Wealthy

Class Division, Conflict, Stress Multiplying: Dangerous For American Social Stability!

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A new survey demonstrates that the biggest problem developing socially in America is economic class conflict and division, more than racial differences or the debate over immigration.

Economic inequality, leading to a sense of rich versus poor, and very little middle class, is a time bomb that could endanger the nation’s future.

The great increase in this feeling is, interestingly, most common among whites, middle income earners, and independent voters, but also increased among Republicans.

73 percent of Democrats and 68 percent of Independents believe there is strong economic class conflict.

Also, 71 percent of those who earned between $40,000 and $75,000 believed there are strong class conflicts, up from 47 percent in 2009.

The Census Bureau has come up with the figure that the top ten percent of the population have 56 percent of the national income in 2009, up from 49 percent in 2005.

If this trend continues, and if the masses become more and more resentful at the unfairness of national income distribution and taxation policies, it is not going to benefit the Republican Party, and could lead to demands for far greater taxation of the wealthy, already at the lowest level it has been since the 1920s!

Romney Tax Plan Worse Than Bush Tax Cuts: The Further Victimization Of The American People!

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Anyone who wants to be fair minded knows that George W. Bush bankrupted the nation with the massive tax cuts for the top one percent of the population between 2001-2009.

But now Mitt Romney has a tax plan that is far worse than George W. Bush perpetrated on the American people.

The Romney tax plan would do the following:

1. Millionaires would receive TWICE the tax cuts under Bush.

2. Sixty percent of the tax cuts would go to the top one percent, more than under Bush.

3. Romney claims he wants to balance the budget, but it would not occur with his tax plan, and in fact would raise the debt levels even more than now. There would be perpetual deficits, even with draconian spending cuts.

4. 22 million middle class households with children would pay more taxes, and lose the benefit of higher education tax breaks.

5. Finally, the benefits given the rich through corporate loopholes would be retained, including for oil companies, yacht owners, horse breeders, corporate jet owners, and equity firms such as Bain Capital, making their effective tax rate lower than middle class families.

Mitt Romney’s 59 point plan is a major attack on the middle class, and a further promotion of the elite wealthy, and everyone needs to understand that when they vote for President this November!

Mitt Romney The 3,140th Wealthiest Person In America: Does He Understand Average Americans?

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Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney turns out to be the 3,140th wealthiest person in America, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Unlike his dad, former Michigan Governor George Romney, who was born poor, Mitt Romney was born into a family of great wealth, and never had to struggle for anything.

His public postures have shown that he does not understand what it is to be poor or middle class, and he seems awkward when dealing with ordinary citizens, and very uptight about his wealth.

Face the facts: Just about all American politicians have wealth, whether gained in one’s lifetime or inherited. It is NOT an issue of how much wealth one has, but his or her attitude toward the 99 plus percent who are not as fortunate as he or she is!

Franklin D. Roosevelt and Senator Ted Kennedy were very rich people, as examples, but they truly CARED about the average American, and pursued goals and legislation to make life better for the common man and woman.

On the other hand, MOST Republicans who are wealthy, including Mitt Romney but not exclusively him, do not give a damn about average Americans and pursue goals and legislation to protect their own privileged class, without any regard for the plight of the poor and the middle class.

This is the ultimate test of CHARACTER and MORALS, and Mitt Romney, no matter how religious he is, no matter how good a family man he is, no matter how pleasant a person he may seem to be, is NOT interested in helping anyone other than his own aristocratic class, and therefore, does not deserve to be elected our President in 2012!

Barack Obama FINALLY Acting As Harry Truman In 1948, And Elements Of TR And FDR Too!

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After three years being “nice” and trying to work with the Republican opposition, and being constantly rejected and repudiated, President Barack Obama is set to run a campaign reminding us of Harry Truman in 1948, when the odds were heavily against him, and yet he defeated not only Republican nominee Thomas E. Dewey, but also regained both houses of Congress for his Democratic Party!

Truman gave the Republican 80th Congress “hell”, campaigning against their negativism, and looking back, that 80th Congress accomplished more than the 112th Congress has done!

Even if one argues that the Senate is Democratic controlled, the reality is that the Republicans, utilizing the filibuster or the threat of it, and have effectively controlled the Senate as well as having actual control of the House of Representatives.

