Under President Barack Obama, Atlas Shrugged has come to life, explains Wayne Allyn Root. Civilization cannot survive when people are forced to be slaves to government. And without business owners who are willing to risk their own money, there are no taxes to pay for government. There are no jobs, either. Obama’s tax-and-spend philosophy is a dismal failure, causing business owners to go on strike — permanently.
Wayne Allyn Root(W.A.R.) is a former Presidential candidate, the 2008 Libertarian Vice Presidential nominee and a Tea Party favorite. He is the ultimate capitalist evangelist: a blue-collar S.O.B. (son of a butcher) turned small businessman, entrepreneur, CEO, home-schooler and citizen politician. Root is a talk-show host, bestselling author, business speaker and TV/radio commentator on business, economics, entrepreneurship and politics. He is a regular guest on Fox News, as well as on hundreds of radio shows across the United States. Root's opinions reach tens of millions of Americans as a regular columnist and commentator for many of the most popular political and business websites, including FoxNews.com. He also writes regularly for The Washington Times. He is the bestselling author of seven books.
Root serves as national spokesman for several companies, including Asset Strategies International, a global precious metals company, and Senior Economic Advisor to Wealth Masters International, a global financial services company. He is also well known in the television and media industries. Root started his career as an anchorman and host for CNBC (then known as Financial News Network). He has hosted, starred and produced many television shows. Today, he is a producer of the highest-rated television show on Travel Channel, "Ghost Adventures."
Because of his success in the diverse fields of business, media, sports, entertainment and publishing, Root was awarded his own 180-pound granite star in the Las Vegas Walk of Stars. Only 50 legends in the history of Las Vegas have received a star on Las Vegas Boulevard. Root joins Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Wayne Newton, Liberace and Dean Martin, along with other icons of business and entertainment. Root's star can be viewed in front of New York New York Resort.
A native New Yorker and graduate of prestigious Columbia University, this capitalist evangelist proudly resides in Nevada, a State with no personal or business income tax. His website is ROOTforAmerica.com.
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A whole lot of truth in Wayne’s commentary. Thanks again.
MA
Did anyone catch the msn list of the richest countys in the USA? Over half of them are in the DC area. The government spending is out of control. All the wealth & power is concentrated in DC and they are wanting more from everybody.
Our tax money goes into DC and only trickles out.
I was a small business owner since 1990 and saw the writing on the walls when Obama got elected. When Obamacare got through the congress, I realized that there was not sufficient margin $ available to even pay the 2000.00 fine much less for healthcare for my employees. I sold in 2011. Let someone else have the headache of dealing with the government. I am tired of risking my money for the benefit of others.
http://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.blenis Elizabeth Blenis
Mr. Loechner, Wayne’s point as is Ayn’s was that NO one is entitled to the fruit of other labors, and it has not worked since the beginning of time, Russia and China both fell on their sword trying to impose this idea on everyone, what happens is “NOTHING” and more “Nothing”, so when you are working 60-70 hours a week and told that you should be happy to work, and all your pay has been taken to pay your “fair share” not determined by you but by the government you placed so much faith in and pay for healthcare,food, gas set at prices determined by the government, and how much you purchase, write to me and tell me on what principle you truly live by, WAKE UP!!!
http://losgastospendejosdelprian.blogspot.com Mario Quijano
Are you part of the top 1%? See if the following statements apply to you.
1. You don’t go to ski at Aspen, you prefer Cortina d’Ampezzo.
2. You pride yourself on being an enologist and have toured all the Moselle vineyards, Herr Schaeffer bottles his best vintage just for you.
3. You have a roman numeral after your name.
4. Yes, you are a brother in Skull and Bones.
5. You love getting nekkid at the Bohemian Grove while drinking margaritas with the boys.
6. Your trophy wife is on a first name basis with all the diamond vendors at Tiffany’s.
7. You have to insure that your mistress (the one that appeared in the SPorts Illustrated swimsuit issue) does not shop at Tiffany’s when your wife is there (yiou know, old chap, appearances).
8. When someone talks about “living paycheck to paycheck” you don’t know what they mean. After all, you don’t ever get a paycheck…quarterly dividends, maybe.
9. You got out of the Eurozone early and now are playing in China and India.
10. You have no problem with Obama; after all, you and the other “boys” you golf with were the ones that “made him win”.
11. Your grand daddy had something to do with November 22, 1963 but he clams up whenever you ask him.
12. Of course you are all in favor of more wars. After all, your family owns a good part of that military industrial complex that that communist Eisenhower warned about.
13. You have not read Atlas Shrugged and, frankly my dear, do not care if Ms. Rand scratches her butt or not.
14. Your first job was not flipping burgers…daddy called one of his golfing buddies and you started out as a CEO.
15. Senators call you, not the other way around.
16. Your family has very expensive lawyers on retainer, one was a former supreme court judge and there is also
17. No one asks you to take off your shoes before you board a plane, heck, the guy that heads TSA used to be one of your lower level subordinates!
18. You still do very good business with the Bin Laden family and the Saudi king sent you a camel as a gift (it is housed in your stables next to the thoroughbred horses and the latter don’t like it!)
19. The pope asks you for an audience.
20. Yes, the world is your oyster.
If you answered NO or ANy of these statetements do not apply to you, congrats, you are just a tax paying working stiff that lives paycheck to paycheck that will never see the inside of a Wall Street board room that only knows of the world what the corporate media tell him to believe and prays ferverntly that when you get elderly your social security will at least cover the cost of dog food which is going to be the major source of your diet!
LarryR
It sounds like you are envious of all people.. Try cleaning your house out before you trash someone elses. Your list of the so called 1% is merely envy. So you are telling me that if you were to get off the couch and out of your mother basement and went to work you would be content with the government taking most of your earning. All I have to say to that is good, now go make something of yourself and give it all to the government.
http://losgastospendejosdelprian.blogspot.com Mario Quijano
LarryR – of course I would not like to git off my mother’s basement and make a lot of money and give it to the gubmint! Heck! I would rather be one of them Skull and Bones boys that git nekkid at the Bohemian Grove and pay ridiculously low taxes to the gubmint because…THEY CONTROL THE GUBMINT!!!! I suppose you are one of them if you react so virulently. Tell me old chap, what year did you attend Princeton? Have I seen you at the Hamptons? Surely you do go yatching right? Tell you what, wiki “plutocracy” jest so we are talking on a more playing field, will you? Thanks.
charlie
Mario,,, What if you know the Owner of The Earth,,, would that qualify one to be in your top 1% list???
http://www.mototcarsfinancial.com Brad
Mikey get a life. And I don’t mean Life Cereal. Let Mikey try it, Mikey will try anything, espacially if he is paid by some leftist group to come spew his BS on a conservitive blog.
FreedomFighter
Obama must go…
Laus Deo
Semper Fi
charlie
FF,,,he is gone ,,,as soon as Obadiah gets here…
Michael
The Atlas Shrugged premise is BS. Most of the supposed movers and shakers in American are psychopaths that got to the top by stealing other people’s ideas and taking credit for other people’s work. Once at the top, even if they fail they usually move on to another top position because they are in the club. There are very, very few true geniuses like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates at the top. Further, the climate of fear and uncertainty gripping corporate America is deliberately fomented by the Right. That has far more to do with the hesitancy of business to spend and grow than anything Obama has done or wants to do. The American Right is suffering from paranoid delusions that need and should be treated by mental health professionals.
thomas g kroger
“The American Right is suffering from paranoid delusions that need and should be treated by mental health professionals.” – Michael
Oh, and I suppose it is just a paranoid delusion that the American Left has spawned “sanctuary cities,” and that the despicable Obama regime persecutes Arizona because it believes its own crap about “diversity”??? OR is it more likely that massive, systematic voter fraud, such as that practiced by ACORN is involved? Maybe little Michael would do well to own some gold, or run a business, and see just how easy and care-free these have become nowadays. Maybe he should try to contemplate hiring someone, and then face page after page of new regulations, not to mention the prospect of Obamacare, and consider how these will impact his future prospects. Oh, well, not everyone can be an entrerpreuner. So, maybe getting nearly gang-raped by TSA goons will be more his speed? It is all just fantasy, you understand. Another good reason to support state-run psychiatry. In the Soviet Union, dissidents were labeled crazies, then sent to psychprisons. It was all the rage after Stalin and the gulags had run their course, but even the gulags never went out of business entirely. But little Michael needn’t worry. All these things just worry right-wing crazies, They are, after all, nuts, just like Ron Paul is. So he should be sent to one of these places first, right, Mikey?
John
Businessmen are not hiring because people are not buying. Nevertheless, corporations are making record profits. The government should impose high taxes on the well to do, and increase government spending and employment. It worked for Roosevelt. It will work for Obama. Obama’s chief mistake was not to do that immediately after his inauguration, when his approval rating was 66 percent.
http://Yahoo.com justjim
You wand to know why people are not buying? Very simple, really,they don’t have the money to buy things with.
If it were not for food stamps, and other govt. programs to keep food on the table, the death toll from starving would be in the hundreds of thousands a year.
And what happens when those programs can no longer be funded?
BANKRUPTCY and the edge of the cliff grows greater with ever session of congress.
16 trillion or so debt under this NO BUDGET DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS.
How many billions have been sent to Kenya? Palenstien, 192 million just the other day, how much better would that money been used to feed hungry children, right here in the usa?
In the state where I live, 11 per cent of the people go to bed hungry, ever night and its getting worse, the jobs are gone, they will not be back, and who sent them out of the USA?
To establish level playing fields? Why I do beleive it was the democratic leaders and congress back about 20 years or so.
Karolyn
On the other hand, there are places that are doing very well. It amazes me when I drive the 50 miles to Charlotte and see all the people in their fancy cars shopping in the fancy shops. It is what you make it; and ANYBODY can make it. It all comes down to want power. It’s too easy to sit and complain anout how bad things are. Even when I had NO income, I didn’t do that. At 65 and starting over, I have BIG plans. There’s a lot of money to be made in a lot of ways, and it’s all legal.
http://gillysrooms.blogspot.com GILLYSROOMS from Australia
I suspect that some of those corporations except banks, are cooking the books to make it look like they are still making healthy profits but in reality they are a few years away from going broke unless the economy picks up. How can most corporations make so much money when most consumers are not spending??? Its a fraud I say unless your in food or banking…you will be in decline…so be very careful where you invest…DO LOTS OF REAL RESEARCH.
