These guys just HAVE TO BE Republicans, the thought process is the same -- too close to be a coincidence. Taxes were at 90%, the highest marginal tax bracket in history, But, things worked fine -- jobs were created, and the economy grew, most everyone was happy. As time went on, they gradually lowered the top marginal tax rate until it reached 39% -- jobs were still created and the economy grew. We even got a balanced Federal budget for a short time.
Then, Bush lowered the rate of the top tax bracket even further to 36 1/2%. At that point, and not before that, job creation slowed down and eventually shifted into job LOSSES. The US economy stalled and stopped growing, rather it started to contract. Unemployment soared from the 5%-6% range to over 9.2%. The Federal government as well as many state governments were running out of money.
Now, you'd think that the sensible thing would be to bring tax rates back to what they were before all this started to happen - we'd go back to the 39% rate of before, maybe 40% just to be sure that we came out of this Great Recession as strong or stronger than before.
But, no, say the Republicans -- the answer is to further "starve the beast" and lower taxes even more! Typical Republican reaction -- get caught in a lie, and rather than admit it and move on, to double down and insist in the face of all evidence to the contrary, that they and their ideology are right regardless of the evidence.
I think the Republicans THINK the economy is like a colon cleanse -- things get worse, before they get better! In the meantime, 99% of the country suffers through unemployment, poverty, hunger, lack of health care -- all because the Republicans have some ideological idea of what is right rattling around in their pointy, little skulls! Going back to before with a tried and true solution... No, that doesn't match their fantasy! So, here we are! Up the creek without a paddle and idiots trying to steer the boat!
These high-ranking police officers are just fully owned and paid-for attack dogs for the super-rich and the corporate interests. Thus, it will be particularly satisfying when (not if!) they lose their collective bargaining rights just like those police and firefighters in Wisconsin and soon in Ohio. Once they have done their masters' bidding, they will become dispensable and fall to the scythe wielded by republicans all over the country. In Tony Boloney's case, this will have been well-earned, and just desserts. I can barely wait to hear them whining!
It's not about public safety... it's about revenue! Issuing traffic tickets is a way for local government to generate revenue. Interfering with that by warning other drivers about police causes a drop in revenue, which, first amendment be damned, has to be avoided at all costs.
In view of the fact that the Conservative Activist Supreme Court ruled that corporations have some of the rights of US citizens, granting full rights to non-human intelligences should be a no brainer... Unfortunately, no brainser seems to be a specialty of this court especially when the get them WRONG! So, I doubt that this will be won without a struggle. Of course, if a true AI emerged and was able to penetrate the markets, and amass a large fortune, then the Republicans will really be confused since the AI will fit TWO of their main constituencies: it would have no heart like a corporation and it would have a large amount of money like the millionaires and billionaires that habitually support them... I wonder how they will handle THAT double whammy??!
Funny... or TRAGIC! Didn't we already go down this road already with TORTURE?! Other countries torture, so it's OK if we do it?! Where did that get us? Haven't we brought America down to everyone else's level enough? It's time to take the high ground -- it used to be when I travelled outside the US, I was proud of my country! We have to get that feeling back!
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Reverse psychology...
These guys just HAVE TO BE Republicans, the thought process is the same -- too close to be a coincidence. Taxes were at 90%, the highest marginal tax bracket in history, But, things worked fine -- jobs were created, and the economy grew, most everyone was happy. As time went on, they gradually lowered the top marginal tax rate until it reached 39% -- jobs were still created and the economy grew. We even got a balanced Federal budget for a short time.
Then, Bush lowered the rate of the top tax bracket even further to 36 1/2%. At that point, and not before that, job creation slowed down and eventually shifted into job LOSSES. The US economy stalled and stopped growing, rather it started to contract. Unemployment soared from the 5%-6% range to over 9.2%. The Federal government as well as many state governments were running out of money.
Now, you'd think that the sensible thing would be to bring tax rates back to what they were before all this started to happen - we'd go back to the 39% rate of before, maybe 40% just to be sure that we came out of this Great Recession as strong or stronger than before.
But, no, say the Republicans -- the answer is to further "starve the beast" and lower taxes even more! Typical Republican reaction -- get caught in a lie, and rather than admit it and move on, to double down and insist in the face of all evidence to the contrary, that they and their ideology are right regardless of the evidence.
I think the Republicans THINK the economy is like a colon cleanse -- things get worse, before they get better! In the meantime, 99% of the country suffers through unemployment, poverty, hunger, lack of health care -- all because the Republicans have some ideological idea of what is right rattling around in their pointy, little skulls! Going back to before with a tried and true solution... No, that doesn't match their fantasy! So, here we are! Up the creek without a paddle and idiots trying to steer the boat!
Just Desserts...
These high-ranking police officers are just fully owned and paid-for attack dogs for the super-rich and the corporate interests. Thus, it will be particularly satisfying when (not if!) they lose their collective bargaining rights just like those police and firefighters in Wisconsin and soon in Ohio. Once they have done their masters' bidding, they will become dispensable and fall to the scythe wielded by republicans all over the country. In Tony Boloney's case, this will have been well-earned, and just desserts. I can barely wait to hear them whining!
Re: slow down
It's not about public safety... it's about revenue! Issuing traffic tickets is a way for local government to generate revenue. Interfering with that by warning other drivers about police causes a drop in revenue, which, first amendment be damned, has to be avoided at all costs.
Constitutional Crises...
In view of the fact that the Conservative Activist Supreme Court ruled that corporations have some of the rights of US citizens, granting full rights to non-human intelligences should be a no brainer... Unfortunately, no brainser seems to be a specialty of this court especially when the get them WRONG! So, I doubt that this will be won without a struggle. Of course, if a true AI emerged and was able to penetrate the markets, and amass a large fortune, then the Republicans will really be confused since the AI will fit TWO of their main constituencies: it would have no heart like a corporation and it would have a large amount of money like the millionaires and billionaires that habitually support them... I wonder how they will handle THAT double whammy??!
Didn't we already do this?!
Funny... or TRAGIC! Didn't we already go down this road already with TORTURE?! Other countries torture, so it's OK if we do it?! Where did that get us? Haven't we brought America down to everyone else's level enough? It's time to take the high ground -- it used to be when I travelled outside the US, I was proud of my country! We have to get that feeling back!