PBS's Mark Shields: Today's Low Taxes Are 'Fundamentally Un-American'
Syndicated columnist Mark Shields said Friday that today's low income tax rates are "fundamentally un-American."
Such happened on PBS's "Inside Washington" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
MARK SHIELDS, HOST: I assume that the President has a position which Joe Biden represents, and he is going to be confronted to make that known before August 1. I mean, he is playing golf with the Speaker this weekend. I imagine that will come up in those discussions.
But this is the reality, and Evan is absolutely right. You have to have everything on the table. And it has to be, you cannot, Charles says 25 percent spending. That’s in large part because we have two wars and, and in fact the stimulus package. But we got 14 and a half percent in revenues, Charles. That is unsustainable and it’s unacceptable and it’s fundamentally un-American.
Imagine that. People not being taxed more than they currently are is fundamentally un-American.
Would our Founding Fathers agree with Shields's sentiments?
Hardly.
What folks like Franklin, Jefferson, and Madison would say is that almost half of the public not paying taxes while the other half shoulders all the burden is what's un-American.
But liberals like Shields don't see it that way.
For them, taxation is a means to redistribute from those that have to those that don't, a concept our Founding Fathers would have been appalled by.
Of course, one quite imagines Mr. Shields and his accountants do everything in their power to make sure his tax burden is the lowest they can get away with.
I doubt they think that's un-American.
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Comments
Protecting his paycheck
Submitted by locomotivebreath1901 on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 10:03am.
Tax payer funded Liberal agitprop is "fundamentally un-American," Mr. Shields.
But we all understand your motivations, Mr. Shields. You've a paycheck to protect.
Start with yourself Shields
Submitted by hobie on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 10:03am.
You are free to contribute more to the federal government.
You first.
Shields Considers Himself
Submitted by Comrade Jim on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 10:34am.
To be a member of the elite nobility, the new feudal leaders ruling over the serfs. They are the tax collectors not the taxpayers.
Marks right
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 10:06am.
The income tax is unfair. When I was raising my children in the seventies/eighties I had to dig to find my income tax money but now I have younger relatives with children who look forward to tax time because not only do they not pay in but actually are given money from the government. They drive nice cars, live in nice homes but contribute nothing to income tax.
...and they call the money....
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 11:01am.
And 100% of the time, they refer to this money as Getting My Taxes Back!
This is nothing less then a different form of welfare, disguised to make people dependent on the government. Christmas is no longer when big ticket items are purchased for people who get the earned income tax credit. Santa Clause is now the federal government, and he brings vacations, computers, and big screen televisions every tax season.
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
Oops
Submitted by DontFeedTheTrolls on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 1:32pm.
You are right about these government handouts. I always ask first, 'Do you think everyone should pay their fair share?' Liberals always answer 'Yes.'. Then I ask 'What fair share should the poor pay?' No answer.
If you want to be Robin Hood, move to England.
Submitted by Red Jeep on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 10:05am.
Let's make everyone pay taxes, flat tax for all. Give the poor sales tax and sin tax exempt cards.
Robin Hood was ...
Submitted by NL207 on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 11:07am.
stealing from the tax collectors and returning the proceeds to those from whom it had been wrung by force. This is hardly what Shields has in mind.
redefining terms
Submitted by jon_torlin on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 10:12am.
It's crazy how the libs, the commies, the MSM, all those people have been trying to re-define terms of one kind or another.
Take the Libya war, they claim with no boots on the ground(lie of course), there are no hostilities. Or take the health care crap legislation, when Judge Vinson declared it unconstitutional, the Chairman's ilk said "well, he didn't say we COULDN'T do it" which invited the judge's ire. Or the taxes being "investments" or "donations" instead of what it is, taxation that amounts to theft. Or Whoopi saying "it wasn't rape rape," and on and on, you get the idea. Good grief, the list would be far longer than this.
The biggest culprit in all this is of course the MSM as they are the ones that help with the dissemination of the WH's propaganda, in most cases not even questioning what was said and just taking it at face value. Once upon a time, they were relied on to tell the truth, now we can't even rely on them for a weather forecast unless it's global warming/cooling/climate change.
What a mess this is. And this arrogant asshole has the nerve to re-define what American means??
-Jon
jon
Submitted by well99 on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 10:17am.
Good points all.
Oh, please!!
Submitted by motherbelt on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 10:35am.
Shields defining what it is to be "American." I guess paying taxes out the nose is "the American way" right, Mr. Shields??
You're just as "un-American" as the rest of us, and a hypocrite to boot!
You won't pay more unless everyone else does.
You also apparently have no problem with some paying no taxes at all, but those who do, don't pay enough??
Spare us your self-righteous posturing.
The Declaration of Independence
Submitted by iveseenitall on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 11:06am.
The ideas of personal freedom and responsibility are anathema to modern "liberals". Sheilds represents the "thinking" of so many ignorant "liberals" who may never have even read the philosopical and legal grounds upon which America is based. Even if they have, they apparently don't understand them. Heck, they've probably never read the entire Declaration of Independence, which outlines so many of the "tax"grievances our founders had against King George. However, as usual, pathetically un-educated fools have the platform to spew their ignorance. In this case, Sheilds joins the other "genius",Joe Biden, in turning America's "raison d'etre" upside down. "Un-American", Mr. Sheilds? What the hell are you talking about? Do you know anything about America ? I guess you were absent on the one day a year they teach American history in our schools.How sad (and maddening)!
BTW---Two ( three? ) wars and a stimulus package. Maybe THAT is what is "fundamentally un-American", Marky boy!
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal" (progressive)
Freedom and personal liberty....
Submitted by almostacowboy on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 11:11am.
are un-American. [sarc]
Government and Taxes
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 10:57am.
Here's a great quote from David Mamet's new book, The Secret Knowledge: On the Dismantling of American Culture.
"....government and taxes are each the secret name of the other."
I would love to hear this message from every candidate running in the Republican primary.
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
I've been watching this for 40 years now...
Submitted by tvhall on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 11:00am.
And THEY still think we can attain prosperity by sticking our hands deeply into each others pockets!
Disprove every time its tried and ignored, the opposite vindicated and denied,
Idiots abound!
Remind me again. When
Submitted by Jack Bauer on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 11:12am.
Remind me again.
When America was being created, following the Revolutionary War, what was the rate of INCOME TAX at the time?
Oh, THERE WAS NO INCOME TAX in 1790? The first income tax law was enacted in 1862
Really? You don't say?
Sounds then that it is INCOME TAX which is UN-AMERICAN.
All of the above Mr Obama? --- How about ALL OF THE BELOW, instead.
Jack...
Submitted by iveseenitall on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 11:23am.
You sound like a typical "conservative"----bringing "facts" and "truth" into the argument. Shame on you.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal" ( progressive)
Jack it gets even better
Submitted by jkwtrading on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 1:25pm.
Jack
it gets even better Lincoln had a Democrat congress.
When Shields...
Submitted by Tenebrous on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 11:29am.
...is giving everything he can to the feds and it still isn't enough, then I might consider voluntarily following his lead. Until then, he's just another liberal hypocrite.
Visions and Principles blog
One Simple Question
Submitted by Bourbeau on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 11:58am.
One simple question to Mark Shields and Evan Thomas. Have either of you, at any time in the past ten years, offered to pay more income taxes to any goverment entity then you were required to pay.
Here in Massachusetts, you can opt to pay a higher rate of income tax, if you so choose. Every year when this is pointed out, every year they look to see how many taxpayers took option, and every year it is less then 1% of Massachusetts taxapyers. Hmmmmm, and whould you be shocked if I told you that the names Kennedy, Kerry, Frank, Delahunt, Tsongas, et. al. are no where to be found?
You see Messrs Shields and Thomas, you have the option to pay more; as does Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, two of the others that spew this nonsense; yet, at no time has anyone produced a speck of evidence that either has paid more then required.
The fact is talking heads like Shields and Thomas spew this nonssense to make themselves feel good, yet they hire qualified accountants to take advantage of every tax deduction they can muster. And as I say that, here's a thought; why don't Messrs. Shields and Thomas release their tax return so we can see how they angst over taking the deductions they're allowed and whether they've added a few grand to their "taxes owed" line.
Un-American, eh?
Submitted by mustango on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 12:01pm.
"Are you or have you ever been a member of the Tea Party?"
Taxes, Marky?
Submitted by iveseenitall on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 12:02pm.
