I wonder if John McCain is ready to put his money where his mouth is and do away with all forms of wealth redistribution.
This is my first Diary. I haven't seen these points addressed, but I apologize if any of it is duplicative. Of all the falsehoods coming out of the McCain camp, this latest "wealth redistribution" one is dangerous because it touches the pocketbook. People don't care about 60's radicals when they're faced with losing their homes, but they do care about seeing their money be "redistributed." Or at least they think they do.
What's maddening about it is that the claim is so easily refuted. Yet our corporate media can't be bothered to explain that wealth redistribution has been going on since the first tax collector took some king's pound of flesh.
But if we're going to eliminate wealth redistribution all together, does that mean the following programs are gone? Would John McCain endorse the elimination of:
Farm Subsidies: redistribute wealth by taking tax money and giving it to farmers rather than letting market forces dictate production and prices
Direct Loan Program and Guaranteed Student Loans: redistributes wealth by providing loans at lower interest rates than students could get on the market (if at all) by having the government backstop them. These students are then able to deduct part of their payments from their income taxes. Everyone else pays for this program.
Social Security: Redistributes wealth directly from working people to retired and disabled people. We know Joe the Plumber hates it, but I wonder how all those McCain leaning seniors would feel if social security went away tomorrow.
Defense Spending: Redistributes wealth to Haliburton,Lockheed, etc. at the expense of the rest of us
Mortgage Interest Deduction: redistributes wealth to people who owe on mortgage loans from those who rent or own their homes free and clear by placing a larger tax burden on renters than mortagors suffer.
Federal campaign financing: redistributes wealth the permanent political class. A man who's never ever worked in the private sector, John McCain, gets to draw a Federal salary AND travel around the country for free, all on the taxpayer dime.