COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Friday, November 03, 2017

Robert E Lee - A Great American


Asked in 1960 how he could keep a portrait of a man who tried to "destroy our government" in his Oval Office, President Eisenhower wrote his critic back:

"General Robert E. Lee was one of the supremely gifted men produced by our Nation. He believed unswervingly in the Constitutional validity of his cause which until 1865 was still an arguable question in America; he was a poised and inspiring leader, true to the high trust reposed in him by millions of his fellow citizens; he was thoughtful yet demanding of his officers and men, forbearing with captured enemies but ingenious, unrelenting and personally courageous in battle, and never disheartened by a reverse or obstacle. Through all his many trials, he remained selfless almost to a fault and unfailing in his faith in God. Taken altogether, he was noble as a leader and as a man, and unsullied as I read the pages of our history...

Their America, and Ours


"Meet you at Peace Cross."

In Northwest D.C. in the 1950s, that was an often-heard comment among high schoolers headed for Ocean City.

The Peace Cross, in Bladensburg, Maryland, was a 40-feet concrete memorial to the 49 sons of Prince George's County lost in the Great War. Paid for by county families and the American Legion, it had stood since 1925.

Before the Beltway was built, Peace Cross, at the junction of U.S. Route 1 and Maryland Route 450, was a landmark to us all.

Last month, two federal judges from the 4th Circuit ruled that Peace Cross "excessively entangles the government and religion" and must come down. A suggested compromise was to saw the arms off, so the monument ceases to be an offensive cross.

One wonders: At what moment did Peace Cross begin to violate the Constitution?
Answer: Never. No alteration has been made to the cross in a century. The change has come in the minds of intolerant judges and alienated elites where the dirty creek of anti-Christian bigotry now flows into the polluted stream of anti-Americanism.

Both are manifest in the rampage to rip down memorials to the men who brought Western Civilization to the New World and made America the great and good country we were blessed to inherit.

Monday, on Laura Ingraham's Fox News show, White House Chief of Staff Gen. John Kelly called Robert E. Lee "an honorable man," who chose to defend the people among whom he had been raised.

"It was always loyalty to state first in those days," said Kelly, when asked his view on Alexandria's Episcopal Church taking down plaques to its greatest parishioners, Lee and George Washington.

An explosion of outrage greeted Kelly's defense of Lee.

Yet, what has changed in half a century? As Ingraham noted, FDR, an icon of liberalism, referred to Lee as "one of our greatest American Christians and one of our greatest American gentlemen."

Asked in 1960 how he could keep a portrait of a man who tried to "destroy our government" in his Oval Office, President Eisenhower wrote his critic back:
"General Robert E. Lee was one of the supremely gifted men produced by our Nation. He believed unswervingly in the Constitutional validity of his cause which until 1865 was still an arguable question in America; he was a poised and inspiring leader, true to the high trust reposed in him by millions of his fellow citizens; he was thoughtful yet demanding of his officers and men, forbearing with captured enemies but ingenious, unrelenting and personally courageous in battle, and never disheartened by a reverse or obstacle. Through all his many trials, he remained selfless almost to a fault and unfailing in his faith in God. Taken altogether, he was noble as a leader and as a man, and unsullied as I read the pages of our history...

"To the degree that present-day American youth will strive to emulate his rare qualities, including his devotion to this land as revealed in his painstaking efforts to help heal the Nation's wounds once the bitter struggle was over, we, in our own time of danger in a divided world, will be strengthened and our love of freedom sustained.

"Such are the reasons that I proudly display the picture of this great American on my office wall."

Have some terrible new truths been unearthed about Lee we did not know in 1960?

No. The change has taken place in the poisoned minds of modernity.
Some will never concede there was principle or honor in the cause of a South that declared independence in 1860-61, emulating the 13 colonies that declared their independence in 1776.

In his tribute to Lee in 1960, Ike addressed what was at issue in 1860 that brought on the war.

