The most moral dignity afforded a citizen is serving in the military.

 

There are few exceptions in life that allow a person to leave a legacy of their life.  One is having children and breaking the truncation with the future.  The other is serving in the miliary to defend the USA and leaving a mark in time.  The USA military of WWII would change the course of history when other powers could not do it alone.

When a citizen gives their service to a country, they are defending the meaning of that service and not simply a piece of geography called "The Homeleand."  The values of the USA were always obvious and to realize those values are diminishing to so many Americans, including soldiers and veterans, only speaks to the lack of morality that exists today.

The United States of America demands participation.  One of the ways every American participates every year is in the form of tax payments to the USA Treasury.  Our Treasury supports the very surviving soldiers and their families we remember on this day.  WWII demanded participation by everyone, women worked, commodities were rationed and taxes were paid.  When a citizen wasn't serving in the military they were working for the cause.  There was a high moral content in the country.

The first payroll withholding occurred during WWII to increase the US Treasury and support the war effort and the returning soldiers after victory.  It is the obligation of those that can pay to do exactly that in the patriotic spirit it is intended.  When the wealthy are asked to support the country, it is in appreciation of the opportunity afforded them by the sacrifices of those that serve in other capacities.  Paying taxes that are asked by The President of the United States of America is not like paying a bill, it is defending the country and in the year 2011 it is to return the promise of their birth right and stability to its economy. 

Taxation

However, these agencies were often quite(click title to entry - thank you) successful in achieving their respective, narrower aims. The Department of the Treasury, for instance, was remarkably successful at generating money to pay for the war, including the first general income tax in American history and the famous "war bonds" sold to the public. Beginning in 1940, the government extended the income tax to virtually all Americans and began collecting the tax via the now-familiar method of continuous withholdings from paychecks (rather than lump-sum payments after the fact). The number of Americans required to pay federal taxes rose from 4 million in 1939 to 43 million in 1945. With such a large pool of taxpayers, the American government took in $45 billion in 1945, an enormous increase over the $8.7 billion collected in 1941 but still far short of the $83 billion spent on the war in 1945. Over that same period, federal tax revenue grew from about 8 percent of GDP to more than 20 percent. Americans who earned as little as $500 per year paid income tax at a 23 percent rate, while those who earned more than $1 million per year paid a 94 percent rate. The average income tax rate peaked in 1944 at 20.9 percent ("Fact Sheet: Taxes").

Gover Norquist is too good to be true. Why Middle Class Tax Cuts are not really tax cuts.

Finally, Norquist reveals his true colors. To say the Republicans are causing the continued loss of employment in the USA is an understatement. The obvious view point is that Grover is two faced when he states Middle Class tax increases are not really tax increases. In most people's opinion, what is good for the goose is good for the gander.  But, that is not where his contorted reasoning lies.

Norquist Tells GOP That Raising Taxes On The Middle Class Doesn’t Count As A Tax Increase (click title to entry - thank you)

by ThinkProgress

December 7, 2011

8:00 am

Written by Travis Waldron


Anti-tax zealot Grover Norquist, the president of Americans For Tax Reform and author of the radical anti-tax pledge that has played a significant role in hamstringing budget and deficit-reduction negotiations, has said that it is unacceptable for those who have signed his pledge to vote in favor of any tax increase. But now that President Obama and congressional Democrats are backing a tax cut aimed at stimulating economic growth, Norquist has changed his tune.


Norquist met with Republican members today to let them know that opposing the extension of the payroll tax cut — which would provide many families an extra $1,000 a year — would not amount to supporting a tax increase, National Journal’s Billy House reported today:...

But.

This is the beautiful part of Grover's mislead ideology. A person has to have drunk the Norquist Cool Aide in order to completely understand what Grover is saying. I appreciate Cantor taking caution about the Norquist advise, perhaps Cantor is enlightened enough to see through the folly. It may be that Cantor is simply afraid of constituents that are already unhappy about their infrastructure, but, his warning about not opposing the Payroll Tax Cuts is very prudent.

The ideology states, the wealthy create jobs. The obvious observation is that if the USA was dependent on the wealthy to create jobs then it would be completely obvious from past history that is the case. The idea that the ideology is flawed is one of critical thinkers. That isn't the point though. The point is that the Republicans believe their ideology. Their ideology states the wealthy creates jobs. It should be somewhat obvious where this is all going by now.

If the wealthy creates jobs, then the Middle Class and Working Poor does not. So, if the Republicans want to create jobs it is completely acceptable to raise taxes on the Middle Class and Poor to fund the government because they don't create jobs, as the government does not either.

The very huge folly of all that is the MARKET SHARE of any product success depends on a large base and why increasing taxes on the Middle Class and Working Poor is a very bad idea. The spending by the Middle Class and Working Poor on Black Friday proved how happy Wall Street can be when they are fed by consumer confidence and spending.
What President Obama is saying is the US economy needs to be supported by consumer confidence in purchasing products, therefore, the tax cuts will support consumers that will in turn support the manufacturers and distributors of products where citizens are employed.

Recently, Whirlpool reported it was closing its doors on manufacturing plants in two states and its 100 year old headquarters. Maytag, the parent company of Whirlpool believes they will eventually add 1500 jobs to two of their facilities in Ohio. After the closings and new hiring there will be at least a net job loss of at least 6000 employees as Maytag is consolidating its operations to increase their profit margin. If the market share was abundant rather than dwindling Whirlpool and Maytag would be expanding all their plants and beefing up their headquarters to supply global trade. The reason the market share is shrinking is because the monies the Middle Class and Working Poor is shrinking. They are asked to pay for more and more that do not contribute to the economy so much as a continual flow of wealth to the wealthy.  My pet peeve is when teachers pay for their own supplies out of their own paychecks in order to teach the children in their classrooms.  That is about as counter-productive as a classroom can get.


So, see, Grover Norquist is absolutely correct in stating the ideology he promotes does not view tax increases on the Middle Class as a tax increase. He views the Middle Class and Working Poor in much the same way Mr. Cain did when he stated, "If you are poor it is your own fault." So, why in the ideology of the Republicans allow people at fault for being poor have more money and ask the wealthy to pay more when they are the most successful and hold no fault for their success in building wealth at all costs?

Grover Norquist has been waging the tail of the Republicans for a long time and the country's economy, deficit and debt shows it. Grover Norquist uses a very twisted logic to achieve his membership and power. He does not want to separate from that power for one minute. He is as "W"rong as he can be only he'll never admit it and will continue to build rhetoric to flavor the Cool-Aide continuously to confuse the electorate and appear to know more about the free market system than he actually has any right to state.  He is and has harmed this country and is the most immoral man I have yet to witness exploit the USA economy.

The Bush Tax Cuts (at right) have done NOTHING to create jobs for over ten years now.  They have increased our deficit while conducting two wars and driven the National Debt to the levels it is now.  It is safe to say, Grover Norquist is a political hack and nothing more.  He has nothing productive to offer the USA.  The self defeating strategy of the Republicans has caused increased poverty and loss of quality of life.

President Zadari and his family need to come to the USA and live a life of appreciation.

Pakistan's (click title to entry - thank you) president Asif Ali Zardari has had a heart attack but will not resign, according to a senior government figure as aides tried to head off fears of deepening political insecurity and scotch rumours of a "soft coup".

The divide between the USA and Pakistan is not the making of President Zadari or his late wife.  They have been dedicated to bringing justice and democracy to Pakistan for generations.  The problem lies in the underlying fear that still exists between communist countries and the USA. 

There are still remnants of the Cold War and it has literally torn Pakistan into factions.  There is just too much power in Pakistan due to nuclear proliferation.  The nuclear footprint of Asia is huge.  While it is somewhat understandable Pakistan would seek nuclear weapons given its neighborhood, actually having that capacity it causing its instability.  Pakistan needs to remove its nuclear weapons from its military capacity and join a global process of non-proliferation.

When one considers the history of the region, it has been the epicenter of hostilities with all the major powers, Russia, the USA and now China.  Then there is India.  The attacks into Mumbai were deployed directly out of Pakistan by extremists.  I am fairly confident the tensions that spawned those attacks was due to the chronic suffering and struggles of those in Kashmir.  How are the lives of people in this region going to change and become productive if there is not a move to 'disincentive' the power struggle within that country?

President Zadari has a family lineage devoted to bringing peace to Pakistan.  Enough already.  When the impossible is impossible no matter how much is done to bring peace and security thorough democracy and prosperity it needs to stop.  Pakistan and the USA are becoming enemies and not allies. 

There are five nuclear nations in the world.  There should not be any more.  Nuclear military capacity brings huge challenges to a country's ability to support the weaponry and keep it secure.  Paksitan has too many problems with poverty to even consider maintaining its nuclear capacity.  The people have to come first, not the strong arm tactics of militarization to match every other legitimate nuclear power.  The Russians and the USA have continued to remove nuclear capacity from their arsenals for decades now.  The process is ongoing.  Why would we expect less from any other nation?

China has yet to make the leap of faith the USA will not engage in the war to end all wars.  The USA has had a one nation policy with China for as long as I can remember.  The continued arming of Taiwan is due to China continuing aggressions rather than peace.  That paradigm is a matter of power struggles set up a long time ago.  When it comes to reversing the mistrust between the USA and China there still exists too much fear to make the commitment to peace and prosperity. 

The USA is not innocent.  The past regime in the White House was the most hostile in a long time and unpredictably so.  The Bush/Cheney administration alarmed the American people, yet, when it comes to removing such power players within our democracy the people of this country treat it as a game.  It is not a game.  It is a political reality the USA has yet to contain through the understanding of its own footprint and how tensions escalate rapidly with simple words.  The Bush/Cheney regime were insecure in the understanding of peace, they rather destroy everything that was 'not of them' then learn to live within it and improve on relations.

I don't write this for political purposes, I do this because it is the reality of the world.  In the case of Pakistan, the problems are incredible in their dimensions.  The nuclear capacity is only one reason to be concerned about global peace.  The floods have destroyed lives and have reset the idea of community.  The confusion alone is enough to bring about opportunity for extremists to once again entrench themselves among the populous.  But, the poverty and suffering is unending.  When does a country's leadership finally have the ability to unify its people and move forward with an understanding of common interests?  It is time the USA remove itself as part of the instability in Pakistan.  The divisions of the country run too deep and the faux loyalities have to end.  We don't belong there anymore.

I wish President Zardari a speedy recovery and I hope his people realize the leader they have before it is too late for them.

As far as the floods, we all know what caused them and the USA's economy of fossil fuel dependence has to stop as well.  Here again we are running into impossible people with power to literally change the climate of the world.  The USA has problems, too.  It needs to come to terms with the political follies of its own democracy.