I want four things from my ideal presidential candidate:
1. Both a willingness and a plan to tax the everloving balls out of capital gains and inheritances in order to increase the importance of work as the engine of the US economy
2. A plan to rebuild the government from the shrapnel left by the Trump administration
3. Strength and will to hold every single goddamn person in the last 10 years' worth of administrations accountable to the law
4. The fortitude to do 1 through 3 without throwing vulnerable people under the bus GAVIN.
I'm all for Bernie's wealth tax and even something more stringent. But I think the most important litmus test is Gaza. If someone doesn't have enough moral gumption to have a firm commitment to stopping that genocide, including if necessary by cutting off all aid to Israel, then nothing else they say that has any moral element is believable.
Yes. Absolutely. But this isn't enough. If you don't have a red line at genocide -- if you don't refuse to vote for anyone who supports or supported the genocide in Gaza -- then you, personally, are a fascist who is helping the fascists. It has to be both: Eat the rich AND destroy the genociders.
I think 5% annually on wealth over $1.0B is extremely modest. I would argue for 20% but that would be a political non-starter. Or maybe 5% annually plus a one time take of 50%! Oops another non-starter. I trust Bernie and Rho, probably my two favorite federal level elected officals.
I'm a California voter, I submitted a comment to Newsom that he should be supporting the billionaire tax. I think I'll also call. https://www.gov.ca.gov/contact/
I hear you, but I can recall elections that weren't 'the most important in my life.' I never voted for Bill Clinton. Too much of a sleazeball, I thought, before Monica. I worked briefly for Jerry Brown in his 'Labor Party' phase. But in the general election, I left the top of the ticket blank, but voted for Danny Davis and Luis Guttierer downballot. I may have been wrong in 1980, backing Barry Commoner over backing Carter vs Reagan. But yes, calling 'Wolf' too often hurts us when the Wolf is really at the door. Go all out to block MAGA victories.
"By 1996, when Clinton himself was running for a second term against Senator Robert Dole, Ralph Reed, executive director of the Christian Coalition, declared it 'the most important election of our lifetime,' while John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, pushed the envelope by describing it as 'the most critical election in the long history of the American labor movement.'”
Yes. Do not help the billionaires get richer or more plentiful. They don’t know the best way to spend it in order to keep fascist leaders from being cultivated, and being human, cannot help themselves. If a tax is forced upon them they may become resentful and disgruntled and need to be caged in order not to hurt others. How can we make this work?
I agree wholeheartedly with Hamilton. When Reagan ditched the 70% tax rate and started taxing Social Security, that's when things started going down for workers and up for the leisure class. Now they swagger around with tax breaks for private jets and yachts. WTF....and now they want unfettered capitalism their way by paying Trump openly. Bottom line A return to steep tax rates on wealth and prosecute all crimes and criminal activities of Trump I and II. Return our government back to the people and Democracy.
Not if the candidate in question supports or supported genocide. Genocide is *the most evil thing that can happen on earth*. It is *worse than low taxes for the rich*.
Can we save this article and unearth it in 2028. We will need to remember this. DP will come up with all bluh bluh arguments against Trump not not with wealth tax. We the people need to remind them
The last time we had such a thoroughly corrupt president – aside from Trump 1.0, of course – who savaged nearly every political norm, we elected Jimmy Carter as his replacement. Aside from both being white guys, they were otherwise polar opposites.
I'm expecting a repeat.
I'd be hugely surprised if a mainstream candidate like Newsom ends up with the nomination. Much like 50 years ago – when we elected a president almost no one outside of Georgia even knew about at first, and to a fair degree on the basis of his unimpeachable character – the antidote to fascism isn't some milquetoast "safe bet" candidate. Quite the contrary – plus we already tried the safe-bet thing with Biden, and we saw what happened there. I suspect voters will be wanting truly seismic change, with a wealth tax (yes, agreed it's essential) being just the tip of the iceberg.
As for who that prospective candidate may be, as a response to four years of racist, misogynist fuckery, aimed in particular at Hispanics: you already know this New Yorker's initials.
I want four things from my ideal presidential candidate:
1. Both a willingness and a plan to tax the everloving balls out of capital gains and inheritances in order to increase the importance of work as the engine of the US economy
2. A plan to rebuild the government from the shrapnel left by the Trump administration
3. Strength and will to hold every single goddamn person in the last 10 years' worth of administrations accountable to the law
4. The fortitude to do 1 through 3 without throwing vulnerable people under the bus GAVIN.
Corbin nails it here. We build or we die.
https://www.americasundoing.com/p/the-war-were-not-fighting?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=57821&post_id=189988816&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=eov1&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
I'm all for Bernie's wealth tax and even something more stringent. But I think the most important litmus test is Gaza. If someone doesn't have enough moral gumption to have a firm commitment to stopping that genocide, including if necessary by cutting off all aid to Israel, then nothing else they say that has any moral element is believable.
