Why We Need to Increase Government Revenue

Attached is an op-ed piece that appears in the New York Times and is written by none other than Warren Buffett, one of the wealthiest men in the WORLD, on the problem with the "no revenue increases" mantra that is being touted by a certain vocal segment in Congress.  In very plain language, Mr. Buffett outlines the absurdity of this position in a time of alleged "shared sacrifice".  I have yet to understand how this crazed minority (if you believe public opinion polls) has been able to convince the America public that raising taxes on the "super rich" will be bad for the economy.  WE ALL benefit for services provided by the government, from defense of the country to maintaining the safety of air travel (when its not being held hostage to political wrangling) to research conducted by various federal agencies.  Yet, WE ALL don't pay for these benefits equally.  Personally, I don't have an income or investment portfolio that comes close to approximating that of Mr. Buffett and his super rich friends (and, in fact, he pays more in taxes that I can probably expect to earn over the course of my life). Yet, I earn considerably more than the average American.  I would have no problem paying more in taxes if it means that those less fortunate are able to retain more of their income---those  the people most likely to spend and quite frankly, they are the ones most in need.  And, its the right thing to do.

There is this narrative that prevails in this country about hard work and self reliance.  Quite frankly, its a lie.  In fact most of those who are "self made" are anything but, whether its through connections, education or through  the maintenance of a system that tolerates such gross inequalities in wealth distribution, no one has ever really made it 100% on his/her own.  But, people believe in that tired story because it makes them feel good.  I wish that the President would just be frank and honest about why tax increases are both important and necessary.  Its not about patriotism (another lie in itself) or notions of altruism.  Its the price we pay to live in this society and each of us to should be forced to pay according to our resources (this is a bit simplistic, but I think that the point still applies).

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/opinion/stop-coddling-the-super-rich.html?_r=1

This is Really Crazy

I have been too tired and too frustrated to write anything lately, but I will say this---the government is a mess...These crazy ass Republicans who have no basic idea of economics are quite simply, ridiculous...From the defunding of the FAA to the b.s. over the debt ceiling and the federal budget...But, its their constituents who are really to blame...For what ever reason, the American public decided to vote in these morons and this is what we have...People who lack a very basic understanding of economics and even worse, people who have no common sense to boot!

Let's Stop the Crazy

Michele Bachman and her gay-looking husband are homophobes.  So what?  (I am a card carrying gay, so I feel that I have authorization to call him that...).  This isn't news---anyone with half a brain knows that she is nothing more than a religious zealot who is full of contradictions and short on actual ideas.  As much as her team tries to distinguish her from Sarah Palin, they are in fact cut from the same cloth...I would much rather hear some investigative and in-depth reporting on how the GOP is holding the economy hostage with their refusal to negotiate in good faith on raising the debt ceiling.  Or, perhaps, instead of the reporting on the knee jerk reactions to the jury verdict in the Casey Anthony trial, we could talk about how as a society we actually profess to care about children, but we have structures and systems that in reality manifest anything but concern for children that may be in danger.  So, to the MSM---stop with the reports on Mrs. and Mrs. Bachman---they are meaningless.  The Bachman Presidential Campaign is purely a vanity project and those two nimrods have taken advantage of the "big" government that they profess to loathe---from the farm subsidies to the Medicare reimbursement to Michele's former work as an IRS Attorney... Let's talk seriously about real issues they have real meaning in the lives of everyday people.

Two Stories that made me Smile

Two stories that put a smile on my face....

First, a high school basketball standout donates his winnings to fellow competitors because he didn't need them!  This was an inspiring story and is a reminder to all of us about the importance of looking out for our fellow man/woman (Wall Street---are you paying attention???????).  I think this player's actions are even more laudatory (at least from my perspective) considering that he is part of a sub-culture (sports) that generally places a huge emphasis on material acquisition over all else...

Second, 2 recent gay appointments at West Point (that bastion of....whatever you want to call it) and at The College of William & Mary...I feel like these appointments further illustrate that we all have contributions to make in this society.

Let the Truth Rule

Finally, someone is calling out the GOP for their ahistorical positions on deficits, balanced budgets, government spending and abuses of federal power.  For some reason, the MSM has had a complete failure of memory and as the writer of this article states, have forgotten that 2001 - 2008 ever happened!  Its as if the GOP and the Democrats are coming from the same position, which they are not.  Fortunately, I gave up looking to the MSM media for substantive coverage of basically anything a long time ago---if its not a salacious tabloid trial, some trival issue related to some bland and mildly talented media personality or the propogation of extremist views by some right wing opportunistic zealot, the MSM basically doesn't appear interested.

If not just that George W. Bush was a horrible President (he was), but he (along with the Republican controlled Congress) presided over unbridled government spending (just not on anything that actually benefited the country), irresponsible tax cuts for those least in need of them and the unchecked expansion of governmental power into the personal lives of American citizens (under the auspices of "national security").  However, the MSM hides behind the fiction of objectivity and continues to refuse to do its job (similar to the lead up to the Iraq War, where the MSM yielded to populist rage and pretended that rational minds did not know that the evidence that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction was flimsy).  Again, I am glad that I know better.  And, quite frankly, irrespective of the facts, some folks will believe what that want...Facts be damned!

DSK is a D@ck

More on DSK's accusser...And, again...I repeat what I have already said...if the Psoecutors (and I use that term loosely in this context) believe that fa orcible sexual encounter occurred, all of the other information/allegations are irrelevant to me.  DSK pretty much appears to be a sexual predator, but I guess that his power and financial resources are more credible and more important than his guilt.

Who Is Entitled To Their Body?

This is somewhat interesting, albeit on the salacious side regarding the credibility of the chamber maid who accused Dominque Strauss Kahn of rape.  I don't know if I believe one things has to do with the other---actually, I do know what I think...it does.  True, involvement in one aspect of possible shady dealings does raise questions about character, but I don't that its a irrefutable presumption that someone is a bad person.  Similarly, just because DSK is a well-heeled international financier does not mean that he didn't rape the victim.  It would be interesting to see what some leading feminist scholars and women's rights activist have to say about this---I see it as another way that the "system" is complicit in its brutalization and victimization of "certain" women, which is rooted in class, ethnic and racial ideologies and biases.  From what I recall about the evidence, its clear that a sexual encounter between the two parties occurred and its looks like it was forcible...So, is the prosecution saying that because the woman might have a shady past, she is not entitled to protection from a sexual predator?  In a society that pretty much monetizes everything under the sun, is she entitled to compensation from having sex forced on her (one of the allegations against the woman is that she had a jailhouse conversation with a "friend" about ways to secure compensation from the incident with DSK...the conversation was recorded).  I guess its not justice, but "just us" in securing protection of the laws.


Update:

Link to an article by Patricia Williams on DSK...Professor Williams is much more objective on this subject than I even pretended to be...She gave me some things to think about in my own analysis...