Obama’s change in strategy seemed to have started in Osawatomie, Kansas, when he invoked Teddy Roosevelt, who used the Presidency as a “bully pulpit”!

Obama will now combine TR’s “bully pulpit” with Truman’s “give them hell” and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s welcoming of the opposition of conservatives and the wealthy in his 1936 campaign. And Obama can also invoke FDR complaining about the Republicans attacking his dog Fala in 1944, as now they have attacked the fact that Obama spent an hour shopping for his dog Bo!

So, President Obama, use the campaigns of TR in 1904, FDR in 1936 and 1944, and Truman in 1948, and the GOP will not recover from such an assault!

Our Congress Becoming So Wealthy They Can No Longer Represent Us: A Crisis For America!

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Congress is supposed to represent “us” and be the “voice” of the people, but there is a disturbing trend regarding acquisition of wealth that should trouble all Americans.

It used to be that “average” Americans, meaning people NOT millionaires, could be elected to Congress, and that they would “serve” the nation without expectations of becoming rich from their service.

Now, nearly half of all members of Congress are millionaires, and their assets have increased by two and a half times from what it was twenty five years ago, while the average assets of Americans have remained stagnant.

The average net worth of members of Congress in 1984 was $280,000, while now it is $725,000. Meanwhile the average net worth of Americans remains at $20,000! These figures do not include home equity, but even that is way down for average Americans after the real estate crash beginning in 2006!

If the American people believe that Congress is only there for the wealthy and powerful, it will cause fewer to vote, which is exactly what the wealthy and powerful want!

This situation is a danger to American democracy, a crisis for our long term future!

Barack Obama And The American People Given A Christmas Gift By The Caving Of The House Republicans And Speaker John Boehner!

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The House Republicans, led by Speaker of the House John Boehner, caved in this afternoon, under pressure from the Wall Street Journal, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Karl Rove, and numerous Senate Republicans including a new convert, Senator John McCain of Arizona, and agreed to the two month temporary extension of the payroll tax cut, unemployment compensation, and delay in Medicare cuts to doctors.

The House Republicans were pushed into a corner, and this is a major victory for the American people, the Democrats, and President Barack Obama, who finally took a no negotiation stand and forced the hand of Boehner, Eric Cantor, and the Tea Party radicals.

The effect of this victory is that Boehner has been weakened as Speaker; the Tea Party radicals have been shown to be destructive to the nation at large; Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan and Kevin McCarthy, the chief deputies to Boehner, have been shown for the deceit they practiced on Boehner in their mad rush to seize power from him; and this event has likely assured a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress!

The Republicans have, symbolically, shot themselves in the foot, and will have trouble convincing the American people that they care about the middle class, and that they are not beholden to the corporations and the top one percent wealthy in this country!

Barack Obama looks a lot stronger and more assertive as a result of this confrontation, and with Ron Paul rising in Iowa, and being exposed for his racist and anti Semitic past, and with the GOP in total disarray, the odds of Obama winning reelection have improved tremendously!

The Republicans Are Self Destructing Before Our Eyes, And The American People See It Clearly!

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The Republican Party is self destructing before our eyes, as House Republicans led by the “Young Turks”–House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy of California, and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin–and supported by the 80 Tea Party Caucus members—are tying the hands of Speaker John Boehner, and making him look foolish!

Boehner had said an agreement of Senate Republicans led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, and backed 89-11 in a bipartisan vote, allowing a temporary two month extension of unemployment compensation, the continuation of the middle class tax cut, and delay of cuts to Medicare doctors, was acceptable, with further action in January. But then, under pressure from the leaders mentioned above, he backtracked, and has brought about a situation where the continuation of the policies mentioned will be prevented, as the New Year comes on!

It is clear to anyone who watches what is going on, that Cantor, McCarthy, and Ryan are working together with the Tea Party supporters to paralyze the legislative process, and that their aim, ultimately, is not just to defeat Barack Obama for the Presidency in 2012, but also to remove John Boehner from the Speakership.

And as this goes on, a CNN poll shows Obama’s popularity has risen five points from 44 to 49 percent; the ratings of the Republicans have fallen six points from 49 to 43 percent; the Democrats ratings have stayed steadily at 55 percent; a majority now say they trust Obama more than the Congressional Republicans as compared to 44 percent before now; and dramatic gains among the middle class are being made by Obama, while Republicans continue to have the support of the wealthy.

