One of LouisianaVoice’s regular readers commented on Wednesday’s post that “half of Congress is occupied by communists” and “half of the supposed ‘good guys’ are swamp creatures that lie to get elected (only half?) and don’t really want the change that got them elected.”
And then he wrote, “Lay off of Trump. You sat by for 8 years as Obama raped and pillaged our country. He turned the IRS and intelligence agencies against us. He made deals with Iran as they chanted ‘death to America.’ Trump isn’t anyone’s savior but at least I don’t have to wonder if he truly hates this country like I did with Osama…I mean Obama.”
Oh dear, where to start? First of all, he every right to his opinion and the right to express it. But saying that “half of Congress is occupied by communists” is such an all-encompassing, paint-em-all-with-the-same-broad-brush kind of generalization that is all too common to people who go off on tangents and post unsubstantiated comments such as that. How can anyone say half of the 535 members of the House and Senate are communists when at the very most, he may have met a half-dozen of them for five minutes? That is such an inane comment that it really doesn’t even warrant dignifying with a rebuttal, so I’ll just leave it at that.
Obama “pillaged our country”? Just how, exactly, did he “pillage” the country? As I recall, Enron self-destructed in 2003, the housing bubble burst, Lehman Brothers went belly up and Bank of America acquired the cratering Merrill Lynch in 2008 near the end of George W. Bush’s term. Moreover, the entire affair was precipitated by the deregulation of financial institutions during the Reagan years.
True enough, Obama’s attorney general, Eric Holder, refused to prosecute the Wall Street bankers who brought on the collapse. That much I’ll give you and I still harbor resentment toward both Obama and Holder over that colossal malfeasance in failing to go after those thieves. You just know if some street thug had robbed a bank of a hundred bucks, he’d see hard time. Yet, those bankers stole billions—and walked away. Some were even paid bonuses of tens of millions of dollars for their trouble.
(You’d think we would’ve learned our lesson with the savings and loan debacle back in the final two decades of the Twentieth Century. William Black even wrote a prophetic book called The Best Way to Rob a Bank Is to Own One. Who knew then that the S&L collapse would reoccur on a much larger scale with the investment banks?)
And that “deal” with Iran is apparently the $150 billion Trump said Obama “gave” Iran. Pulitzer Prize-winning POLITIFACT says Trump got the name of the country right but that was about the extent of his accuracy. The $150 billion, you see, was Iran’s to begin with but had been frozen under several economic sanctions levied against the country. The money—their money—was released following verification by nuclear inspectors that Iran was complying with an agreement to curb its nuclear program. I suppose, though, if our reader got his information from BREITBART, he would have a somewhat different take on the whole affair.
And I just flat-out refuse to hold Obama responsible for the federal government’s response to Hurricane Katrina as some of Trump’s supporters continue to do. After all, the man wasn’t even president then and had only been in the Senate eight months. I actually heard one woman in Denham Springs mutter in disgust, “Thanks, President Obama” when she found the post office closed on Columbus Day—a federal holiday since 1968.
Finally, in response to the request to “lay off of trump”: not a chance in hell.
He has the chutzpa to question Obama’s loyalty to this country while choosing (typically of the TrumpCult) to overlook the fact that Trump has feuded with CNN, MSNBC, Time magazine, Elizabeth Warren, Jeff Flake, Bob Corker, Hispanics, and The New York Times—but strangely never with the Nazis, David Duke, Jason Kessler, or Vladimir Putin. All of which begs the question of where Trump’s loyalties lie.
Nope, I’m not going “lay off of Trump,” or the rest of the Repugnantcan gang of thugs who want to award generous—and permanent—tax breaks to the wealthy while doling out meager temporary breaks to the middle class and the poor.
- Especially when Trump and his EPA Administrator have proposed the repeal of the Clean Power Plan which will give the go-ahead for polluting companies to pollute even more. That EPA administrator, Scott Pruitt, you may remember, filed numerous suits against the EPA while Oklahoma attorney general which, I suppose, somehow makes him the perfect candidate to run the agency. Maybe I should sue Microsoft in hopes of being named the new CEO.
- Especially when Trump appoints his budget director Mick Mulvaney to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau created by (ahem) the Obama administration to protect Americans from predatory lenders and faulty mortgages—like the very ones that nearly brought down the world economy in 2008. Mulvaney, by the way, once called the bureau “a joke…in a sick, sad way.”
- Especially when I read a story from 24/7 Wall Street just this week about the top 50 corporations that park their assets offshore. Of those 50 companies, which have a combined $1.7 trillion stashed in overseas accounts, 10 are healthcare and pharmaceutical companies, three are big oil, two are insurance giants, five are military contractors, five are computer companies and internet providers and 11 (count ‘em) are financial companies—many of the ones whose criminal activity (never prosecuted by Attorney General Holder) brought about the 2008 crash that necessitated the federal bailout.
Those 50 corporations, along with all the others, no doubt, have located enough loopholes to make their 35 per cent tax rate. Despite their bitching and moaning that the rate is too high, the 50 averaged just over 25 percent in effective tax rates.
