19.12.10

The Politics of "Win Some, Lose Some" DADT traded for Billionaire Tax Breaks


Is is me, or does this seem like one of those schlocky Hollywood movies with super famous stars in it? The Fockkers franchise perhaps...  Where you are saying to yourself, "How the fockk did Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro end up in this steaming pile?"



And then you think, "Ah, they must need the money for a special indy film that wouldn't get made otherwise."
 
Look inside the beltway this week and gaze upon a hauntingly familiar scene. A stunningly stupid piece of economic legislation sails past the critics with a few token protestations and a worthy little bill that had almost no chance of getting passed somehow finds it's day in the sun.

DADT was a backward, unworkable patch for an untenable social injustice that deserved to be squelched. And maybe I want too much. But did we have to trade off all hope for an economic recovery, so even more young people can die in yet another unjust war?

Any economist who doesn't have his head shoved up his ass will tell you: tax breaks for the wealthy put a drag on the economy. Because Paris Hilton can only buy so many cars, even if they are very expensive, planet-killing, dick extensions. Believe it or not, giving her even more money isn't going to spur a spending spree on her part.

On the other hand, giving a bigger tax break to a bunch of middle class families while asking Oui, oui, Paris to pay more in taxes, would generate a lot more traction in the economy.


Although it from the way they are failing to push with their legs, they might be spending some bucks on physical therapy.

So, this didn't even end up being a Lady or the Tiger choice.

Tax Breaks for Billionaires: Pork and Plutocracy kill the economy.
DADT Repeal: Kills even more of our young.

It's much more along the lines of Blue Pill keeps you in a non-life illusion, Red Pill wakens you to a shitty, difficult reality.



Obama, et. al., making the best use of American's chronic Attention Deficit Disorder, and persistent inability to connect the dots, scored big. With the passage of this pair of bills, Obama got some Blue Dog, some monied "base" and some accolades from the independent voter. And he mollified a portion of his impatient progressive detractors along the way.

Best of all, if the Tax Bill helps the economy, he gets cred. If the Tax Bill kills the economy, as is very likely to happen, then the folks who pushed hardest for it will get the blame: the Republicans.

Now that, is how Hollywood and Politics are done.




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