Revenue, Revenue, Revenue
A couple of quick questions:
Are we in a recession?
Do tax cuts create jobs?
Who wanted to cut 1 trillion plus dollars from Social Security?
I ask these questions because it's important to think about the frame. The overall frame the American public have about our economy and economic situation. People are quick to blame Obama for the mess we are in, and I find it so wrong, I can barely sit in my seat.
It's like staring at a penny and thinking you met Lincoln.
We are not in a recession. I know it feels like it, smells like it, our newspapers constantly hammer on it, but we are not. The GDP is growing and that means, no recession. It's not about feelings, people. It's about numbers.
Tax cuts have not ever created jobs. Not ever. As Barney Frank said this morning, a tax cut has never built a bridge. I don't know what kind of kool-aid the Republicans have been drinking for 30 years, but it doesn't work.
Republicans wanted to cut over a trillion dollars off Social Security. Hey, Grandma, how's that Alpo? I wonder if they even remember why it was created. In 1935, FDR signed the act to act as insurance to our elderly, to widows, for fatherless children. It was saying, Hey, we're all in this together. Because in 1935, we were. It was about lifetimes of work being rewarded with a safety net at a time when there were no safety nets at all.
People were starving. Money wasn't tight, it was gone. Imagine going to the ATM and having it say, oops. Sorry. You put it in but, it's not there anymore.
Think it couldn't happen again? Think again.
Oh, we have new economic models! I hear people saying. Really? Like that nifty one that said invest everything in stocks that don't give out dividends, with price ratios that were beyond the imagination, but everything is new and different? That was the internet bubble of the late 90's. Guess what? Didn't work out. What happened? Oh, that crazy thing called history repeated itself.
Obama has been in office for two years. He inherited the Bush tax cuts. When I first heard of the Bush tax cuts, when Bush was first proposing them, it was from an economist who said, This is an attempt to defund the federal government. To extinguish it, minus the military, forever.
That is Obama's fault?
Two wars, outrageous tax cuts (mostly for the wealthy), interests rates so low why would anyone think of saving, mad spending, real estate bubble, bad mortgage after bad mortgage (what? have no money? of course you can get a 500k house!), and we were on the brink of collapse.
You think those Republicans voted for TARP because they liked it? No, because if they didn't, they'd never see office again.
Was it perfect? No. But unemployment benefits were extended, social security saved, along with medicare, medicaid, and military veterans were no longer being tossed from their foreclosed homes while serving the country.
We are no longer in a recession. When you think that? I want you to go to the mirror, look yourself in the eye and ask, How much did welfare cost the government?
Or, what is the biggest export from the rainforest?
Your answers will surprise you. And the truth? Make you realize you've been brainwashed.
We need revenues, people. We need money to pay off debt, to invest in our people, our infrastructure, to create jobs. Bridge building creates jobs. Having money to hire teachers in schools, creates jobs.
Imagine a program that built public buildings and roads, that operated large drama, arts, media, and literacy projects. That fed children, redistributed food, clothing and housing. That created jobs and a flow of money to those in need of both.
Hmmmm. Oh, that would be the WPA- Works Progress Administration.
That requires revenue.
And a belief that the American people mean something. All Americans.
The only "T" word we should ever use again is Transgender. The other one is gone. Don't even whisper it at night in your dreams.
Obama took Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare off the chopping block. We are in debt so far over our heads, it makes your own personal credit cards look simple. The time for more revenue is here.
Obama came into office and immediately solved a crisis. It was a bandaid. He then did more for LGBT civil rights than any President ever in the history of our country. Can we have his back? Please?
We are not in a recession. Tax cuts do not create jobs. Republicans are happy to send Grandma out for Alpo.
Watch carefully, listen carefully. You think Obama has let you down? Go re-read all that's been done. Then re-read the Bush years.
You are being played by carefully orchestrated frames of reference.
Welfare cost less than 2% of any budget. Not 50, not 30, not 10. Rubber is the largest export- not wood for paper or construction.
Sometimes what we believe to be true, isn't true at all.
Are we in a recession?
Do tax cuts create jobs?
Who wanted to cut 1 trillion plus dollars from Social Security?
I ask these questions because it's important to think about the frame. The overall frame the American public have about our economy and economic situation. People are quick to blame Obama for the mess we are in, and I find it so wrong, I can barely sit in my seat.
It's like staring at a penny and thinking you met Lincoln.
We are not in a recession. I know it feels like it, smells like it, our newspapers constantly hammer on it, but we are not. The GDP is growing and that means, no recession. It's not about feelings, people. It's about numbers.
Tax cuts have not ever created jobs. Not ever. As Barney Frank said this morning, a tax cut has never built a bridge. I don't know what kind of kool-aid the Republicans have been drinking for 30 years, but it doesn't work.
Republicans wanted to cut over a trillion dollars off Social Security. Hey, Grandma, how's that Alpo? I wonder if they even remember why it was created. In 1935, FDR signed the act to act as insurance to our elderly, to widows, for fatherless children. It was saying, Hey, we're all in this together. Because in 1935, we were. It was about lifetimes of work being rewarded with a safety net at a time when there were no safety nets at all.
