Mad as Hell - Trump/Duopoly, Oligarchy/Plutocracy Tax Reform Plan
The revised Trump/Republican tax reform plan details are out and they show exactly what many have been saying all along, it's a blatant wealth transfer (more) to the rich paid for on the backs of the middle and working classes. But it's more than that, it's a shift of plutocracy and aristocracy into hyper-drive and a final blow to the illusion that this country's political system is in any way, shape or form, democratic.
Jack Rasmus wrote a good article analyzing the impact and clearly concluded it is indeed a trickle down type tax plan in that the costs trickle down to the lowest wage earners. Not only that, the costs will affect non-wage earners and those dependent on social services in this country, i.e., the lower class/poor, because that's how the rich will in effect be compensated as well, through austerity cuts to social programs. Looking even further, the costs will include further wealth inequality, further descent into aristocracy and plutocracy, and more power to those at the top of the global capitalist pyramid scheme. Looking even further than that, we're talking people's lives. This tax reform plan is literally a killer.
I won't go into the details of his analysis but highly recommend giving it a read. If it doesn't piss you off, get your ass to the ER and have your pulse taken. Or you might be rich.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/11/13/the-trump-us-house-4-6-trilliont...
I call it the "duopoly" tax plan because even though the democrats will make noises against parts of it to appease the Serfs, they will compromise and most of us will get the shaft. It's a Goldman Sachs designed plan and who else had Treasury by Goldman Sachs other than Trump? That's right, Obama and the democrats. Wall Street, the MIC, the big Banks and corporations control both parties.
It is so out there relative to favoring the rich, the absolute gall and audacity is breathtaking considering the current statistics showing how rich the rich have become, i.e., three billionaires with more wealth than half the people in this country and the astonishing wealth inequality that has surpassed any in the history of the planet.
It's like the powers that be, and the republican and democratic political parties, are laughing at the Serfs while telling us we really, really do not matter and to prove it, they're going to stick it to us even more. We are non-factors and we'll have to accept whatever the rich decide is best. We have no choice and we should just shut the hell up, consider ourselves lucky to be alive and give our penance to the millionaires and billionaires in this country.
Our so called "representatives", the politicians that some idiot Americans elected to Congress and Senate, are telling us as clearly as possible that they represent the rich and their corporations, not the rest of us. Not that most of us didn't know that already but they're trying to spell it out like we're fucking children.
It's infuriating. Beyond infuriating, it's a nuclear bomb dropped right in the middle of the class war.
While U.S. imperialism and the accompanying wars and killing roar on. Roar on, man. While we spend something like $1.4 trillion per year on military, intelligence, and "homeland" security related programs to wage war, regime changes, genocides, and whatever actions that can be taken to make Wall Street, corporations and banks more money so the rich people who own them can be more rich. Greed and power, power and greed and the blatant acknowledgement that it's dog eat dog time and we better wake the fuck up.
There's no excuse anymore. This is a major attack by the rich in the Class War and we have to fight back. It's not just about stopping this tax plan from becoming law, it's about telling the rich oligarchy that we're mad as hell and we're not going to take this anymore.
Comments
Well,
I wrote it so I might as well publish. Just a rant which I've been doing a lot of lately.
But couldn't help it, this is unreal what they're trying to do. Highly recommend reading that article.
Oh absolutely both parties are on board with this
Anyone who thinks otherwise is just plain stupid. You are right that they are laughing at us. They have been for decades every time they do something that makes our lives worse. I bet they place bets to see if this is the issue that we rise up and tell them hell no, this isn't happening.
People are complaining about the things Trump is doing, yet they refuse to admit that Obama and the democrats did the same damned things. Income inequality was as bad during Obama's tenure as it was right before the Great Depression and gjohnsit has shown that 94% of the new jobs created were part time and minimum wage jobs.
The article states that the tax cuts are going to be above the $1.5 trillion that republicans are saying that this only needs 51 votes, so who's going to make sure that this is seen by other members of congress to make it need 60 votes?
I've heard a few rumblings from Pelosi and Schumer, but not from other democrats. Bernie has been speaking out about this everywhere he can and other democrats should be on every news show. I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for them to do so.
If there's a compromise on even half this stuff
it's really bad news. But like I said, just the fact that they're going there should be a major wake up call.
The dem party won't do a damn thing, there needs to be a people's movement now. I don't know how, but there needs to be.
We seem to keep saying this don't we?
We all know that we should be doing something to stop the actions of congress, but we don't know how to get it started. Or if enough people will join us.
I've been reading comments on the tax cuts and quite a few people are saying that this is a good deal for them because they say that they will get a tax break. But what they don't realize is that any breaks that they get in the next few years are going to sunset on them.
As Steven D said, taking away medical deductions is going to hurt a lot of families. People buy homes for both the tax benefits and so they can build up equity in them. If this deduction is removed, then what's the motivation to pay thousands of dollars in interest? This is just like what Reagan's tax reform did to us. We used to be able to deduct interest on our car payments, credit cards and other things, but after his reform, the only people who benefited from them were ungawdly rich.
Maybe this time we'll be surprised and people will fight against this.
Keep ranting. You aren't alone in what they are doing to us.
I think, as usual, quite a few people are getting their
strings pulled. I was going to extend my rant into that, how many will still fall for this bullshit if it's framed the right way, particularly Trump supporters because of the tribal thing you know. If it was Clinton doing this, it would be the other way around of course.
We keep saying it, I know. I wish I was younger, more energetic, had some money. At times I think I could do something but I've failed. So far, I ain't giving up. Like I've said before, I've finally concluded that my main motivation is to stick it to the man, to get these fuckers who are running roughshod over everyone else, to stop the bullies. I'm just that way, always have been. I've always stuck up for those who are different.
