the ideas are simply being "karl roverized" - ie. twisted to not have their original meaning. and, of course, anything that Obama says must be Demonized simply because he said it or supports it.
She who is Whiter than Snow With High Cheekbones and Pow Wow Cookbook said:
There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own. Nobody. You built a factory out there — good for you! But I want to be clear. You moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for. You hired workers the rest of us paid to educate. You were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for. You didn’t have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory, and hire someone to protect against this, because of the work the rest of us did. Now look, you built a factory and it turned into something terrific, or a great idea — God bless. Keep a big hunk of it. But part of the underlying social contract is you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along.
Argument made by Obama and Warren:
There are some government activities that benefit us all, including business owners.
the federal government is the best, most efficient and only possible supplier of these benefits.
What are the exact government programs and projects that Obama and Warren use to justify their position:
Education
Obama: “There was a great teacher somewhere in your life.”
Warren: “You hired workers the rest of us paid to educate.”
Transportation
Obama: “Somebody invested in roads and bridges.”
Warren: “You moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for.”
Public Safety
Warren: “You were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for.”
Obama: “There are some things, just like fighting fires, we don’t do on our own.”
The Internet
Obama: “Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet.”
What percentage of the federal budget is devoted to these
universally beneficial public works?
Being as generous as possible to the "progressive position" I will include ALL of defense spending, since defense aids both basic research and public safety. Highways and roads are covered by the Department of Transportation. The Department of Education and other smaller departments — Department of Justice, National Science Foundation, etc. — also contribute in varying degrees to public safety, research, and education
Department of Defense 18.74%
Department of Transportation 2.05%
Department of Education 1.32%
Department of Homeland Security 1.21%
Department of Justice 0.67%
National Science Foundation 0.20%
TOTAL: 23.4%
So what Obama and Warren are
really stating is this:
Only one-fourth of your federal tax dollars go to projects and programs that benefit the general public and entrepreneurs; the other three-fourths are essentially a complete waste.
Obama and Warren have intentionally conflated
local taxes with
federal taxes. Public education, police and firefighters, and street repair are primarily paid for by
property taxes,
local sales taxes, and
state taxes. Federal grants can
supplement local funds, but rarely is a school district or a police department funded entirely with federal money.
So Obama and Warren are making an argument for increased
local taxes. not a rationale for increased
federal taxes.
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