Does The Nobility Of The Super Rich Justify A Capitalism That Gave Them Birth?

Part of President Biden's Build Back Better bills were to include a wealth tax on Billionaires. They were also to include increased taxes on corporations and end some loopholes. But they don't. Democrats are hopeful to pass at least some of theses new and increased taxes in further legislation (click here).  

Why do the wealthy resist paying more in taxes when they have benefited the most from the advantages that this nation offers? Why are they looking to minimize their tax bills when they are going to do very well anyway? It might be for the same reason why people invest in companies in the first place. After all, when one employs the services of a financial management company, they are employing people who are looking to maximize their profits through investments regardless of who pays for those profits. Accountants are there, in part, to lower the tax bills of those with wealth regardless of how their lowered tax bills affects our nation's deficit.

And there we have the basic ethic behind wealth management in America. Maximize wealth which includes minimize tax bills even though those taxes provide services that are used by all Americans and though the wealthy have certainly benefited from the services more than others.

While others might need to maximize wealth and minimize tax bills to survive, the wealthiest of us do not. And so how should we view their efforts to maximize their wealth and minimize their tax bills. Perhaps, Martin Luther King Jr. has the best way of describing those actions by the wealthiest in his speech against the Vietnam War when he talks about our need for a revolution in values (click here for the source):

A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth. With righteous indignation, it will look across the seas and see individual capitalists of the West investing huge sums of money in Asia, Africa and South America, only to take the profits out with no concern for the social betterment of the countries, and say: "This is not just."

One only needs to replace the words 'no concern' with 'not enough concern.' Why? It is because some of the wealthy do contribute by giving back to scociety. But some of that betterment is tax deductible and that betterment, by itself, is limited compared to what it could be. We do need to fund government, especially a government in a working democracy, so it can do for its people what the people request and what no one else can do. 

Also, a main reason why those who are wealthy are where they are is because of the work of the government in supplying infrastructure, laws, law enforcement, as well as what government does for society, especially in terms of education and what they do for  the poor. In the last case, what government does for the poor contributes to a more humane society. And the more humane society is, the better life is for everyone.

Here we could say that patriotic sacrifices are not just limited to those sacrifices made by our troops. Paying one's fair share in taxes can be considered a patriotic sacrifice especially when those taxes are used to better the lives people from multiple economic classes and races. And though it has flaws, Biden's infrastructure plans would help many people from many groups. Maximizing profits in ways that include minimizing taxes benefits oneself or one's own group only.

That is not to say that Biden's Build Back Better proposals do not need debate and then correction. But not to fund what sustains society and the operating of our private and public sectors is a slow suicide for the nation. And so the question is whether we, especially the wealthy who can easily afford to pay more in taxes, are willing to invest enough in our nation and its people by the taxes we pay.

ONIM For May 1, 2017

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Christian News

• Attack At Hillsong Church Leaves Security Guard Unconscious, Worshippers Injured -- Christian Today (UK)
• Pope At Cairo Mass Urges Unity Against Fanaticism -- Christian Today (UK)
• TV Anchor Astonished By Egyptian Christian's Forgiveness For Husband's Killers -- Christian Today (UK)
• Consecration Of Gay Bishop Does Not Violate Church Law, Says Methodist Court -- Christian Today (UK)
• Together For The Gospels: Unprecedented Unity Among Bible Translators Transforms Giving -- Christianity Today
• For The First Time, Russia Ranked Among Worst Violators Of Religious Freedom -- Christianity Today
• The Skeptical Rate Of Bible Reading In 2017 -- Christianity Today
• Who's In Charge Of The Christian Blogosphere? -- Christianity Today
• Christians And Earth Day -- Reformed African American Network
• The Sin Of Self-Interest -- Reformed African American Network
• Biblical Interpretation For Black And Brown Marginalized Contexts Part 2: The Importance Of Reading Black And Brown Authors -- Reformed African American Network
• To Protect And Serve (And Pray) -- Atlantic
• Losing My Religion For Equality -- The Age
• Ethnic Inclusion: Gender Roles And Diaconate -- Reformation 21
• First Presbyterian Church Seeks Healing, Redemption For Sins Committed During Civil Right Era -- Montgomery Advertiser
• The Like Culture -- Mortification Of Spin
• In Response To Persecution -- Under Caesar's Sword
• The Religious Act Of Welcoming The Stranger -- Public Justice Review
• Why A Racially Insensitive Photo Of Southern Baptist Seminary Professors Matters -- Washington Post

