For every dime cut from social programs

[hootinholler]

For every dime cut from infrastructure.
For every dime that is cut from a program that helps the people.
I want a dollar cut from 'defense.'

About sums up where I'm at these days.

-Hoot

[Mnemosyne]

1. I can get behind that idea/solution. Thanks Hoot! K&R n/t

[Syrinx]

2. the vast majority of the 'defense' budget is outright theft

Income distribution upward.

[hobbit709]

3. Sounds OK to me.

[Vinee]

4. there is no easy fix to this mess imo.

Every action has consequences, foreseeable and unforeseeable, and the consequences of short term political expediency have a way of, unforeseeably, ending in long term problems. good intentions and all.

[hootinholler]

5. Damn Vinee

Are you Donald Rumsfeld?

The only way to get defense dollars doing some good is to couple them with, well good things.

Think about what the world would look like if we had spent that defense money on kindness.

-Hoot

[bobbolink]

21. "Think about what the world would look like if we had spent that defense money on kindness."

You just wrote a bumpersticker!

You are on a roll! :yourock:

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

7. Actually, there is an easy fix: Raise the TMTR.

A mere 5% increase in the TMTR could have the budget fixed in a decade.

[Poiuyt]

8. What's TMTR?

I'm blanking here

[hfojvt]

10. google says it's the Texas Mediation Trainers Roundtable

or it could mean Too Much To Read


wait, maybe The Maximum Tax Rate

but I don't think 5% would do it, that doesn't even roll back the Bush tax cuts, which were 20% on dividends.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

14. Top Marginal Tax Rate

[Poiuyt]

17. Thanks!

[Vinee]

9. I have a problem with that. It isn't fair.

10% is fair. ;)
Unfortunately, Our democratic congress and president disagrees with us. Taxing rich people is bad but austerity measures on working people is AOK apparently.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

15. Hmm...

[Modern_Matthew]

6. Sounds like an excellent idea to me. n/t

[bighart]

11. I like this idea!

[Poboy]

12. Insert Ike quote 'for every missle launched, every battleship...failure' here.

[hootinholler]

13. If you were gonna speechify it

Then hell yes!

-Hoot

[bvar22]

16. Republican President Dwight Eisenhower had the right idea.

”Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children."
---President Dwight Eisenhower

...makes me wish he was running in 2012.
SOMEBODY needs to STAND UP in front of America and say those words again!

[bobbolink]

18. Thank you very much, and I h0pe you are saying this loudly and clearly everywhere you can think of!

Have you written an LTTE like this?

Have you written this to Rachel, Hartmann, RFK, Jr, etc?

Have you written this to The Nation, Rolling Stone, etc?

You see, I don't hear ANY of those sources talking about the cutbacks to programs serving poor people, and you reminding them would really be a support to those of us who are affected.

I hope you will do so, because this is important that they hear it.

Thanks again... :yourock:

[hootinholler]

19. No I haven't

Perhaps I should do an in depth piece? Explore a little, maybe I could fit that in this weekend.

I always admired the CCNV in DC back in the day.

-Hoot

[bobbolink]

20. I really would like for you to do that... I would consider it support for those of us who are being

ignored.

What you wrote above is well-done and very clear, and would make a great LTTE just as it is!

I'm not sure it needs anymore "depth" for the "progressive" media.. it is succinct, and to the point, that is what gets read.

The only thing I can fault it for is that if the cuts are made to social programs that take away from poor people, the deaths will still happen, no matter how much is taken from defense,, and there will be NO deaths resulting from that little amount being taken from defense.

You said who and how many will be hurt, and that is perfect, just as it is.

Again, I say.. your piece here deserves a much larger readership, and I hope that can be accomplished by getting "progressive" media to start talking like this!

Very, very well done! :applause: