We have another 2 more years of Bush tax cut extensions, which is nothing more than an extension of Reaganomics. The plan is simple: Use the govt to redirect 90% of the countries wealth into the pockets of the richest 1%...anyone who complains about this redirection of wealth will be branded a communist who advocates "redistribution of wealth"...or some other bogus demonization such as that. The right wingers have also been successful in convincing many people that Progressive=communist..and that is not true. Why are they so intent on branding anything progressive as "communist"? One of the biggest reasons is our progressive tax system. It taxes people differently in different income brackets. This is one of the reasons why right wingers and rich people want to advocate a "flat tax" that taxes everyone at the same rate. If everyone across the board was taxed at, oh, lets say 10%, then that would put the massive tax burden on those who are not rich. Why would that burden the poor? Many reasons:

 

#1 - The poor do not have corporate loop holes and tax shelters that they can funnel their profits through like the rich do. These shelters and loop holes can sometimes even go so far as to give the benefit of no taxation to corporations..who now, thanks to a right wing dominated supreme court, have the same rights as an American citizen, and can openly give as much money as they want to any politician. Poor people cant do that. So it is now in the politicians benefit to give as many tax loop holes and rights to a corporation as possible, as that means more money in the politicians pocket. What good is the vote of 100,000 poor people when compared to a corporate board of 5 people who can stuff a few hundred thousand (pocket change to them) into the pockets of every politician from BOTH parties. In that situation, it doesnt matter who or what party gets elected, as they have ALL parties and politicians paid off...its a win/win situation for them, they dont even have to vote...and now they can brag about it openly.

 

#2 - The poor do not have the time, nor the funds to hire expensive tax lawyers and CPA's to mount an offensive against the IRS. To the rich man, the IRS is nothing more than a nuesance. To the poor man, the IRS is like the Grim Reaper who can kill you off in one fell swoop.

 

#3 - Flat tax does not take into consideration the price of commodities..or, better put, it doesnt take into consideration the price of commodities for THE POOR. Lets say that you make $10 a week, and I make $100 a week. The tax rate is 10%. My weekly taxes are what you make in a week (which you sometimes hear rich people complaining about) and yours is a mere $1 a week. This is usually where the conversation stops. In this situation it costs $5 a week to live a very basic living. Milk costs the same amount wether you are rich or poor. Food costs the same amount wether you are rich or poor. When it comes down to it, you are heavily burdoned with the flat tax rate because every penny counts on wether you eat good or poorly. The rich, on the other hand, has PLENTY to buy quality food and even spare to buy quality food for many, many more people. Not to mention I have money to hire lawyers to find me tax loopholes, and I own a corpoation, which I can funnel my money through and wind up paying about 4% or 5% taxes per week, where you have no choice but to pay 10% and work many hours of overtime per week to do so.

 

For something to be communist means that money is NOT involved. True communism is the removal of currency, the profit motive, and placing the means of production into the hands of the masses. "From each, according to their ability. To each, according to their need" is its motto. This is not what the progressive tax system is about. The progressive tax system is CAPITALIST, but not an uncaring, cut throat capitalism (which is what most right wingers mean when they say "free market capitalism"). A progressive tax code takes into account the price of milk for everyone, while supporting a healthy capitalist society.

 

Since when does capitalism mean "Fuck em all, take the money and run! And if you dont agree with me, then you are a terrorist supporting communist!!!"? That isnt healthy for our society. Thats when citizens agree that it is okay to stab each other in the back, and too hell with every one else...and if you dont agree, then you dont love America..because only a true patriotic love of America means screwing over your fellow American citizens to these right wingers....and THAT is what is wrong with our country...GREED!

 

Progressives are not communists. Progressives oppose corporatism.. that is why progressives are being demonized.

 

The main theme of the American Progressive platform (Teddy Roosevelt) was an attack on the domination of politics by business interests, which allegedly controlled both established parties. The platform asserted that:

To that end, the platform called for