Can Taxing The Rich Balance The Budget In The USA?

This question does have an answer if one is open-minded and is fact-based in thinking. Below are representative opinions. I have mine:

Progressive:

Why neoclassical economics has failed

Bipartisan:

Could tax increases alone close the long-run fiscal gap? Yes.

Taxing the rich could raise trillions but that alone won't fix our fiscal crisis

Conservative:

Biden’s Math of Just Taxing the Rich Doesn’t Add Up

The Limits of Taxing the Rich

The "Multiplier Effect" In The Economy

Many economists will admit that economics is the "Dismal Science." Why? Because there are unaccounted-for variables. That said, the Multiplier Effect is science, thus real. In other words, when you spend money on ANYTHING, that goes through the economy and becomes worth more than the original amount of money many times over, to the benefit of all. The Democrats/Progressives recognize this reality, but the conservatives/Republicans/MAGA don't. That is why it is wrong for wealth to pool at the top of society unspent when EVERYONE benefits more when the middle and lower classes get more money because they SPEND more of their wealth.

15 Minutes To Really Understand US Politics

"An overwhelming majority of WHITE Christians vote Republican. And an overwhelming majority of BLACK Christians vote Democrat. Why is that? Don't they read the same Bible and pray to the same God? Which group doesn't know they're voting for the wrong party?? Phil Vischer takes us on a fast-paced trip through history to figure out why different American Christians read the same Bible, pray to the same God, and vote very, very differently."

Click on the link below to look at US history through the changes in the two major US political parties since the Civil War:

Why do White Christians Vote Republican, and Black Christians Vote Democrat?

Healthcare Policy: The Difference Is Stark

"The general election campaign is underway, spotlighting former President Trump, the Republican nominee, and Vice President Harris, the Democratic nominee, as the viable contenders for the presidency. Although health care reform may not be a central issue in this election as in the past, health care remains a significant concern for voters. Trump and Harris have distinctly different records and positions on health care. This side-by-side analysis provides a quick resource for understanding Trump’s presidential record and Harris’ record in the Biden-Harris administration and in previously held public office, as well as their current positions and proposed policies. Proposals are from when candidates served as president and vice president respectively unless text or links indicate otherwise. This tool will be continuously updated as new information and policy details emerge throughout the campaign."

Bookmark this post as it is updated. DO NOT ACCEPT THE DISINFORMATION FROM MAGA!!

https://www.kff.org/compare-2024-candidates-health-care-policy/

Nationalism Is NOT Patriotism

"What is the 'idea' of America? The core of the American identity? Trump, Vance, and the GOP say they’re all about patriotism; in fact, they’re promoting a white Christian identity form of nationalism, which is an entirely different thing. A dark, dangerous, and deadly thing. Incompatible with our Founders’ idea of America. The work of our day is to restore the idea of America — an egalitarian democratic republic — and then help it realize its full potential after all these many long years…"

Click on this link for a video exposing the danger of white, Christian nationalism.

Reflections On Important Matters Now

Click on the link below for a bonus Best of the Left sample podcast looking at the following:

- How we're feeling
- The philosophy of liberal patriotism
- The positive policies Democrats should be running on to inspire voters
- The reckoning the current Democratic Party desperately needs

REFERENCES:

Liberal Patriotism Is About More Than Flag-Waving

How to Beat Trump in a World of Unreason

Democrats don’t just need a new candidate. They need a reckoning.

Bonus Sample: In a Dinghy of Hope

The Marshall Plan: What Isolationists Fail To Understand

“'The truth of the matter is that Europe's requirements for the next three or four years of foreign food and other essential products—principally from America—are so much greater than her present ability to pay that she must have substantial additional help or face economic, social, and political deterioration of a very grave character,' he said. 'It is logical that the United States should do whatever it is able to do to assist in the return of normal economic health in the world, without which there can be no political stability and no assured peace. Our policy is directed not against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos. Its purpose should be the revival of a working economy in the world so as to permit the emergence of political and social conditions in which free institutions can exist.'”

- - - - - - - - -

"In his short speech, Marshall outlined the principles of what came to be known as the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe in the wake of the devastation of World War II. The speech challenged European governments to work together to make a plan for recovery and suggested that the U.S. would provide the money. European countries did so, forming the Organization for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC) in 1948. From 1948 to 1952, the U.S. would donate about $17 billion to European countries to rebuild, promote economic cooperation, and modernize economies. By the end of the four-year program, economic output in each of the countries participating in the Marshall Plan had increased by at least 35%."  (https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/june-4-2024)

Is There A Better Tool For Economic Health Than GDP?

"There may be logic in the belief that wealth can measure well-being. Free-market prices are determined by supply and demand that can relate to how much better off individuals believe a good or service can make them. Greater wealth can mean greater access to things that can improve everyday life.

"And, it's conceivable that those who produce wealth in an honest way create the most value for others, in an economic sense.

"So, higher GDP might equate to greater human progress, because it means a greater amount or greater value of goods and services has been created.

"But does economic growth really mean that people are better off? Scratch a little deeper and you may find that GDP does not reflect this traditional view or actual economic value and health very well."

Click on this link for the details.

