Apparently C-span has declared Easter Sunday

"National Let 'em Die Day".

I am so tired of republicans...

Because The Chimperor stood up for Rummy, he's more powerful THAN EVER at the Pentagon.

The propaganda PSY/OPS in the Corporate Media should be ashamed of themselves. :grr:

Whoopee We're All Gonna Die! Indeed :nuke:

america.

i sure wish they'd all find another country to live in.

then they could hate that country.

SS contributions would pay for some wonderful benefits for their workers is laughable. Their CEO workers yes. Everybody else, no.

rich man idea so laughable.

For the longest time I have wondered why some of our so-called Democratic leaders have not countered this idiotic thought with the truth.

If rich people were so willing to help the poor, then they would not be complaining about having to cough up their fair share of taxes to support the government program(s) that aid the poor.

Those in favor of ending social programs like food stamps and medicaid, swear that no one will go hungry because the rich people will do a whole bunch of charitable work. What no one explains is that those rich people pick and chose just whom they will help. Many people would suffer more than ever before. This would lead to increased crime which would lead to a return to a form of slavery - this time based on one's class as well as one's race.

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is making me dizzy. My head is spinning with this neoliberal bullspit.

1. Death tax: Making families lose the family farm
FACT: Republicans were challenged in 2000 to find one family who lost their farm due to the estate tax. They were unsuccessful in finding one.

2. Estate Tax: Form of double taxation
FACT: We don't tax money, we tax TRANSACTIONS. For example, my paycheck consists of taxed income, which is taxed again when I spend it, and taxed again when the recipient spends it.
FACT: Many estates subject to the estate tax consists of securities from a company created by the deceased, or inherited securities. For example, Bill Gates owns about 1.2 billion shares of Microsoft stock. That stock has NEVER been taxed, as the stock has never changed hands. Without an estate tax, the entire fortune (over 30 billion) will escape any form of transaction.

3. Whenever Republicans lower taxes, government revenues increase.
FACT: In 45 out of the last 54 years, government revenues have set a new record. Of the few times that revenues have not increased year to year, Republicans have been in office most of those years.

Over the years I've had to assist in estates and just the misnomer of "Death Tax" rankles my skin as it's negative nature is a typical GOOP semantics game that has made millions think black is white...good is bad. They don't see how the lowering of these tax rates hurt them because the Repugnicans have framed this issue so well.

There was an inequality in estate taxes due to bracket creep...just as there is in any taxable situation. The GOOP used a few farmers and small businesses that crept into tax hell and used it as a magic wand for everyone. So when you fixed the creeping, the upper brackets got a nice windfall as well.

If a family loses a farm or business due to a death, then the problem isn't the taxes, it's the way the business is strutured or other family problems. With the elaborate financial shelters and schemes out there right now, a smart business person can pass along the assets with and the tax burden is depreciated over years.

On the Double Taxation...another strawman and you aptly point out...it's on the Transaction. Yes, the person who made the money already paid the tax...let's say it's your father...but he solely controlled that money when he was alive and could have spent it as he saw fit...once the tax was paid, the money was clear. What he chose was to spend it on you...upon receipt of that money, then, just like your father, you liable for an income tax on some of that money (it never was the entire amount)...just like you'd have to pay tax on a winning lottery ticket...in my mind there's not much difference. Then when you want to pass it on, it become the income of the next generation...cause that's really what it is or should be.

Lastly, my favorite game with Repugnicans when they bitch about how bad the local schools have gotten or how high local taxes are...and I point to the tax break to the rich that cut money to the states and munipicalities that funded those roads and schools and poured it into corporate welfare, outsourcing and defense contractors. Once you rinse out the Rushbo spin, they can't deny these things are happening and that the boooosh regime's economic policies have been an unmitigated disaster.

The games Repugnicans play are starting to wear thin when people are losing jobs and money and are looking for someone to blame. The fact these asshats have been so hypocritical in their own personal ethics and practices makes ones head spin.

Cheers...

I am hearing it with increasing frequency. It's ok for those with something to take care of their "own" with, but everyone else, it must be that social darwinism thing...

Take care of the rich, and screw your own family. Everything these jackasses propose takes the burden off of the wealthy (and in some cases just hands them money) and gives the burden to the middle class and poor.

has them automatically doing something noble with it like building factories (anywhere but here), while handing the poor money just corrupts their work ethic.

feed the Military-Industrial War machine, not to mention the BILLIONS outright "lost" by Bremer, NOR the pay-off money we label "aid" to surrounding countries like Egypt?

Even if we did not add ANY entitlement programs (to include all the Corporate Welfare), saving big bucks when we STOP trying to perfect new and improved *KILLING weapons systems,* would equate to a significant tax break for all classes of Americans?