"We need to understand that at the time of the War Between the States the issue of secession had remained unresolved for more than 70 years. Men of probity, character, public standing and unquestioned loyalty, both North and South, had disagreed over this issue as a matter of principle from the day our Constitution was adopted."

Ike refers not to a "Civil War," but to the "War Between the States." And correctly so. For the South did not seek to bring down the U.S. government, or overturn Lincoln's election, or seize power in the capital, but to leave the Union, to secede, as Jefferson and John Adams voted to secede from Britain in 1776.

Asked on Fox News about what is happening today with the public insults to our national anthem and the desecration of our monuments, Justice Clarence Thomas raises questions being asked by many Americans:

"What binds us? What do we all have in common anymore? ... We always talk about E pluribus unum. What's our unum now? We have the pluribus. What's the unum?"

The spirit that produced the war in the 1860s, and lasting division in the 1960s, is abroad again. A great secession of the heart is underway.

57 comments:

  1. THE NEW LOOK OF US CULTURE

    Eight people who worked on the set of the Netflix show House of Cards have accused Kevin Spacey of creating a “toxic” work environment by sexually harassing them, according to a report.

    The eight people, who remain anonymous for fear of putting their careers in jeopardy, told CNN that Spacey exhibited “predatory” behavior towards young, male production staffers on the show that included vulgar comments and nonconsensual touching.

    One former production assistant on the show alleged that Spacey, the Oscar-winning actor who also served as one of the show’s executive producers, sexually assaulted him while they traveled to the House of Cards set 30 miles away from Baltimore.

    The assistant said he was assigned to pick up Spacey from an offsite location and drive him to the set. While the two were in the car together, the actor allegedly forced his hands down his production assistant’s pants while the car was moving.

    The assistant alleged that Spacey touched him without his consent.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A statue of a great American icon is too offensive for current Americans but a flaming faggot and pedophile actor portraying an American President is cultural enrichment.

      As I stated before, when the first report of Spacey being a pedophile came out, these predatory sewers are never one and done. My bet is that they are in the 100s. Let's see if Hollywood's icons are removed with the same glee from the LGBTQCS sexual freak show.

      Delete

  2. Robert E Lee ÷ a dishonorable man, traitor to the United States of America

    To claim otherwwise ...
    ... Revisionit history

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'll side with Dwight D. Eisenhower, a man that knew something about US history, maintaining and defending freedom, serving the national interest, patriotism and honor.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'll stand on the holliwed ground of Gettysburg.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'll stand on the holliwed? hallowed ground of Gettsburg, too. And Shiloh, and Ezra Church, and Vicksburg, and Manassas, and Glorieta Pass, and all the others, too. And I will side with Ike, honoring good men like Lee, Chamberlain, Stuart, and McClellan.

    To claim Lee was dishonorable is a lie, and, well, FAKE NEWS. Stand Tall, Rat.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That Mr Lee violated his oath to the Constitution is without doubt.

      There are multiple "what ifs" involved ...

      But if General Lee had accepted command of the Union Armies ..
      Many of his southern subordinates would have followed him in honoring his oath to defend the Constition. As they followed him in rebellion against it.

      General Lee provided his personal moral authority to the rebellion.

      Rather than honoring his oath.


      I do ...
      ... Stand Tall

      Delete
    2. That is typical Rat twisted logic, twisted logic that would also call our Founding Fathers dishonorable for rebelling against England. I doubt you COULD stand tall, even if you wanted.

      More FAKE NEWs from THE RAT.

      Delete
    3. Independent states entered into a voluntary federal union. All free honorable men protect their families, their property, their kin and their nation. When Virgina, South Carolina and Georgie entered into a voluntary union, it was for mutual interests. They were not vassal states of New York or Pennsylvania or Washington DC.

      General Lee fought for the interests of his people against those that were encroaching against their interests and exercising federal overreach. Lee stated so:

      "I have fought against the people of the North because I believed they were seeking to wrest from the South its dearest rights. But I have never cherished toward them bitter or vindictive feelings, and I have never seen the day when I did not pray for them. "

      Delete

    4. No, MOME, you obviously understand what I wrote.

      It was not twisted but a straight forward explanation why I do not consider Gen Lee to have acted "Honorably".

