Naturally. Because he can’t very will wring more tax revenue out of those all this redistributed wealth is going to, after all. Newsmax:
President Barack Obama will call tomorrow for a combination of reductions in entitlement spending and tax increases on higher-income Americans to address long-term fiscal debt while drawing a sharp contrast with the Republican alternative proposed by Representative Paul Ryan, according to a person familiar with the plan.
Obama’s proposal will draw on the findings of the Simpson-Bowles debt commission chairmen who said tax increases had to accompany spending reductions. He will also specifically reject Ryan’s idea of a voucher-like system for future Medicare recipients, the person said.
The president also will try to align his plan with the objectives of the so-called Gang of Six, a group of three Republican and three Democratic senators working on their own recommendations. That plan is not expected to be released until after a two-week congressional recess scheduled to begin next week, according to people familiar with the negotiations.
[…]
Many of the themes he’ll hit reflect those contained in his Feb. 14 budget plan for fiscal 2012, including increasing the top income tax rates and closing loopholes in the tax code. It also will draw on recommendations from the bipartisan presidential commission headed by former Senator Alan Simpson and former Clinton administration official Erskine Bowles.
While Obama’s budget charted a path to cutting the deficit by $1.1 trillion over a decade, the commission’s plan would cut almost $4 trillion over the period. Both used a combination of spending cuts and higher revenue. Ryan’s plan would cut the deficit by $4.4 trillion over 10 years, primarily through deep cuts in federal spending. Ryan, of Wisconsin, proposes to reduce top tax rates.
Obama the deficit hawk. Obama the reformer.
Obama the fraud.
Unfortunately, the GOP has handed him this opening. As I’ve been speculating he would, Obama will pitch his “reform” ideas on the notion that you can’t decrease debt through spending cuts alone, and that therefore the government needs to bring in more “revenue” through a variety of tax increases, which he’ll sell as increases on the “rich” (which is being defined down to families that are anything but, or small businesses that file taxes in a particular manner). Look for the closing of “tax loopholes” for “big business” — essential, write offs businesses get for equipment, etc. We’ll hear, as Mark Levin noted this evening, about “tax expenditures” (or something similar), a phrase that will, through a trick of language, look to shift the structural economic platform of our country: underlying this idea is that all money and wealth belongs to the government, and you as a subject are allowed to keep certain amounts as decided upon by government. This mechanism — your keeping money that would otherwise go to the government — is a tax expenditure, from the perspective of the Marxists, an outlay of their money (they as representative of “the people”) to you. An allowance, if you will.
But of course, with increased taxes and regulations on business and industry, the price of fuel, electricity, and staples such as food and clothing will rise, creating a kind of consumption tax on everyone. At which point the government will step in with “price freezes” and, down the road, likely more takeover of industry. These are the building blocks of a centralized command and control economy, particularly when coupled with government run health care. And Obama has essentially told us what he’s doing — if you’ve been willing to listen.
This is what “transformation” looks like.
Don’t think it can’t happen here. Because the foundations have long been laid. And the left is going to take its shot, confident that leadership and the GOP establishment on the right are too politically cowardly to take him on.
By corrupting the language, the left owns the message and is able to frame it for us using tropes we as a classically liberal country are familiar with: fairness, opportunity, justice, sacrifice, freedom. Only today, “fairness” is defined as an equal dose of misery to all (except those who get to do the ruling); “opportunity” is granted by the government; “justice” has to do with equality of outcome; “sacrifice” means turning over more of your labor — and the wealth it generates — to a centralized power that creates no wealth yet presumes to control it all and divide it up as it sees fit; and “freedom” is refigured as the security provided by the nannystate, a freedom from having to take risk, a freedom from the ideals of individualism and self-reliance and a reliance on a sprawling centralized government and its administrative arms.
We extremists have seen this all along — even as the beltway pragmatists spent 2008 genuflecting before Obama’s historical aura. And now these same pragmatists are trying to marginalize the TEA Party who brought the GOP back to power by essentially bracketing actual conservatives from conservative movement while pretending that they themselves are conservatives, only the sensible, politically savvy kind who, as Boehner just showed, can “change the conversation” and “pocket” whatever cuts they can get, despite their being but 1/2 of 1/3 of the government.
