Class Warfare?
Posted by Michelle Moquin on September 19th, 2011
How hypocritical. The republicans are calling taxing the rich “class warfare” when they have been doing this kind of “class warfare” all along to the middle class, and let me remind you, while the very rich and corporations get cushy tax breaks. Doug and I talked about this last night and I read this article, this morning. It seems we weren’t the only ones up on this news.
Paul Ryan, Herman Cain Push For Tax Increases On Middle Class
WASHINGTON — Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said on Sunday that House Republicans would oppose President Barack Obama’s payroll tax cuts for both employers and employees, arguing that the policy had already failed to provide a sufficient boost to the economy. “It hasn’t worked,” Ryan said, suggesting the current temporary tax cut should be allowed to expire, which will amount to a 50 percent tax hike on workers making less than $106,000 per year.
He also said he opposes the president’s proposal to require millionaires to pay the same tax rate as the middle class, known as the Buffett plan. “Class warfare might make for good politics, but it makes for rotten economics,” Ryan said.
As chairman of the House Budget Committee and the author of a long-term plan that radically alters Medicare and slashes tax rates for the wealthy as well as social spending, Ryan serves as something of an economic spokesman for House Republicans.
GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain, who followed Ryan on “Fox News Sunday,” seconded his opposition to the tax on millionaires as well as the payroll tax cut extensions. “It’s too little, too late,” said Cain.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), appearing later on NBC’s “Meet The Press,” said he too would oppose taxing millionaires at a higher rate, citing Obama’s own comments from 2010, when the president argued that taxes shouldn’t be raised during rough economic times. “I think what he said then still applies,” McConnell said, insisting that small businesses would be hurt by such a tax plan.
As for the namesake of the Buffett plan, McConnell said that if billionaire investor Warren Buffett feels like he’s not paying his fair share, “he should send us a check.”
“If Warren Buffett would like to give up some of his benefits, we’d be happy to talk about that,” McConnell said, suggesting his benefits be means-tested.
Ryan, while backing a payroll tax hike, nevertheless said that tax hikes cannot be part of the deficit-cutting proposal that the super committee comes up with. As part of his explanation, Ryan made it clear that he sees no difference between raising taxes proactively and allowing tax breaks to expire. “You already have a $1.5 trillion tax increase coming in 2013,” he said, referring to the expiration of the Bush tax cuts that were extended by President Obama for two years. Ryan’s reference to the expiration as an “increase” gives greater weight to his willingness to let tax cuts for the middle class expire.
Because of the looming Bush tax cut expiration, said Ryan, the super committee should eschew tax hikes. “Why on earth would we go with that, especially when the problem is spending?” he said.
“You’re basically saying there’s going to be no bargain, no compromise,” host Chris Wallace pointed out.
“Clearly, Democrats could work with us” and get $1.5 trillion in spending cuts with no additional revenue, Ryan said. “That shouldn’t be that tough.”
As for the budgetary woes outside Washington, Ryan said, “We just don’t think we should be bailing out state governments.” He added, “That’s the constitutional responsibility of state governments, not federal governments.”
Former President Bill Clinton, appearing on CBS’s “Face The Nation,” backed Obama’s tax hike on millionaires, but suggested that the singular focus should be on job creation, with tax increases on the wealthy coming once the economy improves. “I don’t have any objection to talking about it now,” said Clinton. “Whether it’s good politics or not, it’s an honorable thing to do.”
Clinton urged passage of the payroll tax cut extension and the creation of an infrastructure bank to fund investments. He also hit at the major drag on the economy. “I don’t believe America can return to the full employment days of the ’90s until we can clear this bank debt from the mortgage crisis,” he said.
Human Events:. Please… “No hope, no cash”. How quickly the republicans forget that it was their party that got us into this mess…it was their party that raised the deficit after Clinton cleared it, and we had a booming economy. Only stupid people would buy that line of crap. But then, there are a lot of stupid people. I wish you would just leave my blog alone. Not many of your peeps hang here. And if they do, they are a changin’. But like Patricia said, ”…this kind of exposure permits all of us to see the world in its true light.” How true that is….keep a bloggin’.
Wendy: I think Herman and Robert made some good points with respect to Obama. And I hear your frustration. But let’s not cut off your nose to spite your face. It is the fact that voters gave the house back to the republicans last November, and now they’re in the driver’s seat. So if Obama won’t get your support, who will you be giving it to? Do you really want to vote for a republican president over Obama? I’m sorry but that is so illogical. This is the kind of thing that Robert is talking about when he says that “Democrats have a long history of not giving their presidents a second term.” Let’s break history and ensure Obama a second term. If a republican gets in, you can kiss our country goodbye.
