How to Fix Washington
An international symbol of distress is to fly a flag upside-down. I think it's about time every flag in this country needs to fly inverse; this country is in major distress. Not only do millions of Americans not have jobs, the people they elected to govern this country continue to bicker about ideological issues.
I'm a self-professed, die-hard, bleeding-heart liberal and nothing frustrates me more than people missing the forest for the tree. The major issues in this country have nothing to do with entitlements (although when I pay that 6.3% payroll tax for Social Security you better damn well expect that I feel a little bit "entitled" to the benefit). The largest issue in this country is what I thought everyone else learned in grade school, or they were supposed too.
You don't always get what you want, and this goes for both sides. More directly, I remember it more along the lines as "Grant, share the blocks". That's what we need to do in this country. Mistake this not for an analogy for a tax. "Share the blocks" is more than just making sure our children don't starve in crumbling schoolhouses around the country, it's about being a socially responsible American.
The tax system preys on the feeble and inept. Hell, most tax attorneys probably couldn't explain the reason for half the code out there. Why do we spend all of our resources on chasing the working poor to "contribute" more? Where are the reassurances to the middle class in this country? Why do people in this country vote like they are a Forbes 500 contender, when their marginal rate is less than 28%?
I'm not even arguing for more taxes, rather that everyone actually pay their taxes. Stop sheltering your money, hiding it in foreign banks and definitely begin to do the single most patriotic act (aside from serving in the military at a time of war) and pay your taxes. Tax-dodgers and those who think they don't need to contribute, but continue to take whatever they want, will ruin this country.
Get rid of special interest groups. They don't help me or you. Their narrow issue focus may solve a short-run issue, but they contribute to the continuing dysfunction of this nation. It causes the national government to come grinding to a halt, because a single company or company doesn't want to have to contribute their fair share.
In addition, corporations should not be treated like a living person. A corporation is owned by the shareholders, yet the CEO's and Board of Directors mismanage and mishandle funds to the point of a global collapse, and who is on the hook for the bill? Not only the shareholders, but the stakeholders too!
I did not begin this article to inflame the already tense relationship between democrats and republicans, however, we ALL have to concede there is something greater than ourselves. We all need to do our fair share to rebuild this nation to the pinnacle is has fallen from.
Discuss:
