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Sep. 9th, 2011 12:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwydion* Obama basically announced his intention to cave on Medicare. The Republicans laughed out loud at his idea that the CEOs should be asked to pay in as much as their secretaries in taxes. After all, the whole point of republican economic policy is to shift as much of the tax burden away from the wealthy as possible. It already looks to me like the newest deal is going to be trading away help for the poor and disabled and getting nothing back in the way of tax equality for the rich. Sigh.
* May I repeat in response to the Republican economics plans, no cutting the corporate tax rate even further will not create demand, which is the only reason companies would start hiring more people. Rehiring school teachers, librarians, etc. and paying people build, repair, and upgrade infrastructure injects money into the demand side, which will stimulate private industry. Tax amnesty for corporate tax cheats will not make jobs; it will only encourage future wrongdoing. No, tax subsidies to industries already making the highest profits in all of history do not make new jobs. If they were going to do that, they would have already done so. no, all it does is tax money from middle class tax payers to give to the rich. Since the rich already have more money than they can ever use, giving them more will not create demand. All it does is concentrate wealth upwards while taking yet more money out of the economy. The same goes for tax cuts for the rich. Adding money to the bottom in the form of unemployment insurance payments, social security, cash assistance, etc. is worth between $1.30-$1.50 for every dollar spent in terms of economic growth. A dollar given to the wealthy is only worth $.30. In other words, every dollar spent on corporate subsidies or corporate and top bracket tax cuts is actually taking $.70 out of the economy. This is economics 102, and I'm having trouble understanding why so many people are pretending these figures aren't well known or correct.
Even simpler, even though Republicans are out there tonight claiming firing people magically creates jobs, it doesn't. I'm pretty sure a seven year old would understand that hiring adds jobs and firing them takes jobs away. I know I could add and subtract in first grade. My question is, why can't so many congress people do the sort of math problems I did every day in first grade?
* If the Deficit is such a crisis, why not start by bringing all the troops home instead of wasting blood and treasure on Iraq and Afghanistan. It seems to me that would be a way more sensible start than firing teachers and firemen. Just saying.
* At the start of Rick "frothy residue" Santorum's presidential campaign, his campaign page was showing third under Santorum for a google search, after two pages about "frothy residue." He's now down to fifth after the definition and several pages arguing in favour of "frothy residue" as official definition. I'm guessing I'm not the only one out there deliberately google searching "santorum" whenever his names came up to make sure "frothy residue" stays on top.
* The PSA on top is heartwrenching: http://www.sparkindarkness.com/2011/09/some-powerful-videos.html
* Regarding the second video in the above, I am reminded of a conversation I had long ago on a roof in downtown Corvallis. It was after the town was invaded by for Aryan nation guys, and the ensuing kerfuffle. A gentleman asked me why my beliefs were objectively any better than theirs. I pointed out that my beliefs allow bigots the right to exist, to free speech, and to practice their beliefs in their own homes as long as they do nothing criminal and refrain from hurting others. Their beliefs require me and (here I listed mutual friends of mixed race (including my lover), non-christian religions, or non-straight orientation) to all go to the ovens. If their beliefs are ascendant, we all die. If my beliefs are ascendant, no one gets murdered over them.
I do not think it is in society's best interest to deny a whole segment of its citizens their civil rights just so that another group won't get it's feelings hurt. The life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness should always trump people being torqued off for being correctly labelled bigots.
* I can't remember the last time I saw a purpose built ashtray. So often now, they are other objects repurposed. The ashtrays I grew up with were heavy glass with brightly coloured adverts around the edge. To my toddler self, these were mysterious and fascinating legends. It was a horrible disappointment when I learned to read that they remained utterly mysterious, the names of french brands of cigarettes and alcohols advertized in cafes all over Paris, but utterly meaningless to me.
I had a similar disappointment with Babar and Asterix, when I went to try to read them for myself, the letters failing to resolve into meaning.
So many things in life are like that really.
