Liberal Democrat

Liberal Democrat
Individual Freedom For Everyone

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Russia Today: The Alyona Show- Dean Baker- 'President Obama's Deficit Plan: Class Warfare?'

Source:Russia Today- anchor Alyona Minkovski, talking to left-wing economist Dean Baker.

"RT (formerly Russia Today) is a state-controlled international television network funded by the federal tax budget of the Russian government.[5][6] It operates pay television channels directed to audiences outside of Russia, as well as providing Internet content in English, Spanish, French, German, Arabic, and Russian.

RT operates as a multilingual service with conventional channels in five languages: the original English-language channel was launched in 2005, the Arabic-language channel in 2007, Spanish in 2009, German in 2014 and French in 2017. RT America (since 2010),[7] RT UK (since 2014) and other regional channels also offer some locally based content." 

From Wikipedia 

"The White House has proposed a plan to save 3 trillion dollars over the next decade, but they've tacked on 1.1 trillion in planned war savings to try and push that up to 4 trillion. Then, there's the Buffet Rule where the president will call for a new minimum tax rate for individuals making more than 1 million dollars to ensure that they pay at least the same rate as middle-income taxpayers. Republicans have already responded by calling it class warfare. Obama also said if the super committee comes up with only cuts to entitlement programs and no tax increases, he'll veto the plan. Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research discusses." 


The real question should be here is President Obama's deficit reduction plan a policy plan or a political plan, or is it a combination of both, I would argue its a little of both. 

It is a policy plan because Barack Obama I believe clearly believes in taxing millionaires more as a way to pay down the debt and deficit. He's been arguing for that at least since he started running for President back in 2007. I'll give the President that: he's proposing something he actually believes in. Which unfortunately as common in American politics as mice chasing cats. 

The Obama plan is clearly a political plan as well. This deficit reduction plan is clearly about throwing a bone to the Left (and I'm sorry if this offends the Far-Left) to bring them back in his corner for the 2012 presidential campaign and that they work for his reelection, which at this point is clearly in doubt. And he needs both of these factions to not only vote for him in 2012, but work for him as well in 2012. 

Is this plan class warfare? Of course not, it's an attempt to demand that the people in the country pay their fair share of taxes in what's left of our progressive taxation system. It's an attempt to demand that the only group of people thats benefited in our economy the last ten years, that they pay more in taxes to help pay down our massive debt and deficit, because they can afford to and won't get hurt by it. 

Class warfare would be about punishing a class of people just because they are part of that class and do it to the point that it hurts them. An example of class warfare would be to lay a group of middle class workers off, so executives can make more money. Which is done on a regular basis or running a big company into bankruptcy where thousands of people lose their jobs and life savings. Perhaps even reputations and then walking away with a big bonus package.