Trickle Up Economics

An entire generation of Americans have grown and matured being hammered with the dastardly economic untruth that if only the richest of us are allowed to keep a greater share of their income they would invest it in America and this increased wealth would "trickle down" to the working classes. Even David Stockman, a major architect of this lie, admitted on public radio that this was a falsehood when it was introduced to Americans by President Ronald Reagan. It simply doesn't happen, yet the lie is perpetuated. "We can't raise taxes during a recession" is one of the lies the liars rant. Crap!

Statistics or math do not lie however, and they indicated that for over the last 30 years economic growth has indeed coincided with increases in taxation on occasions. President Reagan himself raised taxes several times during his tenure as our president. Under Bill Clinton the marginal tax rate was well above today's and America enjoyed the greatest economic growth of its history.

The face of the lie of "trickle down" economics is actually "trickle up". Any dollars saved for investment by the richest of the rich is invested in other countries, not America. If it were up to me I'd have them up on charges of treason. What patriots? Patriotism was big rallying propaganda under Bush II and used to marginalize anyone who disagreed with him on his war of choice, Iraq. Where are such patriots today? I know!!! They never existed. The money trickles to the top and the top is where it stays.

Comment, please!

Intentional Lies

Republican Senetor, Ron Kyl, strait-faced and speaking on the floor of the Senate, stated without ambiguity that 90% of Planned Parenthood funding is used to perform abortions for "income challenged" women. The factual data shows that the figure is about 3%. Later he pitifully rebutted in a statement that the comment was "not meant to be factual".

Well what the hell did he intend for it to be? He meant for it to be pure propaganda. Plain and simple. Regardless of any one's position on any political issue the least we should expect from elected representatives is misrepresentations, not plain,black and white lies. It has come to this in our current political discourse: one no longer has to even pretend to represent or present factual data. Just lie, admit it was a lie, and your constituency will laud you for it.

Please comment or rebut!

Fire The Millionaires

As most of the good industrial jobs are being sent overseas trickle-down economics has been shown to be a deplorable economic card trick. The bottom four-fitfhs of our population struggle to stay above water, and the upper one-fifth with trepidation attempt to stay afloat, while the top 1 percent are accumulating wealth at an obnoxious rate.

Today there are more than a thousand billionaires thanks to the globalization of economies. With "client-State" capitalism, deregulation, corporate welfare and over half of our Congress boasting of being millionaires, I think it is time to fire the very wealthy from their government decision making positions of power.

With ten percent unemployment, businesses recorded profits in the last quarter of 2010 at the highest annual rate (in non-inflation-adjusted numbers) since records began being compiled over six decades ago. Salaries are falling, there are fewer and fewer good jobs, yet corporate profits soar. What's wrong with this picture?

Here's a joke: A college professor runs into a student from years back and asks what he is working on. The former student informs the professor that he is working on a thesis about the survival of the class system in the United States. His former professor states, "I didn't know there was such a class system in this country." "Neither does anyone else," the young man responds. "That's why it thrives."

This notion that there are no class divisions might be driven by jaded optimism or a fear and that things could be worse. Maybe no one wishes to be considered "working class". The rich get richer and that is the way it has always been. But that shouldn't necessarily require that the poor get poorer as the ultra wealthy continually lobby for new ways to rig the system. Globalization combined with sickening greed and a "pact" between the business mafia and a corrupt electoral system has lead to a near evaporation of the American Dream, at least for a ever growing section of the people of this country.

The recent extension of Bush tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans was assailed even by billionaire Warren Buffett who heretically suggested that they should pay even more. Any mention of class warfare, social engineering , or redistribution of wealth causes both political parties to experience seizures and strokes attempting to distance themselves from such phases. The rich, and the politicians they support, are sure they have nothing about which to worry, but I think we should look them in the eye and say, "Your fired!"

Comment and let's hear what you think.