This was great.
These obligations have been multiple administrations (& Congresses) in the making.
I would be interested in what difference there was in state and local receipts
(Too lazy to research) to see if there was indeed greater economic activity theorized by lower federal.
Cant flesh out response, 3rd call for supper…
Re: pandemic - we needed to do what we did, stimulus wise. It would have been better to go bigger with specific focus on the hospitality industry and hourly workers, but in order to do that we needed several things to happen:
-
We needed a lower national debt load to begin with. For obvious reasons.
-
We needed Congress to grow up and quit dicking around to get the solution out faster. Fat chance that happens.
-
We needed leadership (not just Trump, I mean at all levels) to focus on ways to make it easier for the little guys.
I don’t blame Trump for those obligations, nor do I blame him for the stimulus response. However, see my response to mnben87 below
I am not concerned with the tax cut. I am a fan of that, because it was a boon to a number of truly small businesses including myself. But I was NOT a fan of the way Trump basically campaigned with a “I don’t care about the debt, we can default and negotiate” attitude and the GOP went along when they’ve been Hawks on it for a long time.
You either care or don’t care, but you can’t just go back and forth.
Obviously politicians have been giving lip service for ages, but damn… If you as a party build it as a plank in the platform then don’t abandon it.
Now, I do absolutely understand why people might not have been fans of the tax cut. As Tbolt said, get your house in order during good times. From my standpoint I saw middle class people around me benefit so I feel it was useful. I do believe receipts went up, but no good idea on how that stratified by state or demographic (other than rich people getting richer… because it’s simple leverage and they can do it in almost any situation. But that doesn’t bother me.)
l am ok with debating the value of the cuts because people can be smart and disagree. I’m simply not ok with what I viewed as abandoning a party plank.
1 Like
Well, the Democrats might have the Executive and Legislative. Along with a packed court! Nobody left to blame. Tranquility will reign, balanced budgets, victory over Covid, and a roaring economy!
1 Like
Hopefully, two more states too!
If one were to dig into IRS data, l believe you would see that ~90% of middle class taxpayers had their taxes lowered. The spin that the rich got all of the tax savings falls into several reasons - inheritance exemptions, the rich and ultra rich already pay the majority of the taxes and a decrease of a lowered tax rate x multiples more income will show ‘larger’ cumulative savings in their bracket.
I feel the tax plan was a cover to placate the masses with tax relief, with the true intention being to lower corporate rates to competitive levels with the rest of the world. Unbridled free enterprise of allowing every country in the world to dump duty free goods here while moating their own economies, has destroyed the US industrial base. This ‘vision’ is the gamble Trump took imo.
Any here that look at the tiny variety of huge export categories (eg aircraft equipment or heavy machinery) thinking those can’t be reproduced in 1/2 the countries of the world are dreamweavers. If they can build computers, cars, and missles - they can build the rest, after stealing our r&d.
And while l live a personal conviction of doing what @thunderbolt23 said, our society top to bottom has no stomach for lowering our future benefits. That will be a political non starter in an age where ACB is voted in on party lines, as well. Imagine the pledge of rolling back ss and medicare 50% as soon as the session starts - that party would be vaporized at the ballot box.
Kudos to @mnben87 - you are making wise lifestyle decisions. Taking that back after your last post 
The author’s political leanings are clear, but he does make some good points. One I hadn’t considered…
Monday’s confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett gives conservatives a 6-to-3 majority for years to come. It’s possible that this triumph rallies more troops to Trump. But it’s also possible that the president will be victimized by his own kept promises; that some anti-abortion evangelicals who agonized over the decision to support him in 2016, and did so precisely because they worried about the future of the courts, can now in good conscience vote against him, or just stay home, happy with the right’s takeover of the judiciary.
Yeah, no shit. The paper’s opinion is that they want Biden to win. So it’s going to skew everything they do. You cannot seriously be arguing that the Washington Post is unbiased?
Yep. Post-GoP/conservative America is a real possibility. I think inevitable.