BTW Banks and Insurance companies can cook the books best by under or over estimating provisions for bad debts or claims…
Rick Bowen
I for one will be looking for a new America to relocate to If Obama manages to steal enough votes to be re-elected. He and his cronies are fast creating a society that will be void of Free Enterprise. It is a horror that I have to pay 12k a year just to get a cpa to file my taxes and keep me out of jail. After 25 year in business providing many jobs in my community we are facing a reality that we no longer can make a profit that makes worth the effort of staying in business.
http://Yahoo.com justjim
Rick, paid any real estate taxes in Westchester co., N.Y lately? Prepared and sent to you from India? As is your blue cross-blue shield paper work?
I quit ten years ago in disgust, the paper work of running a small business, fifty or so people just eats you alive. Then any little thing and you have some govt. wasterel demanding this or that, think Gibson Gitar Com.? Gave to the wrong party and the creeps in D.C. headed by our mus-lim president are busting their hump to put him out of business because of wood he bought from a supplier in India, legal there, not legal here, the list is endless,
I have enough thank goodness to last another ten years if inflatation sponsered by the govt. does not devalue our dollar to equal the mexician peso.
Our nation, with out a bloody civil war and even with I think the survival as a free nation is not possibile.
Mikey
MAP is a wrong wing troll paid to write his dribble and call people names… or he is an idiot. Or maybe both.
charlie
Mikey,,, easy now,,, MAP has just lost his bearings,,,off course,,, like ,,,lost…
thomas g kroger
Neil: And there is no earthly reason as to WHY you should be a slave for them, except insofar as it furthers a politician’s ambitions. Obama has made no secret of his political philosophy, so what is there left to say? He has claimed the right to redistribute wealth – wealth he has not earned, and the origin of which he cannot understand. But as bad as Obama is, his guilt is not nearly so much as that of the self-hating, self-flagellating white “liberals” – now more openly Communist than ever – who continue to support him. I have no doubt that he will play the race card once again, because his only real claim to fame is his skin color. If Obama had been white, the world would have paid little attention to him. But in the America of the early 21st Century, it is clear that skin color means everything, and the content of one’s character and beliefs is secondary. Our political process has becom so compromised, that there is virtually no discussion of principle, and those such as Ron Paul who attempt to do so are marginalized and labeled crackpots, nuts, extremists, etc. All that serves the corporatist media, which is now a branch of government.
Boycott the whole stinking system by boycotting the election? It makes more sense now than ever before. When “…the working of the system becomes so odious, you have to place yourselves on the gears and levers of the system, and make clear to the people who own it, that unless you’re free, you will stop the system from working altogether.” Although these words were uttered by Mario Savio at the height of the Free Speech Movement in Bezerkeley, they are applicable. Funny, isn’t it? – how the so-called “liberals” of the 1960′s have joined hands with corporatist Amerika and forged a corrupt oligarchy that resembles nothing so much as Fascist Italy under Mussolini. And they have done so in the name of “democracy” and even “social democracy.”
Chuck
I am not sure if I would call Pelosi, boxer and all the other ilk communists, even they have standards. I just heard a congressman [MI] is running for a term and he has been there since the 50s. That is the folks we must remove, talk about loosing touch with the real world they haven’t been in it for 50 years how could they possibly know what is going on
Neil
I closed two companies the day Obama signed the Stimulus Plan. Granted they were small businesses. I had not read Atlas Shrugged prior; however, I had no intentions of creating goods and services of value so the government could redistribute them. It is MY time and MY property. It is not for the govenment to sieze.
The productive employees were readilly employed elsewhere.
I see no merit in investing time, initiative, ingenuity, risk, capital, and endless attention to detail without the assurance the rewards of my efforts belong to me.
The OWS can rot in the squawlor of their entitlement when none of them contribute as much as they consume. I will not be a slave for them.
vanessa
I see another civil war on the horizon……hopefully its a war at the ballot box free of all the democratic voter fraud.
rosina
Amen to that Vanessa!
To get that will need a huge effort to dislodge all the incumbents who are for voter fraud by making stupid excuses against voter ID!
Yet, to get my library card I needed proof of ID AND where I lived!
Also, to get into a schooll for a visit?
Also for a drivers license!
How naby people who are minorities have these anway???
charlie
vanessa,,, The war between the states is still going on ,,, where you been babe???
MAP
Reread my post above. What I wrote is clear – to me, at least. Who is it that determined the general government is more qualified to spend someone’s earnings than the earner? Profits are needed to reinvest. No one will reinvest while the fear exists that the out of control general government is about to seize wealth. The argument that the general government has such right is based on collectivist nonsense.
MAP
The above post was supposed to have been directed at Mario Quijano.
http://losgastospendejosdelprian.blogspot.com Mario Quijano
MAP: I was not asking about who is more qualified to spend your earnings. That is a non-sequitur fallacy. Let’s stick to the original discussion. I pointed out that you started out with an adhominem fallacy regarding Mr. Loechner “a very leftist…etc…” which would discredit your arguments right from the start (such I learned at prep school). I still do not have an answer from you. Loechner claims that the top 2% enjoy a historically low tax rate. Is it true or not? Will lowering that rate even more create more jobs? Thank you and spare me the cold warrior rhetoric. I am just asking you questions and you are already offering hemlock! If I want that drivel I can watch and enjoy George C. Scott’s warhawk performance in Dr. Strangelove. Thank you.
Chester
Yes, Warrior, and while we are at it, let us do away with the roads, bridges, docks, and anything else our taxes MIGHT support, as they should have been built by the people who needed them, when they were needed. Oh, also, no police, no schools, no public water supplies, no sewer systems, no military to keep some other country from moving in and co-opting all our natural resources to their own use. Of course, then they would own the roads and bridges, and quite possibly, control who used them. Not a pretty thought, is it? Do away with all taxes, and this is exactly what you are setting us up for.
Stephen
Taxes are fine, but a government which will not exist within its means and picks it winners and losers who will/will not support those who are pulling the strings is not the answer to the problems which exist today. Government IS the problem. Collectivism has never worked anywhere in the world. This administration is pushing the entire world toward a central world government where the elite government class RULES the WORLD.
Michael H.
I haven’t seen anyone here advocating getting rid of taxes, all we want is a tax system that doesn’t punish the ones who are fortunate enough to actually make a profit. If obummer wants to be fair then a flat tax is the only way. Then everyone has a finger in the pie. The only exceptions would be food and medical care. All other purchases would have a tax applied, then you would have to choose between luxury and necessity. As in clothing versus a new I-phone. It really chaps my ass when I see someone in the grocery store buying food with stamps while talking on their cell phone. At the present time I live with my parents because it took me 22 mo.s to secure my disability. I’ve suffered two moderate strokes and more mini-strokes than you can count and I was still denied the first time around. I have a total blockage in the interior artery that feeds the right side of the brain and 25 % in my left leg, yet I know people who have been granted disability for addictions. Does that seem fair to you. As for the things such as police and schools, seems to me we had all that before the fed’s jumped in and they worked a lot better. The larger the fed gets the more room for mismanagement and corruption.
http://www.mototcarsfinancial.com Brad
Chester we are all ready moving other’s in, Have you not heard we are soon to be policed by the UN? It is all underway. They are taking tax payer money to build infrastructure and not rebuilding in many cases and the cases where they are rebuilding, those jobs are being giving to illegals and to Chinese workers. Here in TX all road infrastucture is latino nature; Pass by no blacks or whites out there working. The infrastucture in CA is all Chinese.
Did a light fianlly go off in your skull??
http://Yahoo.com justjim
I find it interesting that the taxes paid by the taxpayers to build roads, bridges, wtr. companies, etc. are being sold to
WASHINGTON (AP) — Roads and bridges built by U.S. taxpayers are starting to be sold off, and so far foreign-owned companies are doing the buying.
On a single day in June, an Australian-Spanish partnership paid $3.8 billion to lease the Indiana Toll Road. An Australian company bought a 99-year lease on Virginia’s Pocahontas Parkway, and Texas officials decided to let a Spanish-American partnership build and run a toll road from Austin to Seguin for 50 years.
Few people know that the tolls from the U.S. side of the tunnel between Detroit and Windsor, Canada, go to a subsidiary of an Australian company — which also owns a bridge in Alabama.
Some experts welcome the trend. Robert Poole, transportation director for the conservative think tank Reason Foundation, said private investors can raise more money than politicians to build new roads because these kind of owners are willing to raise tolls.
“They depoliticize the tolling decision,” Poole said. Besides, he said, foreign companies have purchased infrastructure in Europe for years; only now are U.S. companies beginning to get into the business of buying roads and bridges.
Vicki
This also demonstrates that we do not need government to build roads.
Average Joe
Chester,
I find your post to be lacking in thought and quite myopic in scope.
All of the things you mentioned could be handled at the state level…no Federal involvement is nessesary (including the military). If we weren’t sending all of tax dollars to our Federal government, but instead, sending it to our state treasuries….all of those things could be handled…by our states. Instead, we send it to the Feds…who then offer to give back “some” of that money to the states…in order to do those very things. The problems arise when the Feds offer to give back some of that money….but always with strings attached, “if you don’t play by our rules, we just won’t give you any money back”. That is why our country is in the mess it is in…The Feds..hold the states at gunpoint and demand to have their way…..or else! This would be akin to a judge telling you that you must give X amount of dollars to your next door neighbor…who will decide how much you will get to keep…your neighbor may decide that he hates driving around the block and would really like to drive through your yard…to get to the street behind your house….if you allow him…he will let you have a few more of your own dollars back,,,deny him and you will always get nothing back. This is how the Federal government works…they bully us …using our own money…..get it?
The Federal Government needs to shrink considerably (ending all of the UnConstitutional “agencies”) and congress should only meet for 2 months of the year in DC….and the rest of their time should be spent in their own states…talking to their own constituents. As it is now, they get elected (?), go to DC…and stay there(only going home…when it’s time to campaign again) , wheeling and dealing to line their own pockets…rather than looking out for the very people that elected them…as representatives of the people. Once elected…you are no longer their concern…period. End the Fed and return to sound currency…the Feds can set a system of weights and measures…and allow the staates to have their own currencies…no more printing worthless fiat paper at will.
No Law passed by congress should contain anything not authorized by Art.1 Sec.8 of the Constitution..cantain more than one provision…or be more than 5 pages long…and should be voted up or down….no more voting “present”…we want to know how they vote and where they stand on all issues…and voting “present” ain’t gonna get it anymore…They need to stand up and be accounted for…period.
The choice is yours Chester…..to educate yourself better by taking a different path…..or just keep plodding along that same road that you’ve been traveling…..
I’m voting for Ron Paul 2012…and I approved this message.
America needs a business experienced American and not a community jungle boy!
revere
Hey Notta,
Thanks for being so upfront with your racism. You are obviously not a christian & are therefore free to follow the atheist philosophy of Ayn Rand. Please tell us what business you own so that we can be sure not to patronize you.
Vicki
Notta writes to revere
————————————-
You are obviously not a christian & are therefore free to follow the atheist philosophy of Ayn Rand.
