Don Bowman

 

OPINION:

I cannot believe, after successive presidency’s reflecting both supposed political ideologies and party’s, that anyone is still buying into the right vs. left, Republican vs. Democrat, liberal vs. conservative, BS. And it is BS.

Playing on, at times, extreme religious beliefs, or manufactured propaganda meant to frighten you in to accepting another war of aggression, or professed moral righteousness, we are encouraged to vote for one party or the other. Along with the tossing about of the words socialism and communism and the chronic hysteria that accompanies those words, many of us are convinced that our votes really matter or that things will actually change as a result. Actually, they do change…they always get worse. Makes no difference which wing of the this one party system you vote for.

Combining church and state?

We have a 1st amendment prohibiting that and for good reason.

Let me say that the lunacy emanating from churches in today’s world is enough to make a rational, reasonable man’s head explode. When I see blanket statements such as “Democrats hate Conservatives and Christians”…Really?? Really America? How many of you actually believe that? Or how about, “conservatives hate Democrats and they are satanists?” Are you really that easily manipulated and stupid? But if you need one, the barrage of idiotic religious drivel from either side of this combination of church and state, or, the lack thereof, is really obnoxious.

That’s Socialism! That’s Socialism!

First, let’s clear one thing up right off the bat! America is in no danger of becoming a socialist or communist nation. We are heading full steam ahead into a total fascist state. Fascism is the corporate takeover of government. And, if you have been paying any attention at all, you know there is an attempt to privatize every so-called “government agency” that hasn’t been corporately consumed as of yet. But while this conversion to corporate government is being assembled, propagandists, including main stream media, consistently screech hysterically about socialism and communism. Are you scared yet???? Apparently many of you are as you are parroting the same nonsense at the top of your lungs.

So let me ask you….How is fascism working out for you? Consider this: 60 profitable Fortune 500 companies paid no taxes on a total of $79 billion of profits earned in 2018 and got a net tax REBATE (REFUND) of 4.3 Billion. And guess who picked up the tab for this government largess for corporations? YOU DID! I did and so did everyone you know working a 9-5 job along with part time employees. Corporations might have been taxed at 38% but they never paid anywhere near that rate. With loopholes, step-ups and step-downs, and the ability to defer up to 78% of their real income and claim only 22 % of net profits subject to taxes, the actual rate was more like 5.5% marginal. Now, the rate is so low more than 60% of all corporations pay no taxes at all but get nice hefty refunds on the taxes they never paid. Figure it out for yourself.

And what does the government do when they need to cover up the loss of revenues in the billions and they need to make it appear that somehow these giant tax breaks actually worked? They steal the money from the Social Security surplus and pay bills with that, and for some reason any deductions you might have been allowed on your tax bill just mysteriously disappear. They also take money that is collected for various other defunct “Trust” funds, like highways and roads, and use that to shore up the massive losses in revenue due to these privileged tax cuts.

Have you heard even one main stream media talking head even mention the word fascism? No? How about your favorite politician? Nothing there either from what I can see. Of course they have little reason to mention it and they are most likely too busy investing in those same companies and increasing their own portfolio’s.

Why at this point in time, after all we have endured at the hands of an ever expanding and tyrannical government that grows in size and overreach each day, are you stil buying into this false paradigm? The real split is between “us” and “them”. And as a good friend said, “Us” is losing.” It is imperative they keep the public fighting over BS that does not matter and seldom has any basis in fact. If you stopped attacking one another and turned your attention toward what is actually happening that is going to affect you directly no matter how you identify yourself, we might stand a chance. But …I have little hope that will happen. The public is too well conditioned and trained.

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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2018-taxes-some-of-americas-biggest-companies-paid-little-to-no-federal-income-tax-last-year/

60 of America’s biggest companies paid no federal income tax in 2018

Big companies have long relied on strategies to reduce their tax bills. But the new tax law is making it even easier, with a new analysis finding that 60 profitable Fortune 500 companies paid no taxes on a total of $79 billion of profits earned in 2018.

The companies, which include tech giants such as Amazon and Netflix, should have paid a collective $16.4 billion in federal income taxes based on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s 21 percent corporate tax rate, according to the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Instead, these corporations received a net tax rebate of $4.3 billion. The analysis is based on the corporations’ annual financial reports, which were filed earlier this year to report their 2018 results.

Happy Tax Day: Here Are 60 Giant Corporations That Paid Less in Taxes Than You Did

http://money.com/money/5641759/tax-day-2019-amazon-netflix-pay-no-taxes/

As ITEP explains it, they use a wide variety of tax breaks to avoid federal income taxes and maximize their opportunities for receiving tax rebates and credits. Among the strategies are fossil fuel and alternative energy tax subsidies, tax credits for research and development and other investments, accelerated depreciation use for writing off capital investments, and deductions from giving out stock options to executives.