The Tax Myth

This president and his party keep spouting the illusion that tax cuts they advocate above all other things are the difference between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans will cut taxes and democrat's will raise taxes so the Republicans would have us believe. The thing is how does this happen in a time of deficits? What is a tax cut when the money doesn't exist to pay for it?

A tax cut is a far different thing during times of surplus than it is in a time of deficit. If I don't have money to give you and I still want to give you money, where does it come from? This is the question in time of deficits. So, where does it come from, these tax cuts that the party who's self view is one of strength and power? Truth: China, Japan. South Korea and a hand full of other countries. Are we stronger when we borrow dollars from these countries or are we not? Are we more secure when we borrow money from these countries to do nothing more than transfer those funds into our personal accounts with a promisory note promising payment at a future date? Does this debt make us more independent or more beholding? Next time Red China sends its war ships in a threatening posture to the straights separating it from Taiwan, is part of our consideration to the response to this provocative gesture our debt to Communist China?

Some might say if such a scenario were to occur, Communist China would know that they had as much if not more to lose as we would. Red China gets extraordinary benefit from its trade with the US and would never jeopardize this relationship some might say. If this were true than why are they posturing in such a threatening manner? Apparently they are acting irrationally, against their self interests. In truth this scenario has occurred in the past but the Chinese backed off. However, since that time of tension and testing, the Communist Chinese have beefed up their offensive force dramatically along their coast, directly across the straight separating it from Free Taiwan.

Mindful of this challenge our leaders ask for your vote with the hope of more tax cuts. They are saying to the citizens of this country, "Vote for me and I will do everything I can to borrow money from the communists in Red China and put that money in your pocket so you can spend it buying products made in Communist China, so they can buy more arms to threaten our allies."

This president and his party have one other thing they think they have to offer the American people: National Security, kind of makes you wonder, who's more "irrational" the communist of China or this administration.

Fencing with the truth

They've done it again! Hard to believe after all they've tried to make us believe, but they are unrelenting. I'm speaking about the W & Rove communication machine. This week the president signed the "lets build a big ol' fence on the southern boarder act." This bill says the US government will erect 700 miles of fencing along the Mexican boarder. It was what all the House republicans wanted to pass before the election so they could go back home and pronounce that they have listened to their constituents and have given them what they overwhelmingly desire, boarder control. HR 6061 is what is was called while still in the House of representatives. Look it up, very impressive. The thing is once again this administration has created more of an illusion than an act. Sounds great but that's about all you get. Much like what is now being talked about in faith based initiatives, all words and no action. See, the 700 miles of fence and boarder security is just words. There is no, I repeat no, funding (appropriations) to go with the words. All hat and no cattle. Man that was easy. We could have done that months ago. It seems the only real thing we are fencing with is the truth. And it looks like the truth is loosing.

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Benchmarks

The president is no longer talking about, "stay the course." Apparently someone got to him and whispered in his ear that "stay the course" isn't really working that well. And as we all know, its not about what actually is or what we actually do. It's about the words and catch phrases Rove comes up with after innumerable focus groups have vetted it, that counts.

So now we are, "benchmarking." Which they would have us believe is not time tables A.K.A. cut and run. The thing is this is not BENCHMARKING!!! Lets get it straight. And have the word go forth. From this place and time. Benchmarking is the act of measuring what others are doing in similar circumstance. If you were going to devise a scheme to go on a one week vacation to a place others have gone to before you, you might consider finding out how much others paid for the same experience. This is benchmarking. The act of comparing like results or outcomes using different means.

What these people are talking about and every person familiar with the practice knows as, Milestones. Milestones are moments in time when certain things happen that can be documented or viewed or measured. They have no durations they are the end or the beginning of an event not an event in and of themselves. For instance, and we have yet to reach this milestone, Iraqis gain some control of something and maintain it. That would be a milestone. It would also be a friggin miracle.

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