republi-CON brainwashing and what we can do about it:

[calimary]

This came from kpete's thread about Paul Krugman's column - "California."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022597582

And it seems to me that it's high time California led - AGAIN. Or, hell, SOMEBODY needs to step up. Maybe it's just up to us in the grassroots. But I believe we can start changing the terms of the discussion - even on the "sacred cow" of "NO NEW TAXES!!! Taxes BAAAAAD!" I think we can start attacking that head on! Start changing the mind-set. And thereby start changing the public attitude toward policy issues like raising revenue for the things that it is beyond debate or denial that we NEED (which people are starting to find out for themselves as the so-called "sequester" starts having an effect). I offered the following comment and was asked to start a thread with it. I think it's WELL within our power to start counter-programming, and indeed DE-PROGRAMMING from the three-or-four decades of brainwashing the CONs have undertaken. I'd love your thoughts!

-----

"As California goes, so goes the nation."

We started it all, unfortunately and HUGELY regretfully, with that fucking howard jarvis and Prop 13, which came two years before Supply-Side Monster ronald reagan took over and started us down the road toward political/fiscal Hell.

And that's what started the red tide flushing across the country from west to east. HORRIFYING. It empowered the nutcases and the selfish cheapskates and the IGMFU contingent much the same way as the teabaggers got their shot of adrenaline by the realization that there was a black guy in the Oval Office who wasn't the janitor.

We seem to have stepped over the shit-pile of Prop 13 somewhat here in California, FINALLY! It used to be the knee-jerk destruct button behind which the bad guys always took refuge - "Proposition 13!!! NO TAXES!!! Taxes BAAAAAAAAADDD!!!" crap they'd yell as though they were spring-loaded, every time a ballot measure came along, or someone in Sacramento proposed raising revenue to pay for stuff we actually and seriously do NEED...

Keith Olbermann used to call 'em the "Something For Nothing" crowd, and he was correct. These assholes haven't changed. They STILL want their benefits and their government-provided goodies and relief programs and FEMA and other stuff - but they just don't want to have to pay for any of it.

I think we have to further the push-back by starting a meme. What if, every time a statement was made about a necessary (or seemingly necessary) program that isn't around anymore or that's being threatened with being cut - that statement were to BEGIN with "well, because nobody wants to pay taxes..."?

"Well, because nobody wants to pay taxes, we have to cut costs and do things like canceling the White House tours..."

"Well, because nobody wants to pay taxes, those 30 school's are gonna have to close..."

"Well, because nobody wants to pay taxes, you can't drive over that bridge anymore and your commute to and from work has just increased by more than two hours..."

"Well, because nobody wants to pay taxes, that benefit check you were expecting is gonna be smaller..."

"Well, because nobody wants to pay taxes, you're gonna have to wait about 45 minutes after you call 911..."

"Well, because nobody wants to pay taxes, that military base in your county that generates all those jobs is gonna be closed..."

"Well, because nobody wants to pay taxes, those after-school programs (or elder-care programs) are coming to an end..."

You get the idea...

The bad guys have spent 30-40 YEARS demonizing the very IDEA of paying taxes. "Taxes BAAAAAAAAAADDD!" And the knee-jerker selfish short-sighted cheapskates who want it NOW and to hell with the ramifications in the future seize upon that and are then able to trash EVERYTHING that needs stimulus spending or infrastructure upkeep or disaster aid or or early-childhood assistance programs or disability benefits or whatever it is. THERE HAS BEEN NO CONNECTION MADE BETWEEN TAXES AND WHAT WE NEED THOSE TAXES TO UNDERWRITE. No connection has been made.

It's been completely and utterly short-sheeted. The very concept of "Tax RELIEF" was a VERY shrewd word-play. You combine the word for what you don't like - with a word that reinforces that thing you dislike. "Taxes" are perceived as bad. So you partner it with a word like "relief," as in - you need relief from taxes (because they're bad). "Taxes" are something you need relief or protection or rescue - FROM. They're awfully shrewd about this stuff, and all those big-ass "foundations" and "institutes" and "think tanks" they've founded and funded since the 70s and 80s - have been in place to think this policy through and develop it into something workable - that allows you to start changing the look of the political/social landscape. It allows you to reprogram and, in effect, brainwash the public into seeing things YOUR way.

And our side has done nothing about it until the last few years when some people on our side finally started waking up and taking this seriously. It's been SO frustrating!!!!!!! We here on DU have been talking about this for more than a decade. SOME others around us in this country are FINALLY starting to wake up and smell the coffee on this. FINALLY. Only 30 or 40 years behind, that's all.

So since our "leaders" on the left - SOME of whom are waking up to this reality - are, indeed, just getting started, WE who've understood this problem and have been on this tip-of-spear since at least the early 2000s should be TAKING THE LEAD.

[calimary]

1. I'm kicking this so it won't sink.

[drm604]

2. K&R

Put that text on the right graphic and it might go viral on FaceBook.

[calimary]

18. Kicking for more comments/feedback!

[pennylane100]

3. I think that is an excellent idea.

People should know how the consequences of tax cuts will affect the quality of all our lives.

While educating voters about why the should pay taxes, we should also make the them very aware of the many people that currently pay little or no taxes. We should start awareness campaigns about how little revenue we get from corporate taxes. How much money that could have gone into our economy if the billions of dollars currently being sent to off shore tax havens was kept and taxed here in the US.

Another one of the main issues we should educate the voters about how much of our tax money goes to support the low paid workers of companies like Walmart that under pay and over work all their employees. I read read reports from different reputable sites and organizations that track these things and found that it costs the US tax payer an average of $1000.00 to subsidize each worker through medicaid when they do not get insurance, food stamps and subsidizing housing such as section 8.

The tax breaks we give to oil companies who make billions of dollars of profit is ridiculous. The billions of dollars that tax exempt institutions get every year is so very wrong. I personally do not wish to subsidize religious institutions that use my tax dollars to promote their political agendas such as gay marriage. Why are they not penalized. Personally I do not wish to subsidize them in any circumstances but I do not see that happening.

The average voter has no idea how many dollars go to such undeserving causes and a really well presented awareness campaign would certainly pay off.

[calimary]

11. I'd like to go farther than that, even. I'd like to point out the different "makers and takers"

among the states, and then take steps to equalize things a little more.

http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2012/09/18/republican-states-generally-pay-less-in-federal-taxes-than-they-get-back-in-federal-spending/

http://taxfoundation.org/article/federal-taxing-and-spending-benefit-some-states-leave-others-paying-bill-1

[pennylane100]

17. That is a subject that has always interested me.

I am not sure what kind of things can be done. It will certainly go nowhere in Congress. I do not think there is a way to get the courts to look at it, although it does seem discriminatory that some states get less. Anyone have any ideas.

[BrotherIvan]

4. Big K&R!

They also smeared liberals as "tax & spend" and liberals never responded with, "Yes, we spend it on the important stuff like education and health and all those things that make us a civilized country, and here's the thing we're not spending it on: WAR." I'm happy that Democrats in California are finally stepping up and kicking ass. Voters were willing to pay higher taxes in order to save the important stuff. It seemed like Armageddon was coming if Whitman won. I'd love to get rid of corporate tools like Feinstein, but she's better than scorched earth Fiorina.

As so many have pointed out, a majority of people truly agree with liberal ideals. Now it's time to elect some people who will actually put those ideas into policy and not just campaign on them.

[tpsbmam]

7. Well, a belated welcome to you, BrotherIvan.....excellent post! You're absolutely right

[BrotherIvan]

13. Thanks tpsbmam!

I've been reading since 2007, but never jumped into the fray. Hello back at you.

[Zoeisright]

5. K&R

Grownups don't whine about taxes. They understand that living in a productive and safe society is not free.

Which of course explains repukes, who are selfish little brats who comprehend things on a 3-year-old's level.

[calimary]

12. As a mom, they remind me of the sniveling brats I've seen - throwing a temper tantrum in the middle

of the cereal aisle at the grocery store because Mommy wouldn't by them five boxes of Cocoa Puffs. Selfish, short-sighted, cheapskates.

[former9thward]

6. "that military base in your county that generates all those jobs is gonna be closed..."

Are you opposed to DoD cuts? I'm not. It must be cut and those cuts must be large. But when the DoD is cut hundreds of thousands of jobs will be lost. That is painful but necessary. It is dishonest to suggest cuts can be made without pain.

[calimary]

8. I'm absolutely NOT opposed to Pentagon cuts. About time. WAY overdue on that score.

I've even heard the voices of people I respect, from Howard Dean to Ezra Klein saying they don't mind the sequester BECAUSE it forces Defense Department cuts - and that is NOT a bad thing.

It's just too bad that Pentagon cuts are partnered with things we really don't want to cut, and in actuality cannot afford to cut.

I'm glad this stuff is starting to hit home. So people can see it's not just those dreaded "welfare queens" who were a figment of ronald reagan's feeble mind and feeble-minded speechwriters and political strategists.

I like to remind people - especially the CONS among us that - YES. Freedom is NOT free. It costs the blood of patriots. But it costs even more than that. IT ALSO COSTS TAX MONEY - whether they like it or not.

[tpsbmam]

9. Glad you or someone linked to this post -- excellent suggestions!

The ReTHUGS, Third Way Dems, corporatocracy & oligarchs have done an excellent job of dominating & controlling communication & thus policies. We need to damn well take the power. An enthusiastic K&R!

[calimary]

10. Thanks!

It was a post I originally wrote on kpete's thread - the link is up top.

I just think it's excruciatingly important, critical, VITAL, to help people connect the dots. I dunno - sometimes maybe it just takes people being hit by a freakin' 2x4 across the face before they wake up and, indeed, face what's going on. Maybe there's a backhanded gift to the sequester. Well, SHIT, whaddya want? When all you want is lower taxes, then you're gonna have to give up some of those things that really AREN'T luxuries - they're everyday necessities that you rely upon. Necessities that aren't all about some imaginary welfare queen still lurking somewhere inside the roach-infested skull of the corpse of ronald reagan.

Necessities like Head Start programs for EVERY child who needs it, not just those lucky enough to win a lottery.

Necessities like air traffic control at small airports - like maybe what we have here in greater Los Angeles. One of the busiest skies in the world. And we have quite a few local airports for civil aviation in this general area, that's dominated by the colossus of L.A.X., and some of these little airports will be losing their control towers. Oh yeah - THAT'LL be great. What could possibly go wrong?

And how'd you like to play Russian Roulette every time you go to the meat counter - 'cause you won't have as many FDA meat inspectors on duty behind the scenes anymore.

And how'd you like to find out that the state has dictated that you should just go away and die - because funding for the cancer treatments you relied upon have dried up.

And ... well, you get the idea...

People HAVE TO BE EDUCATED about what those taxes fund. What those taxes pay for. It's not all the simplistic lazy moochers sucking it all up and we're just gonna teach all of "THEM" a lesson. "THEM" is US. Guess some people are gonna learn the hard way. We pay taxes and levy taxes - BECAUSE THOSE TAXES PAY FOR STUFF WE WANT AND NEED. LEGITIMATE STUFF WE WANT AND NEED!!!!! And those taxes are NOT, repeat, NOT bad things. They're necessary. They're part of what it takes to BE America. They're part of what we love about our country and what our country can do for us. BECAUSE WE UNDERWRITE ALL THOSE LEGITIMATE AND VERY NECESSARY PROGRAMS WITH OUR TAXES. Remember when President Kennedy stated - "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." I'd say what you can do for your country is PAY YOUR FRICKIN' TAXES. AND STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT IT!!!!! Those taxes are the DUES we pay to be part of a country like this. Those taxes underwrite and support the things that make this country the wonderful and desirable and beloved country that it is. America is America BECAUSE WE FUND ITS WONDERFULNESS AND BOUNTY WITH OUR TAX MONEY.

And I hate to say this - but I wonder how many people, who are now distraught because of what America can't afford to provide for them in their legitimate need, voted republi-CON. Because that's what you get when you vote republi-CON. You get IGMFU'd.

[tpsbmam]

14. Leaving open to read in the a.m. -- bleary eyed now.....and a little bleary brained! LOL nt

[calimary]

15. Let the Counter-Programming BEGIN!!!!

Only about 30 years behind...

Guess you gotta start somewhere. As long as it starts!

It's part of OUR taking OUR country back. Note - when I say back, I don't mean backwards!

[calimary]

16. Kicking before it fades into obscurity...