- AIG, one of the companies that gave us the 2008 recession, for example had an effective tax rate of minus 5 percent, meaning it not only paid no taxes, but actually got money. Likewise, General Motors had an effective rate of minus 32.9 percent.
- Morgan Stanley, another of those Wall Street bankers who torpedoed the economy, had an effective tax rate of 17.2 percent, less than half the supposed rate of 35 percent. Bank of America, yet another of the rogue Wall Street bankers, had an effective tax rate of 17.9 percent.
- The pharmaceutical company Allergan had an effective tax rate of zero.
What was your personal tax rate again?
Just take comfort in the knowledge that the biggest tax breaks under this bill go them that got—corporations and the filthy rich.
The wealthiest 1 percent of people worldwide have more wealth than the rest of the earth’s population combined.
Just eight individuals possess more wealth than 3.6 billion people—half the world’s population.
True, not all of those live in the U.S. But let that sink in and be proud for those who will realize the most generous tax breaks under this bill. But don’t take my word for it. See for yourself by clicking HERE. (Be sure to scroll down to the illustration of the spheres of influence.)
Trump and the Republicans in Congress, having failed in every effort to repeal Obamacare, are now so desperate to accomplish something, anything, before standing for reelection next year (the full House and one-third of the Senate), that they are flailing away like a blindfolded man in a martial arts tournament in a near-hysterical effort to get this ill-advised tax bill passed.
Those who proudly call themselves advocates of good ol’ American capitalism will rail against the redistribution of wealth, spitting out the term as if it were a vulgarism of the vilest sort. But a dramatic redistribution of wealth has been taking place for the past several decades. And it has been—and continues to be—redistributed upward, not downward. That’s the dirty little secret they will never discuss because that kind of redistribution is perfectly okay.
And know, too, that there is only one reason to park money offshore: to dodge taxes.
How much do you have sheltered in the Cayman Islands? Or Aruba? Or Belize?
Didn’t think so. Yet, it is the white middle class and white working poor, the ones who make up the core of the 35 percent that comprises the TrumpCult, who are being screwed by this clown and the Republicans in Congress.
And the saddest part is they don’t even know it.
Louisiana Voice 
I’m truly honored to get a whole article in dispute of my comment. Apparently it struck a nerve. Let me know when you want to post my article in rebuttle. I’ll make Mrs. Shows, my 8th grade English teacher, proud.
Go for it. Always glad to have a guest columnist. But read on. The entire column wasn’t in response to your comment.
Nice straw man arguments…BTW. Katrina? David Duke? Wow! Very disappointing.
What does it take for you to know that you just got a good ole butt whuppin’ and continuing to spout the same banalities (ask Mrs. shows to explain that word to you—and how to spell rebuttal) only confirms your ignorance and closed mindedness.
Tom just offered you the chance to defend your blanket comments. Please stop the weak attempts at deflection and offer concrete evidence of exactly how President Obama raped and pillaged our country. I saw a man who inherited a country immersed in the Great Recession and a hostile Congress who brought us closer to insuring all citizens than ever before (something EVERY other technologically advanced country take for granted) and successfully brought us out of this recession while launching us into over 100 consecutive months of job growth subsequently laying the groundwork for the current administration to continue this trend. Again, he did all this with a Congress opposed to his achievements. BTW, Osama bin Laden was captured and killed under his watch.
Please explain to me what is so terrible about this.
You left out the repeal of Net Neutrality which is slated for next month. Now your ISP will decide which products and content you get to see on the Internet without paying them more.
Thank you, Mr. Aswell, for always revealing the truth supported by facts! God bless America and Louisiana Voice!
You wrote: “And know, too, that there is only one reason to park money offshore: to dodge taxes.”
There’s sometimes a second, even nastier one: to try to put money out of reach of U.S. courts, so as to avoid paying a lawful judgment (e.g., to compensate people defrauded by financial dealings).
You are correct. Thanks.
Thank you for reporting the truth, Mr. Aswell. Critical thinking is lacking by too many people.
Thank you for being a voice of reason, Mr. Aswell, in a world rapidly sinking into political chaos. As an original member of the baby boomer generation – born in 1944 – and a proud participant in the Beat movement, I have always believed in the basic decency of the people of this country, even during the upheavals of the civil rights movement and the horrors of Viet Nam. Even though I know that the powerful individuals who write history tend to emphasize the virtues of their own allegiances and downplay or ignore the shameful actions of their own heroes, I have always been proud to be an American. Until now. I find myself wondering what would have happened if the election had ended differently; how do you suppose Trump’s supporters would have reacted if he had won the popular vote, but lost the electoral college? I shudder to speculate; I think it is entirely possible that there would have been war in the streets, as his minions, packing those assault rifles they love so much, would have refused to accept what the Constitution says. When and how did we become a society in which racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, and disdain for the poor, the weak, the disabled, and homeless veterans are not only acceptable but greeted with cheers from the crowd, in which the courage of individuals to protest against injustice is considered unAmerican? What’s next – book burnings and swastikas? How did it happen that an American group of neo-Nazis are now espousing the very same political attitudes that thousands of American soldiers, including my father, risked their lives to defeat in World War II? Sadly, in the twilight of my life, I have come to a reluctant conclusion: the vast majority of Trump supporters have no interest in truth or logic or honor. They will continue to support him so long as he validates their determination to believe that whiteness is the only thing required to prove their superiority.
