Seems like we do this every year: The House is gearing up to vote Thursday on repealing the estate tax, an issue that has energized the base in both parties — and that Democrats and Republicans see as a political winner. Republicans are making the vote the centerpiece of their agenda during a week when millions of taxpayers face the … Read More
The Proposed GOP Budget
“A budget is a moral document; it talks about where your values are,” said Representative Rob Woodall, Republican of Georgia and a member of the Budget Committee. “ Okay, Rep. Woodall. Then let’s see where the Republicans values are, by looking at its proposed budget: Without relying on tax increases, budget writers were forced into contortions to bring the budget … Read More
The Problem With Libertarianism
Libertarianism (Latin: liber, “free”) is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as its principal objective. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and freedom of choice, emphasizing political freedom, voluntary association and the primacy of individual judgement. For months, nay, years, I have been wanting to write about the shortfalls of libertarianism. It’s been difficult because who in America, other than outright fascists, … Read More
Obama’s Tax Proposal
So here it is in one graphic: Basically, the bottom 20 percent would see their after-tax incomes grow by around 1.2 percent, while people in the top 20 percent would receive -0.7 percent less. But by dollar amounts, the differences between the bottom and the top are much bigger. The bottom 20 percent would receive $175 more per … Read More
2015 SOTU Preview
They’re called “Democrat pipe dreams” by some. I’m referring to Obama’s plans which he will raise in his 2015 State of the Union speech tonight. Top among those plans is his $60 billion pitch for free two-year community college tuition and $175 billion in new tax benefits for the middle class. How to pay for that? In a very West … Read More
Strongest Year for Job Growth Since 1999
Not bad for a Muslim president who hates America: Continuing a trend of solid job gains, the U.S. economy added 252,000 jobs in December, and the unemployment rate fell to 5.6%. The job gains were stronger than analysts had expected, and the unemployment rate is now 0.2% lower than in the previous month. Overall, 2014 marked the strongest year of … Read More
Speaking Of Falling Oil Prices….
The plummeting price of oil is still the biggest energy story in the world right now. It’s bringing back cheap gasoline to the United States while wreaking havoc on oil-producing countries like Russia and Venezuela. Why does the price of oil keep falling? The short version of the story goes like this: For much of the past decade, oil prices were … Read More
No Question. The Ferguson Police Are Thugs
I've withheld writing about the fatal shooting of Michael Brown. For those distracted by other news stories, Michael Brown was to start college this week. Instead, his parents are planning his funeral. On August 9th, Mr Brown was shot several times and killed by a policeman in Ferguson, a suburb near St Louis, Missouri. The police say the black 18-year-old attacked … Read More
Senate Republicans Block Minimum Wage Legislation
Because why not
Not Number One
The New York Times reports what we all know: The American middle class, long the most affluent in the world, has lost that distinction. While the wealthiest Americans are outpacing many of their global peers, a New York Times analysis shows that across the lower- and middle-income tiers, citizens of other advanced countries have received considerably larger raises over the … Read More
ExxonMobile Can No Longer Deny It
Yes, human civilization is facing one of the greatest threats it has ever faced and no, we aren’t going to do anything about it. Or so says ExxonMobil in their latest report issued coincidentally on the same day as the latest IPCC report on the dangers of climate change. The report marks a rhetorical turning point of sorts where the fossil fuel industry accepts … Read More
Newsflash: Having A Problem With The 1 Percenters Makes You A Nazi
Venture capitalist Tom Perkins compared liberals' push to reduce inequality in the United States to Nazi Germany's war on Jews. In a letter to the editor published in The Wall Street Journal Perkins, a founding member of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, asks whether a "progressive Kristallnacht" is coming. Perkins's letter is in response to an editorial on speech codes at American … Read More
Obscene Income Inequality is Obscene
Just 1 percent of the world's population controls nearly half of the planet's wealth, according to anew study published by Oxfam ahead of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting. The study says this tiny slice of humanity controls $110 trillion, or 65 times the total wealth of the poorest 3.5 billion people. Other key findings in the report: — The world's … Read More