Levin: Upper-Bracket Income Tax May Be Needed for Afghan War Cost

[jean1126]

I am SURE there arent many 200K people here in Michigan LEFT...they all moved ..Last one out Please turn out the lights- Hey were dying here in Michigan Carl - HELP YOUR STATE FIRST then move on to NATIONAL DEBT! COME ON..

[GretchenDawntreader]

he hee ha ha this is epic.

OK you fucking neo-con war hawks, you want to destroy and occupy one country for 8 years and fuck around in another country for 8 years because some jackoff declared war on a concept instead of some identifiable group, well you gotta pay the monies!! (bitches)

We'll see how much they like war when it isn't just sending poor people overseas to get sniped at, while they vacation in Cancun.

[armyveteran101st]

Wonderful idea! I'm all for reversing the redistribution of wealth from the middle and working classes to the super rich that was implemented by Bush and his tax cuts in 2001. Let's get the filthy rich to give all that money back to the Nation in the form of a war surtax, to allow the government to properly fund our military involvement abroad, along with our social commitments and obligations at home. It's about time to bring some fairness back into the mix!

[hajqbvii]

Consider that the middle class has carried the federal bill for the last 8 yrs.....why not have the the rich pay for the War!?!

[gisforgary]

middle class? where i live they all got foreclosed on -- there is no more middle class.

[mrblob20]

this is the best news.. getting rich people to pay for the war...since most politicians only listen to rich people... they will soon end the war on terror once the rich people complain about the war.

[gisforgary]

the bloated defense budget also contains a lot of jobs. my assumpiton is there are a lot of palin suppoters working for defense contractors. they know who is going to butter their bread. the current administration needs to start playing hardball though.

[whoo689]

How about cutting some of the bloated defense budget, Levin? Moron

Or better yet, how about we DON'T give handouts and subsidies to every fucking person and interest group who wants them? Let's NOT let rent-seeking work for a change and show people democracy still functions.

[oldtownkid]

I think the exit strategy is going to be to tax the pigs so that they start supporting the end of both of those stupid wars.

[darkally]

last line is the most tell: 'we should pay for it if we can' !!!!!!!!!!!! if we can? if we can't we are still going to spend the money? I am missing something here

[nuumskee]

no you didnt miss it. The Iraqi's have FREE universal healthcare in their Consitution that we PAY FOR but all hell break lose if you want to provide better care and cheaper cost for the middle and lower income Americans.. no no no you see u have to make it budget neutral. but wars, and welfare for the rich.. on the sky is the limit.. no amount is to small.. in fact they need even MORE. yes lets keep tossing money off the Afghanistan with no increased taxes because that would show responsiblity

[frostwolf1]

Without a tax to sustain the afghan war, where will all the heroine addicts get their fix?

[poop121]

war is the worst expenditure of money. we should just stack up all the money on the national mall and set fire to it. it would be as useful.

[carrierexchange]

God should pay for it! In God the US trusts!

[BayerLexan]

Yeah, but for some reason god is terrible with money, why do you think churches are always wanting donations?

[carrierexchange]

Yeah that sucks.. I mean making the Universe and all and just not handling money properly...

[motorolarules]

I think the politicians that voted for the war need to donote their entire salary and investment earnings first and if the war criminals still need more money find others in favor of war to do the same.

[RightCoastJul]

Meanwhile, Obama is having parties for Hollywood in the Whitehouse

[IAMtheNewWorldOrder]

Just mention the word "taxes" and everyone goes into a rage.

Many of these same people though are concerned about our deficit.

I'm surprised these people even think they should have to work to earn a fucking paycheck.

I say stop the fucking war. If you don't want to stop it-then let the rich pay for it. Because as long as the rich have nothing to gain or lose, nothing will change.

And why do so many of you defend the people who treat you like serfs? Really-what the fuck is that about?

[bishopm5]

Thats because were not leeches like you.......Youtube Fool

[IAMtheNewWorldOrder]

You're a leech too, dumb motherfucker. Everyone benefits from some taxes, they just take it for granted. You don't have civilization without taxes.

If you don't like taxes, go move to fucking Somalia or something like that. That's the reality of life without taxes.

Sure, sometimes our taxes go to bullshit-and that's why you vote.

But unless you live in a cabin out in the fuckin woods like a pioneer then don't act like I'm a "leech" and you're not.

[faithofthefoe]

But, I thought we could win the war by going shopping!

If the nation is at war, then we're all in it. Time for a war tax or something. Like a lot of the ideas in the comments.

[bishopm5]

Holy shit.. Are these people out to destroy America or what?!

Yeah, Lets tax the shit out of everybody so you all idiots can live in luxury.. Good idea,

How much more can the moron voters of America take?!

[Dejayfever1]

Or, it could mean the END of the war. Don't you see what they are trying to do...Once the rich have to sacrifice for this war (only the poor have suffered so far) the war will come to an end. Don't ask the rich to sacrifice... I think it is a brilliant move!

[TrollBuster9090]

I'm glad somebody else noticed that. If you abolish the draft and actually CUT taxes during wars, I don't really see any downside for the wealthy when it comes to fighting them. At worst you get a tax cut, at best you get rich in the arms industry, and YOUR kids didn't have to sell their souls to the ROTC to pay their way through college.

Congress should pass a TRIGGER mechanism so that any war that occupies more than 50K troops for two+ years should trigger a tax increase and a draft.

[pwl1980]

Excellent Idea.

With that provision Republicans wouldn't be that trigger happy.

