January 20, 2014

Taxing The Rich: A Liberal Argument For A Progressive Tax System To Grow The Economy

Conservatives will play the “class warfare” card if you dare mention a tax increase on the rich. And if you talk about income inequality, well, this means you are simply envious, and you are trying to “punish success.” But for this conservative “logic” to be rational, wouldn’t we have to consider the current progressive tax system to also be unfair? — Well, as it turns out, that is exactly what many conservatives say about progressive taxation, but it doesn’t mean their assessment is sound.

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January 19, 2014

Chris Christie Administration Says MSNBC Is A Partisan Network: True

New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie is in the middle of two scandals, the bridge lane closing, and use of Hurricane Sandy relief funds for tourism advertisements (where Christie himself was prominently featured while running for re-election). Yesterday MSNBC’s Up with Steve Kornacki broke the news of a third scandal. Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer says the Christie administration has withheld Sandy relief funds because she did not give her approval to a redevelopment plan in the city.

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January 19, 2014

The Rich Are Rich Because They Deserve It? Krugman Responds To Brooks

Is the affluence of the wealthiest Americans entirely earned, or is there a level of luck, timing, and in some cases, family inheritance involved? Or to ask it a different way, can people honestly make the case of one human being that is deserving of such massive wealth (like that of the .01%) on the merits of his or her productivity? Is there any single human being who deserves to be worth more than the combined wealth of millions of fellow citizens?

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January 17, 2014

David Brooks On Income Inequality: There’s A Special Kind Of Guilt Reserved For The Poor

The latest piece by David Brooks in The New York Times is typical of conservative-think on issues of economic inequality. Because the free market is the most perfect system ever devised by man (yes, I’m laying the sarcasm on pretty thick), that means when we have an apparent failure of our revered capitalist system, that system is not to blame. Instead we should blame social issues. Oh, but only the social issues of the poor. Because the wealthy have reserved a special kind of guilt just for the poor.

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January 15, 2014

Reality Is Unkind To Climate Change Deniers And Fox News Viewers

Reality is an inconsiderate and harsh place for climate change deniers, so they must exist outside it. One of the things a conservative climate change denier (and is there any other kind?) might say to you, if you are ever so lucky to be in such a debate, is that you can’t trust the scientists. They will ask you why we should believe what climate scientists tell us. Or alternatively, and inconsistently, they will tell you that not all scientists agree the planet is warming and/or humans are responsible. Although on that last point, assuming they’re attentive to the tactics of right-wing media, they are “usually” careful to say “scientist” and not “climate scientist.”

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January 13, 2014

Talking Absolutes: The Language Of Free Market Conservatives

Free market conservatives say government cannot address the problem of poverty. They say government can’t create jobs. They assume all people who are not making a living wage must not be working, or working hard enough, and so that means they are undeserving of any government assistance. And they say government cannot give to someone unless it has taken from someone else.

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January 12, 2014

VIDEO: Why Do Planets Orbit The Sun On The Same Plane?

Ever wonder why all the planets orbit the sun on the same plane? Why is the solar system flat when it has all that “space” it could be using? Or maybe you didn’t even realize it is flat. Well, the solar system isn’t completely flat, as the planets do orbit the sun at slightly different angles, but given the overall 3D space the planets could be occupying, our solar system is remarkably flat. This video explains.

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