Cooperate, Be Nice, But Also Don't Be A Pushover: The Key To A Successful Society

One of the clearest divides between conservatives and progressives is how differently they view cooperation and self-interest. Click on the link below for a video debunking this binary:

What Game Theory Reveals About Life, The Universe, and Everything

Looking At US History As An Experiment: Progressivism Wins

Throughout US history there has been a tension between Progressivism and Conservatism. After its independence from England, there were several political parties but the main disagreements were around preserving the status quo versus change. The following reveals why progressivism wins:

The Civil War was fought over preserving slavery versus the abolition of such: conservatism lost and progressivism won.

Conservatives resisted entering both World Wars: it lengthened the wars and increased its harmful effects. Rachel Maddow has brilliantly exposed this situation in a series of podcasts. 

It was clearly the progressive ideas and policies of FDR that ended the Great Depression and allowed the democratic allies to win the Second World War. 

The period after the Second World War through the 1960s is widely regarded as the best period in US history (link)(link)(link) due to its application of progressive policies and the willingness of the two major political parties to work together to implement them.

Ever since there has been a gradual erosion of US society BECAUSE of the creeping influence of conservatism through the gradual radicalization of the Republican Party beginning with Nixon. The result is what we have today in the person of Donald Trump. This link puts it in a global perspective.

A Deluded Brain CAN Be Changed!

"Politics isn’t the first to cause structural changes in the brain. More than a decade ago, researchers used brain scans to show that London cab drivers’ gray matter grew larger to help them store a mental map of the city. There more time they spent on the road, the bigger their hippocampi, an area associated with navigation, became.

This implies that despite the political leanings seen through our brains, how we vote—and thus the cause of our political affiliations—may not be set in stone, Schreiber says.

“'If we believe that we’re hardwired for our political views, then it’s really easy for me to discount in you in a conversation. ‘Oh, you’re just a conservative because you have a red brain,’ or ‘Oh, you’re a liberal because you have a blue brain,' Schreiber explains. 'But that’s just not the case. The brain changes. The brain is dynamic.'

Study Predicts Political Beliefs With 83 Percent Accuracy

Two Opinions On The US Constitution

Republicans persist in defending their view of the US Constitution by claiming that THEY hold to the "Original Intent" of such. Click on the link below for a rebuttal to this view:

Let's talk about original intent and the Constitution

Republicans and Democrats disagree regarding the intent of the Amendments to the US Constitution. Click on the link below for the progressive view of them:

Let's talk about the mythology of amendments

Are All Forms Of Persuasion Regarding Dealing With Republicans Futile?

"Today, we take a look at some of the factors driving hyper-partisanship in the US right now along with multiple arguments to not give up on the power of persuasion."

Click on the link below for a podcast presenting the psychology of the Republicans and suggestions for using it to appeal to what is deeply important to them:

The Pillars of Polarization and Persuasion

Facts And The Political Spectrum

"MeidasTouch was featured last night on 60 Minutes. MeidasTouch Network host Ben Meiselas reports on the segment and why it shows the problem with the “both sides” media and what we need to change."

Why "both sides are equal" is bullsh1t. The truth is not automatically in the middle!!! FACTS will always be the TRUTH over fiction. Click on the link below for a 15-minute video explaining in-depth why being a "centrist" in politics is not the place to be. If you still have doubts about the difference between progressives and conservatives regarding facts, I invite you to peruse this blog in depth.

Lies without rebuttal do not warrant coverage in the news

Elon Musk is the poster child of the dangerous "balancing" way of looking at voting (link).

A Letter To Democrats

You and I know the pressure on the Democrats to be more "moderate" in order to attract voters who are not progressive/liberal. The fact is that progressive ideas if presented with evidence and clarity, and with empathy for the values of conservatives and independents, are accepted by the majority of folks in the USA at large. Click on the links below for support for this claim:

How Progressives Can Recapture Seven Deeply Held American Values

Here are 7 'Radical' ideas (almost) all Americans can get behind

For progressives: In red states, make it about policy, not party

A large share of Republicans hold progressive economic views

Why Progressive Candidates Should Evoke Conservative Values

Working-Class Americans in All States Support Progressive Economic Policies

CANDIDATES WHO EXPLAIN PROGRESSIVE POLICIES VIA CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPLES COULD BE UNIQUELY PERSUASIVE

Conservatism: The Truth

The following are summaries from articles analyzing the differences between conservatism and progressivism, and the effects of each. After reading them, and the links, if you are a conservative/Republican, do you still feel comfortable in your political ideology?

Conservatism is the domination of society by an aristocracy. Conservatism is incompatible with democracy, prosperity, and civilization in general. It is a destructive system of inequality and prejudice that is founded on deception and has no place in the modern world. (link)

People living in more liberal countries are happier on average than those in less liberal countries, but individually, conservatives are happier than liberals no matter where they live, according to a study of people in 16 Western European countries. Liberal governments tend to do more to shield citizens against certain hardships, such as unemployment and poverty, which can make people feel happier overall. On the other hand, conservatives rate their well-being higher than liberals because conservatives more readily support and rationalize the status quo, thus, believing that socioeconomic hardships are a result of individual shortcomings. (link)

On average, Democratic presidents grew the economy 4.4% each year versus 2.5% for Republicans. (link)

Economic growth and stock market performance are better under progressive governments. (link)

Democrats and low-income Republicans think that the economy is hurting the middle class. (link)

Also: video from Robert Reich on How Democrats Clean Up the Messes Left by Republicans (link)