World News

• GAO Weighs In On Countering Violent Extremism -- CATO Institute
• Could A Leftist Bring Growth Back To France -- ZNet
• Entire U.S. Senate To Go To White House For North Korea Briefing -- Reuters
• The Democrats Have Delivered One Thing In The Past 100 Days: Disappointment -- Guardian
• North Korea Won't Bow To North Korea's Threats. It Needs Assurances -- Guardian
• A Repulsed Pavorotti Family Busts Trump For Lying About Friendship With Deceased Tenor -- Politicus USA
• North Korea Tensions: US Submarine Arrives In South Korea -- BBC
• Justice Department Sets June 30 Deadline For Compliance From 'Sanctuary Cities' -- Truthdig
• Judge Blocks Trump's Executive Order On Sanctuary Cities -- Huffington Post
• Republicans Abandon Wall Funding Demand -- Huffington Post
• Donald, This I Tell You -- New York Times
• Fox News Orders Sensitivity Training For All Employees After O'Reilly Sexual Harassment Scandal -- The Wrap
• Trump Proposes Giant, Unfunded Tax Cut For Himself -- New York Magazine
• B'Tselem Doesn't Take Orders From Netanyahu, Nor Does The World -- Haaretz
• Koch Industries And Other Corporations Lobbied For Donald Trump's Cabinet Picks, Filings Show -- Intercept
• Chomsky: CIA Targeting Of Julian Assange Of Wikileaks Is 'Disgraceful Act' -- Democracy Now
• Dad, 2 Young Kids Ordered Off Air-Canada Plane After Mother Turned Away At Gate -- CBC News
• In Battle For Trump's Heard And Mind, It's Bannon Vs. Kushner -- New York Times
• ESPN Cuts 100 Staffers As Cable Subscribers Flee -- Columbia Journalism Review
• How The CIA Created A Fake Western Reality For 'Unconventional Warfare' -- Truthdig
• Elizabeth Warren: Obama Was Wrong. The System Is More Rigged Than You Know -- Vox
• Donald Trump Has 'No Intention' Of Releasing Tax Returns, Mnuchin Says -- Wall Street Journal
• New Republican Health Care Bill Exempts Congress From Changes To Obama Care -- Newsweek
• Trump's Reviled Hotline For "Criminal Aliens" Flooded With Reports Of UFOs -- Common Dreams
• Building A Trump-Free, Fossil-Free Future -- Waging Nonviolence
• Trump Advisor Paid By Multiple Russia-Related Entities, New Records Show -- Washington Post
• Secret Ledger In Ukraine Lists Cash For Donald Trump's Campaign Chief -- New York Times
• Trump's Former National Security Advisor Under Pentagon Investigation For Russia Payments -- Los Angeles Times
• Jeff Sessions Faces Questions About His Contacts With Russia -- Atlantic
• A Timeline That Unfolded During The Election Appears To Support The FBI's Investigation Into Trump And Russia -- Business Insider
• Lethal Injection Explained -- CNN
• Trump Thought Being President Would Be Easier Than His Old Life -- Reuters
• "It Has Not Gone Well": 100 Days Of President Trump And No Major Achievements -- Democracy Now
• Don't Fall For Israel's Character Assassination--Marwan Barghouti Is A Man Of Peace -- Newsweek
• Here Are The National Monuments Being Reviewed Under Trump's Order -- Los Angeles Times
• 3 Reasons Millennial Women Are Still Experiencing Gender Income Inequality -- Forbes
• Sanders: Trump On Right Track With North Korea -- CNN
• A Fake And A Fraud -- New York Times
• In South Korea, Mystification Over Trump's Defense And Trade Comments -- Washington Post
• Reagonomics Killed America's Middle Class -- Salon
• Trump Behaving 'Like A Royal Family', Says German Foreign Minister -- Telegraph

