Rebane's Ruminations
September 2017
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[In his 22sep17 letter to The Union’s editor, my friend Norm Sauer shares the Left’s conundrum in a clear, concise, and complete format originally summarized by L. Poplack of Olympia (where they used to brew my favorite beer).  The only problem remaining – is the Left sharp enough to understand the situation?  From the local leftists the answer is an unambiguous NO.  gjr]

Norm Sauer

A "conundrum" is that which is puzzling or confusing. Consider the following, from Larry Poplack of Olympia, Washington:

  1. America is capitalist and greedy — yet half of the population is subsidized.
  2. Half of the population is subsidized — yet they think they are victims.
  3. They think they are victims — yet their representatives run the government.
  4. Their representatives run the government — yet the poor keep getting poorer.
  5. The poor keep getting poorer — yet they have things that people in other countries only dream about.
  6. They have things that people in other countries only dream about — yet they want America to be more like those other countries.

The sad reality is the Democrat Progressive Socialist Party needs people to fail, be without jobs, without health care, without insurance, and in economic pain for the party to succeed. With such misery, more people will be incapable of helping themselves and big government will (help them) at the immoral expense of taking from the producers.

The Progressive Socialists run from the Trump Administration's demonstrated job growth, reduced unemployment, surge in housing starts, the Dow's record highs, and decreased illegal border crossings.

The conundrum: they say Trump and Republicans are crazy!

Posted in , , ,

179 responses to “The Socialists’ Conundrum”

  1. John Avatar
    John

    Great post George and Norm. I would love to hear what the more logical thinkers like Steve Frisch have to say.

    Like

  2. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    George
    Do the “50% subsidized” percentage you quote include those collecting social security, military retirees, seniors on Medicare, farmers such as Doug LA MALFA and disabled veterans?

    Like

  3. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Could you provide some kind of link to your 50% estimate.

    Like

  4. George Rebane Avatar

    PaulE 1027am – A careful read of my post reveals that I am not its author. And the 50% includes all of the cohorts you mention (plus more probably). But the point made is that America is a land where government can be trusted to and depended upon to disperse all kinds of goodies from mandated redistribution of wealth. And this is the land that the Left wants to fundamentally transform into one that owns and distributes all (albeit much less than now) wealth, and the Right wants to wealth redistribution to return to a more voluntary basis by those who earn it.
    Leftwing journalists who would deign expand their reading spectrum (beyond DailyKos, HuffPo, WaPo, CNN, MSNBC, …) would have no trouble finding substantiating links like this –
    https://www.forbes.com/sites/merrillmatthews/2014/07/02/weve-crossed-the-tipping-point-most-americans-now-receive-government-benefits/#5c6c8bac3e6c

    Like

  5. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    So George it is safe to assume that a sizeable percentage of the 50% you quote are those who have earned it.

    Like

  6. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    3 po’ ol’ fakenewsman posts with absolutely no contribution and it looks like he is so locked into why, why, why he does not even bother with question marks any more. Sad.
    Thanks Norm! 😉

    Like

  7. ScenesFromTheApocalypse Avatar
    ScenesFromTheApocalypse


    So George it is safe to assume that a sizeable percentage of the 50% you quote are those who have earned it.”
    Medicare? Highly subsidized.
    Social Security? Highly subsidized for low earners, the opposite of highly subsidized for high earners.

    Like

  8. ScenesFromTheApocalypse Avatar
    ScenesFromTheApocalypse

    Why I have to be Paul’s googlebitch, I’m sure I don’t know.

    Like

  9. George Rebane Avatar

    scenes 1252pm – Mr scenes, what does “fwiw” preceding the URL that I gave in my 1102am denote?

    Like

  10. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    For What It’s Worth

    Like

  11. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    So how abut he bllions spent on corporate welfare, Exxon for example. Is that part of the 50% ? for example
    “ExxonMobil’s upgrades to its Baton Rouge refinery in Louisiana are benefitting from $119m of state subsidy, with the support starting in 2011, when the company made a $41bn profit.’
    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/may/12/us-taxpayers-subsidising-worlds-biggest-fossil-fuel-companies

    Like

  12. Walt Avatar

    Subsidies again Paul? As they say,, “those who live in glass houses better not throw stones.”
    You might wind up doing catheter commercials for income to help KVMR.

    Like

  13. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Paul… so why should ExxonM not get the same sorts of write-off’s that are common to other businesses? Because they caused the flooding?
    That seems to be the rationale in theguardian article. Subsidies to evil petrochemical concerns warming the planet.
    Personally, I think slashing the corporate income tax rate would be a better solution. If you don’t siphon money off their bottom line they’ll not spend so much trying to push Congress to give it back.

    Like

  14. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    KVMR is a nonprofit Walt. Not the case with Exxon who makes around 50 Billion profit every year. Why should I give them money?