      That Ike, who everyone liked, had a different view, not unreasonable.

      That you have a different perspective, understandable.

      But it doesn't negate my case.

      Delete
    5. This should feel familiar to many, probably a majority, in this country are increasingly unable to recognize what they have in common with their so-called fellow countrymen.

      Delete

    6. The Commonwealth of Viginia ratified the Constitution, without an Exit Clause.

      There were other remedies available to the Commonwealth, other than armed insurrection.

      Even General Kelly, White House Chief of Staff, believes that.

      An inability to compromise.




      Delete
    7. I stand against war criminals of any stripe.

      War criminals are the worst.

      Bobby Lee was not a war criminal.

      On the wrong side in lots of ways, but not a war criminal.

      At the end of the war, so I have read, he went to church, and sat with a black man.

      Delete
  6. Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump

    Everybody is asking why the Justice Department (and FBI) isn't looking into all of the dishonesty going on with Crooked Hillary & the Dems..

    They sure are.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Because the DoJ is committed to fulfilling Mr Trump's campaign promises.

      Immigration, Sanctuary Cities, Border Security, battling MS13 are the priorities.

      If there was probable cause for a "Special Prosecutor" to investigate Ms Clinton & Ms Wasserman-Schultz, one would think Mr Sessions would have appointed one.

      Which leads an open minded observer to think there is no probable cause to believe a crime of any significance was committed.

      If dishonesty were a crime both Ms Clinton and Mr Trump would be incarcerated.


      Delete
  7. .

    Hillary

    Polls indicate Hillary is widely disliked in this country. Many argue she is guilty of criminal conduct and should be in jail. The problem of course is that the latter requires PROOF of criminal activity and a will to carry forward with a prosecution. So far, those elements just aren't there.

    Today, I saw Trump once again asserting that there is nothing to the Russian investigation and that the media should be concentrating on 'crooked Hillary' and crimes she committed in the past. Sure, it was a self-serving comment designed to take attention away from his own problems but it goes beyond that. Trump is the CEO of the entire federal justice system yet he, like Doug no doubt, insist it is the media's job to bring Clinton to justice. Where that the case, the question becomes 'Why are we spending $ tens of billions each year on the DOJ, FBI, et al?'

    The system was designed with enough wiggle room to, in most cases, to allow people like Clinton to wiggle through without facing any consequences for their perversity and venality. When those in Congress whine about a system they helped design it is ironic. When someone like Trump whines about a system he benefits from personally, you can only shake your head.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The problem of course is that the latter requires PROOF of criminal activity and a will to carry forward with a prosecution. So far, those elements just aren't there.

      Nitwit. The proof is scattered all over the landscape.

      But you are correct that the will to carry forward with a prosecution could use some strengthening.



      Delete
  8. .

    Bergdahl

    Sentencing today for Bergdahl.

    Drop in rank from sergeant to private.

    Dishonorable discharge.

    $10,000 fine.

    No additional jail time (he's already been held by the Taliban for 5 years and here since 2014).


    I have mixed feelings. There is no doubt the sentence is harsh but he did put his fellow soldiers in danger.

    Not sure what else you could do to him that would provide more justice.

    (Interesting factoid: Judge indicated Trump's comments about how Bergdahl should be hung could be used as exculpatory evidence.)

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "The sentence is harsh.

      Mixed feelings."

      Sick.

      Delete
  9. Bergdahl gets off with a dishonorable discharge. So if you walk off your post, get caught by hostiles while taking a shit on the side of the road, and cause excess misery to reluctant fellow soldiers who are looking for you (there is your real definition of dishonorable, RAT) , you get a slap on the wrist, and your weirdo mom and dad get a free all expenses paid trip to the Rose Garden (and mom gets a fatherly pat on the butt from the Kenyan).

    Is this a great country, or what?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not necessarily reluctant fellow soldiers, as I do not know if they were reluctant to be soldiers or not, given their voluntary status, but surely reluctant to be looking for this idiot. Sorry if I confused.