But I think there are answers sd. Power comes in numbers, we all know that. We outnumber them. The key is harnessing the power. It won't be through electing politicians, whether progressives to the democratic party or to third parties. It simply won't. Maybe if we can get enough people to understand that we can get somewhere. It's a slow shift, like the shift of the Bernie brigade from trying to reform the dem party to now wanting to start a "People's Party", we've seen that shift in a short period of time. I think we have to go further because we don't have time and we need to focus as much energy as possible on taking down the power.
This transfer of wealth and austerity measures
is happening in France and Brazil and the people there are out in the streets protesting against them. But people in this country are too distracted by all the silly things Trump is tweeting and the Mueller investigation into the Russian interference crap.
You are right that our strings are being pulled. This has been going on for awhile, but it's been ramped up since the election was over.
Congress keeps putting more and more pressure on us, yet people continue to keep taking it. There will be a breaking point some day, but when people finally say that they have had enough, the militarized police will be waiting for us.
Many states are passing legislation that makes it a felony to protest if they turn violent or there is property damage. The people who protested Trump during his inauguration are being charged with felony rioting and face up to 70 years in prison. This includes journalists and people who weren't protesting, just watching. Oh yeah, they are getting ready for us
I know, Debbie downer.
Debbie Downer?
I think you're Tammy Truthteller.
"Just call me Hillbilly Dem(exit)."
-H/T to Wavey Davey
The utter dejection felt by the sycophants and their masters
When the People's Party sweeps to federal and local power in 2020, would be unbelievably sweet.
Beware the bullshit factories.
duplicate
confusion
Beware the bullshit factories.
The 1% can hide $ off shore.
Meanwhile, the rest of us are trending toward no cash at all. Everything cashless.
All our income will be traceable and likely taxed before we get it.
I thought general strikes might be the answer, but without cash, we can't do that.
With high unemployment, we can't encourage people not to break the picket lines and take our jobs.
If we won't show up to drive the buses, they will.
Will the military turns the guns on us, or join us?
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
don't jump, come back down from the ledge.
@on the cusp it's time, past time, to
it's time, past time, to begin the shift away from this currency. and from the credit/debt system.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
I pointed out earlier ‘our’ reps are not poor.
Many of them have made beaucoup bucks in their jobs as ‘public servants’ and as our ‘representatives’ in Washington. If they vote for this tax bill their taxes will go down. And ours will go up. The examples I used earlier are the Clintons, Feinsteins, and John Kerry (his wife is already loaded).
Plus they need to keep their donors happy. Why the hell wouldn’t they vote for this bill? It’s a win-win deal for them. They get a tax break and donor money keeps rolling in.
I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks
Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa
Our so called
But that's what Americans do. In a sense we are the horse that was led to water, but refuses to drink.
Americans grab the gun, point it at their foot, and pull the trigger. Over and over again.
Then, they cry out and scream, "Who did this to me?!"
The cognitive dissonance and lies Americans hold onto is just unbelievable.
"I believe climate change is a problem and so we continue to frack."
"I don't want government healthcare so stop interfering with my Medicare."
"Rice farmers, along with goat and sheep herders are the biggest threat to my freedom so we have to go invade them."
The reality is that Americans will just vote because they are obedient.
A Republican can go on stage and say they are a pedophile. Guess what, that person will still get votes...Moore for instance :/ Why? Cause that person is a Republican.
A very basic example but a Democrat can go on stage and say they have a private and public position (aka they lie to you) and well guess what that person will still get votes because they are a Democrat.
Our politicians repeatedly scream in our face they despise us. And we still vote them in. A people's movement would be great. To me, that is perhaps a middle step. Step 3 out of 5 steps.
The problem is we are still on Step 1: Getting people to acknowledge the problem and stop exacerbating it.
I'd add one thing to your statement:
The reality is that Americans will just vote because they are obedient and afraid.
The faithful on both sides have been feared into believing voting Republican/Democratic (as appropriate) is the only thing stopping a complete reversal of everything the faithful voter holds dear. That was Her's entire campaign in a nutshell, but it's certainly been longer than that. At least in my observation, even when people can see that their side is screwing them over, they will stay with them because they're afraid the other side would be worse.
Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.
Anyone who thinks Social Security and Medicare....
....are Socialist is mistaken.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1xmIpg0jH8]
Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.
Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.
That was Bismarck buying off the plebs
He gave them a bit of a safety net so they would feel less inclined to rock the boat. A real SOB, but a smart SOB (unlike the ravening lunatics we have now).
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
Bismarck the Younger
1. It was a brilliant way to attach the primary loyalty of citizens to the German state rather than the principalities to which they tended to give their allegiance.
2. I'm told that in spite of being one of the most powerful people in Europe for most of his life, Bismarck the elder left government service with very little money. (I know. It's hard to believe these days. But in the 1980s I saw Benjamin Cohen, architect of critical portions of the new deal, walking a little dog virtually every day in a middle class neighborhood in DC. Even those of us who are critics of what's happening are having our worldview corrupted by the parasites. This was not always the world.) Bismarck is said to have believed his father deserved some compensation. This second reason may be a myth, but it makes a good story.
That was a good and depressing article.
They are doing nothing less than destroying a country as well as the entire globe, and they're happy to do it. I would send that one to my loony tune RWNJ relatives but why bother, it will NOT get through no matter how hard I try to pound it into their pea brained skulls. I am so damned glad I no longer have to interact with any of them, it would be extremely difficult for me to even remain civil.
Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur