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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsExposed! How the Billionaires Class Is Destroying Democracy
On the other hand, when the Billionaire Class extracts benefits from the government for themselves, the generally don't pay higher taxes. The billions in taxpayer subsidies for Big Oil, trillions in bailouts and bonuses for Wall Street banksters, and hundreds of billions for war profiteers are always accompanied by demands for more tax cuts at the top.
And, truth be told, billionaires aren't even receiving these benefits by voting for them. Instead, they always get them through the simple process of buying politicians. For example, Sheldon Adelson spent $150 million in the last election. That's more than any American spent in any election in American history. And he spent all that money to give himself the "benefits" of derailing an Obama Justice Department investigation into his casino in China and to get his taxes cut even further.
Billionaires also corrupt democracy to get their benefits through billionaire-funded think tanks, like the Koch-funded American Legislative Exchange Council that writes legislation to benefit Corporate America, and then has Republicans state lawmakers introduce and pass laws in state after state, across the nation.
But despite this very clear reality of who is demanding largesse from our government, it's still working people and average voters who are targeted by right-wingers and their viral emails as the selfish "takers." That's the reason why the Business Roundtable is saying the best way to fix insurance programs like Social Security and Medicare is to raise the retirement age to 70 and voucherize Medicare.
MORE...
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/14011-exposed-how-the-billionaires-class-is-destroying-democracy
MrScorpio
(73,631 posts)rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)we figure out how to stop this.
mckara
(1,708 posts)Where is Theodore Roosevelt when we need him?
Phlem
(6,323 posts)There is a food chain established in a colony and the least don't survive. Since the beginning of man there was another man waiting to thieve from him.
Weed greed out, maybe we might have a chance.
-p
cause it's already here, now.
-p
cbrer
(1,831 posts)samsingh
(17,601 posts)okaawhatever
(9,462 posts)brings to light how the laws and tax system has allowed the gross wealth inequality in this country and sounds an alarm bell about how devastating this can be to our economy. It's not from a social perspective, strictly financial. This message has to get out. The wealthy have spent so much money putting out misinformation, they have the very people they victimize advocating for them. It's a shame.
daleo
(21,317 posts)By Linda McQuaig.
Well worth reading too.
okaawhatever
(9,462 posts)DogPawsBiscuitsNGrav
(408 posts)continue to vote ourselves new taxes to pay for the people who need it, but we'll never take to task the people who allow the 99 percent to be raped by the one percent who pay no taxes, which is the real reason we (the 1 percent) have to pay such high taxes.
Are we 8 people the only ones who care about our childrens future? I don't want my kids slaving for 7 months out of the year to pay taxes the corporations refuse to pay, yet sitting by doing nothing but saying... well someone has to pay them, is doing exactly that. It's easy to say we love our kids, but throwing their future away sure as hell isn't showing them.
Phlem
(6,323 posts)outside of changing the psychology of man I don't know what else to do.
I do cover politics with my girl, she's 6 and a 1/2, as well as I can, and I'm making sure she takes a class in political sciences class in her future.
The only thing I can hope for is she understands critical thinking well cause the spin will never disappear.
-p
Wednesdays
(17,412 posts)Well, giving up isn't an answer. Somehow every other industrialized nation has figured out what to do.
I will never give up, not as long as my family is alive. Period.
just seems like a long up hill battle.
-p
ProfessionalLeftist
(4,982 posts)That's three things....they're rigging the election system, they have decimated unions and media is all owned by about 5 huge corprats.
Strong and prevalent Unions mean less income inequality, smaller trade imbalances, a strong middle class -- and a truly sustainable economy.
siligut
(12,272 posts)Maybe they think we are unable to do anything now.
xtraxritical
(3,576 posts)I feel that if Democrats controlled both houses and the executive at least there would be serious discussion about how to alleviate this situation.
Incitatus
(5,317 posts)The real problem isn't the billionaires or the corrupt politicians (there will always bee greedy sociopaths taking every advantage they can), it's the people who are aware of these problems and don't vote. The people collectively, allow this crap to happen.
They think their one vote doesn't matter or there is no difference between the parties. Converting a Republican is almost a futile attempt. The non-voters are easier to get to, but can still be tough.
xtraxritical
(3,576 posts)TBF
(32,098 posts)lonestarnot
(77,097 posts)L0oniX
(31,493 posts)raouldukelives
(5,178 posts)That is, if you work for, invest in or generally support Wall St.
If not, thanks for not funding the climate change deniers and the destruction of our democracy.