      Delete
  10. A long time ago, a dishonorable discharge was a scarlet letter. You could not get a job without providing a DD 2-14. No one would hire you and it was mark of shame. There is not 10% of the country that would know what a dishonorable discharge is.

    The sentence today is a traffic ticket . It is a joke. He will get a book and movie deal and be hosted by the left. Good men died for this runt.

    He deserved to be blind-folded and then shot, by his peers , of course..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He deserved to be blind-folded and then shot, by his peers , of course..

      Trump had a similar comment and was vilified by the left....and some here, of course.

      Delete
    2. .

      There is not 10% of the country that would know what a dishonorable discharge is.

      I doubt that. It amounts to a federal felony charge. You are not allowed to hold a federal or state job. It would be difficult to get a job in a high security job or any job where they run background checks. The same would probably apply to civilian jobs unless you lie on the job application, normally a firing offense if discovered.

      .

      Delete
    3. He shoulda got some jail time at least.

      Delete
  11. I'll bet you a $250 dinner for two at a restaurant of your choice that within six months he will get a book and movie deal and be hosted by the left.

    He will have a job if he wants and needs one.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This guy was not a conscript. I would be more inclined to give a conscript slack, but not a professional. He did not have to enlist. He knew what he as getting into. He got his betters killed. He is a traitor. He deserves the harshest penalty under UCMJ.

    ReplyDelete
  13. .

    I wouldn't take the bet on the book deal.

    As far as getting anyone killed, I don't think there's evidence of that.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Why do you derive pleasure in being WRONG?

      The 6 U.S. Soldiers Who Died Searching for Bowe Bergdahl

      http://time.com/2809352/bowe-bergdahl-deserter-army-taliban/

      Delete

    2. "Military justice can be swift and merciless, although that appears unlikely in this case. But the past cannot be erased, and it’s that legacy that gives the troops involved a markedly different view of Bergdahl and his rescue than that of most Americans sitting at home, paying scant attention to the nation’s only soldier missing in action in Afghanistan until Saturday.

      The reason, for anyone who has been in combat, is pretty simple. Soldiers never forget. Civilians rarely remember
      ."

      Delete
    3. .

      DougFri Nov 03, 03:03:00 PM EDT
      Why do you derive pleasure in being WRONG?

      The 6 U.S. Soldiers Who Died Searching for Bowe Bergdahl



      I don't know. I haven't tried it yet.

      Do you?

      Bergdahl deserted in June. The official specific search for him was called off in mid-July. The deaths of those six people happened after the main mission was switched to helping provide security for the elections. Those troops died as a result of things that happen everyday in war, from actions providing security, for helping Afghan troops under attack, and from road side bombs.

      Were all of these guys told, 'Hey, while you're out there remember we are still need to find Bergdahl if he's alive. Probably, but if you go down that route you can blame every death in Afghanistan from the day he deserted until the exchange that got him back on him.

      http://www.newsweek.com/did-6-soldiers-really-die-looking-bergdahl-253917

      https://www.stripes.com/news/command-sergeant-major-no-troops-died-searching-for-bergdahl-1.402016


      .


      Delete
    4. Probably, but if you go down that route you can blame every death in Afghanistan from the day he deserted until the exchange that got him back on him.

      What utter nonsensical drivel from a man who claims to have never been wrong.

      DougFri Nov 03, 03:03:00 PM EDT
      Why do you derive pleasure in being WRONG?

      The 6 U.S. Soldiers Who Died Searching for Bowe Bergdahl


      I don't know. I haven't tried it yet.
      Quirk Who Is Never Wrong


      ho ho ho

      ROFLMAO !

      The very best I can do for you, Quirk, is to state there have been a few times when you have been right.

      If you ever need me to testify in Court on your behalf in such a matter, I will, and do my best for you, as always, but I will tell the truth to the Jury.

      Ask you lawyer if such testimony will be a net plus or negative for you, is my advice.

      Delete
    5. .

      The faux farmer once again proves why his credentials as English major are being questioned.