Protest News

• Trump Protests Around The World -- CBS News
• Couple Charged In Shooting Of Protester At Milo Yiannopoulos Event In Seattle -- Guardian
• Numerous States Considering Anti-Protest Bills -- CNN
• Palestinians On Strike In Solidarity With Prisoners -- Al Jazeera
• South Koreans Protest U.S. Deployment Of THAAD Anti-Missile System -- Democracy Now
• Huntingdon County Judge Grants Sunoco Authority To Have Protesting Landowners Arrested --  State Impact
• Brazil Hit By First General Strike In Two Decades -- BBC
• People's Climate Change March Pushes Back On Trump Agenda -- Truthdig

Syrian Civil War News

• Russia Upset Over Being Blocked From Syria Chemical Weapons Inspection -- Fox News
• Noam Chomsky: Trump's Bombing Of Afghanistan And Syria -- YouTube
• The Syrian People Have Been Betrayed By All Sides -- Intercept
• Russian Explanation Of The Mass Poisoning In Syria Could Be True -- Truthdig
• Why Support For Syria's Nonviolent Fighters Is Key To Ending The War -- Waging Nonviolence

Pick(s) Of The Litter

• Study By MIT Economist: U.S. Has Regressed To A Third-World Nation For Most Of Its Citizens -- Intellectualist
• Trump Seeks 15 Percent Corporate Tax Rate, Even If It Swells The National Debt -- Washington Post
• Trump Tax Plan Would Slash Corporate Tax Rates, Offer Breaks On Overseas Profits -- Huffington Post
• This Isn't Tax Policy, It's A Trump-Led Heist -- New York Times 
• Trump's Tax Plan Would Shift Trillions From U.S. Coffers To The Richest -- New York Times 
• Chechnya's Crackdown On Gays -- New York Times
• German Foreign Minister Responds To Netanyahu's Ultimatum: 'Regrettable' And 'Unthinkable' If Meeting Is Canceled -- Haaretz
• American Imperialism Leads The World Into Dante's Vision Of Hell -- Truthdig
• In Sheriff David Clarke's Jail, Water Was Kept From Mentally Ill Inmate For 7 Days Before He Died Of Dehydration -- Washington Post
• New Alt-Right "Fight Club" Ready For Street Violence -- Southern Poverty Law Center
• Terrorizing The Vulnerable -- Truthdig
• She Didn't Laugh At Racist Jokes. Her Coach Said She Didn't Have The Right 'Chemistry' For The Team -- Washington Post
• Study: Tax Cuts Are Linked To Increased Income Inequality, Not Economic Growth -- Intellectualist
• Formerly Imprisoned Journalist Barrett Brown Taken Back Into Custody Before PBS Interview -- Intercept
• 800 Palestinians Have Been Arrested Based On Israeli Computer Programs That Analyzes Social Media Posts To Predict Attacks -- Mondoweiss
• First-Ever Photograph Of Yemen's Jews Stunned The Jewish World -- Haaretz
• Babies And Children Listed In Homeland Security's Immigrant Database of Alleged Criminals -- Los Angeles Times
• All The Ways Trump's Budget Cuts Science -- Atlantic
• The U.S. War Crime North Korea Won't Forget -- Washington Post
• Atmospheric CO2 Levels Reach Record 410 Parts Per Million -- Democracy Now
• America's Rich Get Richer And The Poor Get Replaced By Robots -- Bloomberg
• Donald Trump To Strip Funding From All State Department Team Promoting Women's Rights Around The World -- Independent
• Obama's Hidden Iran Deal Giveaway -- Politico

Are We Playing The Dating Game Over Tax Cuts?

Though Donald Trump has started it, we can be sure that others will follow. What did he start? He started the normal campaign process of asking America out so he could be its President. And he started, like most men who ask women out, with false promises and flattery.