People were starving. Money wasn't tight, it was gone. Imagine going to the ATM and having it say, oops. Sorry. You put it in but, it's not there anymore.
Think it couldn't happen again? Think again.
Oh, we have new economic models! I hear people saying. Really? Like that nifty one that said invest everything in stocks that don't give out dividends, with price ratios that were beyond the imagination, but everything is new and different? That was the internet bubble of the late 90's. Guess what? Didn't work out. What happened? Oh, that crazy thing called history repeated itself.
Obama has been in office for two years. He inherited the Bush tax cuts. When I first heard of the Bush tax cuts, when Bush was first proposing them, it was from an economist who said, This is an attempt to defund the federal government. To extinguish it, minus the military, forever.
That is Obama's fault?
Two wars, outrageous tax cuts (mostly for the wealthy), interests rates so low why would anyone think of saving, mad spending, real estate bubble, bad mortgage after bad mortgage (what? have no money? of course you can get a 500k house!), and we were on the brink of collapse.
You think those Republicans voted for TARP because they liked it? No, because if they didn't, they'd never see office again.
Was it perfect? No. But unemployment benefits were extended, social security saved, along with medicare, medicaid, and military veterans were no longer being tossed from their foreclosed homes while serving the country.
We are no longer in a recession. When you think that? I want you to go to the mirror, look yourself in the eye and ask, How much did welfare cost the government?
Or, what is the biggest export from the rainforest?
Your answers will surprise you. And the truth? Make you realize you've been brainwashed.
We need revenues, people. We need money to pay off debt, to invest in our people, our infrastructure, to create jobs. Bridge building creates jobs. Having money to hire teachers in schools, creates jobs.
Imagine a program that built public buildings and roads, that operated large drama, arts, media, and literacy projects. That fed children, redistributed food, clothing and housing. That created jobs and a flow of money to those in need of both.
Hmmmm. Oh, that would be the WPA- Works Progress Administration.
That requires revenue.
And a belief that the American people mean something. All Americans.
The only "T" word we should ever use again is Transgender. The other one is gone. Don't even whisper it at night in your dreams.
Obama took Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare off the chopping block. We are in debt so far over our heads, it makes your own personal credit cards look simple. The time for more revenue is here.
Obama came into office and immediately solved a crisis. It was a bandaid. He then did more for LGBT civil rights than any President ever in the history of our country. Can we have his back? Please?
We are not in a recession. Tax cuts do not create jobs. Republicans are happy to send Grandma out for Alpo.
Watch carefully, listen carefully. You think Obama has let you down? Go re-read all that's been done. Then re-read the Bush years.
You are being played by carefully orchestrated frames of reference.
Welfare cost less than 2% of any budget. Not 50, not 30, not 10. Rubber is the largest export- not wood for paper or construction.
Sometimes what we believe to be true, isn't true at all.
posted by Sara at 5:55 PM
4 Comments:
it is just so screwed up. if i hear one more republican say taxes are job busters, i think my head will blow off! guess the outrage won't really come until they starting cutting benefits, then people will sit up and notice!
As a Canadian looking in from the outside, i'm suprised there isn't rioting in the streets over the way moneys are spent, and coming so close to bankruptcy.
I know it's not much better here, but at the same time, we just had an election, and so far, people seem to be somewhat pacified due to the change in opposition.
Two things:
1) yes, the GDP is "growing"; yet it is growing so small it might as well be flat lined. This is not the Republican economists saying this either. We are still in a recession and with the debt ceiling paltry bill that was just passed we will soon be double dipping. This bill will take away millions of jobs.
2) Tax cuts do not create jobs. The Bush tax cuts to the wealthy though was continued by Obama therefore not creating more revenue which is sorely needed at this point. If those tax cuts are not repealed there will be no revenue, because they have squeezed all the life and money from the middle and lower classes. The majority of the population have no money to spend in order to raise the GDP.
I'm going broke sending money to my family. I make nothing, but I refuse to expect my mother to live on $600/month. Try that Sara, try to live on that amount next month. One way or another, Obama has ALLOWED the Republican Party to continue their overrun of the middle and lower classes. He is spineless. And yes, I blame him for not standing up when the Dems had a majority and ramrodding bills down the Repugs throats to make their lives as miserable as they have made mine and my family for the eight F@#&*%! years prior! Obama is only continuing the Repugs agenda.
Morgan, I have three kids. I could not live on 600 dollars a month. But I have a friend who has lived, with four kids, on about 1500 a month.
It's been brutal. For years.
I know we are headed to another recession. I also know that the TARP efforts made a difference. Do we need more? Yes. Is Obama willing to do that? I don't know. I know that when FDR pulled back and lowered the debt in 1937, the economy stalled. Little relief, then big giant smack down.
I don't know what the answer is. I think Obama has done some great things in office. And some crappy things- like extending the bush tax cuts.
What's the alternative?
Obama is far from perfect.
And Candy, I don't know why there isn't rioting in the streets.
But electing the opposition? It won't be the great recession. It will be the great depression. And we'll lose rights. More rights.
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