Fighting the Wrong War

After reading a classmate's blog, I was interested in the idea that it is more pertinent for the United States to be less interested in Middle Eastern democracy, and more interested in things that are happening on our home front. I agree that the tension on the border is something that deserves more attention and resources, and it is especially critical for American border states. Unfortunately, I do not see a change in the near future because so many resources and funding have been dedicated to the "War on Terror," and to abandon it too quickly would aggravate many people. Along with that, there is a lot of hatred for the United States in the Middle East, and our presence there is important to keep a bit of pressure on insurgent groups. I'm not sure that we could abandon operations overseas, but I certainly agree that the "War on Drugs" and border control deserve a lot more attention that either is currently being given.

Taxation With Representation

The tax debate in the Senate has become an extremely heated argument, and is apparently taking a shift into name-calling and finger pointing. I was listening to the radio the other day, and heard some one say that the Democrats are wanting to steal money from the rich because rich people don't deserve to have as much money as they earn. It has to be understood that, in general, the Republican party is mostly comprised of wealthy, upper-middle to upper-class people. On the other side of the table, the Democrats are traditionally, middle to lower-class citizens, and a good portion are people who belong to minority groups (including race, sexual orientation, and idealisms). That said, with the Republicans pushing for tax breaks for people who have a net salary of over $250,000 is ridiculous. I'm not saying that these people didn't rightfully earn their money, but I will say that they have plenty to ante up to pay taxes. The United States, obviously, isn't a Communist or Socialist nation, but I believe that with the economic downfall and monetary deficit, those that can afford to pay a bit more should. It makes no sense to me to put more pressure on families that are struggling to make ends meet while there are multi millioniares driving around in Aston Martins and Ferraris complaining about paying "x" amount of tax dollars. Sorry, but I'd be happy to let Oprah and Donald Trump cough up some extra cash if it gives a chance of our country improving its economy.

Here's a quote from Politico that sums up my argument pretty well:

“All those people out there in the tea party who are angry about the economics of Washington, they really need to look at this, pull back the curtain and realize that you’ve got a Republican Party that is not worried about people in the tea party,” she said. “They’re worried about people who can’t decide which home to go to over the Christmas holidays."


Web Source Citation:
Brown, Carrie Budoff. "Robert Menendez Compares GOP to Terrorists on Tax Talks."
     www.Politico.com. N.p., 3 Dec. 2010. Web. 3 Dec. 2010.
     <http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/45934.html>.