Just as the New Left took over the Democrat label (and marginalized the blue dogs), the GOP establishment wants to paint itself as the repository of “sensible conservative governance” (while marginalizing the Tea Partiers as “fringe extremists).
And that’s because they, like the leftists, are addicted to centralized government power and big spending. They just don’t want to move as fast as the left. But, by their willingness to play in the left’s sandbox, they provide “progressives” institutional cover each step of the way.
There, I said it.
Have at me.
Lower spending, lower tax rates, less regulation and bureaucracy, the three legs of the only solution. Pull out any one and it, we all fall down.
I’ve been hunkering down now for awhile. There’s a comet coming, and it’s too late to do anything about it, I’m afraid. The sad thing is, my Dad (b. on the day the U.S. declared war on Germany in WWI said this stuff was on the horizon in the 60’s and I refused to believe him then.
I’m the worse for it, I think.
They, whoever “they” are, used to say a Communist was just a liberal in a hurry. Which attempt at an apologetic did more to make “liberal” a bad word in American politics than any demonization campaign by the Right, but I digress.
These days it’s equally true that an Obama socialist is only a Pragmatic Republican in a hurry.
And I say the he’ll with it.
Damn you, auto-correct! Just for that Im leaving out an apostrophe that should be there. To restore balance, you see.
Okay. You’re an Extremist! Why do you hate The Children™? Why do you hate Womyn? Why do you hate Minorities? I think it’s because you’re racist.
RACIST!
A lot of us will have to get used to being accused of all of this and more, because this crap will not stop until either we stop them or this country completely ceases to be what it was (I would say “is” but it isn’t any more).
By the time the pragmatists who aren’t actually statists realize what is happening, it will be too late.
That’s sweet. Do they have terms yet for things like putting money into rental properties in South America or moving to New Zealand?
On the plus side, they might finally do something about the borders once all the taxpayers start fleeing to better environs.
i want all of baraky’s money-now
Perhaps you’re giving the Rockefeller Republicans too much credit JeffG; I personally think it’s timidity and ineptness more than any craven connivance.
They need another dose of being primaried by Tea Party conservatives; get rid of the dead wood-so to speak.
But it’s going to demand more of us all than merely showing up to vote. We’re going to have to individually convince the middling types within all of our social circles, on all sides of the political spectrum.
I think the situation is dire, but not lost. And the GOP needs to be taken control of by the Tea Partiers; and the hell with any politicians that try to marginalize or paint them as extreme regardless of which letter follows their name.
jeff g – money maker – start goofball tv with baraky as star. geez just do 2007 vs 2011 clips nonstop. laughomatic. biden stuff for the win.
ask hillbuzz about goofballtv. synergy or winning!!11!! or whining-jrube
To be perfectly frank, the discussions here at pw involving social security already have me convinced that we’re well and truly fucked. We don’t even require outside agitators or turncoats.
It simply turns out that “my” (maybe “our”, depending) group is a minority. Which means it doesn’t matter all that much what our representatives do. They’re not neglecting the popular will, they’re reflecting it.
We’ll win here and there locally for awhile but I’m not particularly hopeful anymore as far as the big picture.
I know Hugh Hewitt has been too much hail well met fellow with GOPers in the past, but lately it seems some of the old fellows coming on his program are flummoxed at his current attacks. He especially was going ballistic at Tom Coburn today and is shouting alarm at the “Gang of Six” … as he stated, they are SALIVATING at the prospect of eliminating the mortgage interest deduction …
Just what the Left wants, a nation of “renters”.
Just social security? This is easily the most depressing, disheartening, negative, pessimistic, debbie-downer site I read, and I read a lot. I leave here feeling that there is no hope, no light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve never felt so bad about America as I do after having read Protein Wisdom.
Here’s something to cheer you up, J0hn: you don’t have to read here! You still have a bit of liberty left.