————————————
What about Ayn Rand’s philosophy that we are discussing here is atheist? And why is being atheist bad? Other than the possibility of missing out on life eternal?
Vicki
Opps got it backwards. Revere writes to Notta.
Warrior
The bottom line is , we have adults who prefer to act like bully children, i.e. ALL PROGRESSIVES. Get rid of these putz’s at every level who wish to practice their “connected capitalism”.
Sirian
I agree with you wholeheartedly Warrior but we’re looking at a problem that would take anywhere from three to four generations to eliminate the Progressive mindsets. It’s possible and should be one of the prime objectives of our nation but. . .
Stephen
As in Atlas Shrugged, the greed factor has swung to those officials who make the laws which only benefit an ever-growing government. Their importance is the collective society of which our current Obama Administration is pushing to achieve. There are strong parallels to the book written so very long ago by someone who was living off the government system of the day. Even she could see the logical end to a nanny state government running out of control. It is only a logical result that companies would begin to disappear and/or move away from a country with such a governmental ideology. This is NOT our Founding Fathers government. We must return to OUR Constitution to put the controls back upon the current tax and over-spend mentality.
I AM John Galt.
http://liberty Tony
To Stephen:
Both sides are involved in the greed factor. You see the majority of people, who recieve “welfare”, are the big corporations with the jokers on Wall street. They recieve this through subsidies, handouts, and loans where they don’t have to begin paying back until 10 years down the road. That’s if they make a profit. Furthermore, the people, who are getting hurt the most, is the small business owner. For small businesses create 75% of all jobs, 80% of all new innovations, plus 67% of all econ. growth. Therefore, they shouldn’t be squeezed out by the big corp., who get all their support from gov. However, you’re right about going back to constitutional principles. Alright, later on!!
Robert Smith
From Tony: “They recieve this through subsidies, handouts, and loans where they don’t have to begin paying back until 10 years down the road. ”
Why do oil companies get subsidies?
Rob
http://www.mototcarsfinancial.com Brad
I agree Tony small businesses like myself are having the toughest time by far. I need to hire people and my business growth is suffering from it, but I can’t afford the unknown.
http://liberty Tony
To Robert Smith:
Oil Companies shouldn’t get subsidies from the gov., especially with all the huge profits. However, as mentioned in my last post, big corps. along with big gov. go hand in hand. Thus, this huge rift occurs. If we would end these subsidies, then the econ. would even out. Therefore giving the small business owner a chance to hire more people which will lead to great econ. growth plus prosperity for all people in this republic. I hope this explanation clears things up for you. Thanks!!
I confirm your point of view. 2 years ago I employed 100 people and owned businesses worth $35 million. Today I have zero employees and own no businesses. Did someone else buy me out? Yes, but that is not the point.
I bailed out because I sensed that if I actually made some money, someone in government would find a way to take it away from me. Does America need me? No way, but America does need a lot of people just like me. Until risk takers like me sense there is a real reward possible for taking risk, there will be no recovery.
Congress and the President should figure it out… every job is expected to be a profit center. If it is not profitable to employ people, there is no point in doing the hiring. Currently, profit is a dirty word in America. Another reason there will be no recovery under this administration.
Thanks for listening.
Robert Smith
No Michael: “Currently, profit is a dirty word in America.”
Profit is GOOD in America.
Looting and extracting wealth from the middle class through Wall Street, health care (increasing rates), and energy speculation is what’s killing the American middle class.
Why isn’t the difference seen?
Rob
Deerinwater
Just about thing could be seen as good until which time it is not.
Most of my customers would feel good about paying me a 35% markup margin. That 35% does not really provide the margin I need to stay in business at 35%, so I’m left to increase volume (work harder) or ask for higher margins while staying inside the boundaries of what the market will bear before I start losing market shares and price myself out of the market.
When you can command a 300 to 500% markup and still maintain a strong market share is when you beginning to really make money and get beyond just scratching out a meek existence.
When business can capture or corner or lock in a market, protecting it from outside competition via trade mark, copyright, government regulation, patent, business affiliation etc. is where we see these profit margins swell in relation to volume.
Profit is good until it becomes absurd and more important, who is to decide what is absurd?
Searcher4851
Are you referring to the half a billion dollars this administration speculated with on Solyndra?
JeffH
Robert Smith, may I refer yo to:
Definition of ‘Crony Capitalism’
A description of capitalist society as being based on the close relationships between businessmen and the state. Instead of success being determined by a free market and the rule of law, the success of a business is dependent on the favoritism that is shown to it by the ruling government in the form of tax breaks, government grants and other incentives.
DaveH
Robert,
How does Wall Street et all extract the middle classes money?
DaveH
Deer says — “Profit is good until it becomes absurd and more important, who is to decide what is absurd?”.
Was that a mistake, Deer? Because the latter part of that statement is spot on. Who is to decide what is an absurd profit? Nobody but the customer of that company has any business in that decision and then only by refusing to buy that company’s products, or starting his/her own competing company.
eddie47d
Free Markets aren’t free Jeff no matter how you twist it and they hardly obey the rule of law. If they did we wouldn’t have the Keating scandals or the Enron collaspe or environmental damages that they leave for the government to clean up. The CEO’s wouldn’t be setting us up with over priced salaries and claiming they deserve it. They especially didn’t earn their loot so you keep hanging on to that Utopian pipe dream that Capitalism is as pure as the driven snow.
CardinalMo
I agree with you Eddie. Capitalism is a beautiful pipe dream. But, it is incapable of functioning at a level which provides full employment. It depends upon low wages or slavery to drive it. I think the reason it worked so well in the past, for America, was because America was a new country and had a lot of basic needs. Now those basic needs have been pretty much met…so we have to look for “New Markets.”
What will happen in the thrid nations when their basic needs are met? They will sit in the same hole we are in.
To me free enterprise is about mom and pop and the people next door using their indivdividual skills to provide for themselves and others.
My son is in South Korea right now. He loves the place. Why there are numerous mom and pop shops, a lot of individuals earning a living in their areas of expertise. They do not depend upon the MEGA CORPS for their survival. Although that may eventually change as the MEGA CORPs knock out the individual businesses.
Yawn Yawn…I hate shopping these days. There is plenty of stuff to buy, but between poor quality and sameness why bother? I remember a time when each shop bought from a diversity of suppliers and each shop carried different styles, different quality, and it was a lot of fun to shop because they weren’t all carrying look alikes.
Free enterprise system, Yes …capitalism NO, . Power to the Global corporations NO.
Vicki
Deerinwater says:
——————————————————–
Profit is good until it becomes absurd and more important, who is to decide what is absurd?
——————————————————-
Easy answer. The customer. And if the profit is high enough the competitor will come along and offer the item to the customer at less profit. Assuming that the government does not interfere with the competition.
http://N/A T
Is it a reward, or is it greed? There is a difference.
Deerinwater
It can be confusing I suppose. They look similar from the outside. Greed seems to be “lustful” ,an obsession while just ‘reward’ enjoys common acceptance.
Like Mr. Potter and his Potterville or an Ebenezer Scrooge, these men were obsessed with wealth and power to the point of being evil. Willing to exploit their power and position to the weakness, frailty or simply dis-concerned of other citizens.
You can’t help anyone if you yourself is found lacking and weak. The world will consume you and take everything you own and might ever own, have or hold dear. Each of us has certain responsibility to our own self and to others if you wish to subscribe to the notion that you are your brothers keeper, which could be debatable as well.
DaveH
Who is Greedier, the man who wants to spend his own legally acquired money or the man who wants to take the former’s money from him?
Vicki
In a free market greed is controlled by competition. In a government controlled market greed is unleashed. (600 dollar hammers) 500 MILLION to a “green” company.
Tazio2013
You’re being myopic, Wayne; the fix is in and BHO will get a 2nd term!
The Obama Recovery Persists At Least Until After the Election … and Then Watch Out!
U.S. Manufacturing Grows at Fastest Pace in a Year … Manufacturing grew in April at the fastest pace in almost a year, propelled by a pickup in orders that signaled factories will remain a source of strength for the U.S. expansion. The Institute for Supply Management’s factory index climbed to 54.8 last month, exceeding the most optimistic forecast in a Bloomberg News survey and the best reading since June, the Tempe, Arizona-based group’s report showed today … The world’s largest economy may pick up after slowing in the first three months of the year as the increase in bookings indicates American assembly lines will keep churning out more goods. Combined with a report showing manufacturing in China also accelerated, the figures sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average to the highest level since 2007 as the data eased concern global growth was slackening. – Bloomberg
Tazio they just avnnounced a few days ago manufacturing is down, where are you getting this info MSNBC?
Michael K
Tazio,
You’re taking a 12 month sample and saying that April had the highest manufacturing increase in the past 12 months. Big deal! That’s such a small sample size, you can’t make any valid conclusions from looking at such a small sample size.
Take a look at the financial data from the past 10 – 15 yrs and then tell us how we’re doing.
Here’s a good website for everyone to study. This is a Financial Freedom data website. Type in “United States”, “Hong Kong” and “Canada” for example, and you’ll find some startling revelations over the past 18 years, including the disturbing downtrend in most US scores since BOH took office.
I’d like to mention that the website I provided above is the Financial Freedom Index website that Wayne mentions towards the end of his video where the US ranks 10th now.
charlie
Tazio2013,,,
you have a point ,,, the fix is on the way,,, Obama is bringing Obadiah into play and things will work out just as King Jesus said thru His Prophets as written in The World History Book called The Holy Bible… Read and weep you heathens,,, repent ,,,or perish…
Praise King Jesus for Salvation and Healing …
10% of the public pay 70% of the taxes….and bo thinks that isnt their fair share? 49% pay nothing (cept ss)…..is that their fair share? i keep my billions under my mattress until sanity returns. it took the ussr 70+ yrs to find some sanity…….there is hope for us
DaveH
Russia’s current political state is far from sanity. Once people have been so thoroughly brainwashed, it’s very hard to get back to any sort of Freedom and the good Economies that come with it: http://heritage.org/index/country/russia
Vicki
It has been proposed (by liberals) that the rich should pay more of their share to be fair.
Well first how much is fair? As you noted the rich already pay a huge amount of what is collected. Not what is owed. Just collected. Well there is a video where an analysis was done of just how much it would take to pay for JUST one YEAR of spending under obama.
Agreed, putting your faith in the government is madness. It is s beast that grows by the day sucking in more and more resources that could be used for truly economic purposes.
If Big Brother is not reduced, starved or broken, it will continue sucking our wealth from us. Count on one day the hand of government reaching into your 401k funds or savings account at the bank to take a “fair tax” as your “fair share” to supposedly pay down the debt. Right, it would be spent before they take it on more BS…not the debt.
Ever notice how they talk about the debt like it is something that just appeared on the horizon!!
rosina
It has already happened or have you not read about it.
An extra tax has been placed on 401KS—i DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH AS DO NOT HAVE ONE.
bUT, THERE IS ALSO A MOVE TO TAKE OVER OUR PRIVATE IRAS!!!dID YOU KNOW THAT?
If the Imposter gets in it will happen I am very much afraid.
Supposedly we are TOO STUPID to handle our own private pensions so the IRS or a new bureaucracy will take over.–paid with our money of course.!
This is robbery but, as voting fraud seems to be OK the Robbery will become legal as well.
Make sure you know all facts when voting.
Do not believe the media.
Having faith in government is just a subsidy to take the place of their lack of faith in the Almighty. Something has to fill the void. That why some people worship Mother Earth also.
Sirian
Good points Wayne – Atlas Shrugged or not. Good book, Good movie. Waiting on the second movie to be released. It too should be very good. Now then, simple question for you. . . why is it that there is not a strong movement to eliminate the present tax system and replace it with a “Flat Tax” system? Not the “Fair Tax” – FLAT TAX. It has been brought up as a “side thought/proposal” before but that’s about all that it is ever spoken of. I personally spoke with one of our former Senators (Nichols) about establishing a “Flat Tax” back in ’92 – twenty years past – and at that time it was considered one of the most foolish things to even think of let alone attempt to bring up on either the floor of the House or even more so, the Senate. So, merely wondering what you think of this form of taxation. Again, just wondering what you think of it.
http://namasteembroidery.com rjim
They do not want a flat tax… they will no longer have political control over our activities. Our current tax system is all about control.
DaveH
What they typically label as a “Flat Tax”, Sirian, is really a Flat Rate Income Tax. Why do they conveniently leave the “Income” part out? Because thinking people know that as long as their foot is in the door, Government will eventually distort and manipulate it back into a system similar to the Byzantine Income Tax we currently suffer under.
Once people learn that Government Leaders are in it for their own good, then the rest of the Leaders’ manipulations becomes clear.
The only truly Fair tax would be a head tax (True Flat Tax) where every adult was liable for the same amount of money. It would be much harder for Government to Grow if everybody had equal skin in the game, and for that reason Government would fight such a proposal tooth and nail. Before the 16th Amendment, the States paid Federal Taxes based proportionately on the size of their population.
Sirian
DaveH,
I see what you’re saying and in many respects agree with you. If only we could at some point in the future eliminate the 16th and 17th amendments. It may seem as nothing more than a dream but at least so far, it is still possible.
You’re quite right when it comes to how the government distorts and manipulates it. The evidence lies publicly open within the thousands and thousands of pages of IRS rules & laws.
Jeremy Leochner
I simply do not see corporations, business owners and rich Americans in general being slaves to the government when the top 2% control more of the countries wealth than the bottom 50%. The marginal tax rate on the top 2% of Americans is at the lowest it has ever been. The capital gains tax is also at an historic low. Finally there are corporate tax loopholes which grant corporate executives many freedoms most Americans only dream of. Added to the number of lobbyists which vastly outnumbers the members of congress. Finally throw in that other from some less moderate voices the only thing being called for is an increase in the marginal tax rate by 4-5% and perhaps closing some corporate tax loopholes. Its hard for me to believe that the movers and shakers of our country are any where near as controlled and subjugated as described in Atlas Shrugged. I will be the first to admit I have not read the novel. I will see what I can learn and perhaps read it. All I know from those who have read it is that it describes an America with constraints similar to the soviet union where those who run business’s and who have decent income levels have no say in their lives and are forced to give up their money to a government that uses it for its own ends. There is certainly wasteful spending and I would be the last person to believe that government isn’t filled with people trying to achieve their own ends. However our government itself is not evil and neither are the people in it. The money that is taken in the form of taxes has and can be misused as it is being divided to spend. However what it is being spent on is not unimportant and it is something we all use. Our countries educational system, military, social services,infrastructure, and other services are important and useful. I am not saying government is perfect or even very good. But it is useful and it can do good. And it is not nearly as bad as what it is in Atlas Shrugged. Business owners have nothing to fear and they certainly do not need to go on strike.
MAP
Mr. Leochner, your analysis is very leftist. You reveal a trust in the general government that is neither earned nor warranted. Your entire statement is one of statist approach. Where do the leftists derive this undying trust in the omnipotent state? Give me an instance when the general government did anything right. What did it ever do that did not illustrate its inherent corruption and incompetence? The Founders of this country had no such trust in general governments. That is why they created a government of limited powers. And the tenth amendment was added to make certain that those powers remained limited. A totalitarian, leftist state is the complete opposite of their goals. Most of the expenses you mention – educational system, social services, infrastructure – are not given to the general government by the Constitution, but were, instead, usurpations of state powers by statists. And each of those has proven a disaster in their hands. For the general government to drive businesses off our shores or into bankruptcy to help finance services for which the general government was never intended is, to me, a paradox of absurdity. I believe it would be far wiser be to starve the beast into submisssion.
OneDamnAngryAmerican
Where in the US Constitution does it say that you are entitled to a “job?” You better STFU. because I know for a fact that US businesses are boycotting barry by not hiring, or should I say, by only hiring illegals. If you want to complain about not having any money in your pocket, I say, GET A JOB, moron! And, don’t forget to vote all Republican in the next election. Once Romney guarentees American businesses that they are not going to get raped by the Fed, then they will begin hiring. Or, why not go to a “liberal” and have them give you a job? Most liberals are now homeless people and they live under bridges. Go ask one of them for a job. Then come back here and bitch about how even a homeless person WON’T even give you a job!
miken25
Right on MAP. Government is force. It has nothing to offer citizens except the management of force.
Robert Smith
MAP asks: “Where do the leftists derive this undying trust in the omnipotent state? Give me an instance when the general government did anything right. ”
Kill Osama.
Get health care to those who need it (work in progress).
Robert, with more leftist nonsense. Tell us, oh great see-all-know-all, why was Osama a burden to begin with? How did the hijackers get into this country to begin with? By what great act of the god-like state was this allowed to happen? What did it cost us, the taxpayer, to achieve this great failure? And your healthcare disaster has even not happened, thank God. Therefore, you place faith in something that has not even taken place. You are a dreamer, a disillusioned communist. May the Lord protect us from such as you.
MAP
Correction in the above. Robert is a delusional communist, not disillusioned. Pray that he was!
http://losgastospendejosdelprian.blogspot.com Mario Quijano
I still see a lot of adhominems and rather quaint, very retro, cold warrior rhetoric against Mr. Loecher’s assertion that the top 2% enjoy an unprecendently low tax rate. But no one has yet to dispute it. Is it true or not? And, if true, is lowering this tax rate even more the way to create jobs in this country?
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003309707389 Tom W.
Mario, the answer is Yes. Those with money are those who create jobs. In addition, who decided that it was ‘fair’ that those who earned more paid taxes at a higher rate? History proves that when tax rates are lowered, more money flows into the economy and all benefit.
Deerinwater
“Most liberals are now homeless people and they live under bridges.”
Now tell us how you know that? I would tend to believe that they are not “political” at all! They have not engaged the political process. Having no willingness, desire or political acumen, look at the activities of politician as I a workingman/gun hunter might golfers, looking on with only mild amusement, thinking~ “that’s pretty”, nice lawn!
You are attempting to suggest, mankind is to be divided into two groups in perfunctory fashion. All those in prison and living under bridges are liberals, all those that work, raise and educate children and pay taxes are conservatives.
I think you need to set down that paint roller and pick up a smaller brush if you ever expect to paint us a clear picture of your political “views”
Michael
MAP, the government is in place to guide and serve the people and it has done a fine job of doing just that. The results speak for themselves since America, even with our current down turn, is the envy of the world. I’ve lived in Europe and travelled overseas and can tell you with 100% certainty that America is the best place on earth. The small government zealots in the Bush administration are the true enemies of America; by not enforcing laws and regulations they didn’t like they caused the Great Recession. The best bet for effective government is one run by Democrats who are fiscally responsible like Clinton. With all the insane turmoil on the Right it is forgotten that Clinton left office after 3 years of budget surpluses each larger than the one before and we were well on our way to invincibility. We would be there is Gore had been elected instead of GWB and the Right would be shriveled up and forgotten.
nc
Map, you ask when has General Government ever done anything right? Ever heard of WWII? Wasn’t fought by state militias! Was fought under the managment of a GENERAL GOVERNMENT! You say general government has gotten too big and two powerful! Where would rather be today? Somewhere else? All of what we are today occurred while the general government was in control! It has never lost out to a different country! WE’re number one in the world, What would you rather the general government achieve?? Winning the NBA???
As the old saying goes, you conservatives would pi$$ and moan with a loaf of bread under each arm!! From what I have read here NO past President would qualify as a “true conservative” based on their tax hikes and accumulation of debt! Since we achieved ” Number one nation in the world” status and remained there without your leadership, that
is a mighty good indicator we don’t need “true conservative” leadership!
Wayne Root has obviously just awankened from a 12 year nap if he thinks all of this economic mess started with Obama! The 06 and 08 elections were adjustments to economic condition that he slept through.! Leading economist as early as 2005 WBO (Way Before Obama) were predicting the collapse of the housing market and guess what?? They were dead right and with it came the collapse of the finanicial market before Obama was even the leading candidate for the Democrat nomination!
http://yahoo.com Jim
Map , you got it right in everything you said in your comment. The left is putting their spin on everything that is wrong with America but it is only cheap and down right lies they are saying to save their president’s hide with the upcoming election. Those that will vote for him are either Marxist or people that actually believe what he has been shoveling for the last 3 and a half years and if the majority of American’s are either of those things, then nothing will change their minds until it is too late, then those that are card holding Marxists will then be the 1% they are always complaining about and the rest will just have to depend on Obama’s handouts and entitlements since we are losing our manufacturing base faster with this administration in office then we have lost in the last 30 years.
DaveH
Robert Smith (answering the question — what has Government done right?) —
Kill Osama. Really Robert? Did you see the body? Did anybody except the Seals? Why would they so hurriedly bury him at see when he has been the target of the US’s attention for a decade? Did Obama kill Osama (if it really was)? How come you credit Obama with the military’s 10 year quest to kill started under Bush, but don’t credit Obama with our current economic malaise which you say was Bush’s fault?
Get health care to those who need it (work in progress)?
Surely you kid, Robert? The takeover of the Health Care Industry is doomed to failure when Government runs out of other peoples’ money and starts rationing care to all. How could anybody expect anything different when disinterested expensive middlemen, who have secure jobs and don’t have to answer to the patients, will be placed between the doctor/patient relationship? Socialism always has, and always will Fail, because the reality is that it is designed to feather the Leaders’ and their Crony Capitalists’ nests at the expense of the rest of the citizens.
