[FoRK] How Barack lost my vote forever

[Jeff Bone]

In the most recent debate Senator Obama showed his true colors when he  
stated that he wanted to raise the capital gains tax "for purposes of  
fairness."

The man is a socialist;  I use the term not in a jingoistic or ad  
hominem sense, but in a very real, very literal sense.

He has made and now articulated a clear moral judgment about earnings  
from capital investment --- never mind the attendant risk-transfer,  
liquidity provision, and other services, yes, *services* that are  
embodied by such investment.  He has further demonstrated that he  
believes that it is the government's prerogative, perhaps duty, to  
enforce such moral judgments.  And clearly, anyone who is earning or  
has earned enough to invest (i.e., the over 100,000,000 Americans who  
participate directly or indirectly in the stock market) does not  
deserve the rewards of taking such risk, or at least the rewards they  
presently enjoy.

And he has made it clear that he believes that the priority of the  
government, through its tax policy, should be wealth redistribution  
and the creation of economic social equality *more* than it should be  
revenue provision for the government's needs.  Gibson stated (and the  
historical record supports, though the causality is arguable) that in  
the past three decades each increase of the cap gains rate has  
resulted in a decrease in tax revenue from cap gains, while each  
decrease in the rate has increased revenue.  Fiscal responsibility be  
damned, it isn't as important to Barack as "fairness" --- which,  
presumably, means that people should not earn more than others through  
the industrious application of capital, at least.

This tells me everything I need to know about the man, and tells me  
that no matter how much I'd love to see the GOP lose the White House,  
I would be selling every principle I have down the river if I were to  
vote for Obama.

I have a problem with the concept of "fair" when the notion means that  
any advantages of brain or effort  or bank account should be smoothed  
away by the government.  I also have a problem with the notion of  
"change at all costs."  The problem with asking "how could it get any  
worse?" --- is that you might get an answer.  Barack's been pretty  
vague about the change he wants (other than in the White House itself)  
--- but when he has been clear, I haven't liked the answers at all.

I've been a tremendously outspoken critic of the present  
administration and its party since shortly after it took office.  I  
find myself pained to have to consider voting for that party's  
candidate in the upcoming election;  but I sure as hell won't be  
voting for Mr. Obama should his party nominate him.  And that's  
unfortunate, because after 8 years of the current gibbering idiot in  
the White House flinging feces at foreign powers and making a hash of  
any reasonable domestic policy, it would be nice to have someone as  
eloquent, policy-oriented and diplomatic in the office.


jb