[FoRK] How Barack...

[Jeff Bone]

On Apr 18, 2008, at 11:25 AM, Russell Turpin wrote:

> Perhaps it's my memory slipping, but I think I recall GINI being  
> explicitly referenced. That concern comes closer to Jeff's  
> accusation. But there is a middle ground. There are quite a few  
> people who simultaneously a) want a capitalist economy, with the  
> innovation and incentives and disparateoutcomes that result from  
> that, and b) want inequity and!  the cultural effects of that not to  
> become too great. That's often what gets labeled"economically  
> liberal." There are plenty of arguments against it. But tocall it  
> socialism seems to me to be that kind of political argument  
> thattries to do away with middle grounds by pushing them all to one  
> of a fewpure positions, all of which are then conveniently discarded  
> save one'sown.

What the hell happened to your formatting, Russell?

It's worth noting that I too am interested in minimizing inequity in  
taxation.  I favor doing this by abolishing all individual income  
taxes entirely and (perhaps, if necessary) replacing them with a flat  
consumption tax.  I don't think that makes me socialist, though.  
(*cough*)

The problem w/ Obama's comments, and the justification for my use of  
the term "socialist," is in his moral judgment about and contempt for  
income from investment and / or the "abuse" of "the system" by e. g.  
the hedge fund 50, and / or the clear prioritization of tax policy as  
a tool for social justice ahead of a tool for ensuring government  
revenue.  Perhaps this isn't coming through sans context;  did you  
watch the debate?


jb