Above all, Corporations don’t pay taxes — People do.
The Corporations just pass the higher costs (by necessity) to the consumers, or they lay workers off or lower their pay, or they move out of the country. The Corporate Tax is just another of the many ways that Government fleeces the citizens.
In 1900 Government spent less than 7% of our GDP.
Now they spend over 40% of our GDP. That’s almost a 7X increase in their size. Are we that much more in need of protection than they were in 1900? Of course not. Leaders are just adept at growing their Power and Perks at the rest of our expense.
eddie47d
Considering that tax rates were 80-90% back in the earlier 50′s claiming that lower tax rate will spur the economy comes across as rather shallow. It may be true but businesses back then were entering a era of tremendous growth and our economy was going gang busters. Now we have lower tax rates (about half of what it was) and the only ones benefiting are spoiled CEO’s who fight over each other in who’s got the most. I would say they are doing quite well and they don’t even have a robust economy in mind and only their own self interest.
Paul B.
Michael, another delusional leftist. Clinton a spendthrift? You might want to reconsider that opinion. The ONLY reason Clinton had budget surpluses was due to the efforts of the Republican led Congress… period. And heaven help us if Gore had been elected. We would have faced numerous attacks from Al Qaida, Bin Laden would still be running free and his appetite for Green Energy would have bankrupted us by now.
I do agree with you though that America still IS the best place on earth, regardless of your compatriots consistent trashing of what we have, and what we want the vision of America to be… smaller government, less market manipulation from DC, more money in our pockets to spend, more freedom to pursue our OWN dreams and goals, not to have to follow the goals of those who would diminish America’s greatness, our individual freedoms for the benefit of centralized planning… which has yet to EVER been proven effective.
Hey You
Paul: You seem to forget that the budget surpluses of the “Clinton years” were mostly caused by the winding-down of the “cold war” and the decrease in military spending which accompanied that winding-down. Present activities are never insulated from prior events.
Hey You, sorry but there never was a surplus during the Clinton years…never was!
Doug
Hey Robert how about showing me some proof that we killed Kill Osama last year? You took hook line and sinker you have no proof you know why Osama has been dead for years. Oh Robert before going to be tonight make sure to look under your bed and in the closet to make sure the boggy man is not in your room tonight. A mind is a terrible thing to waste and yours is a waste land!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003309707389 Tom W.
Have y’all seen this new ad put out by “Veterans for a Strong America”?! ENJOY PATRIOTS!!!
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?” – Isaiah !4:12-17 (KJV)
Sounds like our beloved POTUS and Lucifer both suffer from the same problem. an “I” problem!!!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003309707389 Tom W.
In honor of Memorial Day coming up! I found this song on Steve Vaus’ 1996 CD “Don’t Tread On Me”, the words to the song were there but not a credit to the writer, it sounds traditional to me and if anyone knows anything about the history of the song and the identity of it’s writer, I would LOVE to know! I think it’s AWESOME!!!
Sacred Ground
This sacred ground, deserves my all
No less for God, or freedom’s call
If my life, be laid down, let it be on sacred ground
It was purchased with the blood of Patriots,
consecrated for liberty
Protected, through the generations,
Now the future rests with me
This sacred ground, deserves my all
No less for God, or freedom’s call
If my life, be laid down, let it be on sacred ground
Who will answer the call for warriors,
Who will be there at the battle line
Who will lift up a prayer for courage,
Who will bury me if I die?
This sacred ground, deserves my all
No less for God, or freedom’s call
If my life, be laid down, let it be on sacred ground
If I should die, watch o’er my family,
But brother shed no tears for me
For I will be among the angels,
Who’ve given all to keep all free
This sacred ground, deserves my all
No less for God, or freedom’s call
If my life, be laid down,
Let it be on sacred ground
http://gravatar.com/bychoosing Jay
Well said Map, bravo!!! Keep in mind Map, when the lefttist-zombies viscously attack you, it is not you they’re attacking, but the truth!!!
Tom W.
Whadup MAP?! If you didn’t see my thank you for the link to the Ann Barnhardt videos! Talk about one pissed mamma griz! SON!!! Sarah and Michele together as a team couldn’t carry Ann’s sports bra! LOL!!! Now she’s the real deal! I sent that link to my 31 yr.old left-leanin’, Kool-Aid guzzlin’, femi-nazi, (Thank God she’s straight!) daughter, and she responded, “That lady’s off of her meds!” LOL!!! I LOVE IT! She’s sooo stubborn and hardheaded, a trait naturally inherited from her know-it-all mother, and like most of her gender thinks that they (women) can fix the world if given the chance. LOL!!! When ya get right down to basics, women already rule the world and are responsible for the shape that it’s in!!!
Michael J., AWESOME video!!! It’s hard to refuse to see it when ya get bludgeoned right up side of you lemming heads, huh Qu…oops, I mean Deer, Rob, nc, and the rest of you loony-left, Kool-Aid intoxicated libtards!!! Oh yeah Michael J., it does look like him! Maybe it’s his cuz!!! Uncle Ungabunga’s son! LOL!!!
Mario, what good is it goin’ to do to raise the tax rate for the top 2% when they already shoulder a huge portion of the burden?!! Their tax rate isn’t THE problem! The problem is the GROWING percentage of worthless, good-for-nothing, lazy, parasites who refuse to work and lay around whinin’ feed me, clothe me, house me, school (I have not the foggiest clue why!!!) me, and the tax payer funded bureaucratic amalgamation from hell of self-serving, lazy, could care less who’s payin’ the bill, six-figure salaried sponges who coddle and spoon feed these worthless slugs like the good little nanny state that we’ve become!!! THAT’S THE PROBLEM MARIO!!!
It took three times to send this post! The first two times, I was almost done and hit the wrong key and POOF!!! Makes ya wanna KILL somethin’!!! Where do you live Qu… I mean Deer?!! It’s terrible to become addicted to posting when ya can’t spell or type either one! LOL!!! But whoever said ya can’t teach an old dog new tricks?!! I’m workin’ on it!!! WOOF!
Keep your eyes on the skies everybody, JESUS IS COMIN’! He LOVES y’all and so do I!!!
Jeremy Leochner
MAP I never said I have absolute trust in the government. I do not believe in an omnipotent state. In regards to the good the government has done I would point out the abolition of slavery, the right to vote for women, the repeal of child labor laws, social security, and finally the voting rights act. Government is not perfect but neither is it evil. It is not inherently corrupt. I do not believe it is all good though. Government is like any thing. It is good and bad. I figure lets try and save the good and expand on it before we simply gut the whole thing for the sake of destroying the bad. We need to reform the government, not reboot it.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003309707389 Tom W.
I beg to differ Jeremy, sometimes ya just gotta tear that old barn down and build a new one. When that old barn has stood for years in disrepair, sometimes the easiest and safest thing to do is to set it on fire, step back and get outta the way and let her BURN!!!
Like the weather, everybody talks about how bad it is but nothing changes. Substantive change is not out of our reach. The Founding Fathers, in the debate between the Federalists (altho they were more like Royalists) and the anti Federalists, hit upon the best solution:
Limit central government to a narrow list of powers and a very restrictive taxing authority, seeing it as a necessary evil, but binding it down with the chains of the Constitution. In fact, 75% of the federal government is based on a very shaky reading of the Commerce Clause.
If the citizens rise up and demand that the federal government return to its lawful role, specifically that the legal authority of the Commerce Clause be reestablished to conform with original intent, which was merely the regulation of duties between states. Over time the federal cancer would be reduced to about 20-25% of its current size and the thuggish income tax would no longer be needed (since it violates several enumerated liberties anyway). The problem of crony capitalism would be one of simply enforcing the law. Enormous capital that was freed up (or tax load) would in the free market produce much greater economic activity and wealth. Yes there would still be corruption and pandering, but it would be a pale shadow of its current self. The best way to deal with rats, roaches and other vermin is to deny them sustenance.
There is a strong reform movement in the Republican party, and a serious effort to reform the Commerce Clause is very possible. The next and final step would be devolving all the federal overreach to state authority over a reasonable period, say 3-5 years. Those states which chose to continue overbearing and confiscatory taxes could, like present day California, do so. No doubt most states would choose a free and less intrusive course. Competition between the states is also a great way to balance the power.
DaveH
Flashman (aka Jeremy Leochner),
Give it up. The regulars know your game. Do you think its good for Progressives to have you making them look bad?
CardinalMo
Yes…Let’s just trust the corporations with HUGE profit motivative. You really don’t know who is controling your life do you?
CardinalMo
I don’t think progressives trust either the government or the Global corporations. But the lesser of the two evils is the govenrment when the public does their job and learns about the candidates beyond the superfical bickering.
jorind
Bravo MAP. A pithy and erudite response to an avowd leftist statist.
Shane
Hey Jeremy. I need salt to survive. But too much salt spoils the soup and may kill me. Understand?
DaveH
No he doesn’t, Shane, because Jeremy isn’t here to learn. He is just one of Flashman’s multiple personalities.
Mike in MI
Shane – Dave is right; he can no more absorb such information than granite absorbs tar. A Univ. of VA prof. named Jonathan Haidt has been researching what may be a genetic basis for why people develop into the particular brand of socio-political personalities they become. See “Born Ths Way?”. Jonathan Haidt archive, REASON.com, May 2012.
It’s kinda neat because it seems that if a successful culture needs an engine that runs on five cylinders, liberals are only banging on two.
Even more interesting is that Haidt self-identifies as a lib. So, while he and his team identified five principles (cylinders) I personally suspect the are probably several more which they can’t “see” because of their liberal blindness.
Hey DaveH, does anyone have a clue as to how many there are?!! Could be hundr… Hell! It could be thousands!!! It’s scary as HELL if you ALLOW yourself to really think about it! Ahhhhh!!!
Jeremy Leochner
I understand Shane.
Dave nice to see you again. And I am not one of many personalities. I am only Jeremy as I have always been.
DaveH
Sure you are, Flashman.
DaveH
It’s time for your meds, Flashy.
CardinalMo
You have that right.
Jeremy Leochner
Dave. I believe you are who you say you are. I do not believe you are a fake name. All I ask is for you to pay me the same respect I pay you. I believe what I believe and with all due respect you are not going to change that by insulting me and pretending I am lying about who I am. My name is Jeremy Leochner. If you cannot accept that than we can never have a real discussion. I have a right to post my beliefs same as you. I would prefer a discussion of the issues, not my identity. If you wish to have such a discussion I will be all for it.
CardinalMo
Good Job Jeremy you stated your position very well. It takes a real man with intellegence to do as you did. I glad some of the folks who are making comments do not fall back on name calling, hateful comments, ahd praising the king for every turn of the wind.