Yes. Absolutely. But this isn't enough. If you don't have a red line at genocide -- if you don't refuse to vote for anyone who supports or supported the genocide in Gaza -- then you, personally, are a fascist who is helping the fascists. It has to be both: Eat the rich AND destroy the genociders.
You answered him perfectly!
I think 5% annually on wealth over $1.0B is extremely modest. I would argue for 20% but that would be a political non-starter. Or maybe 5% annually plus a one time take of 50%! Oops another non-starter. I trust Bernie and Rho, probably my two favorite federal level elected officals.
I'm a California voter, I submitted a comment to Newsom that he should be supporting the billionaire tax. I think I'll also call. https://www.gov.ca.gov/contact/
Absolute wealth corrupts absolutely. I agree with your assessment wholeheartedly.
I hear you, but I can recall elections that weren't 'the most important in my life.' I never voted for Bill Clinton. Too much of a sleazeball, I thought, before Monica. I worked briefly for Jerry Brown in his 'Labor Party' phase. But in the general election, I left the top of the ticket blank, but voted for Danny Davis and Luis Guttierer downballot. I may have been wrong in 1980, backing Barry Commoner over backing Carter vs Reagan. But yes, calling 'Wolf' too often hurts us when the Wolf is really at the door. Go all out to block MAGA victories.
"By 1996, when Clinton himself was running for a second term against Senator Robert Dole, Ralph Reed, executive director of the Christian Coalition, declared it 'the most important election of our lifetime,' while John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, pushed the envelope by describing it as 'the most critical election in the long history of the American labor movement.'”
https://www.cjr.org/the_kicker/the_most_importantest_election.php
Sweeney's quote is surprising, since both candidates were anti-labor. That election was a great argument against the two party system.
Hilarious quote from Sweeney. More important than Roosevelt! More important than Reagan!
I don't disagree. But Sweeny's view had not penetrated too deeply into the left. Later, things would change.
My lord, we have similar histories, except I was not quite 18 in '80 so I only could try to persuade my folks to vote for Commoner.
Yes. Do not help the billionaires get richer or more plentiful. They don’t know the best way to spend it in order to keep fascist leaders from being cultivated, and being human, cannot help themselves. If a tax is forced upon them they may become resentful and disgruntled and need to be caged in order not to hurt others. How can we make this work?
How do you take candy from a baby…and make a clean get away? It’s not impossible, but you might start w/honey…
🇺🇸🫡💜🫵🆘🦅🖖♾️
🚫🤥🐘🦨💩💰🏴☠️🤡s!
🚫🍊🤡❗️🫵🍊🤡👑-🇺🇸⚖️🗣️🫵💀💉😵💫😵⚰️🕳️🚬😮💨🥳❗️
ps: Jesus said “Love your enemy…” see 1st Corinthians 13 on How too.
I agree wholeheartedly with Hamilton. When Reagan ditched the 70% tax rate and started taxing Social Security, that's when things started going down for workers and up for the leisure class. Now they swagger around with tax breaks for private jets and yachts. WTF....and now they want unfettered capitalism their way by paying Trump openly. Bottom line A return to steep tax rates on wealth and prosecute all crimes and criminal activities of Trump I and II. Return our government back to the people and Democracy.
Isn't it more important to vote for a Candidate against the genocide in Palestine and vote against AIPAC than simply vote D or R?
Lot of homework to do by investigating these people who run.
I think it's MOST important to get Trump and his anointed successor out by any means necessary.
Yes, even if it requires voting for a candidate who disagrees with your position on a given issue.
Not if the candidate in question supports or supported genocide. Genocide is *the most evil thing that can happen on earth*. It is *worse than low taxes for the rich*.
Shout it from the fucking rooftops!!
Can we save this article and unearth it in 2028. We will need to remember this. DP will come up with all bluh bluh arguments against Trump not not with wealth tax. We the people need to remind them
The last time we had such a thoroughly corrupt president – aside from Trump 1.0, of course – who savaged nearly every political norm, we elected Jimmy Carter as his replacement. Aside from both being white guys, they were otherwise polar opposites.
I'm expecting a repeat.
I'd be hugely surprised if a mainstream candidate like Newsom ends up with the nomination. Much like 50 years ago – when we elected a president almost no one outside of Georgia even knew about at first, and to a fair degree on the basis of his unimpeachable character – the antidote to fascism isn't some milquetoast "safe bet" candidate. Quite the contrary – plus we already tried the safe-bet thing with Biden, and we saw what happened there. I suspect voters will be wanting truly seismic change, with a wealth tax (yes, agreed it's essential) being just the tip of the iceberg.
As for who that prospective candidate may be, as a response to four years of racist, misogynist fuckery, aimed in particular at Hispanics: you already know this New Yorker's initials.
💯% agree