Thursday, May 25, 2017
Politics is about POWER!
Not feeling very well, today, so I'm going to be brief. We all know that Democrats, liberals, socialists, and progressives of all types LOVE big centralized government. Why? Because big centralized government gives them the POWER to implement their pet programs and experiment on people and society. They get to play with our lives while we are the ones that suffer. True conservatives don't want power, and they don't want centralized government. True conservatives want to shrink the size of government and put the POWER back into the hands of the constituency. In part, this means getting rid of unnecessary bureaucratic agencies that act as independent legislators that are not subject to the will of the people. A lot of the problem we are having with the federal government is the entrenched progressive bureaucracy, and we have to elect representatives willing to dismantle it piece by piece. Y'all think about that. God bless and have a great rest of your day.
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
No. Corporations Are NOT Capitalist!
Dan Bongino, my favorite podcaster,
said it best the other day, when he said, “Corporations are nothing
but tax collectors for the government.” When he said that, I
immediately yelled,”Yes!” I am so happy that there is at least
one other person in this world who understands this concept. While
Mr. Bongino may be, to some degree, for corporations, I cannot share
this sentiment. Corporations stand against everything that
conservatism and capitalism both represent. Please bear with me as I
explain my thoughts on this matter.
Broken down in simplest terms, I believe conservatism is based on three principles: no more government than is absolutely necessary, personal liberty tempered with personal responsibility, and being fiscally responsible on individual and group levels. Capitalism is, in my opinion, based on three simple concepts: the acquisition and disposal of private property, the individual's assumption of responsibility in dealing with other buyers and sellers in a capitalist system, and (the most defining feature of the three) the principle of risk and reward. Risk and reward is the most important feature because it is the personal responsibility of the individual capitalist to do the research, and make sound decisions based on that research, before consummating any sale or purchase. The idea, as we all have heard, is that the greater the risk, the potential for gain is greater, and the potential for loss is also greater. It is all about the individual assuming responsibility for himself and bearing the gains and losses himself, without putting any burden on anyone else. That, in my opinion is the purest form of capitalism. Since capitalism requires a person to be free enough to make his own decisions about when, where, how, and for how much a transaction may occur, capitalism is the perfect economic complement to conservatism. They both boil down to personal responsibility. When personal responsibility is hindered, discouraged, or even completely removed from the course of a transaction, the capitalist assumes less risk and also reaps less reward, which makes him no longer a true capitalist. Corporations, while well-intended, I must argue, are not capitalist, nor conservative, in nature.
Broken down in simplest terms, I believe conservatism is based on three principles: no more government than is absolutely necessary, personal liberty tempered with personal responsibility, and being fiscally responsible on individual and group levels. Capitalism is, in my opinion, based on three simple concepts: the acquisition and disposal of private property, the individual's assumption of responsibility in dealing with other buyers and sellers in a capitalist system, and (the most defining feature of the three) the principle of risk and reward. Risk and reward is the most important feature because it is the personal responsibility of the individual capitalist to do the research, and make sound decisions based on that research, before consummating any sale or purchase. The idea, as we all have heard, is that the greater the risk, the potential for gain is greater, and the potential for loss is also greater. It is all about the individual assuming responsibility for himself and bearing the gains and losses himself, without putting any burden on anyone else. That, in my opinion is the purest form of capitalism. Since capitalism requires a person to be free enough to make his own decisions about when, where, how, and for how much a transaction may occur, capitalism is the perfect economic complement to conservatism. They both boil down to personal responsibility. When personal responsibility is hindered, discouraged, or even completely removed from the course of a transaction, the capitalist assumes less risk and also reaps less reward, which makes him no longer a true capitalist. Corporations, while well-intended, I must argue, are not capitalist, nor conservative, in nature.
“But,” one may ask, “aren't
corporations designed to provide benefits to the individual
shareholders based on the assumption of risk taken by merely
investing in corporations? Aren't shareholders merely taking
advantage of the law of large numbers and associating of their own
free will? Aren't the shareholders the ones who assume the risks, and
either reap rewards or bear losses?” I must admit that the answer
to all three questions is, “Yes.” However, using what I believe
are the most basic tenets of both conservatism and capitalism, I
argue that while corporations may appear capitalist in nature on the
surface, they are, in fact, more socialistic, sometimes fascistic, in
their nature.
Currently, the highest rated United States corporate tax bracket is thirty-nine percent of the value of amounts between $100,000 to $335,000, and the lowest is fifteen percent of the value of any amount totaling $50,000 or less. Anything over $18,333,332 is taxed at thirty-five percent, which is commonly known as the topmost tax bracket. If a corporation makes a net profit of, say, $300,000, the United States government takes $117,000 off the top, before any profits are paid as dividends to the shareholders. Think about that. The company pays $117,000 in taxes to the government before any shareholder gets paid. To take it a step further, suppose a corporation rakes in $200,000,000 in net profits. How much does the government get? Take thirty-five percent of that $200 million and one can determine that the government will take $70 million of that $200 million, leaving the shareholders $130 million to split among themselves, provided a dividend is declared and actually paid. It seems the federal government makes out fairly well, does it not? Yet, is it not often the case where big-government advocates deride corporations and call for more corporate taxation, calling for these “super-rich” companies like Exxon-Mobil and others to “pay their fair share?” Heck, looks to me like corporations are already paying more than their fair share!
