What about that federal deficit?

[struggle4progress]

Poll question: What about that federal deficit?

[fighttotheend]

1. He's not even worth the m.wage pay. He should pay us.

[ClintonTyree]

3. You're correct....

he isn't smart enough to be a night manager at a 7-11......President? :wtf:

[punpirate]

2. Well, those complaining about the deficit now...

... should have seen that the roots of it go back to early in the Reagan years, when the top nominal tax rate was reduced from 70% to 28%. Republicans having obtained that, they started in on getting more--Bush is simply carrying on that tradition, except more quickly and much more ruthlessly.

One can trace the beginning of the really serious deficit problems to massive tax cuts benefitting the wealthy and corporations under Reagan. One can even trace the current Social Security problems to attempts to make those deficits look smaller than they actually were.

So, definitely, the deficits are related to changes in tax policy benefitting the wealthy and powerful. Wanna fix deficits? Fix that problem. Of course, Bush's off-budget wars and warmongering have made a bad situation worse.

I do think, though, that Gore Vidal is right. Bush will leave office the most hated president in history, but as for domestic opinion, it might not be because of his warmongering, but, rather, because he will have created the conditions for the next depression and for undoing the retaining straps of the safety nets created after the last depression....

[ClintonTyree]

4. "Trickle Down Eeconomics".....

one of the greatest hoaxes ever perpetrated on the American people. Even bush's father had sense enough to call it what it really is, "voodoo economics". The bush baby wouldn't listen to his Dad though. He succumbed to his Corporate Master's siren song, and, like every sailor in history who listened to the siren's song, has ended up on the rocks because of it.

Bush WILL go down as the most hated President in history, and he'll be the butt of eternal jokes at his own ignorant expense.

[Trillo]

5. Glad you mentioned corporations...

The rich need to be sub-divided into two serieses. One series is rich private citizens, the other series is rich corporations.

Calls for more taxation on the rich do not specify the tax burden rich private citizens bear versus the corporate tax burden. I'm certain the lack of specificity with regards to public discourse is deliberately framed to confuse and inflame the citizenry, keeping them divided and conquered.

[dcfirefighter]

6. The L Curve

Is even more apparent in wealth, including corporations. Tax wealth, of the land type. Go Henry George, Go!

Oh, and it makes those who benefit from public policy pay for it.