This is true. To be less flip, though I like John Stewart from what I know about him and I'll enjoy an occasional Daily Show clip, I think that show can occupy the same unhealthy place in people's lives that Tucker Carlson can when people accept these news-entertainment shows in place of actual journalism. Maybe the Betsy Ross flag is more common in other parts of the country, but yeah when I see a Come and Take It flag or a Don't Tread on Me flag, I know that's a guy who would have flown the Confederate Battle flag if this was still the '80s. I don't assume every pickup truck with one is driven by an extremist, but if I was an extremist looking for people I might recruit, I would definitely talk to the guys who have those flags. Sounds to me like Ted Cruz wants the FBI to do their work with blinders on. If there is a pattern here, it's that liberal organizations march around impotently while right-wing groups see the use of violence and the threat of violence as an important tool to achieve their political goals.
In blasting the Inflation Reduction Act (which is not surprising), Ted Cruz called for the abolition of the IRS: Ted Cruz blasts Biden plan to make IRS larger than the FBI, border patrol with 87,000 new hires | Just The News Now, I think his suggestion that we should allow middle-class people to cheat on their taxes because they aren't billionaires is dumb. But, I wanted to bump this thread to ask if anyone knew the coherent argument for actually abolishing the IRS. That's the agency that collects revenue for the government. Sure, Cruz wouldn't like us spending money on helping woke transgendered communists fund their vegan fashion lines, or whatever, but we also use that for things like national defense and patrolling the border, which he probably likes. I've seen, googling, wanting to change tax code to a sales tax based system. Even if that wasn't the dumbest idea in the world, you'd still need an agency that collects the sales tax. So please someone help me out with the idea of abolishing the IRS. What is the argument for how that would work?
The proposal to "abolish the IRS" seems akin to calls to "abolish the police". It's more like rhetorical bluster than an actual well thought out plan for organizing our society.
there is none. Cancun didn't want to cancel the IRS, w Trump as the POTUS, when he joined other Repugs in the US Senate to vote for the tax cut for the top 1%, including the elimination of the alternative minimum tax.
That's fair, somewhat. I think, though, that most of the defund the police bluster came from NGOs that were trying to get noticed with hyperbole, not sitting Senators. Rep Tlaib (who I don't like) has irresponsibly blustered about policing, but even AOC (who I do like) is careful about avoiding slogans and instead makes arguments (you can see a bit of the contrast between them in this article). When you're not in a seat of power, saying provocative things might shift a conversation. When you're in a position of power, it's probably irresponsible and not respectable to throw out rhetorical bombshells that aren't undergirded with actual policy proposals. It also reminds me of Rick Perry's "abolish the Department of Energy-- of wait, you want to make me the Energy Secretary? Well, I just read that the DOE actually has a very important role in maintaining the nation's nuclear stockpile and even though I didn't even know that until 5 minutes ago, of course I'm qualified to lead this agency that I had ignorantly and dangerously vilified for my own political benefit." But, I'm still open to hearing the policy argument for the abolition of the IRS if someone has one. In this case, I'll even accept an ivory tower academic.
You could probably shrink the agency a lot. But who is going to cash the checks if not the IRS? If "abolish the IRS" is just a rhetorical flourish on a policy proposal to change the tax code and rename the agency that administers it, that's fine. I just want to understand the proposal. Is that all we're talking about here?
oversight could be managed elsewhere in treasury, and I suspect that *virtually* all filing could be accomplished online. most payments would already be made via payroll deductions, just as they are today. simplify the tax code, and you don't need a massive bureaucracy to administer it.
Okay, so I'll take Cruz to mean he'd like to change the tax law and rename the department, which is essentially what that amounts to.
Ted Cruz making it vividly clear what this bill does - It increases inflation and gas prices. (video at the link) Ted Cruz: All The Democrats Just Voted To Increase Inflation And Gas Prices SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): We have been up all night, voting all night. We're still in the middle of voting. So I just ran over from the Senate floor to join you for this discussion. But the Democrats are on the verge of ramming through what really is a terrible bill. This bill will hammer manufacturing. It will kill manufacturing jobs in this country. It will hammer small businesses. This bill will drive up gas prices. It has billions in new taxes on U.S. oil and gas production. We introduced amendments trying to take those new taxes out. So, all the Democrats say they're worried and want to low gas -- lower gas prices. They all just voted to raise gas taxes and raise your price at the pump. This bill creates 87,000 new IRS agents. It doubles the size of the IRS. Those IRS agents are designed to come after you. They're not designed to come after the billionaires and the big corporations. They're designed to come after small businesses and working families across this country. The Democrats are making the IRS bigger than the Pentagon, plus the Department of State, plus the FBI, plus the Border Patrol. Combined, the IRS is going to be bigger. This is a massive power grab. And I got to say it's amazing, Maria, watching these Democrats amendment after amendment. Commonsense amendments, they vote against. I introduce an amendment to say, don't create 87,000 new IRS agents. Every Democrat voted no. I just introduced an amendment to say that Joe Biden and the federal government should not be able to sell oil from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to the Chinese communists. Biden sold over two million barrels of oil to the Chinese communists. Every Democrat but for four voted no. They are bound and determined to try to ram this terrible bill through. This excellent presentation summarizes what the Democrats will now specifically have to answer for in November as a result of voting for this awful bill.
I’ve actually heard plans of what to do with the police budget. From Ron Paul to the Canadian p***y I have no idea what their plan is for abolishing the IRS.
* New IRS agents: I think that's a good thing. Feather in the Democrats' cap. I know this has been an ongoing policy issue because Republicans had been cutting the IRS' ability to collect taxes, but it doesn't make any sense to me. If the taxes are owed, they should be collected. * New taxes on oil and gas production: Tried to figure out what he was talking about here. Turns out the bill reinstates a superfund tax at 16.4 cents/barrel. And then there is the buyback tax that effects all companies. There isn't much press I found about the impact of tax changes on oil companies, so not sure how concerned shareholders would genuinely be. The API singles out permitting reform as something they wished was included, though they appreciate the expanded lease sales. Seems like the impact that will flow down to retail will be marginal if it is felt at all. * Selling oil to Chinese communists: I don't see why not. * Hammer manufacturing, kill jobs, hammer small businesses, drive up gas prices: Would appreciate some explanation from Cruz of how these effects will transpire. Or is it just another thing Cruz says just to say it, like abolishing the IRS.
