Everywhere you turn, conservatives are bemoaning the so-called “mentality of entitlement.”

To hear such folks tell it, the problem with America is that people think they’re owed something. Of course, income support programs, nutritional assistance, or housing subsidies have long been pilloried by the right for this reason — because they ostensibly encourage people to expect someone else (in this case, the government, via the American taxpayer) to support them. But now, the criticisms that were once reserved for programs aimed at helping the poor are being applied even to programs upon which much of the middle class has come to rely, like Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance.



Let’s first consider class status, apart from race for a second. When someone with money insists that they “earned everything they have,” and therefore, they resent their tax burden, or various government regulations that might affect their business in some way, what is that, if not evidence of an “entitlement mentality?” After all, they didn’t really earn what they have all on their own. Our professional status and income owe much to circumstances beyond our own efforts and initiative.

So, for instance, those with money have benefitted directly from substantial public investment in schools (either for themselves or their employees), roads, technology and communication infrastructures that have been publicly subsidized, as well as fiscal and monetary policy aimed at making capital available to businesses. We make choices as a society, through instruments like the Federal Reserve, to either tighten or loosen the reins of credit — either of which decision can have a huge impact on whether or not you can hire new people, build a new plant, or expand your business — as well as what types of things to subsidize via the tax code (investment, home ownership, hiring, advertising, etc.), all of which can be made more or less costly due to the existence and size of various tax credits for each.

In other words, the wealth of individuals is only partly about their own hard work; more so, it is the result of the cumulative decisions made by lots of people

there wouldn't need to be close to trillion dollars a year in entitlement spending if the government did their jobs and encouraged an environment of free market capitalism in which the market picked the winners and losers.

we have the highest corporate tax rate in the world.

this government then allows companies like GE pay no income taxes at all because they claim they make all of their money in foreign countries.

I would bet 15% of something is better than 35% percent of nothing.

you tell me why a company that made $10 billion in profit within the US pays NO income taxes and your hero Obama is so concerned with taxing the f**k out of individuals..

you don't see a serious problem with that?

yet you, like your hero, think individuals that make more than you, or whatever voting block your hero is pandering to, should be the ones funding all these programs out of their own pockets because its their communal duty..

this mentality is what is fning this country up.

subsidize and let the mega corporations hide their money overseas so they pay no taxes and then play the blame individuals game that don't earn a drop of pi$$ in the bucket compared to what that these corporations make.

keep drinking the kool aid because one day when all the rich folk money is gone they will be coming for yours and don't ***** and complain when they do.

yes, rich folks are going to regulate away the rich folks money,,,

NOT GOING TO HAPPEN

whats f'ed up is the idea that 'rich' peoples money was earned in a vaccuum and that they shouldnt have to contribute anything to the economy and the very people who CONTINUE to KEEP Them in their financial status in the first place through their work and purchases,,


its like an unlimited interest rate on an investment, those without will continue to work harder and harder, for less and less, while those on the top will continue to earn profit off of the formers backs and then turn theirs when it comes to even the basic NEEDS of those very citizens who keep them in business and profiting,,,

who puts up the money to start a business?

who takes the risk?

I live in a beach town that sees small businesses come and go like the tides.

You are responsible for all kinds of taxes.

business license just to open the door.

taxes to the town, county and state.

you must forget that the town, county and state also collect money via sales taxes on the transactions inside the store.

yeah the people buying the products being sold pay the money to the business and it covers the sales tax, but if the business wasn't there then guess what.. no sales taxes..

let us say you had $1 million in sales. In Maryland the sales tax is 6%.. That is $60,000 in revenue YOU created for the state. Another $30,000 to the county and $15,000 to the town.

That is $105,000 YOU as the business owner created in tax revenue.

It is your shop. Your money on the line. Your choice of business type that brought in enough customers to provide $105,000 in taxes for the communal good.

So what you are saying is that these people don't contribute anything to society and should be taxed at a higher rate simply because they had the balls to go there and try..

its simply amazing..