Rand Paul on The Late Show

[Shady]

I thought this was a great discussion between Rand Paul and David Letterman. This was excellent television!

Also, it has to be obvious by now that Rand Paul isn't the type of person his opponents tried to paint him as during the campaign. Agree with him or not, but he's intelligent, thoughtful, and has a fairly pleasant demeanor.

[pinko]

I thought this was a great discussion between Rand Paul and David Letterman. This was excellent television!

Also, it has to be obvious by now that Rand Paul isn't the type of person his opponents tried to paint him as during the campaign. Agree with him or not, but he's intelligent, thoughtful, and has a fairly pleasant demeanor.

David Letterman was quite adept at addressing the teacher issue in Wisconsin. I will agree that Rand Paul has a pleasent demeanour but then so did Ronald Raygun.

[GostHacked]

He is much like his father in many ways. At least Rand does not spit out the usual rhetoric that the majority of politicians do.

[pfezziwig]

It's great to hear from a politician that is trying to propose we live within our means, its so easy to try and satisfy everyone by stealing from the future to do so. Cheap shots about teachers and hospital staff are fear mongering by unions and selfish bozos that care nothing about the impending bankruptcy of the nation and the collapse of the social safety net, just short term greed.

[Michael Hardner]

It's great to hear from a politician that is trying to propose we live within our means, its so easy to try and satisfy everyone by stealing from the future to do so. Cheap shots about teachers and hospital staff are fear mongering by unions and selfish bozos that care nothing about the impending bankruptcy of the nation and the collapse of the social safety net, just short term greed.

What you're talking about is the message, which is put together by marketing people for mass consumption. Kind of like the "please think of the children" message is put out by the other side. It's another form of cheap shot, I guess.

Since we have a lot of smart people on here, I'd rather get beyond the message and talk about the details.

[Michael Hardner]

Here's an example of details:

Tax Policy Briefing Site

There are 4 countries in the OECD 30 with a tax rate lower than the US: Mexico, Turkey, Korea, Japan.

[Bonam]

Here's an example of details:

Tax Policy Briefing Site

There are 4 countries in the OECD 30 with a tax rate lower than the US: Mexico, Turkey, Korea, Japan.

What's wrong with that?

[Shady]

Here's an example of details:

Tax Policy Briefing Site

There are 4 countries in the OECD 30 with a tax rate lower than the US: Mexico, Turkey, Korea, Japan.

Historically the United States has always had tax rates lower than most other countries in the world. Except for their corporate tax rate, which is higher than most of the G8. And their tax on repatriating income from overseas. It's a staggeringly high percentage. Compared to most European countries and Canada which is only are 2%. You'd think if anything, you'd want to encourage people who've made money outside of the country to bring it back in and spend/invest.

[guyser]

Historically the United States has always had tax rates lower than most other countries in the world.

History does not start at 1981.....well maybe for you it does.

[WIP]

It's great to hear from a politician that is trying to propose we live within our means, its so easy to try and satisfy everyone by stealing from the future to do so. Cheap shots about teachers and hospital staff are fear mongering by unions and selfish bozos that care nothing about the impending bankruptcy of the nation and the collapse of the social safety net, just short term greed.

I'll bet that the questions were prescreened before Randy agreed to appear on Letterman's show....lest we forget that he has refused to make a reappearance on Rachel Maddow's show after embarrassing himself during the last election, when he admitted that he didn't agree with applying Civil Rights statutes to privately operated businesses.

When a rightwinger says 'we have to live within our means' that doublespeak means refusing to pay back the money taken from public service workers' pension funds, cutting spending programs for the poor, and closing schools and cutting municipal services. Tightening our belts never means cutting military spending or closing bases. And that's one clear difference between Rand and the old man, is that this tool toes the Republican Party line on military policy and military spending.

Aside from that, this typical rightwing bafflegab about the rich paying most of the taxes avoids the fact that the top one percent are the only population demographic that has seen an increase in income and accumulated wealth over the last 30 years. And they are using their extra money to buy politicians who will write legislation to benefit them and the companies they own. And income taxes aren't the only taxes that most people have to pay. I haven't done my taxes yet, so I forget the exact numbers that I pay for CPP and EI each year, but I usually make my last payments sometime in October for the year. In the U.S. example, the Social Security deductions are capped at $100,000 annual income; anyone earning more than that, like billionaire hedge fund managers on Wall Street, pay exactly the same social security deductions as the guy earning $100,000. And let's not forget how much more sales taxes and user fees affect the average person more than the fat cat millionaires! I think this bullshit argument that Rand used here started with Rush Limbaugh...and Letterman should have had enough on the ball to tear into it....unless the whole thing was staged, like the Sarah Palin interviews!

[Michael Hardner]

What's wrong with that?

I didn't say anything was wrong with it at all. But it dispels some of the notions that get thrown around about taxation levels in the USA.