4 comments

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  drywall

  4 months ago

  Love this piece! Though I think you could strengthen your point by citing more specifics (good heavens, did I just channel my high school English teacher?). Personally I think the constant urging to cut capital gains taxes and eliminate the estate, er, "death" tax shed a lot of insight into the attitudes of those at the top.
  
  However, I would also argue that there's a pervasive sense of entitlement growing across all economic strata, not just among the aristocracy. I see more and more people every day who think themselves above whatever rules or barriers stand in their way. This manifests itself in the little things you see every day, like folks ignoring inconvenient traffic markings. Really, the "toddlerization" of America is pretty universal.
  
  What differentiates those at the top is simply their ability to exert political will to actually "legitimize" those entitlements and restructure the system to guarantee their positions atop the ladder, all while minimizing risk and shaping public discourse in their favor. And that behavior, as you rightly point out, is anathema to democracy.
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  anchorite

  4 months ago

  Mr. Price, somebody had to say it, so thanks for being that person. I'm upset that most people write off the current housing crisis or massive personal bankruptcy filings as simply irresponsible behavior by Americans who weren't taught to handle money. Few of us grow up with a working knowledge of mortgages, retirement plans, and auto loans, but it didn't used to be a serious problem because the laws protected us from, say, sub-prime mortgages, or early payoff penalties. The only thing the current generation was not taught was that the portion of America that makes the majority of their money off stock ownership was out to get their money at all costs, even the impoverishment of the middle class.
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  markw

  4 months ago

  Nothing hidden at all on this.
  
  The very statement "Trickle down" economics literally recognizes that the upper tiers ( dc's connected, corps, entities ie rulemakers ) thru their supposed infinite wisdom will be kind enough to provide an economy for the lower tiers.
  
  Whole deal really ends up as an official "squeeze the middle" situation though, and that has gone on since the 60's actually.
  
  Everyone in the usa worships thee Entity now. Because the Entity is always heavy money.
  
  "trickle down" officially started with LBJ when he became pres, then got huge with Nixon. Reagan Btw, is who made the official recognition anouncement.
  
  Every DemoPublican from the beginning thru now, actually knows no differently.
  
  Trickle down, all aspects of it, is thee standard educational basis taught in all of our colleges.
  
  In "trickle down" it's All about total efficiency, total polorization, total consolidation, and Total Connections ( not so much about good ideas or what even an entity knows...Moreso WHO they know ).
  
  ALL these of course end up squeezing any supposed inefficiency Out of life in itself at times in America as a whole.
  
  True economy is always a "flow up" system....where the money actually flows UP from Opportunity and action at the bottom tiers to the top.
  
  To bad america lost sight of it ( much like they did in the 1910 thru 1930's frame ).
  
  FDR btw, is the one who did get a Flow Up system established which lasted for well over 40 years...thus an opportunity for the "trickle down" deciders to bleed everything out again.
  
  Times Change.
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  ladyhawk

  4 months ago

  Once again VB Price hits the nail on the head.
  When the Tribune closed it was a real loss to Albuquerque and New Mexico.
  I am so happy to have finally found him again, in the New Mexico Independent!
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