Friday, October 17, 2008

Play Time is Over

The following was written to a thread on BlueOregon, but it might well have been written in response to John McCain, when he said this:
“Now what does that mean? He wants government to take Joe’s money and give it to somebody else-his hard earned dollars. We are not gonna stand for that. America didn’t become the greatest nation on earth by spreading the wealth."
McCain has a legitimate postion. Essentially, taxes are bad, wealth is good, quit your whining. If you hold this view, any encroachment, be it from 36% to 39% in the top marginal rate, or 75% to 91% ... well, it's all bad. Since this view holds that progressive taxation is wrong on principle, there's no way to appeal to them by arguing macroeconomics, externalities, or the societal costs of income disparity. Moral positions are insensitive to logic.

So here's what I say: suck it up. Your time is done. We've run the experiment wherein we entrust the rich with the country's wealth, and you screwed it up. In your greed and arrogance, you have brought devastation on the country. Our bridges are collapsing as fast as our financial infrastructure and you have created an economy where we produce nothing and make wealth by trading fraudulent slips of paper--a hallmark of the final stage in the waning days of an empire. Go ahead and hold to your moral position of "I got mine, screw the rest." It's an honest position.

But now, as my friend says, "man-up: it's time for the adults to come in and declare play time over."

2 comments:

crallspace said...

Amen! Well put indeed!

I keep telling these McCain bimbos who post their nonsense on Craigslist: You HAD your chance... you've had 8 years to show us what your party is about and as good as it makes you feel to blame the so-called "liberal" congress, this is YOUR party's fault in large proportions.

They just don't get it, and have plenty of false fuel to keep their balloon inflated. I can't wait to see them and that awful Sean Hannity have to honor President Obama, like any non-questioning patriot should do. Their concept, not mine.

Good post.

Pam Schaw said...

I agree, excellent post! I see progressive taxation as spreading the burden, not spreading the wealth.