Forum Post: Bush Era Tax cuts are ending in 1 year. Why we are wasting time and what we REALLY need to focus on right now.
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 11, 2011, 4:08 a.m. EST by Doctor
(8)
from New York, NY
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I have to admit that I do feel that for the most part the Occupy Wall Street movement is being misrepresented, especially by the media and politicians. The Media thrives on conflict, exciting one group against another, because it's all about ratings and sponsors. Even the NYPD Commissioner has said that the movement has been peaceful, with only a fringe group acting out. But EVERY group has people like that.
Look at the Republicans, Democrats and Tea Party. Each has a majority who consist of people who feel a certain way, but within each group there are the whack-jobs and yahoos who act out in a more extreme fashion.
And then there is the vilification of these people. Individuals like Senator Eric Cantor, who call them "mobs" or Herman Cain who calls them "Un-American". I'll tell you what is a "mob", people who act on their base instinct cheering the death of people, regardless if they are criminals or not. I'll tell you what is "Un-American", booing a soldier, who risks his life for all of us, for his sexual orientation. I watched both those incidents during the Republican debates with disgust. But at least I know even those people do not speak for the majority of people.
Or maybe I hope they don't.
The last time a group of people were called "Un-American" was 10 years ago in the beginning of the wars in the Middle East. People who supported our soldiers, but didn't support the war were painted "Un-American". Their opinions squashed down and buried because it wasn't politically convenient. Now look at us, 10 years later and with most Americans outspokenly opposed to the wars, too many to be silenced or ignored. Does that make all of us "Un-American" now?
Because I, like so many others, can plainly see that there is something very wrong with out country. We look at our government, constantly deadlocked in impotent arguments and see they are failing miserabley at the jobs we elected them too.
People are calling Occupy Wall Street a political movement that is uninformed or incoherent, but you're talking about the founding days of a political movement born from a grassroots movement. It takes time and resources, it won't happen overnight. Especially based in a park. But that doesn't mean they are any less entitled to their opinion. It doesn't mean they don't see problems that need to be addressed. I give them credit for what they have done. And I don't think they should be underestimated.
Problem #1 - our political system is run amok with billions of dollars in unlimited corporate and special interest contributions.
1% has bought their representation, 99% are left with the scraps. 99% of the electorate is never heard from by our government. 99% of the country's voices are drowned out by the monied influence that unfairly controls the government. Is it any wonder that our country is in such terrible shape? Money speaks too loudly in our political process. This is the root cause of many of the problems in our country. This is not the way our democracy was meant to be!
Solution to problem 1 - Election reform. Take all of the money out of the political process by establishing publicly funded campaigns and elections. Also, Citizens United v FEC must be overturned to end corporate personhood.
I've been trying to say this for 10 years, and have never been quite as clear as this sentence:
"Now look at us, 10 years later and with most Americans outspokenly opposed to the wars, too many to be silenced or ignored. Does that make all of us "Un-American" now?"
Here here!
"Bush" tax cuts as in the ones Obama re-authorized last year?
Continuity of agenda, bitchez.
Democrat/Republican trolls go home please.
he did it thinking he could bring both parties together in the so called rescission but the tea party stepped in and became the nightmare his heart was in the right place trying to give healthcare to everybody first but the tea party demonized it but I feel he was just too nice to the other side.
I do think Obama has tried, especially when promoting bi partisan bills that call for compromise. Because we need compromise now. But I don't ignore the President's role in our current state. I voted for him on the basis of change, but once elected he fell into the old guard mentality and did not do enough to reform and obviously broken political system.
especially when promoting bi partisan bills that call for compromise now but we need compromise are you a moron
Are you completely un-civil that you cannot make your points without being insulting? Please explain, I would rather discuss this like rationale people than argue or insult you.
I think he is a good president who has tried his best under difficult circumstances. The Right are so un-willing to compromise, with a bigger agenda of making sure Obama doesn't get re-elected than making sure any viable solutions come from Washington.
However the Left and Obama don't really fight as hard as I think they should. But I think that is more of a circumstance of their nature. They fought hard for healthcare, something I support. But after that the fight just seemed to wane away, the conservatives took the House and they have been impotent ever since.
Obama is third generation CIA, just like Bush.
Check out Pastor Manning's interview of Wayne Madsen on youtube.
