The Greatest Generation

I saw a poster at the tax day demonstration that read "Starve The Beast”, and then I thought of the greatest generation, the people who survived the great Depression and sacrificed through WWII.  The greatest generation was vastly different than the people we have in America today.  Today the people want their taxes, their guns and freedom, and to hell with grandma on Social Security and Medicare.  She can die in the street while we starve the beast. 

The greatest generation paid taxes as high as a 95% rate to pay for the war while it was being fought, and our generation hocked our grandchildren’s future to pay for Iraq and Afghanistan.  The greatest generation sent 8.5% of their population to war and today we send less than 0.5% of ours.  The greatest generation shared their prosperity with each other when the war was done but now we fatten the bank accounts of those that send our jobs overseas, and browbeat the few remaining union members because they demand to earn a wage that will purchase a home and put the kids through college. 

The greatest generation funded great universities because they knew that knowledge was power, and today we learn our lessons from Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh while driving to a deadend services job with no benefits because that’s all there is.

Personal responsibility is often touted as conservatism’s root, and I would like to see them put their money where their mouths are.  How about everyone pays more taxes to pay off the debt because reducing the government’s income to starve the beast is about as stupid as quitting your job to pay off your home.  The debt that we now enjoy is the product of nationwide greed and everyone, like the greatest generation, needs to step up and pay it off.  All Americans helped spend the money that our leadership squandered since Ronald Reagan took office and everyone is responsible.  Everyone pays.

How about those below the poverty line being taxed $100 next year, and everyone in the middle class $10,000 until the debt is paid off.  How about the upper middle class and small businesses paying $20,00 and those earning over $250,000 25% of their income before deductions?  Corporations need to be taxed at 25% of profit without deductions for anything, instead of paying nothing as many now do. Don’t tell me that a corporation paying no taxes is OK.  Savings is how I pay off a personal debt and taxes are the only way to pay off a government debt. 

So here’s a liberal telling the conservatives that it’s time to buck up and pay for our sins.  And the next time you want to wage war, be prepared to send YOUR kids and pay a war tax to boot.  Like the greatest generation that we all admired.