Jeremy Leochner
Thanks for the compliment CardinalMo.
Robert Smith
“I will be the first to admit I have not read the novel. ”
I have, Jeremy.
It’s NOT those who are producing like the Dagney and Reardon who are the problem. These folks have strong personalities (Ayn Rand distills things so they can be easuly understood) and it’s clear that not ALL who can produce go on strike under the leadership of John Gault. A lot of good points are clearly made, but there is room to understand that absolutes are not the rule of the day.
Ayn Rand had another entire catigory of folks who were ripping things appart in America. The LOOTERS. They are the 1% who are using paper instruments to rip off the middle class and corrupt our economy.
Those who were responsible for the crash during the Bush years should have been prosicuted and put in jail if found guilty. Obama should have done the same thing.
Rob
Warrior
You’re right, and the majority of those responsible are still holding office. There should be a whole bunch of pink slips handed out this Nov. Imagine, all these tripes who claim they just didn’t know how bad the situation was. Are you kidding me? They provided the ingredients. McCain, pelosi, reid, schumer, durbin, osama, boxer and all the rest of the “progressive putz’s”. Out with every one of these friggin communists!
Deerinwater
I have read the novel, in fact all of her novels, “We the Living” my personal favorite. Ayn Rand wrote from a delightfully narcissistic point of view. The world was truly her oyster. Ms Rand was an extremely powerful wordsmith and a confusingly delightful read. She wrote in a way, you would spend months thinking about her views of the world and your own responsible in the world. Not light reading and surly not for the weak minded and doubtful heart.
If the world was full of very many Ayn Rands, it become over crowded rather quickly as such a character requires a lot of personal space.
Michael J.
Robert Smith,
I am no longer a fan of Dubya, but I can tell you that the crash you speak of did not happen until consumers and big business got wind of what was coming down the pike in the name of the goddess you worship!!!
The curtain has been pulled back, the Genie is out of the bottle, the game is over. Truth has a clensing affect and your parroted rethoric is still filthy dirty.
DaveH
Ayn Rand was an immigrant from the USSR. She knew full well how Leaders could distort the Marketplace and fool the citizens with their double-speak Propaganda.
SerfCityHereWeCome
LOL. If you’d really read it, you’d know his name is John GALT.
vicki
Robert Smith writes:
—————————————————-
Ayn Rand had another entire catigory of folks who were ripping things appart in America. The LOOTERS.
—————————————————-
A bit more for Robert Smith on who the looters are according to rand.
“The looters are basically pseudobusinessmen, like the incompetent steel executive Orren Boyle, who get unearned riches by getting special favors from politicians. Their business isn’t business, but political pull.”
Note the central connection in the looters corruption is CENTRAL Government.
Tom W.
Robert! Man!!! I thought my spellin’ was bad! Boy, SCHWC sure called your lemmin’ bluff there didn’t he?! Qu… I mean Deer, I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, you’re deeper than your hero’s dead, decaying, crustacean eaten, body dude! You’re sooo full of yoself, a TRUE legend in yo own mind!!!
I’ve never read the book, I will one day, but as much as I’ve heard about it, don’t feel it’s nessesary!!! I hear the moral of the story and totally agree, nothing kills ambition more or faster than having hard work not recognized, or rewarded, or even worse, seein’ someone who’s not hittin’ a lick gettin’ by better than you when you’re givin’ it ALL ya got!!! It’s the same problem that has been the cause of just about every revolution recorded in the history books, TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!!! The window of opportunity is closing fast on these people and they know it! This plan is very very old!(http://www.conspiracyarchive.com/NWO/Illuminati.htm) Only God knows how old!!! But they see that people are startin’ to awaken and that without clairvoyance their plan is doomed! They were hopin’ to disarm us by deceit, and now I believe are beginning to realize how futile that hope was!!! Be on your toes everybody, I look for them to pull out all stops to try and cause some type of social uprisin’ which will give them the opportunity to implement Mashall Law!!! BE VIGILENT Vig! We MUST keep our cool as long as absolutely possible, but at the same time not allowing them to succeed to the point of no hope!!! I truly don’t believe that this will ever be resolved in a peaceful manner, I pray that I’m wrong but I don’t see this ending without armed conflict! BE READY AND PRAY AMERICA!!! GOD BE WITH US!
Tom W.
Hey Vicki! Sorry! I meant to say hey at the end of the last post, but got so wrapped up in the heat of the battle that I popped that send button before I realized that I meant to halla’ at you also! I pray you didn’t feel like I was writin’ ya off or ignorin’ ya, ’cause I think your posts are awesome!!!
http://gravatar.com/bychoosing Jay
Back in the early 70’s, when “tree-huggers” were predicting the new ice age, Ayn Rand was lecturing at Boston where she was speaking on the topic of how the progressives were going to use environmentalism to destroy capitalism.
You might be interested in picking up a copy of her book, deer, “The New Left”: The Anti-
Industrial Revolution. The lecture is in that book.
http://www.mototcarsfinancial.com Brad
Jeremy, I have a few questions for you. Are you a small business owner and if so what industry?
DaveH
Jeremy is one of Flashman’s alter egos. I guess after Bob Livingston dressed him down yesterday, Flashman reverted to one of his old personalities (Scroll down to Bob Livingston’s comment): http://personalliberty.com/2011/05/16/what-now/#comment-341930
Karolyn
Jeremy is young and one of the most polite posters who ever visits here.
DaveH
Karolyn,
You’ve been around long enough to know better. Jeremy is one of Flashman’s multiple personalities. Follow the link above to Bob Livingston’s comment.
Flashman is one sick puppy.
Jeremy Leochner
Dave I am not flashman. My desire is to debate and discuss. My name is Jeremy. My views are my own. If I truly believe what I say there is no reason for me to hid behind a fake name. I believe what I believe and I have no problem with people knowing this is what I believe. In fact I prefer it. I am Jeremy and this is what I believe. I wish you would show me the respect I show you. I believe you are who you say you are and that your beliefs are what you say they are. All I ask is for you to please treat me with the same dignity.
Jeremy Leochner
I am not a small business owner. I am a student. I do not know what small business owners are going through. I think regulations should be brought up. I do not know very much about what regulations are being enforced but I am sure there are some that are not needed. I think certain regulations should be discussed. If a good case can be made for that regulation to be amended or abolished than I would be for it wither way. The problem is I often just hear broad phrases from politicians about how many regulations there are and how we need to start slashing them. I think we can be a little more specific than that.
Interesting. Never knew there was a song called Jeremy.
Tom W.
Did ya listen to the words?!!
DaveH
Save it, Flashman. You can fool Karolyn (not hard), but you don’t fool me. And you’re right about one thing, Flashman, I don’t respect you. I think you are one sick puppy.
dawgbisquit
Hey DaveH, do ya think he’s sittin’ there behind his keyboard in a pair of Groucho glasses! LOL!!!
Jeremy Leochner
I am not trying to fool anyone Dave. Call me crazy but I truly believe what I say I do and I do not mind having people know what I believe. I have a right to my opinion same as you.
http://www.hamptonbush.com Charles
Hi, Jeremy. As a “senior” who has been there and done that, let me say that I was born in a nearly free country just coming out of the great depression and and only a few years before entering WWII. Compared to now, we were totally free back then, partly because we had half the population we have now, but mostly because the hyper well-intended “progressives” hadn’t locked in a strangle hold on the country. I was going to joke and that now these leftists even want to control CO2, the “gas” your body expels when you breathe.
They have created so many laws (40,000 new laws in 2011 alone between fed, city and states, look it up), that it is impossible to breath without breaking one of them. To understand the real impact, multiply some portion of that number times the 236 years we’ve been a country, and the total number on the books becomes mind boggling, whatever it is.
What are all of these new laws that were passed?
Well, again, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, they ranged from making it a crime to sell a live animal on any street or in any parking lot to honoring law enforcement officials killed in the line of duty with special medals. Several states passed laws regarding the use of E-Verify. Others tackled changing regulations for upcoming elections. Still others range from prohibiting the sale of shark fins to allowing civil unions, from creating a license plate for music teachers and banning people under the age of 18 from using tanning beds. Oregon passed laws to increase compliance with the requirement to report any hunting activity. Many states passed laws restricting texting or the use of cell phones while driving. Other laws covered environmental regulations, sexual exploitation of children for profit. California passed a law requiring that the contributions of gays and lesbians to our country and culture be taught in California schools. A new law in California prohibits an employer or prospective employer from using a consumer credit report for employment purposes. The new laws go on and on, covering healthcare, housing, impaired driving, insurance, pensions and employee benefits, transportation and veterans benefits. And these don’t include those passed by the U.S. Congress.
If you’re starting to feel a bit cramped under this barrage of new laws, most of which you won’t know exist until you accidentally break one, welcome to the club. The big question is: what to do about it?
Texas governor Rick Perry in one of the recent GOP debates suggested that we should only allow Congress to meet every two years, and then only for a few months at a time (as does Texas.) Seems to me that would be great for state legislatures, too. If they only worked a few months every couple of years, they couldn’t do so much damage.
If you really want to understand, and not just defend the state, read the book “The Road to Serfdom” by F.A. Hayek. That book will open your eyes as to why liberalism (do-goodism) inevitably leads fascism and/or a dictatorship.
Have a nice, if you can, before that, too, becomes illegal or “unfair” to those who aren’t having one.
Tom W.
Good mornin, Charles, I do hope you read my response, I tried to send it to ya yesterday but my computer keeps mysteriously deleteing messages that I’m workin’ on but not ready to send! I don’t know if it’s something that I’m doing wrong, I’m still a neanderthal, or if it’s something wrong with the lap-top, GOTTA LUV IT!!! And I do!
Charles if you’ve never seen the documentary film by the late ex-governor of Nevada, and Hollywood film producer (“The Rose” with Bette Midler and “Trading Places” with Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy,) Aaon Russo called, “America: From Freedom to Facism”?!! If you haven’t, I know you’ll find it interesting! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNNeVu8wUak) Over-complication!!! Have you seen the latest tax code?!!
