[FoRK] How Barack...

[geege schuman]

If only Barak had argued, "I want to ensure government revenue."  That
always wins over the crowd.

G

On Fri, Apr 18, 2008 at 12:53 PM, Jeff Bone <jbone at place.org> wrote:

>
> 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
>
>
>
>
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