See, this is how the scam (yes, I call it a SCAM) works. In return for the corporation assuming the form of a separate legal entity and absorbing the personal responsibility that is supposed to be borne by the individual shareholder (as it would be under a truly capitalist system), the corporation pays the government for the right to exist as a corporation. The government, itself, invests no money, takes no risks, regulates by way of fines and fees virtually every aspect of a corporation's existence, and then takes claim to a certain percentage of gains before any of the owners get their bite of the profit pie. Not only that, but the owners i.e., shareholders, have to pay personal income taxes on any dividends paid, and must pay in tax upwards of twenty-eight percent on any gains on the sale of stock in a corporation. In other words, corporations and their owners are subject to a form of double taxation, yet, the money making opportunities can be so great, shareholders continue to let the government extort profits. Corporations are more than monstrous, they are HUGE, and they are a huge business for the United States federal government.
Currently, the highest rated United States corporate tax bracket is thirty-nine percent of the value of amounts between $100,000 to $335,000, and the lowest is fifteen percent of the value of any amount totaling $50,000 or less. Anything over $18,333,332 is taxed at thirty-five percent, which is commonly known as the topmost tax bracket. If a corporation makes a net profit of, say, $300,000, the United States government takes $117,000 off the top, before any profits are paid as dividends to the shareholders. Think about that. The company pays $117,000 in taxes to the government before any shareholder gets paid. To take it a step further, suppose a corporation rakes in $200,000,000 in net profits. How much does the government get? Take thirty-five percent of that $200 million and one can determine that the government will take $70 million of that $200 million, leaving the shareholders $130 million to split among themselves, provided a dividend is declared and actually paid. It seems the federal government makes out fairly well, does it not? Yet, is it not often the case where big-government advocates deride corporations and call for more corporate taxation, calling for these “super-rich” companies like Exxon-Mobil and others to “pay their fair share?” Heck, looks to me like corporations are already paying more than their fair share!
See, this is how the scam (yes, I call it a SCAM) works. In return for the corporation assuming the form of a separate legal entity and absorbing the personal responsibility that is supposed to be borne by the individual shareholder (as it would be under a truly capitalist system), the corporation pays the government for the right to exist as a corporation. The government, itself, invests no money, takes no risks, regulates by way of fines and fees virtually every aspect of a corporation's existence, and then takes claim to a certain percentage of gains before any of the owners get their bite of the profit pie. Not only that, but the owners i.e., shareholders, have to pay personal income taxes on any dividends paid, and must pay in tax upwards of twenty-eight percent on any gains on the sale of stock in a corporation. In other words, corporations and their owners are subject to a form of double taxation, yet, the money making opportunities can be so great, shareholders continue to let the government extort profits. Corporations are more than monstrous, they are HUGE, and they are a huge business for the United States federal government.
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Don't Blame Islam. Blame the Leftist-Progressives!
NOTE: Hey, folks. I know I haven't written much. Life has been hectic and I have spent most of my days either dealing with injury or sickness or both. I would truly appreciate any prayers that any of you may offer on my behalf. It is in my very best intentions to keep up-to-date on this blog, but it is very hard, some days. Keeping up with world events is stressful, and I am having to exercise caution so as not to aggravate my condition. I hope you enjoy this post. My prayers are with the victims of last night's bombing and their families. May their deaths not be in vain and my God heal the bodies of the hurt and the hearts of the broken. Amen.
So, there has been another horrific terrorist bombing in a European city. Parents bought tickets and took their children to see a popular stage performer, only to become victims of a homicide bomber as they attempted to exit the arena. European leaders and other leftist-progressives responded in routine fashion, saying that they are shocked and appalled by such a senseless tragedy. Every time one of these bombings occurs, the same people ask the same question: why would someone do such a thing? What is truly sad is that leftist-progressives know the answer, yet they do nothing to even address the problem.
Despite mounds of evidence, and the repeated patterns of the same terroristic strategies and motivations over and over, the leftist-progressives refuse to acknowledge Islamic terrorism. They cannot understand the fact that Western society and culture have been under Islamic jihadist attack for decades, and it is unfortunate, I dare say, that part of the problem lies with another simple fact: that the leftist-progressives, themselves, are the ones most insulated from exposure to terroristic acts of aggression. They are not the ones who mingle at such things as pop music concerts and Christmas festivals with the common folk. They do not have to walk alone through dangerous neighborhoods at night, the same European neighborhoods that, just a few years ago, were comparatively safe. They do not attend Bastille Day festivities, and they do not frequent discos. And, since they are willfully ignorant of what is occurring in our Western world these days, they do not have to recognize that there is a very serious problem. Admitting that there is a problem would be to admit that their policies have failed. In their view, all they have to do is be goodhearted and kind and generous and implement policies that make them feel good about themselves. They simply believe that if they continue to allow in migrants and refugees from impoverished, war-torn, despotic Muslim hellholes, the migrants and refugees will be eternally grateful and positively add to the good of all mankind. Yet, we who have eyes can plainly see that such is not the case.