Yes it was a TOTALLY different world back then, or at least I’ve been told! You sse I was born in “58″ and pretty much remember the late 60′s and early 70′s as the years of my childhood. As turbulent of a time in our history as that was, it was still a TOTALLY different world even then! There was a prevailing HOPE that the fruition of the TRUE “American Dream” that ALL people could live together in peace with liberty and justice for ALL, the “Dream” that Dr. King so eloquenty shared from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial that early summer day in 1963. MAN!!! What in the HELL were WE smokin’?!! WE were that generation that Don McLean so aptly decribed as “lost in space” in his classic pop hit “American Pie”! With ALL our grandious ideas of peace, love, and TRUE happiness we went floatin’ out into the world, granny shades on, flowers in our hair, hand raised in the infamous “V” peace sign, ready to take on the establishment! Ready to make some changes!! Ready to change this world back into the lush green paradise that it was back in the Day!!! WE forgot the MOST important element, WE forgot GOD!!! The AUTHOR and the FINISHER of ALL things! We went and got engulfed in our own SINS, “If it feels good, DO IT!!!” became our motto, and as good as that might sound, we forget about other people’,s feelings and lives as we selfishly live out our wildest fantasies, family name?! Who cares?!! It was ME, ME, ME, and that ALL there was to IT!!! Those of us who grew uip during those years, the ones who are STILL alive and not in prison, HAVE to KNOW that SOMEONE was watchin’ over them!!! And He still is!
How bout you Charles? Do you and yours know the Creator of the Universe as your Personal Lord and Savior?!! If the rapture were to happen today, I’d be totally in awe if 75% of church members, not to mention the general population of the United States, would be present at that great meeting in the air. (I Thess. 4:16-18) Do You know what the Olivette Prophecies are? Before entering Jerusalem for the last time, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives and told the Deciples for the third time what was going to befall Him. They just weren’t getting it. But He told them not to worry because He would come again. When asked what would be the signs of His return, He gave them these prophecies. (Matt. ch.24, Mark ch.13, and Luke ch.21) Luke ch.17 also touches a little on the End-time Prophecies. Along with many other Old and New Testament prophecies. Study them! Know them! Memorize them! Is your lamp trimmed and burning? (Matt. 25:1-13) Because if you’re not looking up, (Luke 21:28) you surely to God must be blind!!! (II Cor. 4:3&4) Jesus is coming everybody!!! I pray that you’re ready! If you’re not, you may pray a prayer similar to this: “Dear God, I know that You love me. I admit that I’m a sinner. Please forgive me for my sins. I place my faith in Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for saving me. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.” If you prayed that prayer and meant it with all your heart, know for a certainty that it is impossible for God to lie! (Rom. 10:13) This is what it means to be born-again! (John 3:3) Go find yourself a church, forget about a perfect one, they don’t exist. Surround yourself with Christian friends, they won’t be perfect either, that’s why we need Jesus! Emmerce yourself in Gods’ Word so you’ll know how to fight off ole’ nick. (Eph. 6:13-18) You’re in the Army now, soldier! And now it’s your job to bring as many lost sheep back into the fold as possible. (Matt. 5:14-16) What?! Did you think it was going to be easy? (II Tim. 3:12) God be with you! I wish for everyone who reads this letter to know that the writer is a certified Jesus nut with plenty of documentation to prove it!
Tom W.
Another little Gem that I just discovered Charles! Thought it went right along with your thoughts from yesterday! I pray you enjoy it as much as i did!!!
http://losgastospendejosdelprian.blogspot.com Mario Quijano
Mr. MAP: you fall into the adhominem fallacy by right away stating to Mr. Loechner that “your analysis is very leftist” and NOT responding to Mr. Leochner’s assertions that the top 2% enjoy all the fiscal privileges and their tax rates are at historical lows. I ask you, Mr. MAP, is Leochner’s assertion true or false? Where specifically does Mr. Loechner “reveal an unwarranted trust in the government”? Can you cite evidence that refutes Mr. Loechner’s assertion that the top 2% enjoy historically low tax rates? If Mr. Loechner’s assertions are true, how low do you Mr. MAP believe should the tax rate for the top 2% go before jobs start being created once again in this country (NOT in China)? Thank you.
http://www.mototcarsfinancial.com Brad
Mario, Are you in the 99% or are you part of the all new. just released, 98%?? I am confused when did the 98% come into effect. Man you liberals just can’t make up your mind….
Oh a co worker just passed me the latest memo, it has something on it the resemble PBJ, not sure what that is on the now wadded up crumpled note, say’s that on Thursdays liberals will talk for now on of the 98%, but will change back to 99&% on Fridays. Everyone inter this into tyheir notes so tomorrow we will all understand 98% on Thursdays and 99% on everyother day. GOT IT!!
http://losgastospendejosdelprian.blogspot.com Mario Quijano
Brad – I am a liberal? I am as fiscally conservative as can be! Please, do you have arguments or just have adhominems? (I suggest you and the rest of the proletarian flock here wiki what an adhominem is.) Anyways, Brad, is Loechner’s assertion true or not? Do the top 2% enjoy a historically low tax rate? Will lowering it even more create jobs?
http://www.hamptonbush.com Charles
The top 2% is not homogeneous.The noveau riche generally earned what they have and deserve every penny of it. Would you say that Bill Gates doesn’t deserve his wealth? He built Microsoft from scratch. What about Sam Wall, who started in a small town story in Arkansas and grew his company via hard work over the years to become Walmart? Sam Wall became a billionaire. Was Sam Wall undeserving of his rewards. Look at the men who built Home Depot from scratch. When you say the top 2%, you shouldn’t lump them all together. It is the old money, the Gnomes of Zurich, the Bilderbergers, the really super wealthy families, the Rockefellers, Melons, the Rothchilds, etc. that have the power. They inherited the money mostly from robber barons. Most businessmen are just businessmen. They are not the manipulators of governments as are the super wealthy, world power brokers who stand with their legs on multiple continents, with no real national loyalties. Think ye, before ye condemn.
Ted Crawford
Mario
What you and Mr. Leochner assert is true! What you might not be considering here is the status of the World Markets at the times of these higher tax rates. When tax rates were at some of their highest points, we enjoyed a dominance in manufacturing and Industry, due to the devastation of Europe during the war. Our compitition was weak and inefficient. The same is not true today, and ALL their tax rates are much lower!
In addition to that fact, our Industries are far more regulated and our labor cost are far higher than other countries.If we are to remain a leader in the World Marketplace some of these issues must be substantively addressed! Would you prefer that we de-regulate, or cut the wages to American workers, or is a tax reduction a more commonsense approch?
Mario Quijano (flashy is that you hiding under there?) says:
————————————————————-
Mr. MAP: you fall into the adhominem fallacy by right away stating to Mr. Loechner that “your analysis is very leftist” and NOT responding to Mr. Leochner’s assertions that the top 2% enjoy all the fiscal privileges and their tax rates are at historical lows.
———————————————————–
You seem to have erred in your assertion. Had Mr. Map said that Mr. Loechner was very leftist then it might have been an ad hominem fallacy. However Mr. Map said that Mr. Loechner’s ANALYSIS is very leftist. That is a self evident truth.
Now for a moment lets address the historical low tax rates. They are lower then they were in the 1940s. But do you really think that people like Mr Obama would be paying 94% of his now paltry just less than 1 million a year income in taxes? Do you REALLY think that the 94% was there to get lots of money for government? http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxfacts/displayafact.cfm?Docid=213
Take a wayback machine to those years and look at the marginal rate vs the actual rate after all the wonderful loopholes for those making more than $70,000 a year. That magical 2 % have been leading the people around for YEARS and they are government employees all or their few crony capitalist friends.
But go ahead and raise the marginal tax rate back to 94% minus any loopholes and see if you can find ANYONE willing to work for 3 weeks a year for themselves and 49 weeks as slaves for the government beast.
Slaveholder thy name is progressive tax.
Now since the original comment was about CORPORATE tax I ask you who you think pays that tax. If you answer Corporations then congratulations. You have been successfully brainwashed.
For those who are not sure consider that you are in business to make money. If your cost of making something goes up (additional taxes) do you raise your prices or do you just sit back and loose money? Remember ALL your competition gets the same additional tax.
Well not all but that is a crony capitalist story.
atikva
The bottom 48% doesn’t pay ANY income tax at all, while In NYC, for instance, 3% of the population pays for 47% of the city budget.
You haven’t got a clue, obviously.
carrobin
I’ve always wondered how much of that percentage who don’t pay income tax (though they pay all the other taxes everyone else pays) are actually the extremely wealthy, who keep accountants and “wealth advisors” are on staff for that kind of thing.
Geiser Carol
Hey Jeremy, I think you need more coffee this morning. And please, BEFORE you post your ?? statements, please do your research first.
First and foremost, NO the marginal tax rate for “rich” people and the capital gains tax rate is NOT at an all time low. Do you have any knowledge of history or are you just spewing forth your drivel because you’re a far left leftist?
Are you aware of the small fact that before 1913 there was NO Capital Gains tax and there was NO rate for taxing income whether marginal or not.
And just why do you think that you or anyone at all has the right to other peoples money?
DaveH
Because Jeremy (aka Flashman) is one of the many Thieving Progressives who lusts after other peoples’ assets and have little in the way of morality.
revere
Teddy Roosevelt, you know,one of the presidents enshrined on Mt. Rushmore, said;
“The man of great wealth owes a particular obligation to the state because he derives special advantages from the mere existance of government.”
DaveH
That might apply to certain Crony Capitalists, but certainly not to all wealthy people. And Teddy Roosevelt would certainly know that since he was a Progressive and in bed with many Crony Capitalists. http://mises.org/daily/3969
Page 188, Footnote 2 — “Indeed, much of the political history of the United States from the
late nineteenth century until World War II may be interpreted by the closeness of each administration to one of these sometimes cooperating, more often conflicting, financial groupings: Cleveland (Morgan), McKinley (Rockefeller), Theodore Roosevelt (Morgan), Taft (Rockefeller), Wilson (Morgan), Harding (Rockefeller), Coolidge (Morgan), Hoover (Morgan), and Franklin Roosevelt (Harriman–Kuhn, Loeb–Rockefeller).
Jeremy Leochner
Your right I am sorry carol. I honestly did not know that. My comment is based on my understanding of the current rates in relation to what they have been since the rates were established.
As to your question I do not believe people have a right to other peoples money. But we
live in a a nation founded on everyone’s equality and liberty. We are all in this boat together but some are struggling and we do need to help them. We all share the weight and we all need to pull our fair share.”Fair share” being an ambiguous term. But we all need to contribute, because we all benefit in some form or another. You could easily argue that collecting taxes is akin to stealing from one person to give to another. But I could also argue that giving people tax cuts and cutting spending to things like social security is also like stealing money. We could go in to all sorts of accusations all day. All I want is to try and have as fair a system as possible, again fair being an ambiguous term. Right now we are in an economic recession and all I hear in Washington is “More taxes and more spending” and “Less taxes and less spending”. Can’t we try a middle approach like “Less spending and More taxes”.
Vicki
Jeremy Leochner says:
————————————————-
Your right I am sorry carol. I honestly did not know that. My comment is based on my understanding of the current rates in relation to what they have been since the rates were established.
