So what if a tiny minority in America owns most of the wealth... - Page 4 - GoFuckYourself.com

AsianDivaGirlsWebDude · 12-18-2013, 02:35 AM

Quote:

The richest 300 people in the world are more wealthy than the poorest 3 billion combined, and every year rich countries take over 10 times more money from poor countries than they give in aid.

Find out more by watching the video or visiting our website: http://www.therules.org

Quote:

In a world of increasing inequality, the legitimacy of institutions that give precedence to the property rights of 'the Haves' over the human rights of 'the Have Nots' is inevitably called into serious question.
- David Korten

Quote:

Americans have so far put up with inequality because they felt they could change their status. They didn't mind others being rich, as long as they had a path to move up as well. The American Dream is all about social mobility in a sense - the idea that anyone can make it.
- Fareed Zakaria

Quote:

One of the reasons inequality gets so deep in this country is that everyone wants to be rich. That's the American ideal. Poor people don't like talking about poverty because even though they might live in the projects surrounded by other poor people and have, like, ten dollars in the bank, they don't like to think of themselves as poor.
- Jay-Z

Quote:

My attitude to peace is rather based on the Burmese definition of peace - it really means removing all the negative factors that destroy peace in this world. So peace does not mean just putting an end to violence or to war, but to all other factors that threaten peace, such as discrimination, such as inequality, and poverty.
- Aung San Suu Kyi

ADG

Minte · 12-18-2013, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robbie

Good lord BTK...lol

You are so obsessed with Fox News you bring it up in every discussion. If people don't fall in line with your thoughts that it's the people who are evil and the govt. is great, then you automatically start insulting us.

Take it down a notch and join an intelligent discussion without name calling, stupid pictures, and Fox News.

I don't know if you noticed it, but the rest of us are giving honest opinions based on what we all have seen in life experience.

Dumb pictures and insults don't really belong in a grownup conversation bro.

He doesn't seem to realize that he has become exactly what he hates.
The FOX News of GFY.. Loud, opinionated blasts of slanted, biased mostly irrelevant garbage.

woj · 12-18-2013, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AsianDivaGirlsWebDude

ADG

do you support "equality" in the world? or just the US? do you realize the fact that if world income was equally distributed, our standard of living / income / etc would be fraction of what it is now? we would be considered the 1% when looked at the world scale, we would be considered the "exploiters", everyone would say that we are living in excess, many would even say that we are the 1% simply by dumb luck because we got born in the US, instead of some village in china, etc?

so when this "equality" is preached, are we discussing world scale or just the US?

(by US I mean your own country)

Axeman · 12-18-2013, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minte

I am impressed! you can type a comment.

And a good one at that. This was the part that really sums it all up.

Almost none of our elected officials give a shit about the people or their country any more. Big money interests have trumped the interests of the people.

There are no more checks and balances for the largest multinationals. They can do whatever the fuck they want now, and no one can stop them.

Gallup just did a poll and 72% of Americans view Big Government as the biggest threat to the future of the U.S. 21% view Big Business as the biggest threat.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/166535/re...utm_term =All

Rochard · 12-18-2013, 03:12 PM

While all you fuckers keep bitching.... I have a vacation house in Hawaii.

happyending · 12-18-2013, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Axeman

Gallup just did a poll and 72% of Americans view Big Government as the biggest threat to the future of the U.S. 21% view Big Business as the biggest threat.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/166535/re...utm_term =All

Big Business OWNS Big Government.

Robbie · 12-18-2013, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by happyending

Big Business OWNS Big Government.

Again... I keep saying over and over...I don't know why people think like that.
The Govt. is GIANT.

It's bigger than all the "big business" put together.

So how do you figure that the biggest big businesses like Walmart (which profited 15.7 billion dollars in 2012) can "own" a Govt. that spends more than Walmart made all year...in TWO DAYS?

Do big businesses pay off Congressmen? Hell yes. I would too if they would take my money from porn.

But you can't buy what's not for sale.

It's Govt. that is the problem. It's full of crooks on the take. And it DWARFS every "big business" put together financially.

The Govt. is so big that it has made itself "The Decider" when it comes to which businesses succeed and which ones fail. And then the individual Congressmen and Senators put their votes up for sale.

If Govt. were not so big and powerful...that would not be possible.

arock10 · 12-18-2013, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robbie

Again... I keep saying over and over...I don't know why people think like that.
The Govt. is GIANT.

