Avatar Magic, By Gerald Franquemont, is now on Kindle and it can be downloaded onto most computers and reading devices.)
Employment recovery in America looks rough with no costly OSHA regulations protecting workers abroad and with wages in some countries at less than 1 buck an hour. I think we need a CCC government-run type of effort to rebuild our infrastructure,,,and a mandatory inclusion into this work force for everyone getting checks for free from our government as long as they are medically qualified to work. And as radical as it sounds I agree with those who state that Pot should be legalized if for no other reason than for the economics of doing so. Clearly any kind of legislated contraction of spending at this point in the USA will only bring us to where most of European country’s are now-with unemployed mothers, fathers, sons and daughters protesting their lot on the streets.
We need the fairest way to collect more revenue put in place, hoping that expansion (when it happens) will help there some too–and the point of taxing the rich( a bit more) and closing off shore tax loop holes are also well taken. Donkey or Elephant, neither turns around easily, and our economy is no different.
Of course it is The Progressive’s idea to reap revenues from the rich, an idea that conservatives used to find disturbing. But in truth it is now difficult to find a rock in place that is not taxed for keeping still in America, and all political bents of power have helped create the tax structures we have in place within America today. What tax structure has helped our society the most is the question, and what kind of tax structure are we talking about?
If we talk about Progressives we have to zero in on FDR’s Administration. It was in 1932 that FDR raised taxes on the rich (then earners of over 100,000 per year) to 63% of earned income, and then again in 1935 to 79% , only to follow with increases on up to 94% in 1940. FDR’s simple truth was that World WAR cost tons, and each American was asked to fork over a boat load of money to help bear that cost burden and to keep America fiscally sound.
Here’s a quote from the article I’ve linked to below, one I should add that does not favor increased taxation:
“For the first time in U.S. history, the redistributionists dominated political life. For example, on the Senate floor on May 14, 1943, Senator Happy Chandler (D-KY) said, “All of us owe the government; we owe it for everything we have–and that is the basis of obligation–and the government can take everything we have if the government needs it.” Chandler wanted to be clear on this point. “The government,” he added, “can assert its right to have all the taxes it needs for any purpose, either now or at any time in the future.”
It is scarey to read some of this right? But the government is charged to protect our Life, liberty and pursuit of property. Who is to say what the cost of this protection might be? Let’s look more into the history of taxation in America.
What happened during this time of The Great Taxation of the rich and working class in America is that we built The Hoover Dam; we built the foundations for the endless road ways and bridges most of us still enjoy driving over today; we cleaned up America’s National Parks; we won a world war; we pulled America out of The Great Depression and began what can now be seen to be America’s greatest period in Middle Class recovery so far within America’s history to date. But just as charts, graphs and gobble-De-gook can be made to win at scrabble by our social medias these accomplishments can be made to look like revenue producing failures(Just read the article below to gather all of this in). When it comes to raising taxes on the wealthy in this country what I say is this: the proof is in the pudding.
Clinton continued Reagan’s roll back on taxation, but with a balanced approach. The tax slashing policies of George Bush Jr. that followed have been a disaster for middle class Americans, and not one that wasn’t foreseen BTW. The loss of tax revenues, the effects of deregulation and the cost associated with off shore loop holes , along with a costly and ill-advised war, could only have led to the problems we still work with today as Americans. And maybe if the media had allowed this so-called Great Recession to be called yet another Second Great Depression we’d all realize that this IS the time for all Americans to up their antes to our Government, that is if we ever hope to recover after falling over this man-made fiscal cliff.
Will taxing the rich to death help America: of course not. It’s a balanced approach that will help the USA keep its footing while standing near the fiscal cliff.
There is so much more to discuss when it comes to how to avert the well advertised “fiscal cliff” America now is said to face. I feel certain this labeling is just a ruse to scare people into allowing yet again another down grade of the middle class worker’s living circumstance. For one, I do favor the idea of taxing all forms of gas emissions from the ground, to processing plants and then to homes, cars and shops. All this to raise the estimated 1.5 trillion dollars in revenue this type of policy might bring, and I think this kind of taxation might encourage clean power development in the USA.
Either way we choose to go I am but one man who writes this blog, and you who read it are many (thankfully). It’s your ideas on this subject I am most interested in reading about. But I can’t help but thank the reader who read this blog from Ireland today-I got a big kick out of seeing this country listed on today’s list of readers.
What are your ideas on how to improve America’s economy?
Franque23
http://spectator.org/archives/2011/12/08/fdrs-class-warfare-a-tutorial/print
7 comments
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November 13, 2012 at 8:43 pm
Jill Minor
Reinstating the original taxes won’t hurt anyone. The size of government is usually measured as the amount of government spending per GDP. The United States has one of the lowest ratios, followed by small countries like Mexico. Our overall taxation is low compared to other countries, we take more in corporate taxes but other countries tax income or property or whatever more than we do. The money comes from somewhere. It takes a lot to run a society and the US is modest by all measures around the globe.
