And the beat goes on

[SamIam]

WASHINGTON — Republican congressional leaders stressed a willingness Wednesday to extend a Social Security payroll tax cut due to expire Dec. 31, setting up a year-end clash with Democrats over how to pay for a provision at the heart of President Barack Obama's jobs program.

"We just think we shouldn't be punishing job creators to pay for it," said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, scorning a Democratic proposal to raise taxes on million-dollar income earners.

- Huffington Post

The next fight shaping up in Corporate Congress is the extension of the Social Security payroll tax cut. As usual, Republicans are standing up for the oppressed members of our society – the wealthy millionaires and billionaires who have been enjoying tax breaks every since the W. administration.

What amuses me is the double speak that legislators are employing to describe the rich. Everyone who is a millionaire has suddenly become either a “producer” or a “job creator.” If taxes on them are increased, they will all flee to Bangladesh or some other third world country, taking their jobs with them. Why am I having a feeling of déjà vu all over again? Maybe because I just pulled a couple of items at random from my closet to check where they were manufactured. Nicaragua and Hong Kong. Hmmmmm…

As for the “producer” thing, just what have the wealthy produced since they got their tax cuts 10 years ago? Well, they used that extra money to jump into the artificial housing boom, buying bundles of toxic financial instruments and other Wall Street concoctions, thereby creating even more wealth for themselves by the millions and billions of dollars.

So, the producers helped produce the Great Banking and Financial Melt Down of 2008, forcing tax payers to pay millions in bail out money and throwing the country into the Great Recession with unemployment rates still hovering around 9% today.

You’d think these “producers” would take the responsibility of rectifying their former bad behavior by helping out their fellow citizens by paying more in taxes t help us get out of the mess these millionaire producers have caused. Ha Ha Ha! NOT!

Frankly, I'm afraid to see what the producers will produce next.

[TheMercenary]

Not much different than Obama using "teachers, firemen, policemen" ad nauseum, or "Millionaires and Billionaires" and "Owners of Airplane manufacturing complanies" when he really is talking about anyone who makes more than 200K a year, middle class in many large cities in the US.... When he starts attacking rich lawyers and the uber rich in Hollywood he might gain a gram of credibility.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

...when he really is talking about anyone who makes more than 200K a year, middle class in many large cities in the US.....

I'll buy that.

When he starts attacking rich lawyers and the uber rich in Hollywood he might gain a gram of credibility.

Isn't that exactly what you say he's doing above?

Everyone who is a millionaire has suddenly become either a “producer” or a “job creator.”

This is such a joke. Right now US Corporations are sitting on hundreds of billions in cash. Why aren't they using it to buy equipment and hire more people? One valid reason, there's no increase in market demand, it's just good business sense.

OK, that begs the question, why is there no increase market demand? Easy answer... "it's the economy, stupid". Expanding on that, there are too many people out of work, too many people working but making less than they were 10 years ago, too many people with less buying power than they had 20 years ago.

Seems like a vicious circle, doesn't it? How do we fix it?

I'm really pissed off how the "1%", and big corporations, have corrupted our government. But honestly, that's not the cause of our demise. I've often bitched that the rich only care about money, and don't give a shit about the country. I still believe that, but the bigger problem is YOU, walmart shoppers.

Blue Light Special! Aisle 3! Don't miss out on a chance to buy some Chinese stuff, saving 39 cents and fucking your country. Hurry hurry hurry!

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. You couldn't possibly make ends meet without buying the cheapest crap you can find. You couldn't possibly get by with less crap. Plus you'll need those savings to replace it in a few months, because it was made cheap so it can't be repaired.

OK, I'm a dinosaur, a retiree. My "contributing" span was from 1964 through 2009, although I worked part time/paid taxes, for 10 years before that and still pay plenty of taxes. During that 45 year span and from WW II up until then, the economy had ups and downs but there was usually work at a living wage, mostly thanks to the unions.

Oh noes, not those terrible unions that sucked the profits from the benevolent bosses. Yeah those unions, warts and all, that practically created the middle class consumer base which allowed the bosses and the country to prosper.

Nope, technology, high or not, will not save us. Coming up with a brilliant innovation doesn't put people to work... except offshore. Even if the inventor manages to collect a small portion of the royalties due, that makes one more rich person... big whoop for him, his creditors and his gardener, but that doesn't help the millions of unemployed.

Of course I've heard how you, or your cousin's neighbor, became rich by clawing to the top through hard work and sacrifice. Kudos. But it's only possible to do that when you are living in a stable manufacturing/consumer society. Now that we, as a society, only care about me me me, more more more, we've screwed up that stability and ourselves.

By rallying around the extreme left and right political poles, fighting each other, we're distracted from the real problem. Yes, there are welfare cheats. Yes, there are billionaire tax cheats. But they are both peanuts compared to our real problems. Remember the enemy is us.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to drag this soap box to recycling. bump... scrape... screech...

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Isn't that exactly what you say he's doing above?

Not at all, because he is singling out a few big businesses but refuses to attack those uber rich that support him, even if he is de facto including them through his broad generalization.

[xoxoxoBruce]

OK. Yes, stumping speeches are tailored to the audience. Instead of referring to the bogeymen, they point out the ones the crowd are familiar with.

The Huffpost says;

What amuses me is the double speak that legislators are employing to describe the rich. Everyone who is a millionaire has suddenly become either a “producer” or a “job creator.”

Certainly not all legislators are doing that, so it should have been a little more specific. But I think Huffpost is right about the "job creator" bullshit, as I pointed out in my last post.

[TheMercenary]

Agreed. I hear more of it coming from Obama rather than anyone else. I have so far refused to watch any of the Republickin debates. It matters not till more drop out of the race. They are all pandering to their respective base.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Agreed. I hear more of it coming from Obama rather than anyone else. I have so far refused to watch any of the Republickin debates. It matters not till more drop out of the race. They are all pandering to their respective base.

orly?

You're going to let other people tell you who to vote for? That doesn't really sound like a good idea. I mean, since you clearly will vote against President Obama, assuming you vote at all, you're willing to let other people decide who you vote for? You've no stake in the Republican primary contest? Anybody, just so long as it isn't President Obama? Like... Hillary Clinton? Barney the Dinosaur? John Huntsman?

[classicman]

@ Bruce ... THAT type of post from you has been sorely missed.
Not discounting all your others, but I love the way you put some things out there.

[classicman]

@Merc - "I hear more of it coming from Obama rather than anyone else."
I call BS on this one. I hear it FAR MORE from the R's than I do anyone else.
Its a real turnoff to voters outside their closed minded base as well.
My filter for that which they have to say is peaking out to the point where
I almost cannot hear them at all anymore. Their message has been "not him" so much more than "me because" ...
I'm really sick of it - from both sides, but far more the R's than the D's.

[tw]

Originally Posted by classicman

I'm really sick of it - from both sides, but far more the R's than the D's.

The R's have created a problem for themselves. This presidential campaign that started way too early has already created too much irrelevant press. Given to much credence to people who are big on image and little on basic leadership. It has created too much coverage for the R's and too much attention to their fissures.

It has done a disserve to their image. Especially when the resulting soundbyte is not very becoming. “Anyone but Romney”.

[classicman]

Thats the way it always is for he party not in power. It just happens that this time its the R's.

TOO much credence to people who are big on image and little on basic leadership.

And which of the current crop does NOT fit into this, in your opinion.

[classicman]

the resulting soundbyte is not very becoming. “Anyone but OBAMA”.

ftfy

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by classicman

@ Bruce ... THAT type of post from you has been sorely missed.
Not discounting all your others, but I love the way you put some things out there.

That soap box gets heavy.

[Griff]

Then leave it out!

[xoxoxoBruce]

That's NOT what she said.