Monday, January 19, 2009

Obama, Obama ...

Per McClatchy: Pelosi, Summers signal discord on quick end to Bush tax cuts

Obama apparently sees no hurry (assuming he still plans to do it at all) to back out one of Bush's gifts to the rich: special tax status for being rich.

At the same time Obama appears to be willing to continue mainlining money into bank coffers. Money that supposedly was going to induce the banks to make loans; loans that supposedly would go to businesses; businesses which supposedly would hire real people. Remember trickle down? The government can't grasp that the concept that giving to the rich with no rules and no oversight and no consequences helps no one but the rich. Or they do realize it and they are a part of this confidence game played upon the nation.

There's still Social Security which the Republicans, and not a few Democrats, have so far failed to destroy. The Social Security contributions, paid by employee and employer, are used to fund pensions for employees when they retire. Horrors. Not trickle down but actual contribution by workers paid to actual people (the rich included). The rich Robber Barons of our society have failed to gain absolute control of the funds, as yet.

The belt tightening Obama so eloquently says we all must do seems to point to a program paid for by employee/employer contribution (SS) but not to those who are rich and who get free money from the US government (paid for from our taxes) while they pay no, or little taxes themselves. Money that they get to do whatever they want with, like pay themselves bonuses or buy banks or just let it sit in their coffers until sometime in the future when they decide to buy the country up cheap.

But us citizens, we should tighten our belts. As if that isn't happening already while the rich get richer and wait ...

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