I always love these taxation threads! Demmacommie!!! thats frickin hilarious! As someone who makes a decent living, has lived in a variety social-democratic countries, I always laugh at these tax ideas. Yes, I think obama is far left of the average democrat, but the reality is that we dont take care of each other as we should. Simple things say that americans are willing to tax themselves to better their lives (pay for private school) and help each other (katrina and indonesian quake). Yes, I would love to keep more of my money, but I would also like to pay to make sure that we can track hurricanes, and protect people from tornadoes (floods in flood plains and fires in remote areas, and beach front houses on barrier islands notwithstanding), etc. things that individuals and states cant do. I would also like to make sure the poor have access to health care, schools and most important to opportunity.
We live in a hugely wealthy country, we work hard, but when we talk about wealth and taxes we all seem so shallow. I am much more conerned about the fact that neither candidate really has a plan to move us past oil. I hope that my children will wake up one day and look at a gas or oil pump like I look at buggy whip. Or how about the quaint pictures of trolleys everywhere. While we argue over giving another bit to the government, we really should be asking more of the government we have. No matter what, our children still have to pay a huge debt, they have no job opprtunities (remember “whats good for GM is good for the Country” (GM closed at what 12, and their GMAC actually was their money maker the last few years), and all the flipping, leasing, trading, etc. isnt the same as rolling up your sleaves and building something.
Our country has a lot to do, republican, libertarian or other, when obama wins we need to ensure that we pressure the government to provide what states cant, get out of our daily lives, and act for the benefit of 300 million people, including those that for whatever reason have been left behind.
Finally, remember that Ben Franklin said “god helps them who help themselves”, not Jesus, he said feed the poor.