The Death of the American Dream - this is a good one to send to Repubs

[Woodstock]

http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20040105&s=krugman

Suppose that you actually liked a caste society, and you were seeking ways to use your control of the government to further entrench the advantages of the haves against the have-nots. What would you do?

One thing you would definitely do is get rid of the estate tax, so that large fortunes can be passed on to the next generation. More broadly, you would seek to reduce tax rates both on corporate profits and on unearned income such as dividends and capital gains, so that those with large accumulated or inherited wealth could more easily accumulate even more. You'd also try to create tax shelters mainly useful for the rich. And more broadly still, you'd try to reduce tax rates on people with high incomes, shifting the burden to the payroll tax and other revenue sources that bear most heavily on people with lower incomes.

Meanwhile, on the spending side, you'd cut back on healthcare for the poor, on the quality of public education and on state aid for higher education. This would make it more difficult for people with low incomes to climb out of their difficulties and acquire the education essential to upward mobility in the modern economy.

And just to close off as many routes to upward mobility as possible, you'd do everything possible to break the power of unions, and you'd privatize government functions so that well-paid civil servants could be replaced with poorly paid private employees.

It all sounds sort of familiar, doesn't it?

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Listening to Bernie Ward

And more and more of these wrods are apeareing all over the place

When societies start talking like that, Revolution is not that far away

[emanymton]

2. Can't Find Much ...

to disagree. The writer's points are believeable and presented in an understandable manner.

Hopefully, the people of USA will stand and take back the country.

[lostnfound]

3. Krugman is one of the best on 'our side'. And welcome to DU!

'notmyname' ;)

[Woodstock]

4. Here is another short and sweet link to pass along

The facts alone condemn Bush.

This one is from moveon.org - 7 reasons to oust Bush

http://www.bushin30seconds.com/aboutbush.html

[denverbill]

5. Wow. That's a really excellent piece.

I've been arguing this for years, that elimination of the estate tax and progressive taxation was turning us into a nation of aristocrats and serfs, but I really like the way he turns it around and say 'how would you change policies if you wanted a caste society?'.

[NewJeffCT]

6. excellent article

Mr. Krugman always does a great job on economic issues.

I know I am doing a little bit better than my parents are doing, but I am 37 and I have no idea if my 10 month old daughter will be able to do better than me - even though I've already started saving for college for her and I know my parents did not start college savings for me until later...and, my wife works full-time, my mother did not go back to work until my younger brother started in elementary school.