I feel it would have been more funny (accurate) if the cars heading off in the “Ask Not” lane were mostly limosm corporate trucks, and HumVee types….forcing smaller, older cars into the “Do for your country” lane.
Eisenhower is spinning so fast in his grave at what Republicans have become … well, you get the idea.
But the cartoon is wrong, there are many, many cars in the left lane. Some are driven by genuine public servants, those who could make more money in the private sector but choose to serve their country instead as soldiers, social workers, firemen, teachers, cops, volunteers of many stripes.
And then there are those conserve and recycle, and try to spend their money in ways that do less harm to themselves, their country, and their planet.
And then there are those who support and would gladly pay higher taxes or shoulder greater burdens (like delaying their retirement) if they knew the money given or saved would go to pay their country’s debts and strengthen it, and not merely provide tax cuts for folks richer than themselves.
The generation of 1776 never in their lifetimes saw their taxes fall as low as they were before independence, nor was their country as prosperous as it was before the revolution for another generation. They fought to establish the principle that the people’s elected representatives have the sole right to levy taxes on the people.
If the duly elected representatives of the country cannot be trusted to do that wisely, or at least in a manner answerable to their constituents, then the revolution was in vain, and the tyrants are right: democracy is sham, the Constitution is a failure, and the revolution was fought in vain.
Looking at the Tea Party, it is hard to believe now that the GOP was once a party that favored large-scale investment in the country (a la the Interstate Highways and the Railroads) and civil rights for all, or that a Republican president (DDE) once warned that every dollar spent on the military was a dollar stolen from the hungry and those in need, or that republicans once believed in the findings of scientific inquiry, and laughed at the democratic rubes who prosecuted Scopes in Tennessee.
“I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just …”
“I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.”
Harleyquinn sure got some good fiction going, his/her facts are the absurd suppositions funneled from the fetid water of Grover Norquist’s drowning tub. “Get out of my way!” (YOU LIE!) As if the deregulation of the banks and the bleeep hats on Wall Street didn’t completely disprove that egregious notion.
I think the line went something like: “ASK NOT WHAT YOUR CONTRY CAN DO FOR YOU but ask what you can do for your country…” Looks like , in the cartoon, lots of folks are asking the country to do for them. Come to think of it, I guess the cartoon more clearly reflects what the “takers” are doing.
Harley thinks he knows taxes, along with many other things.
The tax code’s greatest break for the poor is the EIC. If one does no work, thus no earned income, the credit is $0. If one works very little, the credit is very small. Without children, the maximum credit is $457, though most get less, and is only available to those over 25 and under 65. Only the working poor who are also raising children get larger payments.
And, of course, the “lucky 50%” who pay no income tax pay a large chunk of the sales and payroll tax collected in the US. A few always slip into this category by running rather large businesses, but are able to “write off”, legally or illegally, what should be considered income.
On the other end, note that Mr. Buffet only pays 17.1% because he uses no tax avoidance methods. With different instructions to his accountant, he could pay much less, like many of his peers.
The proposals currently being considered would raise the wealthy’s maximum rate to about half of what it was in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. If this is a class war, it looks as if their side will have no casualties, regardless of the outcome.
As for the first link…data from the recession causes a drop in revenue and more people on the “needy” side of the tax curve, that’s a “duh”. One-time stimulus payments, including numerous breaks for small businesses and the Making Work Pay credit, are another major factor. That will change on it’s own by the stimulus ending and, hopefully, continued recovery.
The other “duh”.. these “transfer” payments include Social Security, which is not part of the discretionary spending that has been the central topic thus far in the budget debates, but included by the author to help make his point. Yes, the baby-boomers are retiring, and SS payouts are rising. We could see this coming years ago.
Vortex, for every loophole closed, one or two have opened. Allowing all interest to be claimed was a boon for the middle class, while many of the breaks added since then are helping the wealthy.
http://tinyurl.com/5tfl9s7
Yes, the tax code is too complex, and I have never argued otherwise. Part of the complexity is the fault of a recent Republican mantra, that is “do everything as a tax cut”.
Example: Health care too expensive? Give tax breaks for premiums. Of course, if one is truly needy or has their income reduced by health issues, one will never be able to pay the premiums for the 14 months it takes to get the break. Thus, the strategy only lowers health care costs for those who could afford it in the first place.
Doughfoot makes excellent points. My observations are however that the “rank and file” Republicans ARE, and have been since Reagan/Rumsfeld/Rove and Cheney, on the off ramp. Too many Democrats as well have neglected the challenge Kennedy put forth. Yes, there are indeed many still who do want to care for this nation and the founding father’s ideals– you will find none of them currently campaigning as “Republicans” though, they are the “All for me, and me for me too” brigade. It is sad, and yes, even Ike is probably spinning in his grave with disgust at what passes today for “conservative”. Even Nixon is probably a little dizzy.
The only loophole “conservatives” have closed, is the one from their minds to wisdom. Ryan will close loopholes when the devil ice skates to work.
egreshko about 13 years ago
I feel it would have been more funny (accurate) if the cars heading off in the “Ask Not” lane were mostly limosm corporate trucks, and HumVee types….forcing smaller, older cars into the “Do for your country” lane.
Doughfoot about 13 years ago
Eisenhower is spinning so fast in his grave at what Republicans have become … well, you get the idea.
