I'll preface this post by stating that taxes should be used to fund essential government services. Full stop. Taxes should then be collected in a way so as to have as little effect in distorting markets as possible and in such a way as to not be punitive at any level.

Well, that is never going to happen. Taxes are already distorting markets and are used relentlessly in deliberate market intervention and social engineering. So where are we headed? How do we manage this so it helps the worker and doesn't create another 2008?

Republicans want to slash corporate and capital gains taxes. They are also proposing massive government spending increases. This is a terrible time to do this. We should be paying down government debts now so that we don't have to go to austerity measures when a slower economy leads to inevitable revenue decreases. If you are managing the economy through taxes and government spending then you should raise the tax on the sector of the economy that is very hot and pay down the government debt. That leaves room for government economic stimulus through tax cuts and spending increases when the economy goes into a down cycle. You don't stimulate the hot market when the economy is on the upswing. Corporate profits and capital gains are screeming high right now and that is not translating into proportional increases in employment or wages.  Further cutting the tax burden on that end is not going to do John Q. Public much good right now. It also worsens a stock bubble risk and takes away levers that can be pulled when the stock bubble bursts and there is a financial melt down.

You want to help the basic worker right now? You make labor cheaper. You cut payroll taxes. You provide subsidized health care and take that cost burden out of the price of labor. You provide government funded higher education so that the cost of training the labor is subsidized. You do things like this to make production more attractive than chasing paper and speculating in stocks and such. You pay for it by taxing overheated paper trading. This is the opposite of what they are doing.

They are creating another bubble. I reckon that is just what they want.

 

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No millionaire left behind.

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"One of the reasons why propaganda tries to get you to hate government is because it's the one existing institution in which people can participate to some extent and constrain tyrannical unaccountable power." Noam Chomsky.

Well Trump did just pay 25 million to American "workers" who where defrauded by his fake "University".

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“It is the heart of US policy to use fascism to preserve capitalism while claiming to be saving democracy from communism “ - Michael Parenti

Trump is also going to propose massive spending cuts. I will look on with interest to see whether our progs, who have suddenly (and mysteriously) become deficit hawks, applaud these cuts. For some reason, I don't see that happening.

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I :heart; Q

Hey, doing the opposite worked for George on that Seinfeld episode!

Same thing.

See it works!

I think the angry minority that put us in this position is desperate.

I give it another five years then they fade out. The limit of size times anger as size approaches zero and anger approaches infinity is zero.

"Trump is also going to propose massive spending cuts."

Riiiiiiight!

And please tpap, where are these big cuts going to be?

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"One of the reasons why propaganda tries to get you to hate government is because it's the one existing institution in which people can participate to some extent and constrain tyrannical unaccountable power." Noam Chomsky.

Inquisitive progs? What do you know about that? Since you ask -

http://thehill.com/policy/finance/314991-trump-team-prepares-dramatic-cuts

Great stuff, eh? Time for you progs to start hailing this guy for addressing your biggest concern, the federal debt. Hahahahahaha!

Boy, you have us pegged. Yeah, we desperados have been desperately blaming Russia, Comey, fake news, angry minorities, deplorables, and other crazy shit for our election defeat. We have gotten hordes of desperate celebrities to melt down on video. We have been desperately calling the president elect Hitler, a Nazi, a Russian plant, a sexist, racist, rapist, etc. We have been desperately weeping, calling out for the creation of safe spaces and other such pussy stuff. We desperately have been latching on every hare-brained scheme that comes out to deny the presidency to the legitimate winner. We have desperately tried to organize violent protests to prevent the inaugeration of the legitimately elected president. We have desperately predicted the end of the world due to the election of a president. Good call, Super T. Very insightful. Hahahahaha!

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I :heart; Q

Though Tspank fails to recognize that debt/surplus is a result of combing  expenditures and revenue (which the trump/putin trickle down team is heck bent on reducing) the cuts outlined in the link are interesting.  We all dislike Corporate welfare don't we?

I'm very glad to say I have persuaded somone to make a non-trival argument. I think that's significant.

Pabs, you're just along for the hayride. The folks who eked out an EC win for Trump were desperate whites in the Middle, not bored lawyers trolling an obscure surfing forum.
Many of these people voted for Obama, they aren't idealistic or politically educated, but they are desperate AND have access to "smartphones" delivering 24/7 predigested propaganda.

Trump is a classical con-man who finally found his mark after a career of scams involving everything from fake schools and burlesque shows to selling meat.

But when reality set in, and it will, that he cannot mandate the return of high paying jobs requiring little training, they will turn on him and hopefully Uncle Bernie will be there to collect them.

So enjoy your moment in the sun.

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“It is the heart of US policy to use fascism to preserve capitalism while claiming to be saving democracy from communism “ - Michael Parenti

The 'American worker' is who elected Trump, the American worker was fed up with the last 8 years of pain and decided to dis-elect those who were causing that pain. The American workers are those who voted...

If Trump doesn't do right by us, we Vote again in 4 years...

Thats how the American worker deals with the Government...

 

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Bored lawyers were a key component of the Trump Revolution. 80,000 or so of us in Pa, Mi and Wi swung the election. At least 50% of those guys troll surf forums.

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I :heart; Q

The problem is the 80,000 who voted for Drumpf think people should be able to graduate high school, with no college degree and be able to learn how to operate factory machinery and "make a good living".

Sorry Charlie, the times are a changing....I dont get what would have enticed a "trollawyer" to vote for the wind bag other than it was the troll thing to do?

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I troll 2L.com to be a better person in real life