11-22-2016, 01:22 AM
(11-22-2016, 12:12 AM)X_4AD_84 Wrote:(11-21-2016, 11:07 PM)Eric the Green Wrote:(11-21-2016, 07:36 PM)Warren Dew Wrote: Eric's position on taxes is ridiculous. Perhaps he believes that only billionaires pay taxes, which is close to the opposite of the truth.
The petrodollar could be restored and inflation exported again if we started living up to our obligations to protect commerce by sailing the Navy in harm's way rather than leaving it rusting in home port. I'm not sure if Trump has figured that out, though.
They won't pay much under Trump, that's for sure. They don't pay as much as they should.
Who cares about restoring the petrodollar (assuming it needs restoring)?
We could reward work by raising wages and salaries, not by cutting the already low taxes people pay. There's just a not a whole lot there to cut, so it wouldn't make much difference to "motivation." I mean, among most people who actually "work." And of course, not including what you call ponzi schemes, which are just prudent retirement programs.
The extremist libertarian views that you, Galen and most Republicans and Libertarians hold, has nothing to do with a sensible, balanced policy. Taxes that are too high on anyone can be a problem. But that's just not where we are, in most cases.
What's crazy is Trump is not even moving in a Libertarian direction. The two most Libertarian presidents in recent history were Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Most of the crowd who adore Trump hate those two. A true Libertarian president would further loosen immigration, would not raise tariffs and while perhaps renegotiating TPP, would not want to shred it. In many other areas the Trumpistas embrace Authoritarianism. It's not even strictly Right Authoritarianism. There are also some Stalinist aspects.
While I agree with you that George HW Bush and Obama were less libertarian, it's sad when "libertarian" is applied to Clinton and Bush.
Agreed regarding tariffs, not necessarily regarding immigration and TPP - TPP is as much a multinational protectionist agreement as a free trade agreement - but the biggest nonlibertarian aspect of Trump's agenda is increased government spending, such as on infrastructure.