Comments on: Now, If You REALLY Wanted To Stimulate The Economy . . .

By: rbdwiggins

rbdwiggins — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:27:09 +0000

By: JLenardDetroit

JLenardDetroit — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:12:53 +0000

By: E Pluribus Unum

E Pluribus Unum — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:08:31 +0000

Most anarchists are also free-market, dog-eat-dog, economic darwinism. I.e., greed. But you oppose tax cuts, and harp on greedy corporations.

If you want to play anarchist, at least think it through, just a tiny bit.

Thank you for playing. Bub-bye now.

By: Joliphant

Joliphant — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:03:41 +0000

That would and actually do make the argument. If the problems in the auto industry persist I would be willing to be there will be politicians that will be running on the platform.

By: Joliphant

Joliphant — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:01:05 +0000

Who doesn’t even know what they describe themselves as is.

P.S. If you want anarchy there are plenty of places in the world you can get real anarchy just most people prefer not to live there.

By: janis

janis — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 23:49:35 +0000

But, as no one told the little fella there would be homework, I think I heard the sound of a lib’s brain shrieking in protest.

By: rbdwiggins

rbdwiggins — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 23:22:45 +0000

that you chose my comment to make your first response on Redstate. Welcome to our community. Hang around a while. Maybe some of the knowledge and expertise enjoyed by many of our community's members will wear-off.

However, I'm deeply saddened.

I'm saddened because your response is the product of the left's class-warfare agenda and is truly indicative of the sad state of economic education in America.

Let's address the top 1% of taxpayers and subsequent categories before, and after, the Bush Tax Cuts. Did you know...

The top 1% pay over a third, 34.27% of all income taxes. (Up from 2003: 33.71%) The top 5% pay 54.36% of all income taxes (Up from 2002: 53.80%). The top 10% pay 65.84% (Up from 2002: 65.73%). The top 25% pay 83.88% (Down from 2002: 83.90%). The top 50% pay 96.54% (Up from 2002: 96.50%). The bottom 50%? They pay a paltry 3.46% of all income taxes (Down from 2002: 3.50%). The top 1% is paying nearly ten times the federal income taxes than the bottom 50%!

Source data: The IRS: Individual Income Tax Returns Each Tax Year 1985 - 2003 (Requires Excel)

H/T: Rush

About that corporate tax...

Corporations do not pay taxes. Individuals who use their services or buy their products pay the tax in the form of higher consumer costs.

May I suggest an economic primer by Thomas Sowell:

Basic Economics: A Citizen’s Guide to the Economy

And I recommend reading a follow-up by the same author:

Applied Economics: Thinking Beyond Stage One

By: evanm

evanm — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 22:43:14 +0000

We need to start putting Americans first. Greed is destroying our country.

This is like Congress blaming American’s for being too greedy when they demand more of our money.

By: baseketball

baseketball — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 22:40:12 +0000

You’re an anarchist who is complaining about LESS regulation? Don’t anarchists, by definition, OPPOSE corporate regulation of any kind? You aren’t a very convincing liar.

By: janis

janis — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 22:19:57 +0000

This is, as stated in the “About Us” section, a site for the advancement of conservative and Republican ideas.

Your liberal talking points above are lifted straight from dKos or Huffington, or DU. Could you come back with some original thoughts next time?

By: phillyb

phillyb — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 21:55:38 +0000

You do realize that almost everything that you said was the causes of the economic problem. Like Bush’s tax cuts giving all the money to the top 1% and leaving the rest footing the bill for everything. You have to realize trickle down economics doesn’t work. One of the largest scams ever in this country. And then less corporate regulation that allowed companies to do pretty much whatever they wanted. More corporate tax cuts which don’t create jobs, but all that money goes into their greedy pockets. Something really needs to be changed, but it’s not gonna come from Washington. Every politician was bought a long time ago. They only care about thieir corporate interests, not the interests of the people.

(And before anyone says it, I’m not a Democrat, i’m an anarchist.)

By: evanm

evanm — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 20:29:47 +0000

If it makes sense for us to not trade with other countries on account of them not trading with us, then why can’t we make the same argument for other non-economic, political entities? Take, for example, the state of Michigan.

Michigan’s economy is tanking, and has been, by virtue of its inability to produce goods and services marketable outside its borders. Suppose Michigan were to stop trading with other states, and force its citizens to buy cars only from the state of Michigan. Do you think anybody would argue that such a trade regime would be *better* for the state of Michigan?

By: Pejman Yousefzadeh

Pejman Yousefzadeh — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 20:02:19 +0000

Paying attention to it is a waste of time because it is an entirely dimwitted system of measurement.

By: Pejman Yousefzadeh

Pejman Yousefzadeh — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 19:59:41 +0000

Read this. Then tell me about how great protectionism is. And try to do it without reciting the kind of talking points I could get off the back of a cereal box. "Greed is destroying our country." Honestly, give me a break.

By: drothgery

drothgery — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 18:02:50 +0000

… that’s their problem. Protectionism is a long-term loser.

By: bc3

bc3 — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 17:17:02 +0000

In my opinion, most of the ideas offered by posters make more sense than those of Pejman Yousefzadeh. There’s a huge difference between free trade and fair trade. Unfortunately, many of the other nations of the world have strict laws and high tariffs that keep American goods out of their country.

Try importing a car into Japan. The laws, fees and headaches involved make it almost impossible.

The last thing we need to to increase the trade deficit. The Chinese already own enough of our country (although they do buy neat stuff with the profits – warships, military aircraft, missles, etc.).

I am a conservative, but if Obama wants to be more protectionist I won’t oppose him. We need to start putting Americans first. Greed is destroying our country. If we keep outsourcing jobs and importing labor (through illegal immigration and H1B worker programs), where will Americans find work? Eight of the top ten companies with the most H1B workers are Indian-owned. That’s hardly what’s best for the American people.

By: rbdwiggins

rbdwiggins — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 16:25:48 +0000

The “moderates” in our own party wouldn’t go for that either.

By: wolfgang

wolfgang — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 15:54:35 +0000

….completely committed to the phrase “To each according to his needs”, you also have to be completely committed to a managed economy.
Large accretions of wealth in private hands inhibit government’s ability to deliver on that promise while at the same time overcoming the frictions inherent in a government managed economy.

By: izoneguy

izoneguy — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 14:47:03 +0000

Obama and his henchmen will never go for that.

By: rbdwiggins

rbdwiggins — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 14:03:28 +0000

1. Make the Bush Tax Cuts™ permanent.

2. Cut the Capital Gains Tax to 7.5%.

3. Eliminate the Corporate Tax.

4. Eliminate the Death Tax.

5. Designate All Fifty States as "Right to Work."

6. The Federal Government Must "Get Out of the Way." No new federal regulations; Slash or eliminate existing federal regulations; Cut the federal bureaucracy by at least one-third. In short: Reduce the size and scope of the federal government.