Go. Be free!
“I’ve never felt so bad about America as I do after having read Protein Wisdom.”
oh dear
link
He didn’t say it was a bad thing, Jeff.
we need goofball.tv!
I dunno, man.
Price fixes? You think so??? In Obama’s term?
I don’t doubt they want to, and don’t doubt that’s why lies down the road and the natural progression of their stupid ideas.
And we’ve certainly been there before.
But that’s just it – we’ve been there before. They don’t work for shit. They make things immediately and noticably worse. That’s bound to backlash like hell and be done away with to boot. Even the Moran/Rubin types are not quite ready to be lead to the slaughter that brazenly.
Kinda like with the Cloward-Piven strategy wherein they intentionally blow up their own Machine structure and the gravy train that sustains them. If they’re doing that, I’m almost thinking the thing to do is point and laugh and enable because they’re hanging themselves.
I expect more veiled insidiousness from them and less obvious retardation.
Then I guess it’s time to target the establishment types like during last election. And keep on doing it until they’re gone or marginalized themselves. Just like the left did with the democratic party. And it took some time for them to do it.
I hope no one thought this was all going to spin around on a dime, because if anyone did, they’re not being realistic.
I suppose you could flesh that out a bit if you want a response from me, John. Otherwise, meh.
Second term, Entropy. To staunch a crisis caused by “speculators.” And it won’t be sold as price fixing. It will sold as “anti-gouging” legislation.
Bill O’Reilly will join Obama in leading the charge. For the folks.
I might counsel against losing all hope bh, I mean, look at what y’all are doing in WI.
It’s going to have to occur on the state levels first, to raise the consciousness of a signifigant number of folks. WI, IL, CA, NY, etc. They’ll all fall like dominoes in time, as they can no longer afford to hold up the welfare state.
You see, the Obamis/Marxist rhetoric is all florid and stuff, but the numbers don’t actually work. You know that. And as part of the coming public hair-pulling, the facts will come out that even if all income over 250k/yr is taken from the folks, there will still be a deficit.
Now, even progressives will start to realize that the only way to support the ever expanding nannystate will be if the great number of middle class folks are also soaked. In the name of redistribution and fairness…
Funny thing though, even lefties don’t like their taxes increased. It’s always cool as long as it’s someone else; NIMBY! But when it’s them? Well, let’s just consider what’s went on in your home state.
Don’t lose hope, or give up. Stay motivated, and use every opportunity to remind folks what the facts really are; because truth is a collection of facts. When facts are selectively cherrypicked, well, as we all know that’s a narrative, not truth. I know everyone is not as involved as we are, but whenever someone shoots their mouth off in a crowd like they think they know something, don’t let the narrative go unchecked or unchallenged. Not in an assholish way, unless, you know, that’s your usual style. But in a, well, matter of fact way.
Because we’ll need all hands on deck to roll back the long march; especially given the malingerers and ideological deserters on our side…
It’s not the government’s money. It’s my money. All of it.
I won’t let them. China. I plan to lend my Birth Certificate stature to the tea party Muslim movement. Wimp. Taken. They might be able to defeat all of you, Debt. but they can’t beat me. I’m your candidate. Follow me down the rabbit hole.
I hear that, Bob. Not intellectually but in some other sense. All in all, we didn’t invent the division of labor, genetics did. I fall into the “once more unto the breach” category. Figure you do, too. Not through thought but by essence. The reason I’m constantly preaching fight, fight, fight (like you) is just a disposition, that’s all.
Frankly, if I’m around when it comes tumbling down, it’ll look exactly like my youth except everyone else will just be as poor and miserable as I once was. I could probably manage.
You know what will drive me out of here, though? This notion that reality itself could be “pessimism”. This notion that every ass can be filled with an unlimited sense of sunshine.
If others, like John let’s say, could say it is what it is rather than decry the dreary clouds, I’d actually be heartened.
Now now. No need to be so judgmental and intolerant, bh.