      .

      Delete
  14. "I find it sad that by not talking about who I sleep with, that makes me mysterious.

    There was a time when I would have been called a gentleman.
    "

    Spacey

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. :)

      Mysterious ?

      With his anal activity I think it make him sound dangerous.

      AIDS is still round and about, you know.

      Delete
  15. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE LOWEST SINCE '00....DRUDGE

    ReplyDelete
  16. Elephant Seal Cam

    http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-156.4551062011722&lat=20.783383994069823#.WfzlwSJSxNL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you are just trying to make me feel bad.

      All I get is a weather report from Hawaii -

      Current conditions at
      Kahului, Kahului Airport (PHOG)
      Lat: 20.89°NLon: 156.44°WElev: 52ft.

      Partly Cloudy and Windy
      86°F
      30°C
      Humidity 63%
      Wind Speed NE 26 mph
      Barometer 30.02 in (1017.2 mb)
      Dewpoint 72°F (22°C)
      Visibility 10.00 mi
      Heat Index 92°F (33°C)
      Last update 3 Nov 11:54 am HST


      It's nearly snowing here.

      You don't have to rub it in.

      Delete
    2. Yeah, but you have the distinction of being the birthplace of Bowie Bergdahl.

      Delete
    3. http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/jani-bergdahl-the-mother-of-freed-us-soldier-bowe-bergdahl-news-photo/494921271?esource=SEO_GIS_CDN_Redirect#jani-bergdahl-the-mother-of-freed-us-soldier-bowe-bergdahl-walks-the-picture-id494921271

      Delete
    4. I find he was born in Sun Valley, Idaho. Didn't know that. Father was a commercial truck driver. The Coast Guard kicked him out for mental problems, he joined the Army -

      Last e-mail to parents[edit]

      On June 27, 2009, Bergdahl sent an e-mail to his parents before he was captured:[2]:4


      mom, dad
      The future is too good to waste on lies. And life is way too short to care for the damnation of others, as well as to spend it helping fools with their ideas that are wrong. I have seen their ideas and I am ashamed to even be american. The horror of the self-righteous arrogance that they thrive in. It is all revolting. [...] [Three good sergeants had been forced to move to another company] [...] and one of the biggest shit bags is being put in charge of the team. [...] [My battalion commander was] a conceited old fool. [...] In the US army you are cut down for being honest... but if you are a conceited brown nosing shit bag you will be allowed to do what ever you want, and you will be handed your higher rank... The system is wrong. I am ashamed to be an american. And the title of US soldier is just the lie of fools. ... The US army is the biggest joke the world has to laugh at. It is the army of liars, backstabbers, fools, and bullies. The few good SGTs are getting out as soon as they can, [...] I am sorry for everything here. These people need help, yet what they get is the most conceited country in the world telling them that they are nothing and that they are stupid, that they have no idea how to live... We don't even care when we hear each other talk about running their children down in the dirt streets with our armored trucks... We make fun of them in front of their faces, and laugh at them for not understanding we are insulting them [...] I am sorry for everything. The horror that is america is disgusting. There are a few more boxes coming to you guys. Feel free to open them, and use them.[2]:4


      Bob Bergdahl responded to his son's final message not long after he received it:


      OBEY YOUR CONSCIENCE!
      Dear Bowe, In matters of life and death, and especially at war, it is never safe to ignore ones' conscience. Ethics demands obedience to our conscience. It is best to also have a systematic oral defense of what our conscience demands. Stand with like minded men when possible. Dad.[2]:4


      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowe_Bergdahl

      Delete
  17. Trump: “A Lot Of People Are Disappointed In The Justice Department — Including Me”
    ED MORRISSEYPosted at 12:41 pm on November 3, 2017

    Time once again to start the Jeff Sessions resignation watch? In a press avail as Donald Trump left for his trip to Asia, the president issued a vote of no confidence in his own Department of Justice. Speaking on a range of issues before boarding Marine One, Trump expressed frustration with the DoJ for not pursuing corruption within the DNC, and pointed to Donna Brazile’s exposé yesterday as evidence. Trump didn’t mince words when it came to being “disappointed” in the DoJ:

    Mr. Trump said instead people should be looking at the DNC, and a “lot of people,” himself included, are “disappointed” in the DOJ.