————————————————-
It is not as if we have not been telly Jeremy for YEARS what the rates are. It’s not like Jeremy couldn’t look it up on the net like we all did. We even had the courtesy to post the results here. I will do so again. http://ntu.org/tax-basics/history-of-federal-individual-1.html
This one has both bottom and top bracket for each year and what the income line is.
Just imaging having to pay a whole 7% of you income over $500,000 in a year when a house was as much as it was in 1913-1915. The closest I could find in unadjusted fiat dollars was 1930 and you would still have money left over for lots of gas.
thepeoplehistory.com/70yearsofpricechange.html
Jeremy Leochner:
———————————————————
As to your question I do not believe people have a right to other peoples money. But we
live in a a nation founded on everyone’s equality and liberty. We are all in this boat together but some are struggling and we do need to help them.
——————————————————–
Good. Go help them. But quit stealing MY money to do it. I have my own brother to keep.
Jeremy Leochner:
———————————————————
We all share the weight and we all need to pull our fair share.”Fair share” being an ambiguous term. But we all need to contribute, because we all benefit in some form or another
——————————————————–
We all do. Stop pointing a government gun at my head and telling me that YOU don’t think I contribute enough.
Jeremy Leochner:
——————————————————-
You could easily argue that collecting taxes is akin to stealing from one person to give to another.
——————————————————
Not akin. IS. Evidence, Soylandra, TARP, Foreign Aid. …….
Jeremy Leochner:
—————————–
But I could also argue that giving people tax cuts and cutting spending to things like social security is also like stealing money.
—————————-
So the thief comes to steal your wallet and car. He decides to let you keep the wallet (After taking all the cash and credit cards from it) and for THAT you accuse him of stealing? I am beginning to think, as some already do, that liberalism IS a mental disorder.
Jeremy Leochner:
——————————-
All I want is to try and have as fair a system as possible, again fair being an ambiguous term.
——————————
Return to the old ways of private property, hard work, and honest pay. The free market is the only possible fair way. We have shown in this country alone with nearly 100 years of meddling that elites have not a clue how to “manage” the economy. But they sure know how to steal your wealth.
Let the government focus on protecting us from fraud by keeping each of the transactions honest rather than, as it currently does, be the creator of fraud. (Solyndra, Fast and Furious, …..)
Tom
Jeremy’s premise that the top earners have an unprecedentedly low income tax rate is both true and false. It is false because until the 16th Amendment to the Constitution, Congress was not allowed to tax income, therefore the rate on all Americans was zero. It is true because since that time, high wage earners have historically been raped by the income tax. I remember when the top rate was 90%. It was in the 70% range when Reagan got his tax cuts enacted. I wonder if the same extreme effect on the economy would happen today, because our top rate can’t be reduced much more under the same taxing system we have today. If everyone today received a tax decrease, as we did under Bush II, Reagan and Kennedy, we definitely will have over 50% of the population paying no tax. With no skin in the game, why should they vote for any candidate running on an austerity or limited government platform. It’s not costing them any money, they may even profit from the current system. It’s broken beyond repair, and needs to be replaced.
Airangel
Freedom is the ability to pursue riches, there is no guarantee you will be successful. Most Americans are increasingly being forced into poverty because of run-a-way Government spending and gross negligence of the citizen’s hard earned money. With no private sector jobs, there is no revenue going into the Government coffers for all of their extravagant, irresponsible spending.
They always threaten to cut Social Security and Medicare that real tax paying citizens have paid into from their paychecks their whole life only for Government to chop these noble citizens off at the knees and steal any kind of dignified retirement and quality life they so deserve for all their hard years of sacrifice….for what? For our sick Government to send billions to our enemies, billions for rich beaches (yes Government caters to the rich despite their rhetoric) to be re-sanded, billions spent on prostitution studies, forced Big Pharma backed insurance rather than choice, billions to their buddies like Solyndra, Monsanto, etc…even Obama gave his daughters 24,000 each to AVOID paying too much in taxes….the loopholes and special favors are the problem. The rich pay enough taxes, they just need to pay them and the 50% using all the fire, police, medical, roads, etc, need to pay something or do volunteer work to pay back society! Incarcerated need to do good and also pay back society like pick the veggies, rebuild inner cities, paint houses, walk and care for animals, etc. Companies can use prisoners rather than illegals. It also helps rehabilitate the mind to be exposed to doing good rather than always scheming and taking!
DaveH
It’s a dangerous road to allow Government to extract forced labor from their prisoners. It creates a very big incentive for Government to imprison all who it can for any trumped up reason. http://www.cato.org/pubs/catosletter/catosletterv2n1.pdf
Galen
MICHELLE OSAMA OBAMANATION OF DESOLATION SPENT OVER 4 MILLION $$$$ ON THE HAWAIIAN VACATION INSTEAD OF GOING TO CAMP DAVID BECAUSE SHE DID NOT WANT TO DISAPPOINT THE GIRLS???? NEARLY .5 MILLION SO THE KING OF SPAIN COULD KISS HER HAND!!! ONE DAUGHTER TO I THINK IT WAS CANCUN FOR SPRING BREAK SECRET SERVICE COST 255,000$$$. ALL OF THIS TAXPAYER DOLLARS. IT COST 1.5 MILLION$$$ TO PUT AIR FORCE ONE IN THE AIR. THE PREZ HAS BEEN ON CAMPAIGN TOUR FOR A YEAR NOW. THINK OF HOW MANY TIMES AIRFORCE ONE HAS BEEN IN THE AIR. OBAMANATION OF DESOLATION HAS COME TO STEAL KILL AND DESTROY OUR NATION AS WE KNOW IT AND DOING A DANG GOOD JOB AT IT. SAD THING IS , YOU FOLKS WHO DO NOT KEEP UP WITH current national and world events HAVE NO CLUE OF WHAT IS GOING ON. WAKE UP FOLKS!!!
http://gillysrooms.blogspot.com GILLYSROOMS from Australia
Try telling the holiday resort and staff in Hawaii that the money did not do them any good…$4 muillion or whatever it cost was not a waste of money if it created wealth and jobs in Hawaii, but how was the cost calculated? did it include the cost of wages for her security staff or other staff too? IF THE HOLIDAY MONEY IS GOING TO BE SPENT SOMEWHERE IT MIGHT AS WELL BE SHARED AROUND…LOL
DaveH
No Gilly, taking money from the Private Sector, much of which would otherwise have been invested in Productive Capital Equipment and plants to produce cheaper goods, and spending it to service Unproductive Government activities is NOT good for an economy.
Take your hard earned money which you probably would have spent wisely and give it to a profligate Progressive friend, and you will see what I mean.
John
Jeremy, I think you should go back and read Wayne Allen Root’s paragraph again. It is talking about the general population and small businesses being run by the general population. Our government and the media are being run by corporations. If we had a free enterprise system our economy would be thriving. Our phoney money system allows our government and the banks to live in club med while the general population are being treated like a bunch of farm animals. The Federal Reserve money is just ink and paper, backed by absolutely nothing of value. Our government officials can and do make as much as they need for themselves, so inflation (the devaluation of the dollar) isn’t an issue for them. Our lawmakers make hundreds of new laws every year to regulate everything the population does, while the lawmakers themselves are exempt from many of the laws that they make. Our government is supposed to be “rule of Law” where the law is supposed to apply to everyone, not “rule of men” which is a socialist government where the laws are made to manipulate and control people.
The problems that our founding fathers were trying to prevent in the way they designed our government with three branches to keep each other from getting too much power isn’t working anymore. Our founding fathers recognized that human nature is corrupt and positions of power are attractive to corrupt people.
Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:
“I beleive that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies..
If the american people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”
Do you know that when you get a mortgage loan in this country the money loaned to you doesn’t exist. The money is digital money created out of thin air by the federal reserve and nowdays loaned to banks at zero percent interest? The banks then loan the money to you and make more than double the price in real money that you worked for over 30 years. Our government today on both sides is a dog and pony show made up of self serving people who are continually promising the people that they are going to solve our problems, to get elected, when they are the cause of our problems. The people of this country need to quit looking at our government as their daddy. They are our employees, not our rulers. You should read G. Edward Griffin’s book “The Creature from Jeckyll Island”. It gives a factual account of how our government and financial system is really run.
Vicki
Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:
“If the american people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”
It appears that he was quite correct. The evidence is all around us. The Federal Reserve at the center of the set of banks.
http://gmail sancheleezy
J.L. Is nothing but a naive, simplistic fool which the Founder’s warned us about, as they said that if the public does not remain ever vigilant against ignoble and evil forces, this nation will not persevere. Unless the populace is educated and fully in control of their senses they cannot even conceive of the importance of the Bill of Rights and a small federal government which usurps our individual freedoms and liberties. In other words the people in government are not necessarily evil people, in their efforts to be concerned with the people’s needs, but by intervening in everyone’s affairs it becomes oppressive by nature. Jeremy Leochner, READ and COMPREHEND the Bill of Rights before you open your (emotional) mouth.
Jeremy Leochner
I have read the bill of rights. I have never believed that government should not be kept under control. People should not be afraid of their governments governments should be afraid of their people to quote the old parable. But government is not evil. It can be misused and must be watched. But wanting government involvement is not evil and is not the same as wanting to trust the government in all things. Having laws is not the same as oppression. Unrestrained lawmakers can become oppressive but simply having lawmakers does not equal oppression.
Vicki
All very nice. Now do join us here in the 21st century and observe that the lawmakers HAVE become unrestrained and have indeed become the oppressors.
michiganminuteman
Wow, if there was any uncertainty about your stupidity, you just removed that uncertainty. To make statements about a book you haven’t even read is one of the dumbest things I’ve seen today.
Jeremy Leochner
Perhaps your right. The best I can say is I do not believe America today is the same as the America in a fiction.
http://google Leonard W. Giddens Jr.
Where did you come from my friend. You are so off key it is crazy. obama is a complete failure on purpose and it is people like you that are helping him destroy our country one stupid move at a time.
http://www.facebook.com/healey.daniel Dan Healey
Jeremy – I suggest you read the book – ” it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt” Abe Lincoln
Jeremy Leochner
Got me there Dan. I will not try to challenge the words of Honest Abe.
http://rayrothfeldt.wordpress.com Ray Rothfeldt
I don’t think you understand the point – or read the book. Businesses will always exist, but the important question relates to how productive and innovative those businesses are. GE, Alcoa, Kraft all continue to exist and generate incredible profits, but the principle reason they do so is because they are reliant on government for all of the protections you mentioned. Would GE thrive in a market where the government took a back seat and allowed more innovative companies with better products and lower prices to actually challenge them? Not as currently structured. And that’s the point. Rather than enter a rigged game, most of today’s brightest and most energetic business leaders are sitting on the sidelines, waiting for the inevitable economic catastrophe.
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