His promises include an apartheid wall separating Mexico from the United States, a first rate military, a preservation of Social Security and Medicare, and tax reform that would eliminate corporate taxes so corporations could hire more people--as if that is what corporations want to do with their tax cuts.

Of course, corporations were not the only ones who would see reduced taxes, so would lower income and middle class citizens (click here). And certainly, most other candidates will eventually follow suit to varying degrees. Why? It is because many of us have been taught to see ourselves as the land of the taxed and home of the overburdened. And thus we all scapegoat whom we see as the primary beneficiaries of our taxes for our problems. For conservatives, it is the poor who are to be blamed for us having less. For nonconservatives, it is corporations, especially those in certain sectors of the economy, like the military industrial complex, who are causing our problems.

In any case, we see taxes pursuing us like the plagues which Moses pronounced on Egypt. Instead of seeing them as at the most a necessary evil, we see them as just evil having no purpose than to suck our hard earned wealth from us to give to someone else.

And so when it comes to political candidates who promise to give everyone tax cuts, we become like a high school kid who all too eagerly promises to go out with anyone who will do their homework for them. So unless a political candidate promises to cut our taxes, we won't consider voting for them.

Such an anti-tax mindset forgets that there are many supporting pieces in society and America's economy to any success we have and taxes pay for these pieces. In addition, some taxes are used to help those in need. Then again, that is a sore-spot for conservatives who give the individual too much credit for their success or failure and thus too few reasons for helping those in need. Too many of us are too individual-oriented and we live in too much of a thing-oriented society to care enough about others than ourselves and the things we can buy. Thus, we are forever finding fault with tax-funded programs that help others besides ourselves because we want to buy more things.

Two voices that greatly contrast with many Americans here on taxes come from comedian Lewis Black and activist-scholar Noam Chomsky. In an interview with Anderson Cooper, Lewis Black talked about how he was poor for so long that he was happy to have finally made enough money to pay taxes (click here). In addition, he stated that taxes are necessary to pay for stuff such as for the protection we have in this country.  In fact, Black stated that he doesn't pay enough in taxes.

On the hand, Chomsky takes a broader view of taxes (click here). He states that our attitude toward taxes reveals our understanding of democracy. That instead of the government, which we elected, being an 'alien entity,' the government should be viewed as our representatives who have forged policies that represent us the voters. Thus we should be more happy to pay taxes than resentful because they will pay for the programs which the people have decided on together, through their representatives, to support.

In either case, both Black and Chomsky reflect a wider view of the world than the myopic view that bitterly complains how this almost foreign entity is stealing from us rather than engaging in joint projects with us. The anti-tax view, which we require all candidates to have if we are to consider dating them, is myopic. Sometimes the myopia is the result of disillusionment, but at other times it is the result of being so self-absorbed, we become small minded.

Suffice it to say that if either Black or Chomsky were campaigning to be nominated by either political party to run for the presidency, they would be a shoe-in to lose. And such reflects our shortsightedness.

Of course, cutting taxes is not free. We should note that the two presidents who are best known for their tax cuts, significantly increased the national debt. And by significantly increasing the debt, they have contributed to the current vulnerability our economic system is now facing. These two presidents, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, not only implemented tax cuts that primarily benefited the wealthy, they increased military spending through buildups or wars and interventions that furthered the effect tax cuts had on the economy. And in addition to weaken our economy by increasing the national debt, federal tax cuts eventually resulted in cuts in federal assistance and programs that filtered down through the states to the local governments. The result was increased local taxes and/or cuts in services.

Promises to cut taxes to too many Americans work like flattery and false promises to kids who start dating. They impress. They make the dates feel good. But in the long run, relationships that revolve primarily around flattery and false promises always have ways of catching up with those who fell for them. And that is why we should not be impressed when candidates, like Donald Trump, offer yet another around of promised taxes cuts and reforms oriented around appealing to us. If we are intelligent, we will see through the charade and think in terms of the long run. We could describe the desired en result adapting a saying from the movie Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade, 'we chose wisely.' Certainly choosing wisely may not lead to the most fun dates, but they will lead to those kinds of dates that have the fewest regrets.