Like reality sometimes tries to be. At which point we wag a finger at it, too, until it has the good sense to sit up straight and it least try to smile. The Joneses are watching. And their daughter always smiles and says please and thank you.
baraky is a joke. time for goofball.tv! fat black womyn to the building code. regs make left.
WI, IL, CA, NY, etc. They’ll all fall like dominoes in time, as they can no longer afford to hold up the welfare state.
IL? CA? Now that sounds like pure fantasy talk.
Although I still don’t know where the bloody hell all these reich-wing cheeseheads came from. Like somebody poured water on bh and it turned into an explosive asexual orgy ala Gremlins.
How did you get them all valid SS#’s?
I believe that the majority of our political class actually means well.
Unfortunately, they haven’t read the documents that define their responsibilities and we sure as hell haven’t given them much reason to regret the omission.
There’s a hard core, though, that is just evil. Starting with O and ending down in the gutter somewhere between Sheila Jackson Lee, and stuffed full of Chuck Schumers, Harry Reids, Barney Franks, and Lindsay Grahams on the way.
Lamposts, rope, tar, feathers. Some assembly required.
I may not be a happy camper like John apparently wants us all to be, but I can certainly handle the potential crushing despair a lot better. Yeah, there are a lot of stupid people doing bad things, but one way or another I’ll get by. I sure as hell won’t pretend it’s not happening, though. That’s idiotic.
“How did you get them all valid SS#’s?”
Hall Monitor priviledges ;)
OT: but I got my Bulgarian training bag today. Which must have special mystical training powers, it being from Bulgaria and all.
I ordered the large, which weighs in at 37 lbs. And let me tell you: it ain’t easy to handle, if the limited time I spent with it is any indication. I’ll test it out more thoroughly later in the week (I was giving my hands a rest, and boy, do they need them), but I guess if it’s good enough for Olympic wrestlers it’ll probably work for me, too.
No need to brag but I’ll do so anyways. My county once again had the highest vote percentage for good guy. Wasn’t that way before I showed up.
I have a secret which I’ll share now. Work hard. Recruit people that work hard. Don’t quibble or hem and haw about refinement.
Here’s a story I shared with sdferr and Geoff. I wanted to recruit a guy locally because I met him at a tea party and he seemed rock solid. Talked with a couple other guys about funding a campaign and heard, “He pushes dirt for a living.” (He does grading and that sort of thing.) This was stated as a pejorative.
Guess which guy is still in the Wisco GOP?
Mimic that and you’ll win. Simple as.
I’m unfamiliar, Jeff. How do you work with that?
Yet again, the GOP is letting the opposition frame the narrative, because, well, the other guys are “good men™” with the noblest of intentions, if a bit misguided.
Here, bh. Some of the exercises they do aren’t in the vid — high velocity swings, arm throws, slams (that don’t quite touch the ground).
GREAT for grip strength, that I can already tell. I did the exercise that mimics a plate rotation around the head, and veins in my forearms I wasn’t aware were there popped out after like 3 or 4 rotations.
I say it a lot but yikes.
Not always sure where I measure up with most of this. Have to assume I’m about as weak as I assume. As it is, maybe 60% or 70% of my workout is sparring. Which keeps me sort of sharp and in practice but probably three or four weeks from fight shape.
But, I really can’t work out like that full time. I have to lose 15 to hit 205 now.
Well, that was an Olympic greco team working out. I might do that kind of thing on a cardio day once in a while, but I’ll replace things like lunges with, say, sled pulls, and lift stones or heavy sandbags rather than do push ups or seal crawls. Unless I’m indoors on a mat.
I have to say that Bulgarian training bag looks intriguing. It reminds me of one of my uncles in the south. When I was growing up, he was a high-school letterman, football, wrestling, baseball.
He basically did calisthenics, ran up and down staircases and hillsides with a backpack full of rocks, climbed ropes, and did unusual strength workouts with 5 gallon buckets of water. In addition to his farm work, that is.
The bag looks good because it lets you hit muscles from angles and aspects that aren’t usually worked out with conventional weight training, but actually do occur when grappling.