There’s entirely too much Kool Aid being passed around. If you actually believe Mr. O was good for this country oh my. Government over reach increased, the FBI, IRS, and Justice department became useful tools to use against the citizens. Rule by executive order and fiat and a willing Congress that let it happen. I still don’t see how you place Trump and the Republicans running Congress in the same bucket of crap. They should be in different buckets. But buckets nevertheless. The entrenched politicians both Democrat & Republican are taking us over the cliff. Trump at least is slowing the inevitable down a little. But please drink some water and get rid of the Kool Aid or continue to be a hypocrite by not pointing blame equally to where it belongs.
This article and the exchanges are breathtaking in the divide among us. How easily Obama is demonized and Trump venerated. How different the expectations from those that govern us. I never completely give my whole support to any elected official. I reserve the right to disagree, criticize and try to influence any elected official. I applauded Bush when he tried, to no avial, to pass immigration reform. I disagreed with Clinton about the trade agreement with Mexico. I wished that Obama had prosecuted the big banks. I really try to think from an informed and reasonable position. But, I cannot accept the continual lying that I know is being put forth from this Trump Administration almost hourly. This is not going to end well for all of us, here and abroad.
Well said, Edith. The right to disagree and criticize is an inherent part of our rights as American citizens. I have disagreed with certain actions of every president who’s served during my lifetime, and I have always adhered to that famous Voltaire quote about defending, to the death, anyone’s right to speak their mind, whether I agree or not, but freedom of speech and freedom to lie are not the same thing.
If you are a trump supporter think about this; carefully.
Many people read more books in a year than trump has in his lifetime. Harry Truman wisely said; There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.
A book has been written by superb mental health specialists who have clearly stated what the POTUS suffers from and why he acts the way he does. Others in the profession have done the same publically. NOT A SINGLE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL ON THE PLANET HAS REBUTTED THESE FACTS! No supporter has gathered nationwide crowds to protest and dispute these assertions. Even trump won’t venture into a public tweetstorm to challenge his detractors regarding this malady.
You must be happy for your kids to learn the art of lying about anything and everything to anyone at any time. Truth is not a value you cherish.
You relish facilitating the process of kids, friends, and family learning how to be a BULLY; attacking anyone using TV and social media; especially those of different religions, race and culture. The indoctrination by you starts with kids on the school playground.
You would love to see Trump in command of an aircraft carrier railing at subordinate officers and belittling crew members. Any CO of such a vessel could run this country with minimal problems and maximum results.
Trump has access to the many females serving in the military; you want people. especially your family, to know that it is perfectly OK to grab some by the #@$%%. Then too, you would be extremely pleased to have the POTUS do this to your daughters and wife or significant others. These victims are sure to publically acknowledge these acts and describe the pleasures experienced.
It pleases you to see trump call a POW hero a loser because he was captured and marginalize a Gold Star family who lost a son serving US.
You fully support the POTUS’s desire to have a sexual predator elected to congress, just because of party affiliation.
None of the trump supporters would elect him mayor or school board president. Rightly so, his own college shuns and despises him.
His refusal to make his tax returns public is a red flag. Perhaps it shows that something as simple as his now defunct charity, used for business and personal expenses, was not at all charitable to the benefit of others.
In the real world of good businesses the top management gives credit to those subordinates who contribute to success. No matter who in the government does something smart and beneficial; it is POTUS who demands and takes the credit.
It’s time for this incumbent to turn in his resignation and return to his business ventures.
Nothing about this man surprises me, he told us who he was, and we didn’t believe him, there were more qualified candidates, on the GOP side than Trump, but America chose this ignorant, lying, sexist, racist, who doesn’t even understand the basic principles that have guided this nation since birth, leaving me to wonder.. Is this really us?
I have never agreed with a president 100% of the time, but I have never questioned their loyalty, their basic decency, their understanding of our history, and our place in the world, until Trump, and he told us who he is, and we didn’t believe him. Now what?
Excellent writing as always. I’d like to point out one thing that has never sat well with me. When did people start using Osama Bin Laden instead of the name used prior to 2003, Usama Bin Laden?
Was it before or after Obama got elected to Senate? Because Usama does not rhyme with Obama.
From Wikipedia: “The FBI and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), as well as other U.S. governmental agencies, have used either “Usama bin Laden” or “Usama bin Ladin””
Who changed the vowel structure?
Not really sure, but I do know it was not too long after 9-11 and long before anyone ever heard of Obama.
Thank you Mr Aswell, both sidwit and fairness2014 are warped products of indoctrination. Sad, pathetic individuals.