Sorry, I've got bad news for you Colorado Right, but we DO have to pay taxes. Can't get away from it. I agree there is lots of waste, but the solution isn't to pay less taxes, it's to vote for less corrupt politicians.

By living in this society, we agree to support the government that keeps us well ordered and provides certain necessary services. This is a very basic social contract, so it should be easy enough to understand. If you support America, then as a citizen it is your patriotic duty to pay taxes.

Demand responsibility and accountability? By all means! However, you'll notice that it's the Republicans who are pushing pork right now, because they are afraid the next presumably Democ...

Sorry, I've got bad news for you Colorado Right, but we DO have to pay taxes. Can't get away from it. I agree there is lots of waste, but the solution isn't to pay less taxes, it's to vote for less corrupt politicians.

By living in this society, we agree to support the government that keeps us well ordered and provides certain necessary services. This is a very basic social contract, so it should be easy enough to understand. If you support America, then as a citizen it is your patriotic duty to pay taxes.

Demand responsibility and accountability? By all means! However, you'll notice that it's the Republicans who are pushing pork right now, because they are afraid the next presumably Democrat president will veto it.

But on this basic level: if you support an increase in spending, then as a responsible voter, you should also demand the government pay for that, and the only way our government gets real money is through taxation.

So can we not agree that it is necessary that Americans pay taxes to fund our government, and instead simply a question of how that money is spent?

Now that we've made it this far, I would like to examine what exactly we pay for, and what you mean is waste...

1. The Iraq War
That's cost us about $480,000,000,000 dollars, most of which we borrowed from China. It hasn't made America more secure. It hasn't brought peace or democracy to the Iraqi people. It hasn't brought prosperity to the American people. And on the crudest level, it hasn't even reduced oil prices!

Furthermore, the military and administration is utterly unwilling to acknowledge their strategic shortcomings, and insist on making the same futile mistakes over and over, each time costing more and more American lives.

I would say this is a HUGE WASTE. What about you?

2. Th...

Now that we've made it this far, I would like to examine what exactly we pay for, and what you mean is waste...

1. The Iraq War
That's cost us about $480,000,000,000 dollars, most of which we borrowed from China. It hasn't made America more secure. It hasn't brought peace or democracy to the Iraqi people. It hasn't brought prosperity to the American people. And on the crudest level, it hasn't even reduced oil prices!

Furthermore, the military and administration is utterly unwilling to acknowledge their strategic shortcomings, and insist on making the same futile mistakes over and over, each time costing more and more American lives.

I would say this is a HUGE WASTE. What about you?

2. The Huddled Masses, Yearning to Breathe Free...
Let me take a stab at what you might consider waste...

Welfare. When someone's job is outsourced to India or China, do you really still believe that's because they are too lazy? Is it a waste to help these people make ends meet until they get back on their feet?

Health Care: While insurance companies have colluded with hospitals to drive health care costs through the roof, Bush has made it impossible to declare private bankruptcy because of medical expenses. Is it right that our nation forces the millions of under-insured citizens to do without basic helathcare? Is that waste?

Education? PBS? Arts funding? Social Security? Roads? Parks?

Which of these are things America doesn't need? Which are the ones we should cut to pay for your personal tax cut, plus this Pyhrric war of attrition in the Middle East?

Tell me which Americans you would leave out in the cold so you can have your tax rebate. Don't you feel like you are shirking your social duty?

I'm not sure it is schizophrenic, after all. It appears so, because it fits no popular liberal/conservative label. But I think his policies are predictable.

The operative words are corporate benefit. It explains his right-leaning tax reductions, and his left-leaning immigration policy. It explains his opposition to SCHIP. Most of all, it explains his willingness to spend billions on the war.

For indeed, war expenditures don't mainly go to Iraq or Afghanistan; war funds are checks mailed to US corporations which provide the goods and services needed for US troops, private security forces, American contractors on the massive embassy, and the rebuilding of oil infrastructu...

I'm not sure it is schizophrenic, after all. It appears so, because it fits no popular liberal/conservative label. But I think his policies are predictable.

The operative words are corporate benefit. It explains his right-leaning tax reductions, and his left-leaning immigration policy. It explains his opposition to SCHIP. Most of all, it explains his willingness to spend billions on the war.

For indeed, war expenditures don't mainly go to Iraq or Afghanistan; war funds are checks mailed to US corporations which provide the goods and services needed for US troops, private security forces, American contractors on the massive embassy, and the rebuilding of oil infrastructure. The corporatocracy benefits twice: once from the war itself, and then from the de-nationalization of the Iraqi oil industry (and thus, availability of new heights of Western control) contained in the Iraqi Parliament's much-delayed hydrocarbon law.

He believes deeply in setting up American law to provide unfettered flow of cash and perks from government to multi-national corporations and their champions. That is what he means when he says "freedom" or "democracy." That's what our soldiers die to defend: the right of American business to extract cash from any country on earth, no matter how poor, and without regard to that country's provincial preferences.

You make several good points, ouyangwulong and I think masbury added a final, most significant point: The Bush tax cuts have all been (and will continue to be) for the benefits of the rich.

Many of the rich actually believe and relentlessly propose that giving them money (for capital) is what provides jobs, etc.
Other rich people just want to keep more of their money, or get the government to give 'em more.

A shocking economic move happend two days ago when the chairman of the Fed Reserve (a group of private bankers), reduced the interest rate on money and also started action to limit the loses of some bond insurers.

In essence the 'economic stimulus,' package is going to bail out the ban...

You make several good points, ouyangwulong and I think masbury added a final, most significant point: The Bush tax cuts have all been (and will continue to be) for the benefits of the rich.

Many of the rich actually believe and relentlessly propose that giving them money (for capital) is what provides jobs, etc.
Other rich people just want to keep more of their money, or get the government to give 'em more.

A shocking economic move happend two days ago when the chairman of the Fed Reserve (a group of private bankers), reduced the interest rate on money and also started action to limit the loses of some bond insurers.

In essence the 'economic stimulus,' package is going to bail out the banks, big corporations, the stock markets, money lenders, and mortgages providers. The day after the Feds action the stock of one company, Ambac, went up 72%.

Can you imagine? Say you owned a house for $100,000 and the government did something and overnight the value of your home went to $172,000!

That would be a real good economic stimulus.

If, in fact, anyone really believes that the tax cut given to you and I, the working class, or the service providers, or the educators, or the medical providers who are actually in the trenches (not the insurers), they are truly delusional. While it is small enough that it will simply go right back into the economy, it does little to help the individual who's life savings (in the bank or in stocks) just go flushed. You are absolutely right that the haves will simply have more. Its a zero sum game. We get zero. If in fact we were willing to do something that would really help us, like invest in the US, instead of spending all of our (or China, etc's) money on killing our strongest and mo...

If, in fact, anyone really believes that the tax cut given to you and I, the working class, or the service providers, or the educators, or the medical providers who are actually in the trenches (not the insurers), they are truly delusional. While it is small enough that it will simply go right back into the economy, it does little to help the individual who's life savings (in the bank or in stocks) just go flushed. You are absolutely right that the haves will simply have more. Its a zero sum game. We get zero. If in fact we were willing to do something that would really help us, like invest in the US, instead of spending all of our (or China, etc's) money on killing our strongest and most hopeful citizens, we could make a HUGE difference for our own people. Keep them safe - at home! Give them paying jobs, at home. Train them - at home. Hell, we could even pay some of people to tear down that insane fence we are building to assuage someones paranoia. We could actually be energy independent with the money we spend on killing our own men and women, along with predominantly innocent Iraqi's. I think it s time to stop the insanity, and get back to sound fiscal policy. Invest in America, build America, and take care of Americans. All Americans. If you claim to be conservative, actually be conservative. Conserve - our people, our money, or homes, or jobs, or respect and our decency. That should be something even conservatives (real ones) would agree with.