It was developed by an Olympic silver medalist. You can see a lot of homemade versions on youtube — basically a big innertube, sand or wood pellets, and some tie downs. But the real ones have several other handles, as well, that can used for a number of different exercises. And if you don’t want to spring for leather they’re also offered in canvas.
I can tell I’ll get a different kind of grip workout from this — more dynamic, like swinging a kettlebell, only with a more pliable and less forgiving handle. Or like swinging the thick handled Indian clubs, only with more of a crushing grip than an open hand grip.
I’m just an awkward size for weight classes, Jeff. I’m tall and thin-framed. But, overly tall. Overly thin-framed. (Yes, you can read that as weak.) If I was a simply a medium build I could just roll as a true heavyweight. If I was faster and had better stand up I’d be a natural light heavyweight.
Same thing happened in high school. Slowest receiver. Weakest lineman.
Eh. It is what it is, I guess. It’s annoying though.
I have that problem too, bh. With me there’s ego involved.
When I was in really great shape in grad school I actually dropped to 150. All I did was maybe 1000 pushups and 400 crunches a day and lowered my calorie count. But that was about 25# lighter than my high school weight, and I was in tip-top condition in high school (mostly from baseball, football, and basketball).
When I got into the catch stuff, I wanted to really increase my all around functional strength and thicken up. I was about 170 when I started. Now I move between 200 and 192. But I swear, were I to ever fight MMA — and it ain’t going to happen at my age — I’d probably drop back down and fight at 155. And I’d rough some motherfuckers up at that weight if I could get hold of ’em, or if they tried to slug with me.
I would be fun to watch backyard videos of you fighting at 150 in grad school. Good fun.
You’re not crazy with these thoughts, btw. There’s a reason I try to make the various light heavyweights. If you don’t a man who has been taking ‘roids for just under three months will come and kill you.
Yes. That’s exactly what happens.
So… make weight.
From almost three years ago.
Jeff’s right here. Obama’s budget is a big shit sandwhich. The Ryan plan is awesome, but dangerous to anyone who really endorses it, so Obama is going to try to pitch this shit sandwhich enough to try and get a compromise deal.
Know what that deal is? Higher taxes.
Obama is going to opt to raise taxes (and he already has on the wealthy to ‘spread the wealth around a little’). He’s going to stand firm and make the Republicans choose between shutdown over their “extreme” views or raise taxes to fix the deficit. I can only hope Boehner stands firm with the Tea Party on the budget fix.
And this is going to require the Tea Party and any other Conservative grass roots effort to get out there, keep pressure on politicians, inform the neighbors, and make sure the blame for a shutdown is laid squarely at the feet of Obama.
The RNC needs to spend on ads. All-out blitz. And don’t focus on emotion. Show the deficit graphs. Explain what a 90% medicare tax on small business will do to economic and job growth. Show what ANY tax increase is going to do.
Make the Dems pay in 2012. Make the calls to your congressional reps, your senators, your governors. Obama’s plan is horrid and needs to be stopped. So I’m calling my guys, Cory Gardner, Mike Bennett and Udall. Call every day. Apply the pressure. When we see the details of ObamaBudget tomorrow, we’ll all know just how badly it’s going to suck. Make sure your Reps and Senators know.
[…] Jeff G weighs in: We’ll hear, as Mark Levin noted this evening, about “tax expenditures” (or something similar), a phrase that will, through a trick of language, look to shift the structural economic platform of our country: underlying this idea is that all money and wealth belongs to the government, you as a subject are allowed to keep certain amounts as decided upon by government. This allowance — you keeping money that would otherwise go to the government — is a tax expenditure, from the perspective of the Marxists, an outlay of their money (they as representative of “the people”) to you. An allowance, if you will. […]
“Main Street Fairness” bill from Dick Durbin.
Of course it’s a tax, its got “fairness” in it.
[…] course, I predicted this in advance of the speech — and I speculated that by way of a linguistic twist Obama would work to […]
Bulgarian Bag, in case no one has noticed.
I’m thinking of making one, just to see if I can get it right.