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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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 Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 8:51 am Post subject: George Will's substantive questions for Obama |
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I like these
A lot of these, to be fair, could be applied to Clinton, as well.
Below are my favorite:
| George Will wrote: |
- You say John McCain is content to "watch [Americans'] home prices decline." So, government should prop up housing prices generally? How? Why? Were prices ideal before the bubble popped? How does a senator know ideal prices? Have you explained to young couples straining to buy their first house that declining prices are a misfortune?
- You favor raising the capital gains tax rate to "20 percent or 25 percent." You say this will not "distort" economic decision making. Your tax returns on your 2007 income of $4.2 million show that you and Michelle own few stocks. Are you sure you understand how investors make decisions?
- During the ABC debate, you acknowledged that when the capital gains rate was dropped first to 20 percent, then to 15 percent, government revenues from the tax increased and they declined in the 1980s when it was increased to 28 percent. Nevertheless, you said you would consider raising the rate "for purposes of fairness." How does decreasing the government's financial resources and punishing investors promote fairness? Are you aware that 20 percent of taxpayers reporting capital gains in 2006 had incomes of less than $50,000?
- You denounce President Bush for arrogance toward other nations. Yet you vow to use a metaphorical "hammer" to force revisions of trade agreements unless certain weaker nations adjust their labor, environmental and other domestic policies to suit you. Can you define cognitive dissonance? |
Defending raising the capital gains tax "for the purposes of fairness" simply has to be one of the dumbest things to have left Obama's mouth, given that he acknowledges it may lower total returns on such taxes. It'd be nice if Obama could address these questions. |
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stillnotking
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Location: Oregon, USA
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:14 pm Post subject: Re: George Will's substantive questions for Obama |
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| George Will wrote: |
| Can you define cognitive dissonance? |
Apparently George Will can't. The example he listed represents hypocrisy, not cognitive dissonance.
I'm almost deaf to the candidates' statements on the economy, for two reasons. First, I know that they know that a very small percentage of voters are even capable of evaluating economic policy on its merits. Therefore, it's much more rational for politicians to pander and equivocate than to articulate a clear policy that risks mortally offending some group.
Second, the vast majority of economic policy, including the federal budget, is not enacted by the President but by Congress. I don't expect a Democratic President to veto any budget produced by a Democratic Congress. |
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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:33 pm Post subject: Re: George Will's substantive questions for Obama |
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| stillnotking wrote: |
I'm almost deaf to the candidates' statements on the economy, for two reasons. First, I know that they know that a very small percentage of voters are even capable of evaluating economic policy on its merits. Therefore, it's much more rational for politicians to pander and equivocate than to articulate a clear policy that risks mortally offending some group.
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That's fine for statements about the Fed and what not. But Obama is talking about capital gains taxes. The 100 million holders of stocks (myself included) know EXACTLY what he's talking about. He's interjecting 'fairness' to rebut a cold analysis of income efficiency. Why does he want to slow investment, for godssake? The answer, apparently, is 'fairness.' WTF?
And any plan to prop up housing prices would be beyond stupid and self-defeating. |
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