It's bigger than all the "big business" put together.

So how do you figure that the biggest big businesses like Walmart (which profited 15.7 billion dollars in 2012) can "own" a Govt. that spends more than Walmart made all year...in TWO DAYS?

Do big businesses pay off Congressmen? Hell yes. I would too if they would take my money from porn.

But you can't buy what's not for sale.

It's Govt. that is the problem. It's full of crooks on the take. And it DWARFS every "big business" put together financially.

The Govt. is so big that it has made itself "The Decider" when it comes to which businesses succeed and which ones fail. And then the individual Congressmen and Senators put their votes up for sale.

If Govt. were not so big and powerful...that would not be possible.

Need to reverse citizens united ruling, would help to start cleaning things up. Seems more likely to go the other way though

Robbie · 12-18-2013, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arock10

Need to reverse citizens united ruling, would help to start cleaning things up. Seems more likely to go the other way though

It was already bad way before that ruling too. That's not a magic pill...it would be a start. But the Supreme Court doesn't generally change it's mind that quick, so I'd say that ain't gonna happen.

I think step one would be to get all those career politicians OUT of there.

We need to vote them ALL out. One and done. These guys in Washington D.C. aren't geniuses who have become "experts" in anything. They are simply a bunch of people taking full advantage of power.

They need to GO.

I know the argument is that they have "experience" and "knowledge". Bullshit.

The new guys get briefed and are up to speed in a few days. The only people who count for "experience" and "knowledge" would be the Presidents Appointees. Like the Secretary of State for instance.

Congress is supposed to represent the PEOPLE. Not be a bunch of lifetime politicians making bank and stealing money.

It should be one term and DONE. Guy is your Congressman? Then let him serve ONE 2 year term. Then if he wants to, he can run for Senator next time around...or President.
Or better yet...GO the fuck HOME.

We the people still have the power to do this. But we live in a very apathetic age. Not many people give a damn as long as they have their smartphone and Ipad and cable television.

slapass · 12-18-2013, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robbie

It was already bad way before that ruling too. That's not a magic pill...it would be a start. But the Supreme Court doesn't generally change it's mind that quick, so I'd say that ain't gonna happen.

I think step one would be to get all those career politicians OUT of there.

We need to vote them ALL out. One and done. These guys in Washington D.C. aren't geniuses who have become "experts" in anything. They are simply a bunch of people taking full advantage of power.

They need to GO.

I know the argument is that they have "experience" and "knowledge". Bullshit.

The new guys get briefed and are up to speed in a few days. The only people who count for "experience" and "knowledge" would be the Presidents Appointees. Like the Secretary of State for instance.

Congress is supposed to represent the PEOPLE. Not be a bunch of lifetime politicians making bank and stealing money.

It should be one term and DONE. Guy is your Congressman? Then let him serve ONE 2 year term. Then if he wants to, he can run for Senator next time around...or President.
Or better yet...GO the fuck HOME.

We the people still have the power to do this. But we live in a very apathetic age. Not many people give a damn as long as they have their smartphone and Ipad and cable television.

The aids and bureaucrats would end up running everything. This might not be a good thing either. According to what I have read, this is what we have now. The politicians have to put many hours a day of fundraising to stay in office so the underlings run the govt for them.

BFT3K · 12-18-2013, 05:14 PM

This article is around 2 years old, but still very valid...

The Real Welfare Problem: Government Giveaways to the Corporate 1%

by John Atcheson

While Romney and Ryan lie about welfare (and just about everything else), and Obama and the Democrats demurely mumble objections, there is a real welfare horror story going on in America.

But it’s not about welfare queens vs hard working whites; its not about race or ethnic divisions; it’s not about any of the standard Republican bait and switch, divide and conquer BS.

It’s about handouts to the uber-rich and the corporations.

Bottom line: if you’re a Fortune 500 company or a member of the wealthiest 1%, you’re getting welfare, and a hell of a lot of it.

If you’re one of the dreaded entitlement crowd – which, if you include social security and Medicare, is the vast majority of the remaining 99% -- you’re getting chicken feed, and the Republicans want to take even this meager sustenance away.

Let’s run the numbers.

Corporate Subsidies: We spend $59 billion on social welfare programs, but more than $92 billion on corporate subsidies. According to the Environmental Law Institute, fossil fuel industries alone get more than $70 billion in subsidies, with most going to the oil and gas sector. Yeah, we certainly can’t afford to deprive Exxon of its record profits just to give money to needy kids.

Sheltering Off-Shore Profits: Corporations are given $58 billion* a year in tax breaks for “deferred” taxes for off shore profits. Yep. Sure want to encourage US companies to hide profits off-shore. Can you say “job creators?”

Capital gains: Rich folks make the majority of their money in the form of dividends and capital gains, which are taxed at only 15%. This allows them to avoid some $59 billion in taxes per year.

Carried interest: Hedge fund managers avoid at least $2.1 billion in taxes a year. This sweet deal – not available to the ninety-nine percenters, by the way – lets hedge fund managers and other selected fat cats take what amounts to ordinary wages and have them taxed as if they were capital gains. So instead of being taxed at 35% (39.5% if we eliminate Bush’s tax cuts for the rich) it’s taxed at 15%. Ayn Rand would be proud. Thomas Jefferson, not so much. This amount – $2.1 billion – is roughly equivalent to the entire budget for the Administration on Aging. Wouldn’t want to deprive millionaire and billionaire hedge fund managers of their windfall just to help a lot of old geezers.

Bank Bailouts: Then there’s the $700 billion bank bailout – to rescue banks from problems they themselves created. Yes it got paid back; and yes, we had to do something. But the reason this money was little more than welfare was because the banks got to do what they wanted to with it. It could have come with strings – we could have insisted that they write down mortgages to market value or allowed refinancing at lower interest rates or longer amortization periods. We could even have given the money directly to stressed homeowners, instead of the banksters who caused the problem. Any of these approaches would have prevented defaults, slowed – or even reversed – the precipitous declines in real estate values, and given low and middle income consumers some ability to consume, which, at the end of the day is the real “job creator.” And we most certainly could have insisted that banks money loan out the money to small businesses and home buyers.

But we did nothing like that. Instead, we allowed the banks to play a high stakes game of pump-and-dump – complete with flash trading – with our money. Instead of loans designed to jump start the economy, we got risky investments underwritten with our tax money that paid off only the Wall Street elite.

Talk about welfare. Talk about your welfare kings and queens. It doesn’t get any more obscenely selfish and opportunistic than this.

$9 Trillion in Low and No Interest Loans from the Fed: And now for the mother of all welfare programs, how about $9 trillion loaned at below market rates – some of it as low as .5%. Here again, this money disappeared into the money vaults of the select few, rather than benefiting the common good.

And here again, we could have insisted that public money be used to serve the public good. But instead, it was given as white-collar welfare – a freeby to the real welfare kings and queens – the financial sector and the fat cats they serve.

To the extent conservatives acknowledge these facts, they justify it with a neo-Reaganomics logic that the wealthy and the corporations who receive this largess are the “job creators.”

But here’s the deal. As long as the middle class is in debt and feeling insecure, no company in its right mind will invest in expanding or any other type of job creation. Why on earth would they? If people aren’t buying your service or product now, how will making more of your product or expanding your capacity to provide your service make them do it? And Paris Hilton, Mitt Romney or Paul Ryan and other millionaires can only buy so many yachts; so many second, third, fourth or fifth homes. They simply don’t have the numbers to lead to an economic recovery.

The proof of this is in the numbers. Corporations are sitting on over $2 trillion in profits. What job creation is occurring is happening overseas in China, India and other low wage countries.

So the next time some conservative comes up to you praising the power of the free market and bemoaning the welfare state or our slide into socialism or some other mindless talking point, make a deal with them. Tell ‘em we’ll agree to cut welfare by 90%, but we get to decide whose welfare gets cut.

Robbie · 12-18-2013, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slapass

The aids and bureaucrats would end up running everything. This might not be a good thing either. According to what I have read, this is what we have now. The politicians have to put many hours a day of fundraising to stay in office so the underlings run the govt for them.

You have a good point. I guess we have to start somewhere though, right?

mopek1 · 12-18-2013, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BFT3K

This article is around 2 years old, but still very valid...

[B][SIZE="2"]

$92 billion on corporate subsidies.

Fossil fuel industries alone get more than $70 billion in subsidies,

Sheltering Off-Shore Profits: Corporations are given $58 billion* a year in tax breaks

Carried interest: Hedge fund managers avoid at least $2.1 billion in taxes a year.

Bank Bailouts: Then there?s the $700 billion bank bailout ?