How ignorant and blind does one have to be not to see what is occurring in Europe? How does one not notice the changes in one's own country? How does one continue, day in and day out, to ignore the fact that innocent people are dying because some do-good leftist decided that no one can be turned away at a nation's border, despite having virtually no way to closely examine the foreigners and verify who they really are? Gee, that sounds awfully familiar, does it not?
Are we living in a world gone mad? Yes, we are. Leftist-progressives are unwilling to admit that they are wrong about Islamic extremists. They cannot admit that they are wrong in believing that people who despise Western culture will assimilate into it freely and willingly. We are at war with them! Why is it so hard to recognize that and admit it? Islamists hate Western society. They despise personal choice and they hate personal freedom, because such concepts contradict the notion of “submission” to a god who demands his pound of flesh from every human being. This is that to which they dedicate themselves and their children, a god who demands that his followers kill the innocent for him.
Remember this if nothing else: leftist-progressives want power above all else. With power, they can implement any insane policy that their demented minds can conceive. Anything that contradicts their humanistic and Utopian world-view cannot be possible; therefore, it cannot be recognized as real or reasonable. Their logic is skewed and their good intentions are misplaced; meanwhile, innocents continue to die and suffer. The only good news in all of this is that, at some point, it will come to an end. Either Western values will recover and win the day, or they will die, just as the victims of the leftist-progressives have.
So, there has been another horrific terrorist bombing in a European city. Parents bought tickets and took their children to see a popular stage performer, only to become victims of a homicide bomber as they attempted to exit the arena. European leaders and other leftist-progressives responded in routine fashion, saying that they are shocked and appalled by such a senseless tragedy. Every time one of these bombings occurs, the same people ask the same question: why would someone do such a thing? What is truly sad is that leftist-progressives know the answer, yet they do nothing to even address the problem.
Despite mounds of evidence, and the repeated patterns of the same terroristic strategies and motivations over and over, the leftist-progressives refuse to acknowledge Islamic terrorism. They cannot understand the fact that Western society and culture have been under Islamic jihadist attack for decades, and it is unfortunate, I dare say, that part of the problem lies with another simple fact: that the leftist-progressives, themselves, are the ones most insulated from exposure to terroristic acts of aggression. They are not the ones who mingle at such things as pop music concerts and Christmas festivals with the common folk. They do not have to walk alone through dangerous neighborhoods at night, the same European neighborhoods that, just a few years ago, were comparatively safe. They do not attend Bastille Day festivities, and they do not frequent discos. And, since they are willfully ignorant of what is occurring in our Western world these days, they do not have to recognize that there is a very serious problem. Admitting that there is a problem would be to admit that their policies have failed. In their view, all they have to do is be goodhearted and kind and generous and implement policies that make them feel good about themselves. They simply believe that if they continue to allow in migrants and refugees from impoverished, war-torn, despotic Muslim hellholes, the migrants and refugees will be eternally grateful and positively add to the good of all mankind. Yet, we who have eyes can plainly see that such is not the case.
How ignorant and blind does one have to be not to see what is occurring in Europe? How does one not notice the changes in one's own country? How does one continue, day in and day out, to ignore the fact that innocent people are dying because some do-good leftist decided that no one can be turned away at a nation's border, despite having virtually no way to closely examine the foreigners and verify who they really are? Gee, that sounds awfully familiar, does it not?
Are we living in a world gone mad? Yes, we are. Leftist-progressives are unwilling to admit that they are wrong about Islamic extremists. They cannot admit that they are wrong in believing that people who despise Western culture will assimilate into it freely and willingly. We are at war with them! Why is it so hard to recognize that and admit it? Islamists hate Western society. They despise personal choice and they hate personal freedom, because such concepts contradict the notion of “submission” to a god who demands his pound of flesh from every human being. This is that to which they dedicate themselves and their children, a god who demands that his followers kill the innocent for him.
Remember this if nothing else: leftist-progressives want power above all else. With power, they can implement any insane policy that their demented minds can conceive. Anything that contradicts their humanistic and Utopian world-view cannot be possible; therefore, it cannot be recognized as real or reasonable. Their logic is skewed and their good intentions are misplaced; meanwhile, innocents continue to die and suffer. The only good news in all of this is that, at some point, it will come to an end. Either Western values will recover and win the day, or they will die, just as the victims of the leftist-progressives have.
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