* The Right to representation is under threat: http://www.sparkindarkness.com/2011/09/attack-on-legal-representation-scares.html
* Texas wildfire relief: http://txwildfirerelief.org/
* neo_prodigy found, "I am Not a Secondary Character: Queer Kids in YA, and Why We Need to Do Better:" http://muserising.com/?p=633
* Halloweenies and a new Forum only BPAL dropped today. There's also a seasonal gallery worth of goodies here that one could easily miss: http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/pickmangallery.html
* Tea, coffee, and cocoa circular swap open: http://www.bpal.org/topic/74582-teacoffeecocoa-lovers-circular-swap/page__pid__2026972#entry2026972
* O.o: http://cmdr-zoom.livejournal.com/374471.html
* Someone has already written a One Salt sea Filk! How cool is that!: http://catsittingstill.livejournal.com/221208.html
* Snerk: http://lettersfromtitan.tumblr.com/post/9948936516/what-if-elizabethan-teenagers-had-fandoms
* John Stewart Speaks for me here: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-september-7-2011/indecision-2012---oh-my-god--rick-perry-is-going-to-be-our-next-president?xrs=share_copy
* May I repeat in response to the Republican economics plans, no cutting the corporate tax rate even further will not create demand, which is the only reason companies would start hiring more people. Rehiring school teachers, librarians, etc. and paying people build, repair, and upgrade infrastructure injects money into the demand side, which will stimulate private industry. Tax amnesty for corporate tax cheats will not make jobs; it will only encourage future wrongdoing. No, tax subsidies to industries already making the highest profits in all of history do not make new jobs. If they were going to do that, they would have already done so. no, all it does is tax money from middle class tax payers to give to the rich. Since the rich already have more money than they can ever use, giving them more will not create demand. All it does is concentrate wealth upwards while taking yet more money out of the economy. The same goes for tax cuts for the rich. Adding money to the bottom in the form of unemployment insurance payments, social security, cash assistance, etc. is worth between $1.30-$1.50 for every dollar spent in terms of economic growth. A dollar given to the wealthy is only worth $.30. In other words, every dollar spent on corporate subsidies or corporate and top bracket tax cuts is actually taking $.70 out of the economy. This is economics 102, and I'm having trouble understanding why so many people are pretending these figures aren't well known or correct.
Even simpler, even though Republicans are out there tonight claiming firing people magically creates jobs, it doesn't. I'm pretty sure a seven year old would understand that hiring adds jobs and firing them takes jobs away. I know I could add and subtract in first grade. My question is, why can't so many congress people do the sort of math problems I did every day in first grade?
* If the Deficit is such a crisis, why not start by bringing all the troops home instead of wasting blood and treasure on Iraq and Afghanistan. It seems to me that would be a way more sensible start than firing teachers and firemen. Just saying.
* At the start of Rick "frothy residue" Santorum's presidential campaign, his campaign page was showing third under Santorum for a google search, after two pages about "frothy residue." He's now down to fifth after the definition and several pages arguing in favour of "frothy residue" as official definition. I'm guessing I'm not the only one out there deliberately google searching "santorum" whenever his names came up to make sure "frothy residue" stays on top.
* The PSA on top is heartwrenching: http://www.sparkindarkness.com/2011/09/some-powerful-videos.html
* Regarding the second video in the above, I am reminded of a conversation I had long ago on a roof in downtown Corvallis. It was after the town was invaded by for Aryan nation guys, and the ensuing kerfuffle. A gentleman asked me why my beliefs were objectively any better than theirs. I pointed out that my beliefs allow bigots the right to exist, to free speech, and to practice their beliefs in their own homes as long as they do nothing criminal and refrain from hurting others. Their beliefs require me and (here I listed mutual friends of mixed race (including my lover), non-christian religions, or non-straight orientation) to all go to the ovens. If their beliefs are ascendant, we all die. If my beliefs are ascendant, no one gets murdered over them.
I do not think it is in society's best interest to deny a whole segment of its citizens their civil rights just so that another group won't get it's feelings hurt. The life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness should always trump people being torqued off for being correctly labelled bigots.
* I can't remember the last time I saw a purpose built ashtray. So often now, they are other objects repurposed. The ashtrays I grew up with were heavy glass with brightly coloured adverts around the edge. To my toddler self, these were mysterious and fascinating legends. It was a horrible disappointment when I learned to read that they remained utterly mysterious, the names of french brands of cigarettes and alcohols advertized in cafes all over Paris, but utterly meaningless to me.
I had a similar disappointment with Babar and Asterix, when I went to try to read them for myself, the letters failing to resolve into meaning.
So many things in life are like that really.
* The Right to representation is under threat: http://www.sparkindarkness.com/2011/09/attack-on-legal-representation-scares.html
* Texas wildfire relief: http://txwildfirerelief.org/
* neo_prodigy found, "I am Not a Secondary Character: Queer Kids in YA, and Why We Need to Do Better:" http://muserising.com/?p=633
* Halloweenies and a new Forum only BPAL dropped today. There's also a seasonal gallery worth of goodies here that one could easily miss: http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/pickmangallery.html
* Tea, coffee, and cocoa circular swap open: http://www.bpal.org/topic/74582-teacoffeecocoa-lovers-circular-swap/page__pid__2026972#entry2026972
* O.o: http://cmdr-zoom.livejournal.com/374471.html
* Someone has already written a One Salt sea Filk! How cool is that!: http://catsittingstill.livejournal.com/221208.html
* Snerk: http://lettersfromtitan.tumblr.com/post/9948936516/what-if-elizabethan-teenagers-had-fandoms
* John Stewart Speaks for me here: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-september-7-2011/indecision-2012---oh-my-god--rick-perry-is-going-to-be-our-next-president?xrs=share_copy