Oh,Marky--so we're un-American if we don't want to give our hard-earned money for another vacation for Michelle, more foreign "aid", more money to Brazil to drill for oil so we can pay more taxes to buy it from them, more CORRUPT stimulus money, more Congressional "junkits", more welfare, more Congressional gyms where guys like Weiner can expose themselves to young girls, more Ambassadorships for those who contribute to re-election campaigns, more golf games for Barry and Johnny, more health-care and pension packages for government officials and workers, more corporate welfare scams.... more waste than can be listed on the 2700 pages they used for Obamacare.....on and on it goes. Is that the money to which you refer, Marky boy? Who's really "un-American", Marky boy?
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal" ( progressive)
Low taxes is fundamentally Un-American???
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 12:33pm.
This marxist ass should liquidate all his money and give it to the government or shut his pie hole.
Why don't these idiots just move to Europe?
Submitted by krendler on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 12:46pm.
Why don't these idiots just move to Europe? Seems like they'd be a lot happier (at least initially :-) )
What is un-American, comrade Shields, is a personal income tax
Submitted by Dave. on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 1:18pm.
...of any kind.
There is a reason why our founders did not include such a tax in our founding documents.
They understood human nature and thus knew that such a regressive, freedom-destroying tax would very quickly grow to an oppressive level, as well as be used by government to control the behavior of the citizenry.
Once a nation decides government has more of a right to the people's money than the people do, as ours did with the passage of the 16th Amendment, it's days are pretty much numbered.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
16th Amendment
Submitted by HardRightTurn on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 2:08pm.
So, America was Un-American until February 3, 1913 when the federal government was authorized to collect income taxes under progressive President Wilson.
__________________________________________________________________________
To more fully comprehend the Left, one must read “Leftism As Psychopathy” by John Ray, M.A., Ph.D. Caution, it might scare you a little bit.
http://jonjayray.tripod.com/psycho.html
Not Even Then Since Tax Rates Were a Fraction Of Today's
Submitted by Avitar on Sun, 06/19/2011 - 4:59am.
It was not until Willson got the USA into the WWI on the side of the agressors, kicked taxes to the sky and closed Republican Newspapers that Mark Shield's America was created.
Mark Shields is probably dreaming about the nineteen fifties when dispite controlling over half of the world's remaining industrial plant the high tax rates still plunged the US into three recessions.
America's technology was poring out across every border but to the liberals 1955 was "My Favorite Year" (Mine too I was born but it does not look good in retrospect for the country.)
Shields
Submitted by HockeyKid on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 4:17pm.
wouldn't know history if they tattooed the Constitution on the inside of his eyelids.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
Mr. Shields, you sir, are an Un-American scumbag
Submitted by djwolf12 on Sat, 06/18/2011 - 10:25pm.
There, I feel better now. Seriously, didn't these same people (including Hillary's shrill speech about dissent being patriotic) claim that it is unpatriotic to call people and actions unpatriotic in 2003? I guess it only applies to Democraps.
Higher taxes
Submitted by wingnut55 on Sun, 06/19/2011 - 12:03am.
If Shields feels that the taxes are too low, then he shouldn't take so many deductions and maybe chip in more of his money into the government. Why should I chip in more let him do it. He makes more money than I do. Set an example for all those who think taxes should be higher and give more of his money to the U.S. treasury. Don't punish me for his lack of not giving enough money to taxes.
What Star does Mr. Shield's America Circle?
Submitted by Avitar on Sun, 06/19/2011 - 4:40am.
He can’t move to Europe even they are not that far from reality.
Why is he still on TV? Somebody this delusional is clearly contrary to the public interest and the station should be shuttered as per the FCC authorization law.
Absurd
Submitted by Student1776 on Sun, 06/19/2011 - 10:19am.
When you review all levels and focus on percent of income actually paid into government at all levels not nominal rates (inaccurate because of deductions), Americans are paying the highest percent of their income into government than we have at any time in our history. The fact that Shields made such a stupid statement BUT did so on a publicly financed propaganda network - something earlier generations of Americans would NEVER have seen as a legitimate function of government - says it all. The left is all misrepresentation and propaganda all the time.
PBS
Submitted by jessieH on Sun, 06/19/2011 - 11:04am.
Another reason to pull their license. They are really stupid.
I agree 250%, JessieH.
Submitted by djwolf12 on Sun, 06/19/2011 - 1:32pm.