And on that note, I’ll throw out a kiss and say goodbye as well….
Peace Out
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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September 19th, 2011 at 9:29 am
CASTOR OIL — THOROUGHLY MODERN TAKE ON AN OLD-FASHIONED REMEDY
I was quite a bookworm when I was a girl — and I remember reading about many a storybook heroine who had to swallow a daily dose of castor oil for her health.
Ugh! I thought it sounded awful — and I still do — but as it turns out, you don’t have to swallow the stuff (and in fact, you shouldn’t) for it to do a world of good!
I was reminded that this would make a great story for Daily Health News readers when a good friend told me that her naturopathic physician had prescribed castor oil packs to ease the pain and swelling of her twisted ankle.
It worked so well that she was back to the gym in no time at all — no drugs, no side effects. I decided it was time to take a new look at this old-fashioned remedy.
HEALS FROM THE OUTSIDE IN
As I often do with questions like this one, I called Daily Health News contributing medical editor Andrew L. Rubman, ND, to see what he had to say — and I learned that he is quite a fan of castor oil.
He told me that it is a versatile remedy that continues to offer a wide array of benefits today, just as it has for thousands of years.
Castor oil, which looks and smells like gooey glycerin, is an oily extract that comes from the Ricinus communis plant native to India and Africa.
In days of yore, parents routinely dosed girls and boys with a teaspoon or two in order to prevent constipation — it also was thought to cure headaches.
Today internal use is considered unwise because of its strong, often irritating laxative effect… but external application of a castor oil “pack” — meaning a cloth soaked in the oil — can help in all sorts of ways.
THE WONDER CURE?
Castor oil packs mold comfortably to the body… stay warm much longer than hot water… and deeply and gently stimulate circulation, removing inflammation from underlying organs and tissues (e.g., the liver, intestines, tendons, ligaments).
You can buy castor oil packs inexpensively at most drugstores or, as we explain later, you can make your own.
Dr. Rubman gave me a rundown of his favorite uses…
Soothing arthritis pain. To relieve that ache in your knee or hip, apply a castor oil pack that is roughly the same temperature as a hot bath (105°F).
Put the pack directly on the area that hurts, cover with a plastic wrap of some sort (a ziplock bag is a good choice) and then cover that with a hot water bottle or electric heating pad to maintain the temperature.
Leave it in place for about 20 to 30 minutes. Repeat every few hours or so. For long-standing conditions, it may be more practical to do this once a day and leave the pack in place for the better part of an hour, Dr. Rubman said.
Reducing swelling and inflammation. A castor oil pack is helpful in soothing a muscle strain or a bruise.
Relieving congestion. If you have a nagging cold, cough or bronchitis, place the castor oil pack on your chest for quick relief.
Making a boil disappear. Before you schedule an appointment to have your doctor lance a boil, try using a castor oil pack, which will encourage the boil to open and drain.
For this purpose, make a smaller pack… make it a bit hotter… and use for shorter periods of time, Dr. Rubman suggests.
Stimulating your liver and gallbladder. For most of us, our less-than-ideal lifestyles — poor diet, multiple medications, exposure to environmental toxins, etc. — take a toll on these hard-working organs.
Dr. Rubman told me that centuries of folk wisdom suggest that you can help them function better by applying a warm castor oil pack to the right side of your abdomen — supposedly the heat transfers to the liver and increases circulation there.
Castor oil’s viscosity creates a deep and lasting heat.
What to do: Dr. Rubman suggests placing the pack over an area about the size of a washcloth, centered on the bottom of your rib cage or between the rib cage and the top of hip bone.
If you’d like to make your own castor oil pack, buy castor oil (available at pharmacies) and follow these simple instructions from Dr. Rubman:
Pour enough castor oil to cover the cloth you are going to use (such as a clean washcloth) into a pan, ovenproof or microwavable bowl and heat on the stove, in the oven or microwave to hot bathwater temperature (about 105°F).
Take care to not leave it in too long or it will get too hot and you may get burned when you remove it.
Soak the cloth in the warm castor oil until it is saturated.
