google.com, pub-4599738212880558, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 google.com, pub-4599738212880558, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0

Dec 7, 2010

Will Bernie Sanders filibuster GOP tax cuts? (video)



Wouldn't it be wonderful if America could shake the dust of George Bush off her sandals once and for all? But alas, Dubya's shadow continues embroiling our nation with wars, torture, and grief, yet the latest example of Bush's lingering influence is the devil's deal President Obama has struck with the GOP ('Greedy' Old Party, as everyone knows) to extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% in spite of all common sense.

Guess now that Mr. Obama is outfoxed once again by ideologue Republicans (who don't worry one bit about 'the deficit' when it's them and their buds getting money they'll sock away, not spend), we may now look forward to 2011 as the year the wealthy class, so favored by the White House, set about creating millions of new jobs which the tax cut extension will - the GOP has implied - make so very very possible going forward!

Well, here's the DailyKos petition you may wish to sign protesting this unconscionable move which will add $700 billion to the national debt and lead to what can only be described as dubious improvement for the US economy. For as many people have pointed out, the wealthy class in America had years of lower tax rates under Bush-Cheney during which they could have created US jobs but I think we all know that they did just the opposite which in part has lead to the financial condition our nation is in today.

As DailyKos points out, the same people who are shoving the 'need' for a tax cut extension for the well-to-do are the same varmints who will oppose raising the debt ceiling to pay for it so that their decades-long 'undo entitlements' agenda will unravel the social fabric more than they already have as it proceeds against Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

And thus, the class warfare of Pluto/Chiron grinds on with the plutocratic duo's midpoint tellingly at MC (Goal Point) of the Inauguration 2009 horoscope. Who's side is Mr. Obama on?, we might ask.

You may wish to view the Inauguration 2009 chart with a few details, or here:



Manipulative saboteur Pluto, the dragon guarding the world's treasures, is in 8th house of Shared Resources, Big Money, Debt, Credit, and Transformation and has received returns to its degree 1Cap57 since that day along with November 9, 2010's hook-up of transiting North Node (NN) to Pluto (Lisbon summit, etc); rich man Jupiter rules 8th house and is placed in 10th house near the president (Sun.)

Recently, Pluto conjoined negotiating scribe Mercury upon Inauguration's 2009 9th cusp; transiting Pluto's move into Inaugural 9th house (from 8th house) represents a major change for the Obama administration - and Pluto's ongoing opposition to our nation's Cancerian planets (Venus, Jupiter, and Sun) continues and will crescendo with Pluto's opposition to US natal Mercury Rx which will occur along Pluto's fated path to our national Pluto Return/s of 2022 on Feb 20, July 11, and Dec 28.

US natal Pluto 27Cap33 Rx is at MC as well, and as you see, Inaugural 2009 Mars is placed @ 18Cap29 in 9th house of Foreign Lands (where much of our 'bailout' tax dollars were sent.) '18Cap' is one of the New World Order degrees due to the Great Conjunction/s of the illuminated pair, Uranus and Neptune, all through 1993: '18Cap' = POLITICAL POWER...negative/shadow side expression: smug or strong-armed paternalism.

The degree of the NWO's natal Sun 1Sco19 (Oct 24, 2993) is important as well and is in the same degree as the United Nations' Sun 1Sco07 (Oct 24, 1945); consider one of the UN's midpoint pictures - Uranus/Neptune = Pluto: catastrophes, great losses, calamities, the necessity to give in.
That the newly minted tax cut extension is a welfare program brought to GOP fatcats compliments of the US government doesn't tally well with the upper crust's typical view of themselves, so mum's the word.

These are the fatcats, their relatives, and supporters who turned out in force to vote on Nov 2, 2010 so that this sort of legislation could happen for the benefit of the 2% with scr*wing the 98% the GOP's long-planned goal. We might be forgiven for saying that the Dems are in league with this goal, for on Capitol Hill, it isn't politicians' words and mild protests that count, it's how things actually turn out and the ultimate consequences for we-the-people. Now we see how the tax cut extension will turn out: as a win-win for the wealthy while the deficit is enlarged for no good reason.

This forced showdown on tax cuts has the added bonus for the GOP of further undermining the authority and presidency of Barack Obama which demonstrates that sabotage is alive and well in Washington DC, along with its handmaiden, blackmail.

Tsk tsk!

So if you, dear reader, are not one of the fatcats, remember that you were advised to turn out for the Democrats - and for yourself - on Nov 2. And yes, the Democratic Party is disappointing as well, but they do occasionally make efforts on behalf of the 98%.

So my question for both of you is: will the GOP use this opportunity, this tax gift, to create jobs for America's middle class in 2011 and thus win their thankful votes and praise in 2012? Or will the collapse and restructuring of American society continue unabated?

4 comments:

Alex said...

Hi Jude,

Some of the time I agree with Bernie Sanders and some of the time with dailykos.

On this I'd have to say, we are where we are as result of the midterm 2010 elections; and because the Senate (schedule made by S. Harry Reid) could have but did not address the Bush Tax cuts before November 2ond.

Anonymous said...

Well Said, I have to admire Kants' reflections about purist's

1799 tr. I. Kant Metaphysic of Morals 7 Where can one begin to number the limitation of a large obligation with purism (pedantry with respect to the observance of duty, as to its extent)?

In this case where a consummer based economy has been flawed for so long and fed upon itself both sides of the coin are relevant and hypocritical at once.

LB said...

Hi Jude – Putting politics aside, until and unless we can come up with some fairer method of taxation, I think the repeal of the estate tax should be deliberated as a separate issue from the repeal of tax cuts for the nation’s wealthiest Americans. Or maybe we need to rethink our definition of wealthy.

I’ve never been a big fan of estate taxes anyway (at least not in their current form), but if we have to have some form of taxation, then we should at least consider maintaining the higher exemption amounts. While the super-rich (as well as members of congress) may be sophisticated enough to figure out ways to avoid or significantly reduce estate taxes, many average Americans don’t have a clue.

It’s not uncommon for working class people to want to leave their working class children something when they pass on. Depending on which part of the country you live in, a modest home bought in the 1950’s, combined with modest investments (maybe a small business) might very well result in an estate worth over a million dollars. Is it really fair for lower and middle income beneficiaries (who might be unemployed and/or struggling with other financial issues) to lose out on 55% of their inheritance? A million dollars (less than half a million if the repeal is rescinded) might provide a nice nest egg for one person, but divided by 2, 3, 4, or 5 beneficiaries, it doesn’t promise quite as much, especially in today’s economy where guaranteed pensions are a thing of the past. And in the past, family members who inherited small businesses were often put in the position of having to sell those businesses in order to pay taxes.

Adding insult to injury is the fact that our taxes don’t even guarantee us the basics, such as access to affordable health care. Anyone who’s ever been seriously ill or faced major out-of-pocket medical expenses knows a million dollars doesn’t go nearly as far as it used to.

Just something to think about; thanks for allowing me to express my thoughts. I've already phoned my congressional representative telling them the same.

LB said...

I have to correct myself. My tax percentages were a bit off (Mercury retrograde???). Apparently, it would start at 41% for estates in excess of $1 million, and increase to 55% for estates in excess of $3 million. I think these figures are correct.