    Like

  15. George Rebane Avatar

    PaulE 232pm – “Why should I give them money?” Because they are among the best makers of cheap gasoline that lets us all move our sorry asses from point A to point B. Governments can’t do that for reasons that are obvious to half of us. And they employ thousands of people in good jobs providing them and theirs excellent QoLs and pay taxes on their earnings to governments up and down the line. Getting them back on line sooner than later should be a priority for any community.
    Your $50B number is more fake news. Their before tax earnings are $27.6B from which they get to keep $11.7B. Their profit margin is 5.43% from which they pay a dividend yield of 4.05% that is enjoyed by their shareholders (of which I am one) which include more pension funds than you can shake a stick at (including the underfunded government employee and union pensions). And they achieve this while you and yours are doing everything in your power to destroy these assets to society and civilization.
    What’s your next question?

    Like

  16. ScenesFromTheApocalypse Avatar
    ScenesFromTheApocalypse

    “Mr scenes, what does “fwiw” preceding the URL ”
    I didn’t see that. There’s a certain amount of double links here, so perhaps it’s excusable.

    Like

  17. ScenesFromTheApocalypse Avatar
    ScenesFromTheApocalypse

    Oh jeez, I posted too quickly. I thought that the double URL was the problem.
    Gregory has it right, natürlich.

    Like

  18. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Yes
    Why should I give money to a successful private business? Should the government give me money for producing concerts or doing live sound? What is the criteria for dipping into the public treasure for a private business?
    why should I give money to the La Malfa family? He gets paid a decent wage for being our Representative why should he deserve and receive more?

    Like

  19. Walt Avatar

    What makes KVMR special? I don’t care what your tax form says, every business is “for profit”. It’s what keeps the lights, and heat on, and food on your plate.
    I wonder how much you would bitch if your pay was cut in half? (Anything above “X” may be considered profit)
    So educate us on just what constitutes “break even”. “non profit” means no money at the end of the day.

    Like

  20. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Paul… you missed the question:
    “so why should ExxonM not get the same sorts of write-off’s that are common to other businesses? Because they caused the flooding?”

    Like

  21. George Rebane Avatar

    Re comments and links: You only see the comments you read. Readers who post comments as if they were the only shining light arriving in the darkness, without checking their forebears on a topic, are likely to post redundant insights and links. All of us like to be acknowledged for adding to the conversation; not many like to be acknowledged for circling the barn.

    Like

  22. Walt Avatar

    By your own reasoning Paul,, Tesla should close it’s doors. It has NEVER turned a profit, and survives on taxpayer dollars alone. Just so some rich guy or gal with a self imposed guilt trip can by a 21 Century plow horse. ( can only go so long before needing along rest and digest it’s hay)
    That Tesla guy sure isn’t missing any meals, and living on a shoe string. His big paycheck come out of our pockets, and not the sale of those cars.

    Like

  23. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Why should i give money to Tesla Walt?

    Like

  24. ScenesFromTheApocalypse Avatar
    ScenesFromTheApocalypse

    Since Mr. Paul has managed to take over the conversation (as usual), I’d like for him to define what a ‘subsidy’ is in terms of large corporations.
    Any clue sir? Do you have any idea at all what the cash flow that makes up a ‘subsidy’ might be? It sounds pretty bad so there should be plenty of googling that could be done.
    Perhaps a quick rundown on the tax laws concerning resource extraction companies? Outright funds transfers from governments? Write-offs? Some little teensy sliver of knowledge?
    It wouldn’t matter so much except for God knows what comes out of a radio station mic, public figures should have some clue about the things they pontificate on.

    Like

  25. Walt Avatar

    Yes Paul.. Why ARE you???

    Like

  26. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    tap tap tap is this thing on?
    Paul… you missed the question:
    “so why should ExxonM not get the same sorts of write-off’s that are common to other businesses? Because they caused the flooding?”

    Like

  27. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Why should KVMR get a federal subsidy?

    Like

  28. George Rebane Avatar

    PaulE 232pm – Paul, you more often than not fail to acknowledge when your question gets answered, as in my 247pm. You just go on to the next in line of your endless questions. That may be a reason you don’t get as many answers as you expect. I’m still waiting.

    Like

  29. Walt Avatar

    This isn’t the first time Paul has painted himself into a corner on the subsidized game.
    The last time,(just after Trump was elected) ol’ Paul said “KVMR would do just fine if the grant money was cut off”. Well,,, that’s not how KVMR corporate saw it. There was an story in The Union soon after, where KVMR said big cuts and changes would happen if the money was cut off.
    So ol’ Paul wasn’t up to speed with the inner circle. (or just plane blow’n hot air out his,,,uh, skirt.

    Like

  30. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    George 359, he’s just boxing. There’s no thought behind it, no bit of information requested to logically make a point. The punch is the point when Punch-E Paul the Palooka throws a left jab.

    Like

  31. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Community radio stations are ot for profit public benefit corporations

    Like

  32. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Ot for profit?
    So, all one needs to do to get free Federal money is be an ot for profit?

    Like

  33. Todd Juvinall Avatar
    Todd Juvinall

    KVMR needs to back their news guy and stop their subsidies. Why can’t they make a go of it without my tax money? Shameful.

    Like

  34. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Is there a book “Ot for Dummies” that shows dummies how to ot for profit?

