I listened to President Obama's speech about extending the Bush Tax Cuts for middle-class taxpayers, and I'm just a little miffed. While I realize that he probably wants to set a "trap" for the Republicans, who will fight any increase on taxes to the ultra-wealthy tooth-and-nail, but I still can't help but think that he's tacitly buying into the Republican "taxes are a burden" frame.
I've always maintained that taxes are the price for living in a functional society, and I don't mind paying them. In fact, I'd rather give up my tax break of a few hundred dollars and help pay for infrastructure than to end up paying that same amount of money for expenses incurred because the infrastructure is bad- is a tax cut good for Joe Schmo when he has to use the money to pay for a broken axle?
Let all of the tax cuts sunset, as they are supposed to do at the end of the year. Stop using GOP "framing" language when making policy pitches. If you want to make a clear distinction between yourself and your opponent, talk about his accounts in offshore tax havens.
How about an appropriate number from the fantastic music film Urgh! A Music War?
Don't lower my taxes, make the mendacious looters pay theirs.
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While I realize that he probably wants to set a "trap" for the Republicans...
I'm not so willing to give him a pass for that. I think it's his own voters who are getting played.
Certainly that's how it's worked out since 2009. The plutocrats still have their tax cuts, and now Social Security is on the chopping block (along with other things) to pay for them.
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Yes, he has to do nothing to let the tax cuts expire, not even speak about them. There are other ways to pander in an election year.
without fail, Dems always let the Repukes frame the debate. It's maddening. As I said in a previous entry, why don't these dumbfucks say it's PATRIOTIC to pay taxes? It's a great way to bludgeon conservatives, plus it's, you know, TRUE.
I'm not so willing to give him a pass for that. I think it's his own voters who are getting played.
Yeah, that "eleventy dimensional chess" trope gets old.
Yes, he has to do nothing to let the tax cuts expire, not even speak about them. There are other ways to pander in an election year.
Yeah, it's pretty dumb.
without fail, Dems always let the Repukes frame the debate. It's maddening
Yeah, then the frame becomes the accepted "conventional wisdom" and the discourse moves even further to the right.
I think there's a couple things here. First, as a result of our crippled and dysfunctional system of governance,we're having two separate conversations - "Taxes" and "Spending/Programs" in two different silos. It's obvious that you can't do that - you have to agree on what services you want government to provide, then it's just a matter of deciding the methods used for raising the necessary revenue.
But tactically, I think to the extent Obama is using the Republican framing, he's using it as a club. Under these circumstances, they either have to defend tax cuts for the wealthy in the midst of a campaign or back down and let Obama "win". I think the obvious assumption here is they are tax absolutists, and their entire agenda is upward distribution of wealth, so no legislation will be passed and the tax cuts WILL expire. But this way Obama gets to blame their greed and intransigence for raising taxes on the middle class. Just like last time we played this game, the only way the President loses is if he blinks, and I don't think he will this time...
All I want to know is will I be able to get a Small Business Loan for my Tumbrel and Guillotine Manufacturing startup?
If you Kickstarter this idea, I'll contribute.
UN PRESIDENT TIM KALEMKARIAN, US PRESIDENT TIM KALEMKARIAN, US SENATE TIM KALEMKARIAN, US HOUSE TIM KALEMKARIAN: BEST MAJOR CANDIDATE.
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