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Parsing Republican economic rhetoric these days is almost as difficult as trying to determine the likelihood of Mitt Romney's presidential nomination. The constant trickle-down propaganda for less taxation of the wealthy has hit shitstorm proportions. Don't tax small business! It's the engine of economic growth! Taxing the job creators will disincent them from creating jobs!
No, what disincents small business from creating jobs right now is not the threat of raising the top tax bracket by 4% to Clinton era levels. It's the lack of consumer demand and the decline in economic growth not just domestically but abroad... not to mention the impending collapse of the euro. It is pure mythology to assert that a modest increase in taxes will kill economic growth and send the nation on the path to a Socialist regime. Income tax rates have been substantially higher, up to 90%, and were in effect during some of the greatest boom times of this nation's history. I am by no means advocating a 90% tax rate, but I do advocate some restoration of fiscal sanity... i.e. raising taxes at the top by a small amount in order to pay down deficits without having to slash important social programs for those most in need.
How did the party that holds the mantle of fiscal responsibility so high become blind to the cognitive dissonance of simultaneously cutting taxes (revenue) while cutting deficits (debt)? This philosophy of voodoo economics was put forth by Reagan, but notably decried by Bush I. Grover Norquist, the founder of Americans for Tax Reform, has run with Reaganomics ever since, and made it his life's mission to keep any legislator from ever raising taxes for any reason. He's the guy you can thank for the debt ceiling clusterfuck.
Back to "job creators." Many of these mythologized small businesses are in fact 1 person sole proprietors who employ no one other than the owner, e.g. doctors, lawyers, bloggers... (Heh. ) Over 21 million of 27 million small businesses in 2009 census data fit that description. So let's please drop this whole "small businesses are the job creators" farce. Yes, many small businesses do employ, but many go out of business, quickly taking any nominal amount of jobs they create with them. Think local restaurant or trendy boutique. When economists or politicians speak of "job creators," they would have you believe that every burgeoning small business is the next Google, whose growth we will kill if we raise the top marginal tax rate. This argument is simply new rhetoric for an old ruse... tricking the public into believing that lowering the tax burden for the very wealthiest will benefit everyone else. The 'trick' of trickle-down economics is making people believe in financial unicorns.
shttp://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/i-am-a-job-creator-who-creates-no...
More Small Business Myths
Submitted by nobody on
The biggest myth is that they are somehow independent of big business, and are the engines of the economy. It's nonsense.
It seems like most "small businesses" either sell the products or services of big businesses (food, insurance, software), or sell things to big businesses or people who make the big bucks at big businesses (consulting, project management, car washes, catering, expensive restaurants, temp agencies). If it's not big business that's the client, then it's government. Also, there are small businesses that are basically formed to help comply with laws... so they're re-selling the government.
Engines
Submitted by Lady Libertine on
Yes, nobody, part of my argument is that Small Business (aka Job Creators) is not necessarily the engine of growth of the economy. This is evidenced by Census numbers that reveal that more than 75% of small businesses are 1 man shops (21 million of 27 million).
Thanks for your comments.
L.L.
For Fook Sake, Are you crazy? Plumbers, carpenters, electricians
Submitted by alhs06 on
The banks aren't lending money to help support small business, that is a fact, that's what kills small business.
For Fook Sake, Are you crazy? Plumbers, carpenters, electricians, mason, mechanical- heat & air, engineers, architects every other phase of construction. Rental companies, mechanics, vets, barber shop's, furniture stores, etc etc etc
I sure hope I misunderstood your post, and it wasn't as remarkably ignorant as I comprehended it to be?!
Plumbers et al.
Submitted by Lady Libertine on
I don't know of many plumbers that make $250k +. The article is pointing out the stats: over 21 million of 27 million small business owners are 1 man shops. That's a pretty big number-- more than 75%. Those shops you mention fall into that other 6 milion, but again, many of these are marginal businesses that realistically will never fall into the highest income bracket.
There are people who do
Submitted by nobody on
There are people who do residential plumbing, electrical, masonry, etc. but except for the really cheap one-person operations (who I barely consider small businesses) all seek out work from government and businesses with fairly large budgets.
Only those who are fairly affluent hire architects and engineers.
Mechanics service objects created by big business. Vets sell medicines made by big business. Same for most furniture shops. These small businesses wouldn't exist without the big businesses making the products to sell. The more boutique custom furniture makers sell at pretty high prices to the middle and upper-middle class -- see who they work for.
