Subway Notes

I take the subway whenever I want to get around NYC, and a Times to read while blending with my fellow riders. These news items infuriated me:

1) Estate Tax Repeal and Refusal to consider Raising the Minimum wage—The Republicans added to the repeal bill yet another tax break, this time to the timber industry, in order to sway 4 Democratic Senators to vote for the whole package. I’ll be clear: THE ESTATE TAX IS AN ESSENTIAL Democracy-protecting vehicle. It does more than raise money—it prevents the ever-accumulating massed wealth in the hands of the few, the aristocracy who controls the political process.


And that is EXACTLY what we’ve been seeing with the politicians in power the last 10 years. The influence peddling, the industry-writing-the laws and policies (Enron et al writing energy policy, the credit industry writing the Bankruptcy “reform” Act e.g.), the no-bid contracts, the bribes and giveaways to the well-connected this is ALL part of the CONCENTRATION OF WEALTH and power to the EXTREME DETRIMENT of our Republic.

America was founded on the ideal of democracy and equality—equality of opportunity, as well as of the protection of rights and laws. And the founders structured our system to prevent the hereditary aristocracy and vast inequalities of wealth of the European kingmakers and king-keepers from which they came. The Estate Tax is a check on that corruptive power, and its dilution is directly contributing to the corruption in Washington today. It is exactly as Franklin Roosevelt said, “Great accumulations of wealth cannot be justified on the basis of personal and family security … Such inherited economic power is as inconsistent with the ideals of this generation as inherited political power was inconsistent with the ideals of the generation which established our government.”

Any so-called free market capitalist should understand that no taxpayer is an island. It is ONLY through an intricate network of all citizens, from the laborer, the burger-flipper, as well as the professionals and the force of law that enable ANYBODY to make whatever fortune they do make

Teddy Roosevelt, the second to last truly great Republican President (Eisenhower was the last, NOT Reagan) said: “The man of great wealth owes a particular obligation to the State because he derives special advantages from the mere existence of government.” Roosevelt recognized that wealthy citizens were aided in their endeavors by government protection of wealth and property rights. And at NO TIME SINCE THE GILDED AGE has that been more true than today!

Yes, the exemption should have been increased—and it has been. An honest discussion can help determine the proper exemption amounts and the rates of taxation above that exemption. But the lies—DAMNED LIES—of the pro-repeal camp is sickening. Let them point to even ONE family farm lost from paying the tax. THEY CAN’T!! The tax only affected 2% of estates to begin with. And with reforms, those unfairly hit—a miniscule number—can be rescued without a wholesale elimination.

Hastert and company followed this gift to the rich by preventing a floor discussion on a much overdue raise in the minimum wage. When their shouts of “CLASS WAR!” begin in the next election cycle remember--THEY started it.



2) Bush Compares Iraq War to Hungary’s Uprising. That is the problem with America in a nutshell: the PRESIDENT, who theoretically represents the top of our society, makes such an UNEDUCATED, horribly flawed analogy betraying a complete lack of understanding of history, OR WORSE, intentionally lies about it to further compound his earlier lies that set about our war of conquest and control of Iraq and its oil fields.

In fact, Hungary’s uprising was only one of many in its thousand-year history against all its occupiers (the Mongols, the Turks, the Nazis) and monarchs (the Hapsburgs). In fact the Soviets “liberated” Hungary from the fascists after WWII. Of course the Hungarians wanted out from under Stalin’s cruel heel, and although their 1956 revolution failed it did compel their puppet leader to institute reforms—living standards raised and it remained in the Soviet sphere until Gorbachev dismantled the system in 1990.

In Iraq, if anything it is we, the USA, that is playing the role that the USSR did in Hungary and the Iraqis want nothing more than to be rid of us and our control. In Hungary a citizenry who for hundreds of years were fighting to rid the yoke of submission once again did so under Stalin. In Iraq, WE started the maelstrom, NOT THE IRAQI CITIZENS!!

But, hey, it’s a great sound bite…and with today’s Foxification of our corporate media that’s ALL that counts.

By time I climbed the stairs out of the subway into the blazing sun, I had definitely seen the light. Thanks to God.

rfd