Wipe excess oil off the cloth (so it’s not dripping) and place the pack on the affected area of your body…
cover the pack with a sheet of plastic wrap… and cover that with a heating pad or hot water bottle to keep it warm.
As explained above, leave on for 20 to 30 minutes twice a day — or, for chronic conditions, up to an hour, once a day. Rest during this time.
When you are finished using the pack, wring as much oil as you can out of the cloth and cover it in plastic, such as by placing it into a resealable plastic bag, until its next use.
CASTOR OIL PACKS — MAKING THEM LAST
Between uses, store castor oil packs in the refrigerator.
When reusing, refresh the packs with additional oil as needed. Dispose of them after about 10 (commercial packs) to 20 (homemade ones) applications.
The homemade packs tend to retain the embedded oil longer, Dr. Rubman said, adding they should be discarded when they no longer feel sticky.
Hot tip: Dr. Rubman told me that you can intensify the effectiveness of a castor oil pack by sprinkling a teaspoon of cayenne (hot pepper) powder onto the pack (after you’ve heated it) on the same side you apply to your skin.
He explained that the capsaicin in the hot pepper is a pain reliever that increases the stimulating effect on circulation.
(Wash your hands with soap and water afterward — you don’t want to get this stuff in your eyes or, frankly, on any other sensitive place, such as on mucous membranes!)
Dr. Rubman had another bit of practical advice — he said that castor oil has a tacky, gluelike texture and that handling it can be a messy business.
So make sure when you are using the pack that plastic covers it completely — to avoid staining clothing, bedding or upholstery with castor oil.
Source(s):
Andrew L. Rubman, ND, founder and director, Southbury Clinic for Traditional Medicines, Southbury, Connecticut. http://www.SouthburyClinic.com.
September 19th, 2011 at 10:09 am
HI Misch, I really wish Warren Buffet had some effect on the company he keeps but I’m sure they’re all probably trying to get him to be less vocal. I don’t see where there’s even a choice of whether I would vote for Obama or not, the cast of jokers supplied by the repugs (not that I would vote rethug even if someone showed any intelligence) is at best, ludicrous and cannot hold a candle to the current President.
Irene, most white men making any money think they’re about to hit the big time and rethugs like to prop up that thought to keep em’ tied to the party that will protect their wealth, not a hard call to make (not to minimize Mischa’s geniousity in making said call, at all : )
Katt, yeah I love the ‘junk in the trunk’ crowd, flaunt those curves. I even joke to my man friends about other men who have obviously been on the drug ‘noassatal’ : ) hahaha…I like a good junky toned trunk on men. too.
And finally, a private public message bc I believe you are here, too – hi!, and yeah, I know. & now you know that I know : D
Luv, Zen Lill
September 19th, 2011 at 10:17 am
Michelle,
I don’t get it. Are there so many millionaires in the country that we the middle class can’t win at the polls?
Why do they have so much power? And why is it that everyone thinks that we have to give the tax breaks over us?
September 19th, 2011 at 10:18 am
262
No. 262 of 365
Throw a party
to celebrate the fact that each passing day brings us closer to knowing which Republican candidate has defeated Obama by a landslide.
You might even keep a giant tear-off-a-sheet calendar on your front lawn, marking each day as a “Countdown to the end of the Obama administration.”
September 19th, 2011 at 12:40 pm
Maybe this time we will get a second term Dem who will go to battle with the republicans for the rest of us not rich. I certainly hope so because I am at my lowest. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for the OTWs.
Caroline
September 19th, 2011 at 6:07 pm
To Raymond,
As to your question on Sept. 14th. I haven’t forgotten to respond, in fact you have been on my mind, but as of late I have been quite detained with other issues and have been unable to get back with you. I will do so, though.
However, I will state this in response to your statement, “Assuming what you say is happening, how does the ordinary person begin to take back what has been taken from us?”…the key word to that is assuming. You will not be able to address this issue for yourself or to aid in addressing it as a collective society, unless you (we) stop assuming, and know or trust that it is taking place, and trying to understand the dynamics and repercussions of how and what is taking place. Whether you think it is or is not bears nor weight to the fact that you are being royally fucked because of it, throughout your life.
When you assume, you still possess judgment to your own misunderstanding or rationalizations to trying to manufacture some sort of understanding about the how’s and why’s, which you will never be able to do so, when assuming. The mindset of The elite Internationalists are far different than the other 99 1/2%. They are bread to think, feel and act different. They also go to lengths to keep control of how you are born and bread to think, feel and act.