Barbers - that's a small business that basically services everyone. You got me there.
all seek out work from government, you really are Ignorant.
Submitted by alhs06 on
I certainly hope your under 20 years old, & your post is made out of ignorance, which can be corrected. Instead of being over 20 where it was made out of Stupidity, & unfortunately there is no remedy for. It would also mean I am wasting my time with you. Try building a carport without a permit Sherlock, try getting a permit without a drawing/plan, try getting an approved permit without a stamped engineered drawing. Any work performed on "Real Property" needs a permit, legally. Only affluent people build carports, add a sub panel, add a skylight or new window, re-roof etc etc etc. I know a little about construction, my Dad got me into it back in 69, when I was 11. Most contractors will not do PW projects, most contractors have 3 or more employees. I believe your thinking of a "Handy Man".
Again I say, I certainly hope your under 20 years old, & your post is made out of ignorance, which can be corrected. Instead of being over 20 where it was made out of Stupidity, & unfortunately there is no remedy for. It would also mean I am wasting my time with you.
God I hope your just a youngster.
I'm middle aged. If you don
Submitted by nobody on
I'm middle aged. If you don't see the integration between large and small businesses, you're not getting my point. It's the first sentence of the post - there's a myth that small businesses are not integrated with big business.
you're not getting my point.
Submitted by alhs06 on
Yes I am, getting your point.
Instead of maybe taking a step back to reassess & rethink what you posted, then maybe admit your points may be flawed. You let your ego or possibly a fear that people may not think your smart if you admit your thought is wrong, rule over you. To bad, because you will never learn anything if you can't first learn that you can be wrong @ times. Especially when being corrected by someone with exhaustive experience on the subject, 42 years worth, as well as my Grandpa, Uncles, cousin's & Dad all @ one time or another running a small business, as well as countless friends & acquaintances. None of us are/were anymore beholding to, or more a part of big business than anybody else. But we did keep, family, friends & a few others with a weekly pay check. BTW none of us got rich, as a matter of fact.
And FYI, even the Barber has to buy his scissors & razors & shampoo's from somebody, he/she doesn't create any of it in the garage after hour's.
LADY LIBERTINE, YOU ROCK.
Submitted by Weekend Warrior on
Sorry you had to bear the ire of those who still believe in this trickle-down bullshit (which has been repackaged for this depression as “Libertarian economics").
When you dare to suggest that government’s trying to help the little guy once in a while might be a good thing, you strike at the very core of these forum trolls’ faith-based economics. These “free market” types religiously believe in the infallibility of the “invisible hand,” the great God of the ancient Agora market. To them, His wisdom is the only thing that should decide rewards and punishments in society. It is mine, it is yours, or you have nothing, because it pleases Him. Reward the tycoon billions for his hedge-fund bets but pay peanuts to the person who taught the tycoon to read. It is all good, because it is His will, which must never be doubted by mere mortals. Should one man have 1000 mansions, but another live in street, it is His will. Public-minded people who would use government to change His will are really the devil’s minions. For any attempts to alter His will are abominations, and these shall be certainly followed by a multitude of plagues upon the people.
This is what followers of this religion believe as devoutly as any followers of Islam. It helps many a rich asshole sleep well at night, and pacifies all those who hope someday to strike it rich by bringing pleasing sacrifices to this false god. In this scheme, prophets known as “Job Creators” are the Lord’s own chosen people. They make everything; the rest of us mortals are only their tools and raw material.
Thanks for helping to change this “Job Creator” narrative that has dominated our economic thought for 30 years up until the day OWS was born. In truth, jobs do not need to be created. There are already plenty of jobs that need to be done. The problem is that no one wants to pay people to do them, and no one can work for free. Does anyone really believe that there is just not enough work for people to do? For God’s sake, there’s a new infrastructure to build. We need to provide healthcare for every single person. We must house our homeless. Our country is in danger of becoming a race of ignoramuses; we need more schools, teachers, buildings, universities, and medical schools. We have an environment to fix. Science must be nurtured, and new energy sources must be developed. We have space to conquer, God damn it. With so much to be done, there should be a labor shortage, not unemployment. WTF.
Yet, we are paralyzed. For the last 30 years, we have bought into this myth of the divine right of the one percent, and we have let the one percent use this myth to gain possession of the great wealth created with everyone’s labor during that time. We have been afraid even to ask the holy “Job Creators” to chip in for a few lousy taxes just to pay for our skimpy social safety net and the wars they started.
