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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Occupy Mitt Romney

("Pressed, Romney Shares Tax Data; A Rate Near 15%")

He is the 15%. Or just about. When a reluctant Mitt Romney reveals even a little about his income taxes, after significant prodding from fellow Republicans, this is a stunning development. Not so much in that he is being attacked, but from where that attack emanates.

Wasn't it this group that declared the problem was that we were not doing enough to protect the job creators? Wasn't it this group that has lobbied so hard to reduce the tax rate even further for the most well to do?

Occupy Wall Street has been criticized by many for its failure of focus, for its failure of leadership. But one unmistakable result of the protests was to change the dialogue in this country. No longer are we only discussing the size of the debt of this nation. Now, even in the Republican ranks, the actions of the 1% are subject to scrutiny and criticism. When the far right finds something wrong with the wealthy utilizing tax laws to permit vast income to go relatively untouched, then it is time not only to damn the evasive Mr. Romney but to praise a movement that has forced the issue to the surface. When Newt Gingrich sounds like a spokesman for the 99%,  something significant has transpired.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You have defined the issue superbly. The government policies that made the income gap widen were:

deregulation of banks and investment houses

Bush era tax cuts skewed to the wealthy

denigration of those who need help by way of food stamps or other dependencies

paying for two wars through deficit spending

attempts to privatize social security which weakened it due to a failure to fix it

All of this was rudely confirmed by the rabble in South Carolina that loudly applauded Newt Gingrich's race baiting comments to Juan Williams the other night. What good old Newt would do is try to make it look like the 2012 election is about white vs. black and to bring in all the economic issues.