We spend less in taxes and more in health care. Our perceptions of the inefficiency of government are misguided. Medicare has only 5% of the overhead as private insurance. Obviously health care is ruining our safety-net for the elderly. Reform was, and still is, completely necessary. Businesses in other countries also don’t have to provide health coverage.
That’s all for now. Great post Gerry.
November 13, 2012 at 8:56 pm
franque23
Thanks Jill for this posting….
Franque23
November 14, 2012 at 11:33 am
franque23
reader Jim writes: I vote for a flat 17% tax for all persons & entities regardless of income, age, gender, etc.; no exceptions; ofcourse, there is a whole tax industry & gov’t agency that would collapse but….much fairer to all;
Jim
November 14, 2012 at 4:42 pm
Ginny
I agree with you, Gerry, and am presently preparing a letter to Pres. Obama and John Boehner, along with my Congressman, Tom Reed the Tea Party pawn. After Lindsey Graham and John McCain’s comments someone ought to skewer them – so much for cooperation.
November 14, 2012 at 7:31 pm
franque23
I think these charges are bogus with regard to Benghazi—politics as usual here. One thing that comes to mind is all the speeches President Bush JR. and Dick Cheney made across our nation about Iraq having nukes–“The mushroom cloud” speeches…clearly these were done to promote a war these two and that administration wanted to wage regardless of the facts behind doing so. So bogus, in fact, was this claim that Collin Powell resigned once he realized he’d been duped into joining in with those intentional lies. The idea that those who, like John McCain, took no notice of this intentional lie filled propaganda about the “mushroom cloud” but now create a scenario about Benghazi is so twisted they all should go into the pretzel business; they’d make a fortune.
November 16, 2012 at 5:29 pm
Jose
GERRY,
I THINK THAT THE WORKING CLASS WILL GET NOWHERE IN THE COUNTRIES SUCH AS USA, GERMANY ETC. TIL, THE MAJORITY WILL CONCLUDE THAT ONE CANNOT COMPETE WITH CHINA, INDIA, ETC. TIL THOSE NATIONS REQUIRE THAT EMPLOYERS MUST PAY DECENT WAGES, FAIR TREATMENT, NO CHILD LABOR, MUST PAY RETIREMENT, MEDICAL CARE, ETC. BECAUSE THEIR COSTS ARE SO LOW IN COMPARISON THAT INDUSTRIES SUCH AS AUTOS, STEEL, TELECOMMUNICATIONS ETC. WILL LEAVE THE PRESENT INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES FOR PLACES SUCH AS CHINA, INDIA, MOROCCO ETC. AND TREAT THEIIR EMPLOYEES AS TRASH, WITH TERRIBLE WORKING CONDITIONS ETC, AS OUR GRANPARENTS WERE TREATED DURING THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION. UNTIL LABOR UNIONS REALIZE THAT THERE MUST BE A WORLD WIDE MOVEMENT TO DEMAND SIMILAR CONDTIONS ALL OVER THE WORLD, USA AND OTHERS SUCH AS USA WILL NOT REGAIN A % OF THE MARKET AND THE JOBS. I THINK MORE THAN EVER THE PHRASE” WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT YOUR CHAINS(JOBS THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE), HAS NEVER BEEN MORE APPROPIATE. LETS FACE IT, MUCH OF THE LABOR IS WHAT IT IS LABOR, IT IS A COMMODITY THAT IS BOUGHT AND SOLD SUCH AS IS ANYTHING THAT IS SOLD AND BOUGHT TO THE LOWEST BIDDER. FORGET ABOUT HAVING YOUR JOB BEEN A SELF-FULLFILMENT, ACCEPT THAT IT IS SOMETHING YOU NEED TO HAVE AND DO TO MAKE A LIVING. AGAIN, POINT IS, TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL WORKERS ARE UNITED TO PREVENT UNFAIR COMPETITION AND FAIRER TREATMENT. MEANTIME, AS WE ALL WAIT, THE JOBS ARE SLOWLY GOING TO THE LEAST EXPENSIVE PLACES.
November 17, 2012 at 12:11 am
franque23
Jose!!!!! Absolutely! Your are completely right. I’ve been yelling for three years that as long as OSHA requirements, pensions, work place safety, decent wages and health care are not provided for workers over seas than there is NO HOPE of Americans being employed again. And I ask you and everyone—if we are so committed to the benefits, pollution controls, OSHA requirement etc. here in the States WHY DO WE DO BUSINESS WITH COUNTY’S WHO are NOT!!!!! This is what has to stop….we as AMERICANS either believe 6 years olds should not work 10 hour days or we don’t.