I know that powerful individuals in this and in other states are enemies to a general national government in every possible shape.
– Alexander Hamilton, Federalist #85

I don’t want to abolish government.  I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub.
– Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform, 2001

The GOP is threatening “tax reform” again.  By now, we’ve all seen what they mean by “tax reform”: more for those who need the least, less for those who need the most.  The part that bothers me more than any other is the idea that those who need the most, need the most because of those who need the least.  (Yeah, just linger on that a minute.  It’s important.  I’ll wait.)

The American people are constantly being told that the best plan is to give all the money to the pampered elite and then, magically, everyone will have more money!  It’s always the “magically” part the GOP leaves wanting in detail.  Ask them to flesh out the mechanism of the magic and they mumble.  They treat is as a “no brainer”, which it must be since using one’s brain easily exposes the falsehood of the position.  By now, most of us have noticed that every time this particular piece of…nonsense gets floated, the lower classes suffer.

Schools suffer, infrastructure suffers, emergency services suffer.  Life gets harder for the average American in just about every measurable way.  Rich people just get richer and really don’t understand all the commotion from the rabble.

Reagan launched his ‘Hate America’ scheme quietly.  (“The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”)  Ever since, we’ve been treated to the fairy tale of trickle down pseudo-economics.  After 37 years of this, it’s clearly obvious that the only thing that trickles down is misery.

But, apparently, they’re bringing it, anyway.  To this point, the so-called “President” has been thwarted in his biggest efforts.  This, I fear, will be different.  The Putin Puppet benefits personally from tax cuts for the wealthy and the Congress critters benefit personally from tax cuts for the wealthy so everyone with a voice on the subject is on the same page.  Those of us who have to carry the burden of the rich man’s benefits…need not apply.

So…it’s time for the next fight: stop “tax reform”.

Personally, I prefer the “income redistribution” model that made America great in the first place.  I know, I know, I just stepped in it, didn’t I?  I dared use those words that conservatives spit as though “income redistribution” is a bad thing – or, perhaps, as though “income redistribution” isn’t exactly what’s going on via their “tax reform” in the first place.  But I’m also quite aware that the corporate media has been amazingly successful at demonizing the idea of “income redistribution” so I’ll be happy just trying to stop this next round of tax rigging for now.

I’ll tell you this: it’s no accident the GOP wants to choke the financial life out of our government.  It’s the only way they can destroy it, once and for all…