We will see if DEMs go there. I personally think that DC and Puerto Rico should be states from a standpoint that everyone should be represented. The fact that the residents of these areas aren’t represented fully isn’t fair to them. Now I think if they become states it is a pretty large blow to the GoP. It may be difficult for the GoP to take control of any of the branches after a move like that (unless they shift their politics).
I see a shift in GoP politics as inevitable. Their supporters are on average older. They need to get new voters faster than their current voters die off to stay viable. I think they need a shift in politics to do that. Just my opinion though.
Meh, they’ll become the progressive lite party. Always a few steps behind being dragged somewhat reluctantly further left. But they’ll largely be a permanent minority party
Why would I argue that they’re unbiased? You’re the one who said it in your post. If it was sarcasm I missed it.
I dunno. This was said in 2008 as well and then a sweeping win in 2010 and next thing you know full control. People have been saying the GOP is done for for a while. Ultimately the pendulum swings back and forth.
That said if Trump loses in a landslide and we have another blue wave the GOP will again have to decide what it wants to be moving forward. It ran someone that was far different from what they had been saying was essential for years. But when Dems get trounced they have to do the same thing.
But people are going to want a different option. And in a long time two party dominant system the GOP will just need to figure out what that is yet again.
But I would be very surprised if the GOP is not in a power position very shortly if we assume they lose all three in 2020 which is far from certain. But if so they will be back…sooner rather than later I would bet.
Unless they double down and run Don Jr.
1 Like
I agree with that and I agree it was a positive move across the board. Corporate taxes should be in line with other countries we are competing against (some caveats apply).
And rich people have more leverage to multiply their benefit in any economy so it does not bother me that they “won” the tax break if the middle class benefited as well. I don’t play the class warfare game. Compound interest is a multiplier - the difference is that the rich make it work for them and the debt laden have t work against them. As long as no malfeasance takes place more power to anyone who can do it.
If the DEMs make DC and Puerto Rico states and redraw a majority of district maps it will be very tough for the GoP. They have had an electoral advantage, and drew more of our maps than the DEMs. The DEMs have been able to still compete under those terms. I don’t know if the electoral advantage is lessened and the voting district advantage is lessened if they can compete very well. After 2010 the GoP was playing with an advantage, if they play a fair game can they win?
Yes I think so. Ultimately people are going to want something different. Now that different may not look like the current GOP. But the GOP in 2012 looked different than the one that controlled everything in 2016.
It is absolutely inevitable that people will be frustrated by their leadership. And when they become frustrated they will want a change.
1 Like
Agree. I think if the GoP gets destroyed they will do a bit of rebranding. I think if they can move towards the center they become relevant again, and in a position to win elections.
The thing to keep in mind is over the long run Dems and Republicans win about the same amount of times. If it’s a blue wave this wouldn’t be the first time we could say the country is really “over” that party. But it’s typically short lived…because we then get “over” the party in power and want to give something else a shot.
1 Like
Seems to me there’s such a stranglehold in pop culture, entertainment, media, and academia. Even the boardrooms of big business see a dollar to be made with tackling cis gendered white supremacy with diversity lectures accompanied by trumpets.
I already have real doubts that I’ll vote GOP. If they so much as consider changing their platform on certain social issues it would be a definite and permanent separation.
And if they jettison libertarian approaches to the market they lose market purists.
We can’t even stand together for our flag, agree to honor flawed founders (we change names of buildings and yank down statues), or remain civil when a man with a knife continuously advancing on officers is shot. Or, agree 11 year olds are to young to dance like an extra out of a raunchy music video. Or, that 8 year olds are too young to decide they’re not boys but girls without cervixes or periods.
Thank God for the justices at least. We have some time in which we can legally hire who we want for our religious schools and institutions, provide the insurance coverage that fits with our conscience. Etc. But that’ll end eventually, also. Sooner with court packing.
I think the right will fracture for sure. The left will have some disputes. But it’ll be over things like should single payer healthcare pay for adolescence delaying drugs as early as 8 years old, or wait a few more years. Should single payer pay for abortions no matter the term, or should we have some kind of late term restriction.
But yeah, it’s pretty much done.
Maybe. Nothing is certain. Many bad events turn out good in the end. Maybe we see both parties move towards center and have less polarization.