PBS (Propaganda Bull S**t) still runs documentaries on how Jimmy Carter was just "misunderstood" by the American People, and believe that Pete Seeger is still relevent.
Conservative Actions in 2013:
Repeal Communist Care
Repeal PBS.
Hope/Sanity 2012
Like 1984 without Reagan
Submitted by Lee.Metford on Sun, 06/19/2011 - 8:31pm.
If someone is gaving out Winston Smith awards, it should go to Shields for performances like this.
flat sales tax-
Submitted by JIMMY1660 on Sun, 06/19/2011 - 9:42pm.
that would be paid on everthing but food and medical.
that way everyone pays-
now 40+% do not pay Federal Taxes how can that be.
The guy should state his income-and tell us how much more he wants to pay.
i want to pay less-
however no matter how much is collected Congress will spend that and more
liberals are nitwits
To paraphrase Enyigo(?)
Submitted by ant on Sun, 06/19/2011 - 11:26pm.
To paraphrase Enyigo(?) Montoya from the movie "The Princess Bride"; " I don't think fundamentally means what you think it means."
The Historical FACT
Submitted by Russian55 on Mon, 06/20/2011 - 9:31am.
In 1775, the average American colonist earned about 10 times MORE than his counterpart in Great Britain and paid about one-fourth what that British subject in England paid in taxes.
Why? Because he received less in services from the government.
Yes, our taxes are too low -- but only if what we want is a "Nanny state" that provides us with all those services: Government health care, government retirement PENSIONS (not the Social Security safety net, but an actual Pension), government welfare, etc.
This is NOT what most Americans want, IMHO.
So we should start CUTTING government, so we can cut taxes.
I believe in Reagan's program, lowering taxes from a certain point increases revenue -- but that is not an absolute. If it were, eliminating taxes would put revenues at infinity. We need to first CUT the wasteful programs that are making so many Americans dependent on a government check.
We also need to eliminate governmental Unions that sap money away from taxpayers. Unions were supposed to be a check on the "greedy capitalist" from giving them poor wages and conditions (we have laws to do that now) to enhance profits. The government makes no profits! Why do they need unions to protect government workers?
---
Those who beat their swords into plowshares will end up plowing for those who kept their swords in the first place!
Why? Because he received less
Submitted by Jack Bauer on Wed, 07/13/2011 - 7:56am.
Why? Because he received less in services from the government.
I don't disagree with your paen to conservatism, but...
Sorry, in 1775, Britons received NOTHING from the government. I don't know where you get that analogy from, but it's not based on fact.
All of the above Mr Obama? --- How about ALL OF THE BELOW, instead.
Who watches his guy anymore?
Submitted by Olivia Smith on Wed, 07/13/2011 - 6:31am.
Who watches his guy anymore? I mean really. I wonder how it feels to be on a losing team, knowing it is a losing team, knowing the rest of the industry knows it is a losing team and having to grin your way through it to get that paycheck? It’s kind of like an unemployed executive working at Wal-Mart to keep up cash advance flow. Then there is the 43% of our taxpayers who pay no federal income tax? How do they fit into the picture Shields? If they paid their half of the the 12.4% guess what I would be paying? If they paid their 12.4% and I continued to pay my 12.4% that would equal the GDP spending rate of 25%. When President John F Kennedy first proposed cutting Income Taxes, the Republicans correctly argued that the economy would be destabilized by the cost of war or emergency. America-loving conservative thinkers like Nixon, Goldwater and Eisenhower were wise enough to realize that paying for wars and security cost money; and they felt national infrastructure had to be paid for by usage fees.
Spam & eggs for breakfast.
Submitted by SickofLibs on Wed, 07/13/2011 - 7:28am.
.
I'll have the Lobster
Submitted by Jack Bauer on Wed, 07/13/2011 - 7:51am.
I'll have the Lobster Thermidor aux crevettes with a Mornay sauce, served in a Provençale manner with shallots and aubergines, garnished with truffle pate, brandy and a fried egg on top. And Spam.
All of the above Mr Obama? --- How about ALL OF THE BELOW, instead.
Bon Matin Jack
Submitted by cocodrie on Wed, 07/13/2011 - 8:59am.
Commandez un ecrevisse dans sauce picante sur riz.
Jesus Loves You so much He died for you