Gun laws and high taxes aren't corporate special interests because they don't help businesses profit. However there are a good deal of democrat campaign contributions come from rich individuals who believe personally in gun control and regulation, and that does have a tendency to swing an election. But the bigger picture is it's pretty messed up that ANY group of special interests can fund a Congressman's career. Like I said Hilary is a great example, she regularly schmoozes with Wall Street to cover her ass when election day is coming, or probably just to buy her and Bill something nice. It's fucked up there isn't more ethical oversight, that you can donate between 1 and a billion dollars, and senators stay in for life.
You see, as a middle class taxpayer, I have my own special interests.
First, keep my taxes reasonable. I am not against paying taxes, but I don't like the idea of being milked by the government.
Second, don't tread on my gun rights. I don't live in a ritzy neighborhood with gates and armed security. I don't have that luxury. Home invasions happen in my neighborhood. I don't like the idea of some rich liberal asshole who woulden't know a poor neighborhood if it fell on his head trying to disarm law abiding citizens.
Third, and most importantly, secure the border and reduce legal immigration. As much as the rich libs like to pretend that their precious white collar jobs will never be affected by immigration, that coulden't be father from the truth. Ever heard of h1-b visas?
Now, as I take a look at the issues most important to me, it's not a difficult choice. It's anybody but Hillary for me.
Really good post man. I didn't mean to ignore the interests we all have...I guess my point was, PEOPLE's interests rarely get heard these days. With a 12% Congress approval rating I don't think anyone feels "heard" by their gov't nowadays. The days of town hall meetings where the pols actually listen is dead and gone. The only way to get Congress to listen to the rights you give a shit about is make an organized concerted effort. It shouldn't have to be that way!
What you said about gun rights really resonated with me...my neighborhood is not the ritz by any thing but the sketchiest thing I have to worry about is girl scouts trying to sell me shortbread. I think as long as it's a pain for known felons to get their hands on em with no loopholes we can all be happy.
Tax the shit that makes SENSE. Tax inheritance (again goes back to the idea of American ideals - our leaders should rise because of merit, not birth), tax high income wealth that's stagnant and not being put back in to the economy, tax multinational corps. That's more than enough to cover all our needs and even give back to the middle class if you're in to that. And dems and repubs both make sure the wealth in the end comes out of your and mine pocket. It doesn't make any sense to ask for 25% of a schoolteacher's pay check when they're criminally underpaid. That's what being liberal means ^ fuck the dems and Hilary "I'm so broke" Clinton can only pretend to understand.
I agree about the corporations. Many big corporations get away with not paying taxes or paying very little. I am not a tax guy, but my understanding was that the US has a global tax system, so all big corporations should be paying taxes.
I don't like the idea of a big corporations skating taxes, the problem is that the whole anti corporate philosophy is all encompassing. Meaning, it effects small business.
When liberals say, raise the minimum wage to 15 bucks an hour, they are trying to say "fuck these big corporations, they can afford to be milked". The problem is that policy will have a big effect on small business, as small business employs well over half of workers in this country.
And say you write in an exemption on the minimum wage law for small businesses, tell me that wont have a severe adverse impact on small business. I'm sure the employees of small business will have no problem with being paid a lower minimum wage than the employees of large corporations. (:
So basically, as far as the anti corporate sentiment goes, our hands are pretty well tied.
And that in a nutshell, this is one of my problems with reactionary,emotional, liberal philosophy and legislation.
Instead of yelling "raise the minimum wage, fuck the big corporations", lets take a second to consider the consequences any legislation will have on the larger business landscape.
