Bear with me, I have a headache. So, as I understand it, Obama’s plan to tax the really wealthy consists largely (or entirely) of letting the Bush tax cuts expire instead of extending them. * This is derided as a socialism; but aside from the ridiculousness of the difference between Real American Taxes and Evil Islamic Arugula Socialism being 3% and roughly half a billion bucks…. does this mean we were already socialist during the Bush administration before the tax cuts and didn’t know it?
I thought the socialist barricades would come with a little flag to wave.
*This is the killing vs. letting die distinction, but for taxes!
The Edge of the American West 
26 comments
October 28, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Jason B
Well, I’m pretty sure Peter Singer’s a “Evil Islamic Arugula Socialist,” too. I say, continue to the interview and let the tax cuts get themselves out of the damned pond.
Stupid tax cuts.
October 28, 2008 at 4:08 pm
andrew
Trolleys, which nowadays are used pretty much exclusively as public transit, are tax-supported.
October 28, 2008 at 4:11 pm
dana
Yeah, but brains-in-vats never pay their fares. Something about being not sure they have the money.
October 28, 2008 at 4:15 pm
ari
No pockets. In which to put their money, I mean.
October 28, 2008 at 4:15 pm
andrew
No wonder many countries with a VAT have better transit systems.
October 28, 2008 at 4:20 pm
urbino
“Nutpicking?”
October 28, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Jason B
Is this a family blog? And if so, what family? Do they have nuts?
October 28, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Vance
I believe even slowing the rate of increase of inequality counts as socialism.
October 28, 2008 at 6:17 pm
The Good, the Bad, and the Insightful - October 28, 2008 « The 59 Second Minute
[…] quote from a post today in the Edge of the American West: So, as I understand it, Obama’s plan to tax the really wealthy consists largely (or entirely) of […]
October 28, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Vance
See Hertzberg on this.
Tangentially — do others find that after a spell in the blogosphere, the high polish of magazine editorials reads as glib?
October 28, 2008 at 7:59 pm
grackle
After the last pres. debate there was a succinct and sublime letter to the editor in the N.Y.Times” regarding the spread the wealth theme:
To the Editor:
Fair taxation isn’t about ”redistributing the wealth” — it’s about giving back to the great country that gave you the opportunity to benefit so greatly.
It’s not about taking money from ”Joe the Plumber.” It’s about making sure that ”Joe’s Mega-Plumbing Incorporated” gives back to the country and the people who gave him:
Roads and bridges for his trucks to roll on.
Support for research for his latest plumbing equipment.
Public education so he can have a well-trained work force.
Markets so he can raise capital.
Police and firefighters so his business is protected.
Health care so the employees who helped him build his business can stay on the job.
Freedom so that he can build his business creatively.
If ”Joe” has been able to become wealthy because of the bounty of America, then he should pay his fair share back to America — that is patriotic.
Daryl Altman
Lynbrook, N.Y., Oct. 16, 2008
October 28, 2008 at 8:01 pm
dana
“Nutpicking?”
Like nitpicking, when all the nits are nuts.
October 28, 2008 at 8:03 pm
grackle
I meant to link to it, not just borrow it. Here’s another try. It seems to sum up the proper response perfectly to me.
October 28, 2008 at 8:05 pm
ben wolfson
“Nutpicking?”
Even in America the question mark goes on the outside.
October 28, 2008 at 8:26 pm
urbino
“Really?”
October 28, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Tiny Hermaphrodite
That’s 10 September grammar, young Ben.
October 28, 2008 at 10:02 pm
urbino
Thank you.
October 28, 2008 at 10:58 pm
jacob
I thought the socialist barricades would come with a little flag to wave.
The revolution will not be televised, which means that maybe we missed it.
October 28, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Urk
oohh, we missd it. does somebody have Tivo? somebody we know?
October 29, 2008 at 1:47 am
andrew
A little revolution now and then is a good thing; a big one is too conspicuous.
October 29, 2008 at 6:38 am
dana
The revolution will not be televised, which means that maybe we missed it
I’m sure it would have been on YouTube.
October 29, 2008 at 7:05 am
JPool
The barricades come with a giant flag to wave. Haven’t you seen Les Mis?
Giant flag production is to the barricades as hemlines are to the economy. That’s why it’s so often referred to as on of the Leading Barricadic Indicators.
October 29, 2008 at 10:31 am
PGD
THANK YOU. I’ve been waiting for someone, anyone, associated with the campaign to point this out. In vain, apparently.
Based on our tax policy, we were socialist from 1993-2001, and *even more deeply socialist* from FDR through 1981. The left did not celebrate this sufficiently.
October 29, 2008 at 10:43 am
andrew
and *even more deeply socialist* from FDR
The American Liberty League was right!
October 29, 2008 at 5:42 pm
matt w
This Urban Dictionary definition of “nutpicking” is accurate and surprisingly well-written (except for the missing “to”). Which in a way undermines the whole premise of the definition.
October 29, 2008 at 6:20 pm
matt w
Or maybe this one.