But the cartoon is wrong, there are many, many cars in the left lane. Some are driven by genuine public servants, those who could make more money in the private sector but choose to serve their country instead as soldiers, social workers, firemen, teachers, cops, volunteers of many stripes.
And then there are those conserve and recycle, and try to spend their money in ways that do less harm to themselves, their country, and their planet.
And then there are those who support and would gladly pay higher taxes or shoulder greater burdens (like delaying their retirement) if they knew the money given or saved would go to pay their country’s debts and strengthen it, and not merely provide tax cuts for folks richer than themselves.
The generation of 1776 never in their lifetimes saw their taxes fall as low as they were before independence, nor was their country as prosperous as it was before the revolution for another generation. They fought to establish the principle that the people’s elected representatives have the sole right to levy taxes on the people.
If the duly elected representatives of the country cannot be trusted to do that wisely, or at least in a manner answerable to their constituents, then the revolution was in vain, and the tyrants are right: democracy is sham, the Constitution is a failure, and the revolution was fought in vain.
Looking at the Tea Party, it is hard to believe now that the GOP was once a party that favored large-scale investment in the country (a la the Interstate Highways and the Railroads) and civil rights for all, or that a Republican president (DDE) once warned that every dollar spent on the military was a dollar stolen from the hungry and those in need, or that republicans once believed in the findings of scientific inquiry, and laughed at the democratic rubes who prosecuted Scopes in Tennessee.
“I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just …”
WarBush about 13 years ago
Excellent post Doughfoot (as usual).
Simon_Jester about 13 years ago
Tell you what Jmatt…why don’t you go fight your OWN wildfires, if you hate federal handouts so much?
ssejhill about 13 years ago
Doughfoot … my sentiments exactly, but you stated them much more succinctly than I could have. Thank you.
Motivemagus about 13 years ago
“I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.”
–John Adams, letter to Abigail Adams, 1780
Pjbflyn about 13 years ago
Harleyquinn sure got some good fiction going, his/her facts are the absurd suppositions funneled from the fetid water of Grover Norquist’s drowning tub. “Get out of my way!” (YOU LIE!) As if the deregulation of the banks and the bleeep hats on Wall Street didn’t completely disprove that egregious notion.
mnsmkd about 13 years ago
I think the line went something like: “ASK NOT WHAT YOUR CONTRY CAN DO FOR YOU but ask what you can do for your country…” Looks like , in the cartoon, lots of folks are asking the country to do for them. Come to think of it, I guess the cartoon more clearly reflects what the “takers” are doing.
Spaghettus1 about 13 years ago
Harley thinks he knows taxes, along with many other things.
The tax code’s greatest break for the poor is the EIC. If one does no work, thus no earned income, the credit is $0. If one works very little, the credit is very small. Without children, the maximum credit is $457, though most get less, and is only available to those over 25 and under 65. Only the working poor who are also raising children get larger payments.
And, of course, the “lucky 50%” who pay no income tax pay a large chunk of the sales and payroll tax collected in the US. A few always slip into this category by running rather large businesses, but are able to “write off”, legally or illegally, what should be considered income.
On the other end, note that Mr. Buffet only pays 17.1% because he uses no tax avoidance methods. With different instructions to his accountant, he could pay much less, like many of his peers.
The proposals currently being considered would raise the wealthy’s maximum rate to about half of what it was in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. If this is a class war, it looks as if their side will have no casualties, regardless of the outcome.
Spaghettus1 about 13 years ago
As for the first link…data from the recession causes a drop in revenue and more people on the “needy” side of the tax curve, that’s a “duh”. One-time stimulus payments, including numerous breaks for small businesses and the Making Work Pay credit, are another major factor. That will change on it’s own by the stimulus ending and, hopefully, continued recovery.
The other “duh”.. these “transfer” payments include Social Security, which is not part of the discretionary spending that has been the central topic thus far in the budget debates, but included by the author to help make his point. Yes, the baby-boomers are retiring, and SS payouts are rising. We could see this coming years ago.
Vortex, for every loophole closed, one or two have opened. Allowing all interest to be claimed was a boon for the middle class, while many of the breaks added since then are helping the wealthy. http://tinyurl.com/5tfl9s7
Spaghettus1 about 13 years ago
I forgot to address Harley’s second link.
Yes, the tax code is too complex, and I have never argued otherwise. Part of the complexity is the fault of a recent Republican mantra, that is “do everything as a tax cut”. Example: Health care too expensive? Give tax breaks for premiums. Of course, if one is truly needy or has their income reduced by health issues, one will never be able to pay the premiums for the 14 months it takes to get the break. Thus, the strategy only lowers health care costs for those who could afford it in the first place.
Dtroutma about 13 years ago
Doughfoot makes excellent points. My observations are however that the “rank and file” Republicans ARE, and have been since Reagan/Rumsfeld/Rove and Cheney, on the off ramp. Too many Democrats as well have neglected the challenge Kennedy put forth. Yes, there are indeed many still who do want to care for this nation and the founding father’s ideals– you will find none of them currently campaigning as “Republicans” though, they are the “All for me, and me for me too” brigade. It is sad, and yes, even Ike is probably spinning in his grave with disgust at what passes today for “conservative”. Even Nixon is probably a little dizzy.
The only loophole “conservatives” have closed, is the one from their minds to wisdom. Ryan will close loopholes when the devil ice skates to work.