I'd like to believe that Obama is telling the truth about his tax plan. It would be really nice if:
We could get $1 Trillion in free goodies from the government.
Our taxes would go down.
The "rich" would pay for all the goodies, PLUS they would pay the taxes that the other 95% of Americans didn't have to pay.
Taking the "rich" peoples' money would not cause massive unemployment.
Those that didn't pay any taxes would get a nice Federal Welfare Check each year, just for voting for Obama.
We would still have a strong national defense.
We would still balance the budget in 4 years.
Regarding the new Federal Welfare System: In SocialistSpeak, for people who pay no taxes at all -- about 40% of Americans -- a "tax cut" means that that they will get a different kind of "tax refund." Obama will take money from hard working Americans and give it to them. Only a liberal could say with a straight face that "refunding" tax money to someone who didn't pay taxes is anything other than welfare.
The only people that would believe such outrageous stuff are the ignorant, the uninformed and the illiterate -- coincidentally, the very people Obama targets with his $100 Million ad budget. You don't have to be very smart, or know how to read, or be well informed to watch TV. Obama counts on this fact.
But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to comprehend these facts:
Every independent consumer group that has examined Obama's tax and economic plans says they will not work. The Wall Street Journal says that his numbers just don't add up. (Yes the WSJ is a conservative paper, but it is also the most respected business newspaper in the world. It would not retain that reputation if it lied to readers.) By the way, the Associated Press (a very liberal organization) agreed with the assessment of the Journal.
We have a huge federal deficit, created by the huge costs of 911, the massive spending on Homeland Security, the disgusting spending habits of Congress, and Bush's unwillingness to use the veto on spending bills.
Congress just spent $700 Trillion on the bailout (much of which MAY be repaid).
Obama wants to add another $1 Trillion in new spending to the budget. (NOTE: When a politician tells you how much he plans to spend, for accuracy you should multiply whatever he tells you by 3.)
If Obama took EVERY PENNY the "rich" make, it would not be enough to cover the lost tax revenues from the other 95% of Americans that he claims will pay no taxes or lower taxes, assuming nothing changed from the previous tax year.
Of course, much HAS changed. Spending will be up because we will have a Democrat Congress; because of the trillions Congress has committed to the bailout; and because of the trillions more Obama plans to spend. And tax revenues will be DOWN because the economic crisis has reduced the income of businesses, individuals, and the "rich." And Obama's Socialist economics will cause more unemployment and reduce incomes further, which will drive tax revenues even lower.
Why does Obama lie about what his huge vote-buying programs will cost and the fact that the only way to pay for them will be to print more money and cause massive inflation? He lies because he can.
He can lie with impunity because the media "professionals," who are supposed to watch out for ALL the voters (including Conservatives), might just as well be wearing "Obama for President" buttons when they "cover the news." Journalist they are not. Most of them act far more like Obama campaign workers than journalists.
And as I mentioned earlier, his base is not made up of the brightest people in the country. There's a reason why his campaign has targeted illegal aliens and convicted felons. Many of the illegals don't understand English or our culture well enough to make an informed decision. And felons -- well, the main reason people go to jail is that they are stupid. Of course, it's not legal for these folks to vote, but Obama has a fix for that. His campaign has done a better job than Democrats usually do of making it almost impossible to tell who is registered to vote (at least until after the election, when it will be too late).
Finally, his lies about taxes are harder to expose because NO ONE (including the IRS) really understands the US Tax Code. We have all heard the reports about calls to the IRS Help Line. Fifty per cent of taxpayers who spoke to IRS agents were given incorrect answers in several studies.
This is a dream come true for a Chicago-trained politician like Obama. He likes to lie. He wants to get elected. He can lie all he wants to about taxes, because the great majority of Americans don't know he is lying. (The ones who do know enough about taxes and the economy to know he is lying are people who wouldn't vote for him in the first place.)
The "Moving Target" referred to in the title is Obama's definition of "rich." At first he said that only the "rich," defined as people making more than $250,000, would pay more taxes under his plan; everyone else would pay "lower taxes." A few days later, he was videotaped stating that everyone who makes $200,000 or less will pay lower taxes. Then his running mate said that anyone who made more than $150,000 was rich (and that rich people should be "patriotic" and be happy for the opportunity to pay higher taxes). Finally, Gov. Bill Richardson, one of Obama's chief surrogates, said yesterday that "rich" was $120,000.