They don't feel any pain during these wars (unless you count rising stock of halliburton as pain)

They are talking about patriotism and keep sending children of the poor for death but dont even wanna pick up the bill (fucking neocon swine)

[IAMtheNewWorldOrder]

The rich are NOT everybody.

The rich are a TINY percentage of our country.

And much of what they have rightfully belongs to the people who work for them.

Make up your minds people-do you hate rich elitists and wall street assholes, or are they your saviors?

I see a lot of mad, confused people in this country and I don't like it. Be mad or be confused, but don't be both.

[bishopm5]

LOL, Your name is perfect for your simple minded thoughts.

Your name could also be IAMTHEnewWorldLeech

[IAMtheNewWorldOrder]

If my thoughts are so simple, why can't you use a logical argument to show me how I'm wrong? That's what I did in my comment.

All you can do is tell yourself I'm wrong because if you have to actually consider what I said, you might have to admit you were wrong.

[oldtownkid]

We are broke, there's no money to continue the war on terror, the money must come from somewhere, so why not tax our wealthiest patriots since our poorest patriots are already giving their lives so that we can continue buying and selling stuff we don't really need.

[JamJells]

Hood winked again. Nice play. Better than the big C & P in there mucking up what is already becoming atypical Democrat keep everyone happy BS that brings no real change. Just placate as many big ops running the show as you can. Pawns we all till we checkmate Washington through new blood and kicking the old fucks out.

[JBeatty17]

Too bad Obama doesn't have any interest in real change. I expected the troops home and a single-payer system, and what I get is health care reform with no reform and most likely no public option and more war. I think it's time to start looking at the third party candidates for 2012. Ralph Nader is looking more and more appealing all the time.

[TrollBuster9090]

Thanks for your concern.

[personage2007]

all the money being spent in the US by the government reminds me of how some people will easily pay vast sums of money for drugs, booze and cigarettes and not care about the price... but when they buying a present for their kids its always super cheap stuff, and the money is not given away lightly.

it would be better to "waste 4 months" of iraq war money on the future moon missions, or 4 months of war money on putting solar panels on every house in the us.

[kelsbackonyoutub]

DO IT FOR HEALTHCARE FUCKING GODDAMN

[nuumskee]

NO, u see only the Iraqi can have free healthcare because its in thier consitution and we pay for it! but Americans can die in the streets for all we care. as long as your neighbor doesnt think he pay for it..

[SubmarinerAndroid]

TROOPS OUT NOW

[monkeypeopleofearth]

Dismantle the US military empire.

[stme2008]

well the rich hasn't paid for it in 9 years as we did so come on rich support our troop like we have the middle class has suffered enough for the rich trying to get richer crap hiding money over seas during bush use all that hidden money come on

[route99]

Seems fair to me.

The lower tax brackets bear the human cost of endless wars, maybe it's about time the upper brackets beared the monetary costs.

Or the rest of America can continue to let them have their cake and eat it too.

[yotafro]

If I was making over $250,000 I would be doing incredibly well too.

[KosmicCitizen]

If they really go after the rich to pay for this shit, watch the war suddenly get VERY unpopular in the mainstream press.

You and I - what we want doesn't matter.

[asphyxiafeeling]

Good. America had greatest prosperity when we had our highest taxes on the rich. They still lived lavish lifestyles, but they didn't sit on their millions. they invested it smartly; because that was the only way to REALLY make more money.

Besides that, taxes on the high income bracket are pretty low right now. a few percent isn't going to hurt.

[PersonalJesus348]

More taxes... STOP THE GODDAMN WAR AND WE CAN EVEN PAY FOR HEALTHCARE FOR EVERYONE!

[thehoaxbuster]

or we can print more money LOLOLOL

[PersonalJesus348]

lets just cut to the chase and make Monopoly Money legal tender :P

[ryanruns]

Hmmm... I never expected ::gasp:: tax increases.

[sjcpal]

If there was a Draft , I bet you would see a lot of these Warmongers change their minds ....It's so obvious that the top 1% hasn't had to invest in war so they could afford to be warmongers....Lets change that!

[spikesmth]

Let's go back to the 91% top tax bracket of the 1950s... then we could wage all the wars we want, pay down the debt, give significant health coverage to everyone, fix the schools, rebuild for a 21st century infrastructure... you name it!

I hope everyone knows that the Afghan war is really about a natural gas pipeline to supply south and east Asia. I'm still unclear as to what U.S. interests are involved, except possible back room dealings and strategic supremacy.

[bosoko]

Are you fucking serious?

[spikesmth]

About taxes, not really, about the war, yes.

[mintvagoo]

We need a war tax and a draft-- if neocons want to carpet bomb the middle east let all of America pay for it- and fight for in it. Maybe then the GOP would think twice before engaging in wars that are winnable. Mittens Romney has 5 strapping young

chicken-hawks to toss at the cause. Nothing stopping the Bush twins from enlisting. Conservatives disgust me!

[robinvan1983]

what a weird idea...

[JBeatty17]

Here's a solution: Impose a war tax on the upper and middle classes, but hold a referendum on it first. If it gets voted down (it will), then there should be an automatic spending freeze on the War- which will leave the admin. with no choice but to withdraw. PROBLEM SOLVED.

[JesusPriceSuperstar]

Kill two birds with one tax, i like it

[nuumskee]

now send a letter to your senate and congressional rep saying the same thing.. they closer monitor emails and letters at least 100 letters roll in and they DO take notice. call if you can too.. and then have your friends sign a petition. whom ever presents the amendment its a win win for them.. its give the democrats a chance for cover and makes the republicans really show what they are all about.