The "Fiscal Cliff" and Federal Budget
In a sane, just world, the obvious solution to budget woes would be to raise the top marginal tax rate dramatically, close to what it was pre-Reagan, and dramatically slash defense spending. Social programs should not be touched-- but if they are touched, they should be strengthened.
The other thing that would greatly help-- and would also serve to rein in Wall St a bit from their excesses-- is a financial transactions tax. Except no one in the fucking corporate media is talking about it, and few politicians are.
As it is, any "deal" that barely raises taxes on the super-rich and cuts Social Security and Medicare is a massive gift to the elites, the top 1%, the evil powers that be-- the people who have made out like bandits over the past 30 years while every one below them has struggled.
Unfortunately, we don't live in a just and sane world...
Of course, even the "fiscal cliff" narrative is a conservative frame-- the problem we have isn't really the deficit. And Congress has put in plans to cut spending-- the sequestration plan that automatically comes into play-- that is the only hope of even cutting defense spending. But of course, that probably won't happen, because defense spending is holy and untouchable in Wash DC.
What we really need is MORE federal spending-- INVESTMENT-- in people and jobs. A dramatic surge in renewable energy projects would be a great way to grow jobs and help save the planet.
The other thing that would greatly help-- and would also serve to rein in Wall St a bit from their excesses-- is a financial transactions tax. Except no one in the fucking corporate media is talking about it, and few politicians are.
As it is, any "deal" that barely raises taxes on the super-rich and cuts Social Security and Medicare is a massive gift to the elites, the top 1%, the evil powers that be-- the people who have made out like bandits over the past 30 years while every one below them has struggled.
Unfortunately, we don't live in a just and sane world...
Of course, even the "fiscal cliff" narrative is a conservative frame-- the problem we have isn't really the deficit. And Congress has put in plans to cut spending-- the sequestration plan that automatically comes into play-- that is the only hope of even cutting defense spending. But of course, that probably won't happen, because defense spending is holy and untouchable in Wash DC.
What we really need is MORE federal spending-- INVESTMENT-- in people and jobs. A dramatic surge in renewable energy projects would be a great way to grow jobs and help save the planet.
posted by spooked at 8:12 AM
2 Comments:
If you hope to ever see any of the smart, practical ideas you talked about, then you should help spread the word about political candidates who agree with you, such as Jill Stein, of he Green Party.
Continuing to vote for reactionary water carriers for the rich - such as Obama - won't get it. He isn't the lesser of two evils, he is the enemy of what is needed, right, fair, and progressive.
No more votes for Democrats.
P.S. Won't you please consider
doing away with the CAPCHA thing.
Thanks... I just hopefully disabled the Capcha setting. I will see if I start getting a lot of spam.
As far as Jill Stein/Green Party-- they are great, but have no chance of winning in our current system. Not voting for Dems lets Rethugs win, and letting them win and letting them do their damage does not lead to people voting third party-- it only leads to Dems being elected again. I think we need to have Dems in power for a while to move the country more to the left, then there may be hope for electing real progressives. But right now it is frankly hopeless. And I know lots of people disagree with this but this is how I see it.
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