$9 Trillion in Low and No Interest Loans from the Fed: And now for the mother of all welfare programs, how about $9 trillion loaned at below market rates ? some of it as low as .5%.

The proof of this is in the numbers. Corporations are sitting on over $2 trillion in profits.

So the next time some conservative comes up to you praising the power of the free market and bemoaning the welfare state or our slide into socialism or some other mindless talking point, make a deal with them. Tell ?em we?ll agree to cut welfare by 90%, but we get to decide whose welfare gets cut.

Here are the 1% we are talking about.

And yes Robbie, it is the governments fault. They get bribed by these giants and create policy to suit them. Dems and Republicans both do it. Republicans are worse in my opinion because they want to give 'more' to these companies.

AsianDivaGirlsWebDude · 12-18-2013, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Article 1.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2.

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3.

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4.

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5.

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6.

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7.

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8.

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10.

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11.

(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.

(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.

(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14.

(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.

(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15.

(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16.

(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.

(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.

(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17.

(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18.

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21.

(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.

(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.

(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22.

Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23.

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.

(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.

(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.

(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24.

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25.

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26.

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.

(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.

(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27.

(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.

(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28.

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29.

(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.

(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.

(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30.

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

ADG

BFT3K · 12-18-2013, 06:25 PM

BFT3K · 12-18-2013, 06:43 PM

Robbie · 12-18-2013, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mopek1

it is the governments fault. They get bribed by these giants and create policy to suit them. Dems and Republicans both do it. Republicans are worse in my opinion because they want to give 'more' to these companies.

Not only do they take bribes...most times the politicians are really IN the companies getting all that money.

It's a huge scam. And no, I don't think Republicans are "worse"...these fuckers are ALL holding hands to make this happen.

And BFT3K...please stop posting cartoons in a discussion.
If you have something to say, you know a real opinion...then please just say it and state your case.

The cartoons where you are just insulting half the country are stupid and childish. You're smarter than that.

kane · 12-18-2013, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robbie

Not only do they take bribes...most times the politicians are really IN the companies getting all that money.

It's a huge scam. And no, I don't think Republicans are "worse"...these fuckers are ALL holding hands to make this happen.

And BFT3K...please stop posting cartoons in a discussion.
If you have something to say, you know a real opinion...then please just say it and state your case.

The cartoons where you are just insulting half the country are stupid and childish. You're smarter than that.

They don't even hide it anymore. There is footage of John Boehner passing out checks on the floor and when asked about it he said he probably should have done it in private. Most of them go right from office into lobbyist positions or onto the boards of various companies. They help them while in office then get paid for it when they get out of office.

Minte · 12-19-2013, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kane

They don't even hide it anymore. There is footage of John Boehner passing out checks on the floor and when asked about it he said he probably should have done it in private. Most of them go right from office into lobbyist positions or onto the boards of various companies. They help them while in office then get paid for it when they get out of office.

The odd thing about that lobbying scene is that there are some very wealthy people who serve in Washington. Guys like Herb Kohl..he's worth a couple of hundred million. Ron Johnson is another one from my state that isn't going to get *bought*. Not that they are not capable of being bought, but i have a hard time believing any lobby group could afford it.

I haven't looked lately to see what the financial makeup of the senators is. But i don't imagine it's changed a lot since the last time I looked.

12-18-2013, 03:12 PM	#155
Rochard Jägermeister Test Pilot Industry Role: Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: NORCAL Posts: 73,988	While all you fuckers keep bitching.... I have a vacation house in Hawaii. __________________ “The choice is no longer between right or left. The choice is between normal and crazy.” - Sarah Huckabee Sanders YNOT MAIL \| THE BEST ADULT MAILING SOLUTION

12-18-2013, 05:14 PM	#161
BFT3K Too lazy to set a custom title Industry Role: Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Narnia Posts: 10,764	This article is around 2 years old, but still very valid... The Real Welfare Problem: Government Giveaways to the Corporate 1% by John Atcheson While Romney and Ryan lie about welfare (and just about everything else), and Obama and the Democrats demurely mumble objections, there is a real welfare horror story going on in America. But it’s not about welfare queens vs hard working whites; its not about race or ethnic divisions; it’s not about any of the standard Republican bait and switch, divide and conquer BS. It’s about handouts to the uber-rich and the corporations. Bottom line: if you’re a Fortune 500 company or a member of the wealthiest 1%, you’re getting welfare, and a hell of a lot of it. If you’re one of the dreaded entitlement crowd – which, if you include social security and Medicare, is the vast majority of the remaining 99% -- you’re getting chicken feed, and the Republicans want to take even this meager sustenance away. Let’s run the numbers. Corporate Subsidies: We spend $59 billion on social welfare programs, but more than $92 billion on corporate subsidies. According to the Environmental Law Institute, fossil fuel industries alone get more than $70 billion in subsidies, with most going to the oil and gas sector. Yeah, we certainly can’t afford to deprive Exxon of its record profits just to give money to needy kids. Sheltering Off-Shore Profits: Corporations are given $58 billion* a year in tax breaks for “deferred” taxes for off shore profits. Yep. Sure want to encourage US companies to hide profits off-shore. Can you say “job creators?” Capital gains: Rich folks make the majority of their money in the form of dividends and capital gains, which are taxed at only 15%. This allows them to avoid some $59 billion in taxes per year. Carried interest: Hedge fund managers avoid at least $2.1 billion in taxes a year. This sweet deal – not available to the ninety-nine percenters, by the way – lets hedge fund managers and other selected fat cats take what amounts to ordinary wages and have them taxed as if they were capital gains. So instead of being taxed at 35% (39.5% if we eliminate Bush’s tax cuts for the rich) it’s taxed at 15%. Ayn Rand would be proud. Thomas Jefferson, not so much. This amount – $2.1 billion – is roughly equivalent to the entire budget for the Administration on Aging. Wouldn’t want to deprive millionaire and billionaire hedge fund managers of their windfall just to help a lot of old geezers. Bank Bailouts: Then there’s the $700 billion bank bailout – to rescue banks from problems they themselves created. Yes it got paid back; and yes, we had to do something. But the reason this money was little more than welfare was because the banks got to do what they wanted to with it. It could have come with strings – we could have insisted that they write down mortgages to market value or allowed refinancing at lower interest rates or longer amortization periods. We could even have given the money directly to stressed homeowners, instead of the banksters who caused the problem. Any of these approaches would have prevented defaults, slowed – or even reversed – the precipitous declines in real estate values, and given low and middle income consumers some ability to consume, which, at the end of the day is the real “job creator.” And we most certainly could have insisted that banks money loan out the money to small businesses and home buyers. But we did nothing like that. Instead, we allowed the banks to play a high stakes game of pump-and-dump – complete with flash trading – with our money. Instead of loans designed to jump start the economy, we got risky investments underwritten with our tax money that paid off only the Wall Street elite. Talk about welfare. Talk about your welfare kings and queens. It doesn’t get any more obscenely selfish and opportunistic than this. $9 Trillion in Low and No Interest Loans from the Fed: And now for the mother of all welfare programs, how about $9 trillion loaned at below market rates – some of it as low as .5%. Here again, this money disappeared into the money vaults of the select few, rather than benefiting the common good. And here again, we could have insisted that public money be used to serve the public good. But instead, it was given as white-collar welfare – a freeby to the real welfare kings and queens – the financial sector and the fat cats they serve. To the extent conservatives acknowledge these facts, they justify it with a neo-Reaganomics logic that the wealthy and the corporations who receive this largess are the “job creators.” But here’s the deal. As long as the middle class is in debt and feeling insecure, no company in its right mind will invest in expanding or any other type of job creation. Why on earth would they? If people aren’t buying your service or product now, how will making more of your product or expanding your capacity to provide your service make them do it? And Paris Hilton, Mitt Romney or Paul Ryan and other millionaires can only buy so many yachts; so many second, third, fourth or fifth homes. They simply don’t have the numbers to lead to an economic recovery. The proof of this is in the numbers. Corporations are sitting on over $2 trillion in profits. What job creation is occurring is happening overseas in China, India and other low wage countries. So the next time some conservative comes up to you praising the power of the free market and bemoaning the welfare state or our slide into socialism or some other mindless talking point, make a deal with them. Tell ‘em we’ll agree to cut welfare by 90%, but we get to decide whose welfare gets cut. Last edited by BFT3K; 12-18-2013 at 05:17 PM..

12-18-2013, 06:25 PM	#165
BFT3K Too lazy to set a custom title Industry Role: Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Narnia Posts: 10,764

12-18-2013, 06:43 PM	#166
BFT3K Too lazy to set a custom title Industry Role: Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Narnia Posts: 10,764