    “I don’t know, I’m really not involved with the Justice Department,” Mr. Trump said. “I ‘d like to let it run itself. But honestly they should be looking at the Democrats, they should be looking at Podesta and all of that dishonesty. They should be looking at a lot of things, and a lot of people are disappointed in the Justice Department, including me.”

    Mr. Trump’s comments came after a morning tweet storm in which he commented on former DNC chair Donna Brazile’s new book alleging the DNC fixed the Democratic primary for Hillary Clinton. Mr. Trump said the public “deserves” a probe of Clinton and the DNC after Brazile’s claims.

    Lest anyone think that this was just an ad-hoc outburst, Trump had earlier emphasized this point in a tweetstorm this morning:....

    .....Trump also looped Elizabeth Warren in on his argument, with his favorite nickname for the Massachusetts senator:

    Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump
    Pocahontas just stated that the Democrats, lead by the legendary Crooked Hillary Clinton, rigged the Primaries! Lets go FBI & Justice Dept.
    4:55 AM - Nov 3, 2017
    33,601 33,601 Replies 21,890 21,890 Retweets 75,867 likes


    .....

    https://hotair.com/archives/2017/11/03/trump-lot-people-disappointed-justice-department-including/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A President should, for the most part, let his own Justice Department run itself.

      But under Sessions the wheels don't seem to be turning much.

      C'mon, Jeff, engage the transmission.

      Delete
  18. The Lord, whatever we may think of Robert E. Lee, seems to have insisted he be born -

    Robert E. Lee born year after his mother was buried

    R. E. LEE BORN AFTER BURIAL OF HIS MOTHER

    The one hundred and first anniversary of the birth of General Robert E. Lee recalls the little known fact that he was born more than a year after his mother had been buried, furnishing to the world one of the most astonishing cases of reviviscence on record.

    General Lee’s mother was by not means an entirely healthy woman, and the physician at Stratford, Virginia, the home of Henry Lee (Light Horse Harry) was kept in constant attendance. Mrs. Lee suffered from catalepsy and during a long trance she was pronounced dead. The body was prepared for interment, and the morning of the third day after her supposed death, the remains were laid in the family vault, in the graveyard in that pretty little Virginia village.

    Members of the family made frequent visits to the vault, and while the sexton was cleaning up and arranging some flowers to be placed on the casket, he heard a faint voice as though of some one calling for assistance. Of course, the old man was somewhat alarmed, but as he had seen many years of service in the “city of the dead,” he did not leave the vault. He listened closely and the voice was distinctly heard again. Becoming satisfied that the voice came from within the casket, he at once set to work and opened it, discovering that Mrs. Lee was alive. Releasing the poor woman from her awful fate, assistance was soon summoned and within a short time she was safe in bed at her home.

    Mrs. Lee’s recovery was slow but she did regain good health, and a little more than a year after she was buried alive, her youngest son, Robert E. Lee, was born, and thus came into the world one of her bravest men. Mannsville News.


    https://www.ancestry.co.uk/boards/surnames.lee/10965/mb.ashx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's stories like this that always remind me of the miraculous and preternatural birth of our contributor Quirk as, if I recall correctly, once narrated by his Noble Self.

      Born, as he related, IIRC, I think, on a high mountain top in the deepest winter, his mother dropped the kid, as I believe we were told, onto the cold icy winter snows, soon, after the necessary preliminaries, suckled at his mother's tender breast, inside her bear skin coat, the full moon appearing and disappearing high above the passing snow clouds....his mother lovingly expressing what a wonderful quirky experience I have had with tears of gratitude in her eyes.....and he became nicknamed Quirk......as he told us when he joined our discussion group here.....I have something of a quirk, therefore I am Quirk....

      The Lord truly loves his own, and will bring them forth, even as He must.....

