December 7, 2010

Taxing the Hell out of the Rich is the More American than Apple Pie

A prominent figure in history on why we should tax the hell out of the rich and spend it on socialist things like public schools, and infrastructure:

"Our revenues liberated by the discharge of the public debt, and its surplus applied to canals, roads, schools, etc., the farmer will see his government supported, his children educated, and the face of his country made a paradise by the contributions of the rich alone, without his being called on to spend a cent from his earnings." *
--Thomas Jefferson, 1811



"Another means of silently lessening the inequality of property is to exempt all from taxation below a certain point, and to tax the higher portions of property in geometrical progression as they rise."
--Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1785.


*Emphasis mine.

9 comments:

  1. I hope Sen. Bernie Sanders filibusters the shit out of that stupid "compromise" tax bill the administration and corporatist douchebags are trying to pass.

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  2. @RG

    He won't, there's no way he'd undermine Obama like that.

    A bit more on his history can be found here http://bullshitphilosophy.wordpress.com/2010/02/15/bernie-sanders-the-most-disappointing-senator/

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  3. Something somewhat related,

    Socialized medicine comes to Yosemite! http://pnhp.org/blog/2010/12/06/socialized-medicine-comes-to-yosemite/

    Apparently the "profit motive" wasn't enough to keep the health system of Yosemite (clinic + trauma orthopedic ER) alive, so the federal government has stepped in and had the Public Health Service take it over. Wonder if the Tea Partiers will decry "government takeover" here...

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  4. @ TR

    Sanders does what he can with what he can. He is a realist, unlike Nader, for example.

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  5. I think you mean TF.

    Realist? I guess that's codeword for doing nothing at all.

    Nader's done far more productive work than Sanders, ever hear of the clean air act?

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  6. HA! Yeah, or OSHA, or the Clean Water act, or the EPA, or the Food Safety Standards Act, etc etc etc.

    Nader's gotten a lot of shit done without ever running for office.

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  7. @PunkPatriot & TiradeFaction


    Don't get me wrong, Nader was high on wheels as a consumer advocate, but quickly declined as a presidential candidate. I think Nader simply doesn't understand politics enough to make a difference anymore. He should run for Connecticut Senate with either the Democratic or Green Party, preferably Dem. Voting for him in a presidential election simply isn't possible until we get instant runoff voting.

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  8. @TiradeFashion - I guess you might want to rethink Bernie Sanders. As I type this comment, he's in the 4th hour of a filibuster of the tax bill.

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  9. @RG

    I guess the old jewbag is worth something. Wish he did this with the more important health care bill though.

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