Now we're getting closer to the truth. The truth is the $42,000 figure that you have heard about on the news. It refers to a bill that Obama voted for that would have increased taxes on anyone making more than $41,600. If Obama was forced to take a lie detector test, he would reveal that he plans to use the Income Tax in such a radical way that even most liberals would be appalled. (I believe that most liberals love their country. They have just been deceived by a succession of slick salesmen like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.)
The bottom line is that, although the Income Tax was conceived in lies and has never been fair, it was never intended to be used as a tool of Socialism. The men who created the Infernal Revenue service weren't Socialists. They were just greedy politicians who wanted government to have more money so they could have more control. (The fact that they could slip some of the cash into their own pockets was cool, too.) But the most venal of politicians of that day would not have dreamed that America would ever elect a full-blown Socialist who would use the Income Tax to fulfill Marx's dream: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs!"
(Marx also said, "Religion is the opium of the people." Kind of reminds you of Obama's remark about "bitter people" who "cling to religion," doesn't it?)
The history of the Income Tax parallels Obama's deceit as far as who will pay taxes and how much they will pay. After the Supreme Court had twice ruled a Federal Income Tax UNCONSTITUTIONAL (the constitution specifically forbade any such thing) the politicians sold the nation on the tax with three lies:
It was patriotic (Joe Biden, are you listening?)
It was only 1% of income.
It was temporary.
And (the real sales point for divisive, class warfare types like Obama) -- only the "rich" would pay.
Of course there is nothing patriotic about giving politicians money they don't need, money which they often use to harm the nation. Not surprisingly, the 1% rate grew to 70% before Ronald Regan took office; he said, "Enough!!" and lowered it by almost two thirds. And we all know how "temporary" the Income Tax was.
As to only the "rich" paying, study a little history to discover what the word "income" meant back when the "Income" tax was hatched. In those days to say that someone had an income" would be like saying that someone today is independently wealthy. Even the politicians who created the tax were not stupid enough to try to tax anyone's money from their trade or profession. If you worked for it, it wasn't "income." Everyone who heard the phrase "Income Tax" knew that it meant that only people who made their money from passive investments (like real estate or stocks and bonds) would pay it. And since the majority of voters did not have "income" -- they were happy to let those who did pay a tax. After all, it was tiny, and it was only temporary, and it was -- well, kind of patriotic.
Just as the definition of "rich" has crept down over the last few months, the number of people whose taxes will INCREASE under Obama's tax plan will creep up. One fact that Obama never mentions -- but which every impartial group that reviewed his plan has pointed out -- Obama's "tax cuts" are TEMPORARY. None are permanent changes to the tax code. They will all phase out, and the net effect will be that his "tax cut" plan cleverly disguised the truth. The truth is that his plan, if enacted, will be the most massive tax increase (on businesses AND individuals) ever perpetrated on the American public. It is, in fact a criminal conspiracy to defraud the American people and steal the election by bribing people with a prosperity they will never see.
The people who vote for him (even the dumbest of them) will eventually see through his lies. They will understand what the patriots tried to tell them. I only pray that they will understand it before it is too late; before they put in office the most dangerous candidate ever to run for presidency.
Whether he realizes it or not, whether be believes it or not, Obama's tax plan is not new. It has been the law of the land in every Communist country since that evil philosophy was created by Satan and poured into the minds of Marx and Lenin. Russia redistributed the wealth of its "Socialist Republics" (but not the great wealth of the Party members). China just takes the money and skips the redistribution. And just ninety miles from Florida, Castro continues to redistribute the wealth of Cubans -- to himself.
Here is an example Gov. Mike Huckabee gave, which you can use when you teach your children or grandchildren about the evils of Socialism and Communism. Suppose your daughter worked very hard all semester, did her homework and reports, and studied for and did well on her tests. Suppose her teacher came to her and said, "Sarah, you earned an 'A' this semester. I am very proud of you. But Johnny got a 'D' because he often had a hangover in class. And Susie got an 'F' because she skipped class so much. Wouldn't you like to spread your 'A' around so everyone can have a 'C'? Don't be selfish. This is the patriotic thing to do." Let me know what your daughter thinks about this concept.
The sad thing is that, like Obama, Marx and Lenin may actaully have thought they were doing the right thing.
Dr. Tom Barrett has been an ordained minister for 30 years. He has written for local and national publications for most of his life, and has authored several non-fiction books. He has been interviewed on many TV and radio programs, and speaks at seminars nationwide. Tom is the editor and publisher of Conservative Truth, an email newsletter read by over fifty thousand weekly which focuses on moral and political issues from a Biblical viewpoint.
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