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Elizabeth Warren On Class Warfare – Must See!

I’m really liking Elizabeth Warren, at least as much as I’ve learned about her so far. Check out this short clip, she destroys a couple of Republican memes. Go Elizabeth!

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September 23, 2011 - Posted by | Politics | , , ,

6 Comments »

  1. I loved it myself but I decided to listen to what Cenk had to say about it and now wish I didn’t.

    Comment by jeff | September 24, 2011 | Reply

  2. I honestly don’t understand the argument Warren makes.

    On the issue of debt, I largely agree, let’s not spend trillions on foreign wars and sops to the drug companies. However, doesn’t that position imply that we should also not spend trillions on sops to the auto industry, solar companies and foreign companies who explore for oil?

    As for Warren’s argument, I don’t quite understand why the factory owner’s benefit from society is greater than the factory worker’s and why, therefore, his obligation to society is greater. Each benefits equally from law enforcement. Each benefits from public roadways and public education. Law enforcement and public education is largely paid for by local property taxes, the cost of which is shared by both owner and worker. Public roadways are largely paid for by users.

    Moreover, the money paid from the federal government to lower income individuals for health care, housing, higher education, national defense, etc. largely comes from taxes paid by higher income individuals. So Warren is arguing, in effect, that factory owners owe more taxes to society because they benefit from taxes already paid by factory owners to society.

    Where can such logic lead other than to the destruction of private property as we know it? And, if the principle of private property is destroyed, won’t the incentive to produce societal wealth also be destroyed?

    Comment by Sherman | September 24, 2011 | Reply

    • She isn’t saying that the factory owner is more obligated, there is a huge discrepancy between paying income taxes and paying capital gains tax. And there is also that little thing about our infrastructure benefiting a corporations and it’s owners vs. an average citizen. A lot of people seem to equate a factory owner, making huge money, to a factory worker who is making shit wages in comparison. Apples and oranges. The point she was making that no one should disagree with is that our society expects certain protections and infrastructure and things don’t happen in a vacuum, society contributes to that factories ability to be successfull and there ought to be some “paying it forward” to the next generation of people AND factory owners. The should pay their fair share in maintaining and upgrading the infrastructure and tax loopholes and outsourcing isn’t really paying back.

      Comment by ExtremeLiberal | September 24, 2011 | Reply

      • I understand your point which seems to be that an individual’s contribution to society is measured strictly by the taxes he pays. I don’t like tax loopholes either. They tend to favor individuals with influence. But tax loopholes are invented by politicians in power — both Demcrats and Republicans — who benefit from them by special interests that return the favor.

        My point is that entrepreneurs and factory owners DO pay it forward by virtue of not only their disproportionate tax payments but also their innovative ideas and inventions that make all in society more comfortable, secure and healthy.

        It could be argued that investments in infrastructure (public roads, sewers, bridges, etc.) actually benefit lower income individuals more than higher income individuals, since historically higher income individuals built and paid for their own infrastructure needs as a cost of doing business. Years ago the “company town” was commonplace. Factory owners built homes, roads, sewers, etc. for their employees. Granted, some say these company towns exploited workers, but on the whole workers appreciated them. I grew up in an area where factory-built infrastructure still exists.

        To me the concept of “fairness” has always been a slippery one. How much is fair? How little isn’t? Is a single rate “Fair Tax” really fair?

        It seems to me the more our society worries about which segment is truly contributing its fair share, the more political and social conflict is created. A clear and stable definition of private property seems to me to be a much more efficient and effective way of establishing peaceful cooperation within society.

        Comment by Sherman | September 24, 2011 | Reply

        • Check back in a few days, I’ll be writing more about this. I’m sure you won’t agree, but at least you will see where I’m coming from. Thanks for the comments.

          Comment by ExtremeLiberal | September 24, 2011 | Reply

  3. I read your blog regularly. I’ll look forward to your extended thoughts on the subject.

    Comment by Sherman | September 24, 2011 | Reply


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