People are so fearful of what they think is "socialism" that they selectively ignore the socialism that really exists in this country - the wealth is being transferred from the working class to the oligarchs. And the working folk support this and think it's "patriotic"
If low marginal tax rates are needed to create jobs, where are the jobs? We've had record low tax rates for a decade. Where are the jobs?
German companies are making money hand-over-fist and German workers are well-paid and have universal health care. The whole health care argument is bogus. The balance of power in this country has tipped and unless you've already gotten yours, you'll never get it nor will your children. The pols on both sides are bought off by the really big money.
Sorry for the rant - I realize this started off as a Cabellas post and there, too, I agree - I try not to buy Chinese stuff.
Yup.
A couple things that need mentioning when comparing the German model to the US model (and the US model comes up short every time):
1. In Germany, unions have seats on companies' boards of directors. They have a stake in the company and a voice in corporate decisions across-the-board. As a result, companies work not just for the owners but also for the people who work there.
2. In Germany, basic health insurance costs somewhere around $100 a month. You're required to buy it, but it's affordable and the companies can't screw you around with "prior conditions" and such.
3. In Germany, they believe schools are for educating children, don't carp about overpaid teachers' unions and don't look at schools and teachers as places to cut budgets. Teaching is a respected profession and treated accordingly. And most Germans who go on to college speak, read and write English better than most Americans. (I know - in my lawyering work I've done "document review" reading thousands of emails and letters written by Germans in English, and theirs is better than most Americans'.)
And don't get me started on the perversity of taxing hedge fund people at 15 percent and ordinary folks at 28 or so percent. (BTW - those jobs that the low marginal tax rates were supposed to facilitate creating? They're in China.)