    Like

  35. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    thats not for profit.
    GREGORY
    You have to apply for a grant and have that be part of the budget.
    George, you never answered my question as to why my money should go to support a successful international corp, like exxon. Just because they have a desirable and useful product doesn’t qualify them to tap into my income.
    This grant was not for rebuilding. Here’s more details this is just one example
    Why should I subsidize the LaMalfa family? Doug has a good job AND MAKES A LIVING WAGE.
    More about Exxon International
    “ExxonMobil’s Baton Rouge refinery is the second-largest in the US. Since 2011, it has been benefitting from exemptions from industrial taxes, worth $118.9m over 10 years, according to the Good Jobs First database. The Republican governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal has expressed his pride in attracting investment from ExxonMobil. In state election campaigns between 2003 and 2013, he received 231 contributions from oil and gas companies and executives totalling $1,019,777, according to a list compiled by environmental groups.”

    Like

  36. Todd Juvinall Avatar
    Todd Juvinall

    Paul Emry, our own subsidized by the taxpayer radio guy. What a hoot!

    Like

  37. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Yes Gregory, its part of the talking points for party parrots bulletin that is all about ot for dummies. That’s why there is nothing but repeated hackneyed Pelosi speak from the po’ ol’ pollhead. Then they throw questions while retreating and evading. Kind of like snapping a branch on the left path and going right. RIGHT.
    Another good example of this is the dem snowflake candidate for gov in Maine named Mark Eves who was caught on film at a resistance forum saying; “Maines whiteness is bad news” and “You know, today I saw a thing that said a lot of men -white men- are committing suicide.” “And I almost said yeah! Great!”
    That’s the intellectual pool the lefties like Eves, the dark lord of liberal lament land and the po’ ol’ fakenewsman swim in. 😉

    Like

  38. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    wow, Paul. they’ve been benefitting from exemption from “industrial taxes”. To the tune of $11.9million a year, averaged over ten years?
    That’s a really big number, isn’t it?
    When George wrote “Their before tax earnings are $27.6B from which they get to keep $11.7B” that those annual numbers were rounded to the nearest 100 million dollars… so that less than 12 million a year you’re bitching about is about a tenth of the roundoff error of the taxes they’ve paid and the profits distributed?
    I guess there’s a reason you gravitated towards work that didn’t require much math.

    Like

  39. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    For the record Eves is white. 😉

    Like

  40. Walt Avatar

    It’s OK for the guy he works for to get FED money, but no one else. Got it.
    Hay Paul. Read up from Berkeley U of the net.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsidy

    Like

  41. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Todd
    Rex Tillerson made 26 million in 2016. Why should You or I contribute one penny to the company that pays his salary?

    Like

  42. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    “Why should I subsidize the LaMalfa family? Doug has a good job AND MAKES A LIVING WAGE.” -Punchie 437
    Paul, you realize you can’t win this argument, right?
    The rice growing subsidy isn’t means tested. The Federal “New Deal” waded in and reformed agricultural markets to a more collective model. That “Ot for profit” money for nothing and chicks for free that works so well… I realize you see LaMalfa as an enemy of the people but his family have been playing “rice farmer” for years by Democratic Party rules.
    I’d say the country is swimming in cheap rice but the rice isn’t all that cheap. But we are swimming in it, along with corn and wheat. Cheap carbs.
    Yes, I think FDR’s New Dealish Market Orders were a very bad idea, but your people would scream bloody murder if Trump and the GOP Congress got rid of them.

    Like

  43. Walt Avatar

    Someone know if KNCO gets radio welfare like KVMR? Or does KVMR get that money so KNCO isn’t the only game in towns?

    Like

  44. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    “Rex Tillerson made 26 million in 2016. Why should You or I contribute one penny to the company that pays his salary?”
    PE 512
    Paul, did you even make enough to pay Federal Income Tax last year? Maybe you didn’t contribute even one penny to the company that paid his salary!

    Like

  45. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Paid taxes last year Gregory. Contributed considerably as a matter of fact.
    Glad you agree with me Walt that La Malfa’s taxpayer subsidy should be eliminated. Here’s some thoughts onthe matted published by the Conserative Heritage Foundation:
    Many of the largest, most profitable farms and agribusinesses that have received the lion’s share of subsidies have used these funds to buy out smaller farms. In what one agriculture official calls the “plantation effect,” family farms with less than 100 acres of land are being bought out by larger agribusinesses, which then convert them into tenant farms. To date, three-quarters of the nation’s rice farms have already become tenant farms, and the ownership of other types of farms is beginning to trend in that same direction.9

    Like

  46. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    LInk to the Heritage. Wort a read

    Like

  47. George Rebane Avatar

    Dear Reader – note the above comments and responses of Mr Paul Emery. Every one of his contributions implies that Exxon/Mobil is getting monies that it does not deserve or earn, and for which it does not amply recompense our society. His point being that if ‘the people’ owned the company and operated it as a non-profit, then it would provide society with a greater benefit in terms of product and distributed earnings. Such beliefs are fundamental to socialists cum communists, and for RR’s arguments for the coming Great Divide. These collectivists need to operate their own country, and not mess with ours.

    Like

  48. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Wort a read, is that a self critique ya po’ ol’ socialist fakenewsman? 😉

    Like

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