Monday, November 27, 2017:   Republican Tax Reform - Robbing Hoods
The tactical plan for the current Republican tax reform includes four basic elements. 1. Cut taxes for the rich and corporations. 2. Shift the tax burden to the middle and lower class with ever more regressive taxation. 3. Cut government services and benefits to the poorest and needest of our citizens to compensate for the loss in revenue. 4. Where a cut in government services is not sufficient to cover the lost revenue, borrow and put the country deeper in debt.

I laugh when I hear that the Republicans don't raise taxes - another lie. Their claim really only relates to income "tax rates." They "raise" taxes all the time. It's done by including income that was formally exempt from taxation, changing allowable deductions and exemptions, altering the breakpoints on marginal income tax rates, raising excise taxes, raising sales taxes, raising government fees on everything and anything, and charging fees for services that were previously free. Their only real rule is that all of their "taxation" be regressive, so that it significantly impacts those citizens who are least able to pay.

Thursday, November 16, 2017:   Recovering After Four Years of Fascist Rule
In the 11 months since the Republicans have co-opted our democracy, they have show us that they are incapable of any kind of ethical behavior and they certainly don't give a damn about anyone but their rich benefactors. The only question is whether we as a country can recover from the damage that will be done over the next 3+ years. Even if the Trumpster doesn't initiate Armageddon, we know for certain that his actions and those of his minions will damage our democracy, our standard of living, our environment, our health, and our security. The extent of that damage is unknown, but will certainly extend well into our future and likely beyond my lifetime.

I have written in previous posts that the only rule that Republicans live by is "Remember it is Rape, Pillage and then Burn." Their only focus is to insure that all power and wealth vest in the rich who line their pockets with gold. Whether it is health care, the economy, the environment, civil rights, or tax policies the Republicans sole goal is to insure that their benefactors are the winners.

The only question is can the Republican Juggernaut be stopped? Honestly, I don't believe it can in the short run given the evolving construct of our democracy and frankly, "we the people" are to blame. To quote Pogo, "we have met the enemy, and he is us." Through ignorance, racism, complacency, intolerance, and just plain stupidity, we have allowed the rich to manipulate our democracy to the extent that it is, for all intents and purposes, a fascist state. Over the next four years it will only get worse as the Trump administration appoints right wing nut jobs to the federal courts and gerrymandering and voter restrictions lock in the minions of the evil empire at both the Federal and State level. So the battle lines have been drawn and the power is currently vested in the evil empire.

Absent a revolution or a civil war, it will take the will of the people and years of reparation for our democracy to be righted. We need to start thinking in those terms. This will be a battle of attrition and "we the people" have to have the will power to endure.