So, Republicans, continue what you are doing and saying, and you are doomed to defeat in 2012 on all levels, as your arrogance and elitism are backfiring on your party!

Here We Go Again: Republicans Want Tax Increase For Middle Class And Don’t Care About Unemployed Millions!

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The Republican Party, which wants constant tax cuts for the top two percent and for corporations, is making clear its unwillingness to support a continuation of the payroll tax cut of 2 percent on Social Security to help middle class families, by continuing an average $1000 tax cut over the payroll year, which will expire at the end of the year.

At the same time, the fact that we have more long term unemployed than we have ever had since the 1930s does not phase the party, which is against an extension of unemployment compensation for those who have been out of work for more than 99 weeks, feeling that the lack of jobs is not the issue, but the “lazy” attitude of workers who would rather collect a check than go to work!

What an outrage to call for tax increases at a difficult time, and to have no concern if the unemployed are homeless, starving, and have no medical care!

We are seeing the Republican Party going back to the concept of the 19th century Social Darwinists–basically having no concern for the unfortunate, including millions of children, about 25 percent of all children, taking the view that poverty and deprivation is a character flaw in those people, and basically, let them starve, as that would help, somehow, to produce a better society!

Shame on the GOP, and the voters in 2012 will richly reward them for such hardhearted attitudes by throwing them out of office!

The Ugly, Obscene Cultural Phenomenon Of “Black Friday”

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That fairly recent cultural phenomenon known as “Black Friday” has come and gone again.

Developed in the past decade to the point of obscenity, it is the worst part of the capitalistic system, as wealthy corporations entice and encourage mostly people who don’t have much money or who, in any case, should not be going into hock for merchandise they do not need or often don’t even truly want, to act like animals with the most rude behavior and social dysfunction possible!

In recent years, an employee was trampled to death at a Walmart ;yesterday, a woman at a Walmart used pepper spray on fellow shoppers to gain a so called “competitive advantage”; a Target employee, being overly tired from having Thanksgiving dinner and then going to work without sleep before midnight on Thanksgiving Day nearly drowned in a canal in Palm Beach Country, Florida; and some people were robbed and shot at a shopping mall!

All this for a so called “bargain”, while the wealthy stayed at home, either not needing the “deals”, or preferring to do it online rather than in a mob gathering for hours before the opening bell late on Thanksgiving or early on the day after!

It demonstrated again that the wealthy don’t have to go through what average people seem to think they need to go through. and also how corporations, particularly in a time of high unemployment, can exploit their low paid workers to have no right to even Thanksgiving and the early hours of the next day to be free from work. Sure, they get paid overtime, but is that worth the reality of them facing mobs and being overworked and overstressed for the few extra dollars they manage to be paid for their sacrifices?

Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, Best Buy, Kohls, Macy’s and J C Penney’s, and all the other retailers who have made this “Black Friday” idea the obscenity it is, should be condemned for their greediness and lack of concern for both labor and the public safety. But, after all, what matters is the ALMIGHTY DOLLAR, the PROFIT over humanity!

Sad and tragic, VERY SAD AND TRAGIC!

Forget The “Buffett Rule”! Call It The “Reagan Rule”!

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Recently, there has been much controversy about the concept of the “Buffett Rule”, named after billionaire Warren Buffett, who has said that he and all wealthy people should pay more taxes than his secretary!

Barack Obama has been promoting that, and the Republicans claim it is promoting “class warfare”! Instead, they would rather promote greed and selfishness, and starve the budget, preventing job growth and promoting further economic dislocation!

But now, it has been uncovered that President Ronald Reagan, the “darling” of the conservatives, called for the same thing when he was President in the 1980s, make wealthy people pay more than the average American taxpayer!

Obama’s language is almost exactly the same as Reagan’s, and it is amazing that many Republicans worship someone who actually agrees with Obama! That shows their ignorance, or their ability to lie, and either is disgraceful! And every poll shows more than 70 percent of the people agree with both Obama AND Reagan!

It is also not well known that Ronald Reagan signed ELEVEN different tax increases while in office, and understood that if the budget or economic conditions required it, a rise in taxes was necessary, including on the wealthy!

It is time for tax action to avert a worst economic situation than the one we are now in!