Are you really that naive? First, while there are plenty of rich people that are greedy and corrupt, there are just as many that are very generous. Who cares, eh? Just punish them all because they have more money than me. Second, when you have money, you have flexibility. This includes spending millions of dollars to relocate your business to reduce costs, whether its taxes, labor or union issues or anything else. When you have money, you can disguise yourself as a company operating with a profit or a loss. For every company who can do this, there are many more who can't and get punished for falling under the "wealthy" category. Again, who cares, they make more money than you, lets punish them. Third, you dont get rich being dumb. The rich doesn't buy votes, they buy politicians, the same politicians that everyone votes in, regardless of party. While America is busy bickering and blaming parties and fighting over social issues, the greedy and corrupt are laughing their asses off to the bank, off YOUR back. Its the greedy, corrupt and the selfish who are dragging down this country, not a certain political group or class. There is no difference between the immoral corporations squeezing every penny from the consumers or the person collecting government benefits because he can make more than getting a job. I think YOU are the one brainwashed into putting the blame on an entire group.
sacrificing to get the country right, isn't about punishing everyone, it's about sharing the sacrifice. In addition giving the hyper-rich break after break hasn't helped the nation as a whole. It just hasn't. The nation was in much better shape back when they paid a larger percentage and didn't have the breaks.
Or we could look at it another way; Educate and encourage the needy to become less dependent. If an individual needs a handout, then put a limitation on how they can use that handout. If they are receiving $300 in EBT, then only allow them to purchase certain types of food, not a carte Blanche on anything in the store. Sure, there are needy that need assistance and I support that fully. But a "Vote for me, and i'll raise your entitlements 10%" is just a very bad idea. As for that F-35, we can scrap that too and put it towards our deficit.
Oh, no doubt, welfare programs have to be efficient as well. But it's a lark to say "wow, look at how much money we're spending supporting American kids" when one can easily point to--- "wow, look at how much money we're spending on near-useless jets." or "wow, look at how much money we give to Israel." etc.
We are in debt because we have a SPENDING problem. Not just the country, but as individuals too. Just like an individual who goes to his boss and states he needs a raise because he's having financial trouble, then turns around and buys a new car when he gets that raise. Thats exactly what happens when taxes are raised. The democrats will beef up their entitlement programs and the republicans will drop a few hundred extra bombs on some poor country. None of it will go towards paying the deficit. Our country was in better shape for many different reasons. As a nation, we produced and exported. Far far fewer were on welfare and actually produced. The wealthy did pay more. Jobs were not being sent overseas by the hundreds of thousands. Individuals paid for things in cash, not credit. Banks didn't lend out 101% loans to anyone with a pulse.
We do have a spending problem, but to act like we don't have a revenue problem as well isn't accurate. If the debt and deficit weren't at the level it was, revenue wouldn't be as important. But to deal with that we need more revenue. I'm asking to beef up the entitlements, and I don't believe most Democrats are either. They are asking not to cut the important ones too much right now, while the economy is trying to recover.
No, America should look to scrap most likely useless military equipment (why is the Pentagon buying 2400 of these suckers anyways? Barring invasion from China, what use are they?), military aid to Israel, subsidies to Big Oil, USDA subsidies, the prison state complex created by minimum mandatory sentencing and etc. before thinking of denying American children. You look at it as spending $43000 a year to a "welfare queen.". I look at it is giving those eight children a fighting chance at a decent life, so that they can have the chance to become engaged, happy citizens of the great American nation.
no, at all costs we should make American children who aren't old enough to have a say about anything suffer. We need those fighter jets.
With all due respect, you couldn't be more wrong. The rich absolutely do buy votes, as do big corporations, now that the radical Roberts court has decided that corporations are people, and can spend money funding politicians and campaigns just like people. You want to know how the ultra rich and the big corporations buy votes? By spending huge amounts of money, now largely unregulated, thanks to a Republican appointed majority on the Supreme Court, on massive media buys, swamping the efforts of their targets to get out their message. And it's not just Democrats. They also target more moderate Republicans in the primaries. That's happened right here in Texas. You might consider doing a bit more research, with an open mind, before calling others naive regarding this topic.
The problem is not the 8 kids. It's hundreds and thousands of mothers w/ many kids on welfare. It's also the multiple fathers of those kids that would rather not work because their in their view, most of that money would be taken for child support. Why work your @ss off and have that money taken away right?
The rich buy votes in a much more direct fashion than this. They contribute to politicians' campaigns and hire lobbyists. That is a LOT more analogous to buying votes than "entitlement" programs. There is an "entitled" class in America, one that believes it is entitled to the best that America has to offer and is also entitled to have it without paying their share of the tax burden. The entitled class is not the people on welfare, it is the wealthy.
What the hell are you talking about? You don't know how many fathers there are, and whether they are even able to work or not. You are making a lot of assumptions. The problem is in fact the children. And yes you are right there are hundreds of thousands of children that are the problem.
If it's a public company he might not have too much choice if it's legal and in the best fiduciary interests of the shareholders.
Or you could just read what I stated and realize we both said the same thing instead of jumping to disagreement. I said the rich buy the politicians. The <s>rich</s> greedy and corrupt don't care if they are republican or democrat or how they were voted in, as long as that politician favors their agenda.
My agenda? If, by my agenda, you mean spending more on international development programs (a la Marshall Plan), less on military gadgets, more on dealing with violent crime/organized crime, much less on non-violent crime such as drugs, more on education, less on subsidies that are distortions of the free market, more on veterans, less on nuclear arms research, and definitely cutting all aid to states that do not need any, and which take American military technology and sell them to China... well, then we agree to disagree. I am well aware of the inefficiencies of certain welfare programs, as well as the intricacies and the efficacy and equity questions posed by things such as, for example, unemployment insurance on such things as efficiency wages (which ironically then cause more unemployment). If you were to debate me on these points, you'd quickly realize I am not for every entitlement and social welfare item. However, don't bring up $43,000 as if that is some shocking figure of waste. The government spends billions here and there either upholding corrupt regimes (Pakistan anyone?) and buying useless jets. Incidentally, this is why I like the Democrats better than the Republicans...they're both spending w**** parties once they're in power, but Democrats tend to overspend on helping people...or attempting to help people. Republicans tend to overspend on hurting people, and pretending somehow in their little minds that this helps people (we liberated Iraq! Why are they shooting at us??? We incarcerate like a motherf**ka, and have a higher prison rate than China! Why do some people resent us for destroying their lives and families for small-time mar1juana dealing?).
