In these challenging economic times it is common for a nation and its leaders to embrace a sense of community and promote the notion that we are all in this together and are expected to chip in, do our part, and make difficult compromises. The Republican Party is no exception and it has adopted its own model of “Shared Sacrifice.”
The right-wing in America is committed to reducing the deficit on the backs of the middle-class and the poor. They are all for cutting the salaries of teachers and the benefits of seniors. And the rich have to pitch in as well by accepting painful reductions in…..taxes.
That’s right, the beleaguered wealthy amongst us must loosen their belts and be prepared to get fatter and suffer ever more ostentatious privilege. This is a theme that the media adopts as they seek to sustain the position of power awarded to the elite who must surely deserve it or it would not have been granted to them by God.
In the process of dispensing these hardships, working people are castigated if they object that the contracts to which they agreed are being broken in order to pare back their lavish lifestyles. But any suggestion that the Wall Street crooks who created this recession in the first place be asked to forgo their extravagant bonuses, paid for by the people via government bailouts, is an affront to the order of business and the contractual benefits they negotiated with their executive pals.
So remember, when contemplating the value of shared sacrifice, that if you support firefighters and factory workers getting fair compensation, you’re a socialist. But if you support hedge fund managers and insurance company CEO’s getting millions in government handouts, you’re a patriot. That’s shared sacrifice in right-wing America.
*Very* well done…bravo!
A good example of why depending on the government for your well being is a bad idea! It couldn’t possibly be the government shouldn’t have grown to its current size in the first place, it must be the fault of greedy rich people and therefore they must bear the majority of the burden. This is what you get when you put your faith in the government – a lot of pain and suffering – you progressives can have it all you want – I’ll pass.
What arrogant and incoherent ignorance. Let’s talk when you pass on Social Security and Medicare for yourself and your family; when you stop purchasing food that’s been inspected by the USDA; when you stop using state and federal highways; when you cease to rely on police and firefighters; when you throw away all your medications that were funded by government research, then approved by the FDA; when you go to work in conditions like China with no safety regulations, minimum wage, or limits on hours or age; when you quit using all petroleum-based products that are subsidized by the government; when you stop breathing air that has been cleaned as a result of anti-pollution measures; when take your kids (and all kids) out of public schools and libraries and parks. I could go on.
In a democratic republic people do not “rely” on the government. They “direct” the government to provide services that “we the people” determine. If you don’t like it there are countries that don’t operate that way. You know, I think you’d like Somali where they have no functional government at all. Send me a postcard (if you can find a post office).
Hey, you got what you wanted – a huge group of people in this country are now dependant on the government for their financial well being – and now that it’s clear we can’t afford it, it’s time – according to you – to start confiscating wealth from people in this country to maintain it since you beleive it’s better in the hands of the government – congratulations – your progressive beliefs have now come to fruition – I think you and your lot are more dangerous to the well being and freedom of the people of this country than terrorists that also want to destroy this country.
As usual you fail to address a single point that I made. You merely rant on about things I never said or advocated. Your talking points are firmly ingrained so you don’t need to actually think. And for you to say that I’m more dangerous than terrorists says more about your own diseased mind than anything else.
You know, I enjoy engaging thoughtful conservatives who can challenge me intellectually. I find it stimulating. You, however, bore me to tears. Your presence here only serves to embarrass you. Why do you bother?
Gee I wonder if Steve felt that sharing his scarfice by doing his duty in the military?
SUPPORT UNIONS AND SUPPORT COMPANIES THAT ARE GOOD TO THEIR EMPLOYEES. WE NEED TO START FINDING GOOD COMPANIES THAT DON’T SHIP JOBS OVERSEAS AND ARE GOOD TO THEIR EMPLOYEES AND LIST THEM.
Ha, I get that all the time. Respond to a post or Facebook update with 10 points and see how fast they are ignored, or the subject shifted to new talking points.
Since I’ve accused you of something akin to a terrorist – I probably owe you some kind of explanation – My view of you and those who support your view of things is that you don’t respect other peoples freedom. I see your views as a threat to my and everyone’s freedom. I’m sure you don’t see it that way, so I’ll explain….to support your view of government and the way you see our responsibilities requires me and everyone else to pay more in taxes. I know government has a role to play and we are responsible for that, but the amount of the role you support and that I support are different – which I guess is the crux of the debate in general. The government, right now, appears to need somewhere in the $4.7 to $5 trillion+ dollar area to be balanced (I think I have that right). That approximately 1/3 of the GDP of the US economy – that seems like way too much and could very possibly be impossibly to balance at that level unless we’re all taxed at an excessively high rate, which means we work to support the federal government. THAT’S NOT FREEDOM. I shouldn’t need to owe my paycheck to anyone except me – I work for it and I should keep as much as I can so I can do what I want/need to do.
What a load of bullshit! Your reason for saying that I’m worse than a terrorist is because you want to pay less in taxes? Fuck you! And as for the role of government, all I want is for it care more about its citizens than the corporate fat-cats who bankroll our politicians (and lunatic, phony Tea Bag movements that get imbeciles to support the fat-cats against their own best interests).
Those are stupid reasons to say someone is worse than a terrorist. Do you think Ronald Reagan was worse than a terrorist? Tax rates were twice what they are now during his administration after he raised them (which most right-wing morons don’t even know he did). Do you think there was no freedom in the 1980’s?
Now, instead of apologizing, you double-down and say that I don’t respect other people’s freedom and that I’m a threat to everyone’s freedom. Fuck you! You are a world class idiot who can’t support his positions with facts or logic so you resort to hyperbole and insults. You are the epitome of the vile, hate-filled, ignorant, Tea Party faction that most Americans oppose (it’s true. Every poll affirms it).
The only reason I let you post here (aside from my reverence for free speech) is that your pathetic comments generally illustrate the vacuous numbskullery and fanaticism of the right, and actually help to make my points. But you are stretching the boundaries of my tolerance with your delusional talk of the terrorism and threats that you think I represent.
Mark, I hope you don’t mind, but I shared your unhinged response with some friends – it gave us all a great laugh.. thanks – I gave you full credit.
BRAVO!! Well said, Mark..! Thanks for this.
That was awesome!!! Remember – the ends don’t justify the means.
I’ll not bother you anymore – it’s taken a lot to come back recently, but that was the best response ever, especially the f-you.
I don’t understand……How do they turn an obvious asskicking into a victory for them? They must be terrible at sports.
If the Republican Party really believed in shared sacrifice, then they would have permitted the ultra-wealthy to sacrifice their disproportionately high tax breaks granted to them by the Bush regime, and they would demand that the petroleum industry sacrifice their federal subsidies and tax breaks.
I wish the govt wood start charing them a tax to bring their goods back into the country. Companies that take jobs off american soil should be considered traitors. I don’t want to hear Stevie from York bitch. I know in this little rural town I live in (TN) we had a factory that wanted tax breaks to come here. The city gave them everything they wanted and in the end it was here for 3 or 4 yrs then left and hugh empty building moving their factory to Mexico. I’m so damn sick and tired that corporations are NOT paying their fair share in taxes. Just pay a fair share and not off the workers.
SUPPORT YOUR UNTIONS.
Short, but brutal. I first saw the graphic at Daily Kos… and was like. Oh, SNAP, son. But the post IS to the point. I will not debate that there is a huge amount of imbalance in government, and how are national resources are dispensed.
Face it, that’s a given, folks.
But currently the system is tilted so overwhelmingly in favor of the überwealthy and mega-corps, and how the financial industry that created the recession gets of scott-free with a massive buyoff, it’s the UNFAIRNESS of it all that upsets people.