You are being conned.
Yup, it's a sham. A waste of our time. Obama renewed the cuts last year to continue until December 2012, which is after his re-elections. He created this talking point for himself to run against, saying it's the Republican's fault. Trying to get Washington to stop the tax cuts within the next year before they expire is an impossible task, it will never get past the House of Representatives.
We need to focus on getting Glass-Steagall reinstated to regulate against corporate greed run amok. That should probably be the first real goal.
However...
If I could offer a suggestion, I do feel Occupy Wall Street's message needs to be more focused, constructed with rational arguments and facts. If they do form a political party, they shouldn't ignore history as other parties have done. They shouldn't vilify people or even corportations, instead approach things rationally but with a willingness to fight hard for their beliefs. They do not need to break the law to achieve their goals, they do need to organize and make the connections necessary to fuel their movement forward. Setting goals for past the presidential elections, but also for the mid-terms to follow.
And I really do not believe the rhetoric, that these people are looking for the end of capitalism. Because capitalism is not bad. Let's be realistic, the Occupy Wall Street Movement will need to eventually embrace capitalism to move forward. They are already accepting funding and donations. I believe they just don't want to see Capitalism run amok, especially at the expense of democracy. At the expense of people. This movement include a lot of liberals, moderates, independents and even conservatives who don't want us to ignore big business' role in our current decline. That's what contributed in bringing us to this financial crisis, and I feel that should get addressed. Americans bailed them out, but we did nothing to stop them from doing it again to us. No legislation to protect us from that kind of irresponsibility and recklessness.
We also need to address the government. Because it is out of control and is wasteful. Their own legislation lead to the crisis as well. And regarding the "tax cuts", I kind of feel that is a "crisis" manufactured by Washington. It's just something designed to waste our time and pit American against American. The President is so adamant on pinning that on Republicans, but he was the one who renewed them last December, citing the cuts as great for the middle class. Now they are bad when the re-election is coming up. It's a talking point to ensure re-election. They very conveniently expire right after the next presidential election. Doesn't anyone see it's a moot point? The Clinton Era taxes will get re-instated come January 2013. All we are doing now is wasting our time because lifting the tax cuts won't get through the House in the one year till they expire.
The last contributing factor to this crisis is us. The American people. Our apathy that allowed these things to happen, to run unchecked. We gave up control over our democracy, only speaking up when it finally began to effect us. We need to stay vocal, focused and organized. Peaceful, yet powerful. We need to focus on other things, not the manufactured crisis the media and government fabricate to keep ordinary Americans off target. We have been repeating the mistakes of our ancestors for far too long. We must learn and grow from them, not forget them and succumb to the same disasters.
We need to hold the President, Congress and the big business accountable, demand the ethics we need to survive as a civilized nation, while coming to understand that the buck does not stop with the President.
It stops with us.
We need to take responsibility. The people must be vocal and active. Because it is not our guns, weaponry or military that makes America so great, it is our people. We are the legendary sleeping dragon that must not be awakened. Because our combined might and strength is unchallenged in the entire world, but only when we truley unite and work together. We just need to remember that and hold true to the tenents that made us great, while casting aside those that hold us back.
We do need to get lobbyists out of Washington. They have far too much clout in the political process. And corporations should not be able to contribute to campaigns. A democracy's primary purpose should be the security of it's people, not the corporations.
A critical issue that needs to happen is reinstating Glass-Steagall, which kept banks out of purely speculative ventures by separating investment and commercial banks.
Addressing outsourcing is also important, no one wants to talk about it, but it is a contributing factor in our decline over the last decade. Most job creators in America are creating these jobs overseas because it is more cost effective and profitable. How can we ensure enough jobs in America to keep our economy stable?
We need to rebuild our infrastructure. Particularly education and national defense. Invest in our citizens and the sciences to keep ourselves competitve with the others countries that are overcoming us. Invest in our children to ensure the age old American belief that we should leave the world in a better place than it was for us.
These are a few of the many important issues that need to be discussed and considered, from all sides, but it needs to be done rationally and with some sort of civility. Deriding the opinions of others at this point does not help anyone. Walking away from others, as we've seen our leaders do much to our frustration, will not help anyone. We all need to work together and move toward a better tomorrow for everyone.