      .....

      Delete
  19. ????????????

    Quirk, who by is own assertion (see above) is never wrong, tells us that the Trump tax plan is a gift to the rich. How do you explain this, Quirk ? -

    The GOP’s hidden 46% tax bracket
    If you’re rich enough, some of your income is taxed at a rate unseen since the ‘80s.


    By DANNY VINIK 11/02/2017 06:07 PM EDT

    House Republicans claim the tax plan they introduced Thursday keeps the top individual rate unchanged at 39.6 percent—the level at which it’s been capped for much of the past quarter-century. But a little-noticed provision effectively creates a new band in which income is taxed at over 45 percent.

    Thanks to a quirky proposed surcharge, Americans who earn more than $1 million in taxable income would trigger an extra 6 percent tax on the next $200,000 they earn—a complicated change that effectively creates a new, unannounced tax bracket of 45.6 percent.

    It hasn’t been advertised by Republicans, who have described their plan as maintaining the current top tax rate of 39.6 percent. And it goes against decades of GOP orthodoxy that raising taxes on the rich discourages work and reduces economic growth. Reached by phone, Steve Moore, a tax expert at The Heritage Foundation, said the surcharge was news to him. “I was just in a briefing with the White House on this,” he said. “They didn’t mention that. It seems kind of bizarre to me.”

    The new rate stems from a provision in the bill intended to help the government recover, from the very wealthy, some of the benefits that lower-income taxpayers enjoy.....

    https://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/11/02/the-gops-hidden-46-tax-bracket-000570

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did NOT put the 'quirky' in this quote:

      "Thanks to a quirky proposed surcharge...."

      Delete
    2. .

      How do you explain this, Quirk ?

      1. The House and Senate versions bills will need to reconciled before we know what is actually in the final bill.

      2. Before that happens the lobbyists and other interest groups will have time to nitpic it.

      3 Whatever comes out of this, the GOP will have to get the cost of it below $1.5 trillion over 10 years or they can't use the reconciliation and will require 60 votes to pass it and it will die ignominiously as it should.

      4. I would suggest you read the tax bill version that are out there, or at least the summaries that have been put out, but I realize that would probably be an unreasonable burden to place on an English major. Therefore, let me just point out that there are a number of changes that are being proposed that make no sense except in that they help to get to that magic number.

      Ask yourself, why would the surcharge be so complicated? Why is it only on earnings between $1.0 and $1.2 million and then it disappears?

      Another odd one. A proposal that allows companies to immediately deduct business expenses rather than stretching them over a number of years potentially has a big impact on smaller companies that need money to build up or expand their business. In fact, a hefty chunk of the administration’s unsubstantiated growth estimates is based on the extra investing it is supposed to cause.

      But the proposal has a five-year time limit. Why? Because it costs too much beyond that. Something a small business owner hates worse than taxes is uncertainty. Why would they put in extra investment if the money they need to pay for it disappears after five years?

      It's all kabuki. Like every tax bill, every budget, and most other bills, they are simply gaming the system to make the numbers appear to add up. This is all snake oil. Trinkets for their base and their real constituency, the 1%. The GOP's main aim is the corporate tax cut and the cuts for the wealthy. They will cook the books and tell any lies they need to get it passed.

      And the Trumpkins say, Thank you, sir, may I have another.'

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    3. .

      This stuff isn't restricted to this administration or Congress. It's done all the time.

      Obama cooked the books on healthcare costs to get Obamacare through. He delayed the costs for a few years in order to get the 10 year numbers to work. Bush did the same on Medicare Part D.

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  20. .

    May I be the first to say, I love the new blog header picture and words.

    Looks great.

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  21. Interesting factoid -

    Quirk was born under what became, understandably, know as The Quirk Moon.

    This is the first full moon following The Beaver Moon, which is available for viewing tonight.

    Beaver Moon

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/weather/how-and-when-to-view-tonight%E2%80%99s-gorgeous-%E2%80%98beaver-moon%E2%80%99/ar-AAupxRL?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp

    ReplyDelete