It wasn’t that long ago that Republicans imagined themselves as defenders against moneyed elites. That was great.
It is kind of remarkable to watch conservatives collectively pivot from Palinist elite bashing to Santelli-fueled Galtism in about three months. Figuring out how someone can do that is a challenge only if you’re the kind of person who cares about ideas.
Comrade Stuck
They’re just making a bigger tent out of Limbaugh’s britches.
John Cole
I’m confused. Was that video supposed to make me oppose letting the Bush tax cuts expire?
jetan
Nah….the Santelli stuff is just the same old phony Lou-Dobbs style populism in a new dress. Different lipstick, same pig.
Surreal American
From their perspective, I don’t see the contradiction.
I believe that the "elites" the Palinistas campaigned against were not of the moneyed variety. It was the smartypants academic/media types that got their ire flowing.
In other words, you can rake in as much as you want or can. Just don’t be putting on airs (or be seen near Ayers, for that matter)
mantooth
I wonder if his employees know how much contempt he has for them.
Comrade Stuck
@John Cole:
Mr. tigerhawk was just informing us of his angst at the enormous burden a 4% tax increase would create for people making 6 figure incomes. And that because they make a lot of money, the work they do is soooo much harder than say a single mom working 2 or 3 jobs in the Macdonalds, Jiffy Mart, motel maid world just to pay for her one bedroom apartment and afford the privilege of having health care for her little trailer trash bloodsuckers.
You have to be rich in the first place to think like that.
ronathan richardson
I’d like to introduce Mr. Tigerhawk to the postdoctoral research fellows of America, who have more innate talent than he and his friends, are smarter and more capable, work harder, and devote their work to the betterment of society. While making ~$38,000 per year.
Jon Karak
Shorter "TigerHawk":
I would pay more taxes if they were voluntary.
Alan
They’ve only switched because Rush is now focused on his rugged individualist, creators schtick. Everyone gets so inspired hearing how if only individuals were set free from the burden of huge government then they would do great things. You know, like corrupting every aspect of our financial system.
Dennis-SGMM
You’re all missing the point! If it wasn’t for the rich we would all be living a miserable existence. Where would we be if Vanderbilt hadn’t developed the Rabies vaccine? If J.P. Morgan hadn’t invented the electric light? If Prescott Bush hadn’t worked out nuclear fission? If Bernie Madoff hadn’t come up with the cure for cancer?
TenguPhule
I welcome our Kryptonian Overlord.
Jay Severin Has A Small Pen1s
That’s nothing.
this is the same guys who won an election by insisting that Elian Gonzalez remain in the US, only to insist three months after the election that they were the only ones tough on illegal immigrants.
I mean seriously…the Clintons took the kid out of the country using a SWAT team. That’s hardcore.
Chuck Butcher
Chripes, I just typed three paragraphs saying, "I work pretty hard, also." I also just deleted them.
If you’re not completely oblivious you can see that the laboring class works its ass off for not many bananas and little respect.
Martin
Oh, bullshit. If they were more talented, smarter, more capable, work harder, and devote their work to the betterment of society, they’d be making more than $38K.
How much money you make is directly proportional to how hard you work and how smart you are. That’s a proven fact, and that’s why the rich shouldn’t pay taxes. Not only do they literally work 1000 times harder than your postdoc, they create jobs that can pay taxes, therefore they shouldn’t have to pay due to their tireless work and service to society.
Farmers get paid shit and are lazy and stupid and are just a drag on society and should be taxed out of existence. Paris Hilton is brilliant and tireless and should be rewarded for her enduring service to society.
Jay Severin Has A Small Pen1s
"Everyone gets so inspired hearing how if only individuals were set free from the burden of huge government then they would do great things"
Didn’t we just give BIG GOVERNMENT to two countries that had very little governments?
Proper Gander
While I was ricocheting around the intertubes following the trail of reaction to Tigerhawk’s rant, what song did come up on my playlist?
Tears of the feeble, hands of the slaves
Skin of the mothers, mouths of the babes
Building the towers, belongs to the sky
When the whole thing comes crashing down
Don’t ask me why
jcricket
You had me at "I’m confused"…
I can’t wait until Obama actually outlines his socialist agenda during 2010. If a 4% top tax rate increase causes this much apoplexy I will probably OD on popcorn at that point.
Brandon T
L’état comprime et la loi triche
L’impôt saigne le malheureux
Nul devoir ne s’impose au riche
Le droit du pauvre est un mot creux…
Hideux dans leur apothéose
Les rois de la mine et du rail
Ont-ils jamais fait autre chose
Que dévaliser le travail…
Chuck Butcher
As a Democratic operative I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out how long the messy relationship between the lower class religionists and the plutocrat enablers was going to last and how it held together. You will note one feature of the last 6+ years was the fear of the other to distract and engage. Soshulizm is a pretty good "other" theme and with the black guy in office it might be enough.
I do wonder if anything qualifies as a "bottom" for that coalition. South Carolina’s pain ought to be backlashing on the Governor, it doesn’t seem to be reaching nasty levels. Ah well, hell, if politics made a lot of sense it wouldn’t be interesting – I guess…
IvyLeaguer
I agree with this Tigerhawk fellow. I mean, why should the rich always have to pay the "ultimate sacrifice" (ie, higher taxes)???
Folks always say it’s our troops who pay the "ultimate sacrifice" for our country, but that’s a lot of hooey. Oh sure, a lot of ’em get their heads blown off, but when that happens then their work is over…if you can even call walking around Baghdad or Kabul and getting your head blown off "work". And besides, right up until the time they buy the farm, they get free food and clothing, paid for by the very same uber-hardworking rich people who sent them there in the first place, because they were just too busy to go themselves…which I’m sure they would have if only they didn’t have so much work to do and all. No, no one knows the meaning of sacrifice like the wealthy do.
Yeah, this Tigerhawk guy is right on. I’m damn glad I’m not rich or smart like him, because I don’t think I could bear that kind of burden or make that kinda sacrifice for my country…not to mention I could never work 140-hour weeks like he does. In fact, after I receive my first welfare check from Obama paid for by his higher taxes on superior Amerians like ol’ Tiger, I’m gonna send him a thank you note…
Dear Tigerhawk,
Just deposited your welfare check in the bank. Bought a 6-pack of Bud and a bag of Doritos with some of it, and now I’m watching porn on my big screen plasma TV, after which I’m gonna smoke a big fat doobie and then take a 6-hour nap before going out to shoot pool and get drunk with my pals. Talk to you next month…keep up all that hard work…and keep them checks a-comin’!
Regards,
IvyLeaguer
That oughta make the arrogant SOB go postal. I’ve never seen a rich asswipe blow his brains out on YouTube before. That would be cool…even if it means no more welfare checks from the insufferable Mr Tigerhawk.
Peter J
They don’t look like us and they don’t pray to the same god as us. Even shorter, they aren’t us.
So obviously, the less great things they do, the better.
mama whiskers
Heard a lady caller on Washington Journal yesterday frantically blabbering about socialism and how we are headed for communism and then, without a hint of irony, says "and I don’t even know what facism is."
SpotWeld
(sarcasim)
Don’t people get it, there are supposed to be no downsides to being rich!
(/sarcasim)