GOP's Top Priority: Raise Taxes On The Poor, Cut Taxes On The Rich

[R. U. Sirius]

http://theweek.com/article/index/272922/the-republican-partys-top-priority-is-to-raise-taxes-on-the-poor-literally

Following their convincing victory in the 2014 elections, everyone is wondering what Republicans will do with their new majority in the Senate and House. Well, their policy agenda is becoming clear. It will be unrestrained class warfare against the poor.

This priority was made apparent over the last week during the negotiation of a colossal tax cut package. Senate Democrats and Republicans had been doing some low-key negotiations to renew a slew of tax cuts for corporations and lower- and middle-income Americans, according to reporting from Brian Faler and Rachel Bade at Politico.

Then President Obama announced his executive action on immigration. Enraged Republicans promptly took vengeance on all the goodies for the working poor (as well as for clean energy), cutting them out of the deal and proposing a raft of permanent tax cuts for corporations alone worth $440 billion over 10 years. Cowed Democrats, led by Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), were about ready to go along, prompting a decidedly justified outcry from liberals. Obama then threatened a veto, and the negotiations broke down entirely.

A few takeaways from this. First, it's yet another reminder that Republicans don't care about the national debt. Conservative carping about the debt is 100 percent of the time a rhetorical cudgel deployed with utter cynicism against programs they dislike for other reasons. When the topic is food stamps or unemployment insurance, they demand offsets to pay for them. (Because "we're broke," as Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) put it in a similar context.) But when it comes to dropping planeloads of money on corporations and rich people, Republicans will casually blow a half-trillion hole in the 10-year budget without blinking.

Fuck the Geriatric Old Pricks.

[Art Vandelay]

Well, there's a bit surprise...

[Ironchew]

Fuck the Geriatric Old Pricks.

There are plenty of neoliberals from Generation X onwards to replace the old folks, I assure you.

[Tolpuddle Martyr]

Fuck the Geriatric Old Pricks.

There are plenty of neoliberals from Generation X onwards to replace the old folks, I assure you.

Eh-fuck the Xers that should have put down that dog-eared copy of Atlas Shrugged back when they had hair, or hair that wasn't as white as the GOP voting base!

[Ultimate Paragon]

I never thought I'd say this, but we need more Republicans like Nixon.

[Ironchew]

Fuck the Geriatric Old Pricks.

There are plenty of neoliberals from Generation X onwards to replace the old folks, I assure you.

Eh-fuck the Xers that should have put down that dog-eared copy of Atlas Shrugged back when they had hair, or hair that wasn't as white as the GOP voting base!

There are plenty of neoliberal Millenials if the frequent arguments I have with Libertarians are any indication. Enough of them to discourage a much larger group from voting, at least, which is the same problem the Baby Boomers had.

[RavynousHunter]

Just wanna say that I read the last part as "Cut Taxes On The Reich."  Take from that what you will.

[SpaceProg]

Fuck the Geriatric Old Pricks.

There are plenty of neoliberals from Generation X onwards to replace the old folks, I assure you.

Eh-fuck the Xers that should have put down that dog-eared copy of Atlas Shrugged back when they had hair, or hair that wasn't as white as the GOP voting base!

Hey, we're not THAT old... I don't think.   Maybe.