it before night anyhow. But it will at least have passed through the poor fellow’s hands.”)

“Trickle down economics” should be called “stagnation economics”.

Money makes the world go ‘round but only if the money itself goes ’round! That’s how capitalism works. But when the 1% get all fiscally constipated and refuse to pass any wealth on to the rest of society, the entire economy gets backed up and ceases to function properly!

America needs a financial laxative!

Oliphant in one of his cartoons a few years back had his own idea of what “trickle down” meant, leading Republican members of Congress all taking a whizz off the Capitol Building onto ordinary citizens below. Seems about right, except that these days more than a few Democratic (pretty much a misnomer now) members would be joining them.

Let them eat week old bread!

Define parasite………1%er

And we ALL know what Donnie likes to have “Trickling down” on him…

American workers average 40 hr/wk. paycheck, including benefits:

no-contract workers = $1,083 wk.

contract workers = $1,508 wk.

average contract cost = $8 wk.

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Americans working without contracts can be fired at any time for any reason.

Americans working with contracts cannot be fired without cause.

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American workers who oppose unions, for whatever reasons, may want to consider negotiating contractual agreements with prospective employers before accepting employment— or not (it’s only money).

Guy Fawkes: But one person trying to negotiate a contract is easily replaced with someone who doesn’t have such highfalutin notions. You need to have enough people to make replacement a problem for the employer in order to have the clout to negotiate anything— that’s called a union. And, it isn’t only money— it’s health benefits, vacation time, job security and generally a better life than you can have without a union. My son went from a union job that he could have been on until retirement, or the union would have backed him up if they tried to fire him. The job he went to was nonunion, but paid about 20% more. Great- for about 8 years. Then, he was the highest paid guy on the payroll, and the first gone when cutbacks were needed— couldn’t have happened on a union job.

The end game will be 100% of everything being owned by one person. Dontcha love “capitalism”?

Hmmmm. Seems that things are looking up:

https://www.bea.gov/data/income-saving/personal-income-by-state

Republicans are moving towards an Oligarchal society, in which a few high-ranking members of society decide for the masses. This is a deceptive and ineffective way to run a free country, and yet we are moving towards it. In Ancient Greece, the Oligarchy was short-lived and an imperfect way of running the country. Eventually, Democracy was introduced, and the rest is history. So, who are the members of the Oligarchy in modern-day America? Who are the royals? Who are the subjects and civilians?

The water metaphor is a lie. It only sounds good as do other Republican economic myths like lower taxes will stimulate the economy or that government regulation of industries stifles growth.

The sundry TяumpubliKKKlan battle cries:

“Welfare for the wealthy, workfare (or nothing at all…) for the poor!”

“Billions for the billionaires, pennies (if that…) for the penniless!”

“Comfort for the comfortable, affliction for the afflicted!”

“It’s sweet for the elite, crumbs for the bums!”

“The rich are too poor, the poor are too rich!”

“Trillions for war, none for the poor!”

“Wealthcare, not healthcare!”

“The mostest for the fewest!”

As the story goes, someone once asked John D. Rockefeller how much money is enough. “Just a little bit more.” was the reply.

While Will Rogers coined the term “trickle down,” it gained real usage under Ronald Reagan. Expert economists of the time decided a better name for it was “Voodoo economics.” As has been pointed out, it didn’t work. It has never worked. And yet, despite failure after failure after failure, the GOP clings to the absurd notion that “but the principle is sound.” Apparently no Republican remembers just how bad things got when George W. Bush was leaving the White House. Regrettably, things didn’t get bad enough. However, Mr. Trump’s policies seem to be dedicated to fixing that.

My first real job was at 16 for a union grocery store. I got my birthday off, health insurance after a year, made more than the $2.10 minimum wage and paid about 45 cents to take the bus to get there. If I’d stayed, I was going to get a bump of almost $2/hr because then I could work anywhere in the store – couldn’t work in deli, bakery and operating the freight elevator until 18. That same grocery chain now has cut benefits, cut their in-store staff because they are catering to on-line shopping (pick-up and delivery options). Don’t know what they pay, but bus fare is now $2.25.

Be careful Tom, someone is going to award you one of those Pulitzer thingies again.

Considering how many people have to run themselves ragged just to stay where they are, let’s call it “treadmill down” economics.

“Wealth”, said Schopenhauer, “is like sea-water. The more of it you drink, the thirstier you become.”

Sadly accurate Tom!

And the mindless followers still believe this will help them.

But only about 1000 times less that he’s getting paid.