A majority of American voters re-elected President Barack Obama who ran a campaign on the economy that demands a continuation of the middle class tax cut and raising taxes on the top 2%.
The Republicans keep saying that the top 2% create jobs by reinvesting in the USA. A claim that has been proved to be patently untrue. If that was the case, then our unemployment rate would be almost non-existent and the trillions of dollars in cash that the top 2% percent have stashed in foreign banks would be circulating within the Federal banking system.
Recently a bunch of mega billionaires like Larry Ellison, decided to pay themselves a ton of money this month calculating that if the USA goes over the Fiscal Cliff in January they will personally save tens of millions of dollars. Larry Ellison is estimated to save about $77m. Can anyone guess what payday you would have to have to ‘save’ that much in extra taxation? And that is money that will never find its way into creating more jobs, it will probably buy another aircraft or another mega yacht for Larry, or another private island.
The republicans in Congress have to be the only people in the country who are using the interests of 2% of the population to control the other 98%.
Democracy is dead in this country and as I have said time and time again, Plutocracy has control.
What baffles me is how the Republicans can completely ignore the wishes of the vast majority of the People. Are they so corrupt, bought and paid for by the mega wealthy individuals and corporations that they have completely lost sight that they are Servants of the People, not Kings or Dictators?
In my novel AN UNQUIET AMERICAN, I show the manipulation of political parties and even the Presidency by greedy unscrupulous financiers and bankers, using tactics such as the laundering of money to fund political parties and finance religious agendas. Having lived in many countries around the world, I have seen corruption on a daily basis, but not until I came to live in the USA have I seen it so blatantly embraced, with Congressmen and Senators raking in hundreds of thousands a year in ‘extras’ from bribery and retiring on full pensions and benefits as millionaires.
Now I hate taxes, but how else are you going to raise income for the Government? I’m for a flat tax at 15% across the board and as I’ve said before the effect will be to lower taxes on the middle class, and raise taxes 2% on the wealthy 2%, from 13% to 15%. Also it simplifies the tax code, then all those IRS time wasters can get a real job.
Does anyone understand that over 99% of the money spent on the 2012 election was raised through SuperPacs funded by a handful of billionaires and the remaining less than 1% actually came from the average American? The GOP shot themselves in the foot because two billionaires ran Romney into bankruptcy before he was nominated, thereby virtually handing the election to President Obama. It was a case of the billionaires overreaching in the false thought that they could buy a candidate and an election. Well they got part of it right, they bought candidates, but misfired on the election.
The Republican dominated Supreme Court decided in their ignorant wisdom to side with Citizens United and endorsed corruption by lifting limits on the amounts corporations can donate to Political Campaigns, hence the ability of Sheldon Adelson and Foster Friess, billionaires of notable religious beliefs, one Jewish and the other a born-again Christian. Without their backing, neither Newt Gingrich nor Rick Santorum would have lasted a week in the Primaries. This was the scenario I wrote about in AN UNQUIET AMERICANconcerning the 2008 election. Things don’t seem to change.
Cut out corruption in Politics and then maybe we can get back to a Democracy.
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AFN CLARKE 
While I agree with most of your post, I don’t think it’s fair to solely blame the Republicans. Or the Democratic party, for that matter.
As a native Californian born here in Los Angeles almost six decades ago, I’m saddened to confirm that I have watched what use to be, the greatest, most beautiful and friendly place in the world, diminish to where we are today.
California, along with the rest of our country was built by hard working people who only wanted something better for their children. They didn’t ask for a handout or for someone else to pay their way. Just an opportunity to live free and build something for themselves.
Our ancestors came here legally, from many different countries. When they got here, they assimilated. They created businesses and jobs, learned to speak English and taught this new found life to their children.
Somewhere over the last 50 or so years, the assimilation and “hard work” fell out of the equation.
Some folks stopped being responsible for themselves. They stopped teaching their children what’s right and wrong. They stopped caring. Or maybe came here from somewhere else that didn’t have the same basic beliefs and principles as we do.
We didn’t have the huge numbers of insurance companies, attorneys, politicians, lobbyists and special interest groups deciding what we could, and couldn’t do.
I, as many of you, grew up with the “Golden Rule”. When did we stop teaching this to our children? “Do unto others as you want them to do unto you”. Such a simple and yet basic phylosophy of life. It crosses all religious and political lines and just reminds us how to live as human beings. If we could get back to this, I think it would be a good start to restoring our country to the strong, respected nation that we use to be.
Now add strict “Term Limits” to all political offices. To serve our government should be an honor. One bestowed to educated people who have worked and lived long enough in the real world to be able to make intelegent and trusted decisions on the behalf of those that elected them.
Restrict the amount of political donations to something that the average citizen could write a check for. Thus getting rid of the special interest and huge corporate funding.
With term limits comes the elimination of huge political pensions and all the other perks that the rest of us don’t have. Sure, pay for their health insurance while they are in office and of course give them a reasonable expense account for which they will provide backup documentation. Just like the rest of us.
Serve the country for a few years and get out and let someone else do it. This will take care of most of the political corruption.
Let’s get out of other countries and their business. We shouldn’t be there and they certainly don’t want us there, for the most part. Sending humanitarian aid is one thing. Sending our men and women to fight and die is something totally different.
Help our citizens that need help. Help does not always mean giving them a check. “Teach a man to fish”. Don’t just give him the fish, so to speak.
I agree with a flat tax. Balance the budget! The rest of us don’t get to spend money we don’t have or take loans out that someone is going to pay off for us. The government needs to opporate at this basic level. If you don’t have the money in the bank, you don’t write the check.
Let’s keep it simple. Stop pointing fingers at this party or that party and start being responsible citizens.
For all those illegal folks here and those that that don’t like our political or religious beluefs, Go Home!
Let’s get back to the Golden Rule and start teaching it to our children again.
A great point about the ‘Golden Rule’, Michael. It is definitely something that has been forgotten. When I first came here 25 years ago, California was a friendly generous and fun loving state. Service was always polite and gracious, but now it seems even taking an order is too mu
ch trouble.
Try giving your order in Spanish. It seems to work better these days. Although I have to admit, it’s pretty aggravating when I’m asked in Spanish, what I want…
Or, press 1 for English after I have to wait through a Spanish message to get there!
And the may I help you please and thank you for coming have disappeared completely.