Thanks, Lady Libertine, for helping dispelling these obnoxious myths and changing the conversation. That these myths are banished back into the abyss of the lunatic right-wing fringe, along with the myth of the divine right of kings, is my fondest dream. That is where they lived before the rise of the Reaganoids, and that is where they belong now.
Tom Burns, raroof3@gmail.com
Many Thanks
Submitted by Lady Libertine on
Thank you, Tom. Much of my work of late has been about economic myth and the deification of Reaganomics. As an undergraduate business major in entrepreneurship, I understand the underpinnings of our capitalist system-- I studied under a former Federal Reserve Chairman of the Atlanta Fed. As a firsthand witness to the events of 9/11, I also understand capitalism's byproducts. I was on my way to class in Lower Manhattan that fateful day, and have been changed forever since.
I create the graphics and blogs myself for my own website www.ladylibertine.net. You can also follow me on twitter @ladylibertine27. I look forward to continued dialogue.
L.L.
lolcats
Submitted by nobody on
This is interesting - I was just listening to the Stack Exchange podcast interviewing Dave Winer, and someone said that there are a lot of good things that can be done, but a lot of smart people are wasting their time doing LOLCats or other entertainment crap.
To Attack Small Business & it's Role to Employ Others is Stupid
Submitted by alhs06 on
To Attack Small Business & it's Role to Employ Others is Stupidity beyond the most ignorant comment's I have ever heard or read. The Thread Submitted by Lady Libertine on Fri, 11/18/2011 - 10:19am, shows her/his separation from reality & their unstable frolic in the drug induced or the foggy propaganda world she/he describes.
Well WeWar, you are partially right about the pitfalls of Reaganomics, in removing the mental health shelters from those who really needed them, like some of the delusional who participate via this particular social medium.
But as I'm prone to say, as I stare @ my reflection in the mirror "Sanity is Over Rated"
In Reply
Submitted by Lady Libertine on
Alsoh6, I would greatly appreciate it if you would refrain from name-calling, and if you could take more care in your grammar and punctuation. I hold a bachelor's degree in business, specifically in entrepreneurship. I am a small business owner, myself, though I employ no one other than myself.
I am not attacking small-business, rather pointing out the propaganda campaign waged by the Right in deifying it. You obviously cannot understand the thrust of my argument, so you call me and others ignorant or egotistical. Please take the time to reconsider your own arguments and their validity beyond your own ego.
Best,
L.L.
Lady Libertine Uh...Duh! How be me grammar now? LMFAOAY
Submitted by alhs06 on
Since when has a common courtesy such as respect been attributed to deifying?
Your comments, thoughts & opinion is worse than my grammar.
You are a propagandist pointing a finger @ others to stir up dissension & remove any attention from your own poisonous agenda.
A bachelors in business? What a waste, but that's just my opinion, Einstein.
LMFAOAY = laughing my fucking ass off at you
You're misreading me - I'm
Submitted by nobody on
You're misreading me - I'm not saying small business is beholden to big business. I'm saying that small business is very integrated with big business. The problem is that people are resistant to that idea.
Small construction companies absolutely depend on big business for things like equipment, technology, and building materials. They depend on the government for codes, and even training at some trade schools.
For a long time small business has been used as a buffer between big business and the government, specifically in government regulation. Small business has also been used to justify exploitation.
We need to get beyond that old propaganda. I'm attacking it not just because it's false, but because a lot of progressives have drunk this Kool Ade as well - look at the trendyness of buying local, buying small, etc. It's at a fever pitch nowadays. I'm not immune to it either. I've done many years of 1099 work. I've patronized small businesses thinking I'm doing something great.
I'm not saying these aren't good things to do - but that we need to get beyond equating these work and shopping decisions with anything much larger. I need to finish this up later, but I hope I'm making sense here.
"Flaming" a common problem on website forums
Submitted by Lee on
I think the Occupy movement is more threatened by internal conflict and bad feelings than it is by Homeland security. So thats why I am asking that we all, including alhs06 and me, try to imagine a person behind the posts that is part of the 99% and whose participation we therefore want to respect and encourage, even if we disagree with that person or would probably never be a good friend of that person. Everybody, including each of us, has faults and strengths just like any human being, so even if the posts seem to reflect their greatest shortcomings, we really need to combine our strengths if we want to win. Peace! sisters and brothers of the 99%! I don't mean this in a sanctimonious way--I made this kind of mistake at Occupy LA two days ago. Someone yelled at me and I yelled right back, contributing to the more dysfunctional than "beloved" community at the South steps. If I couldn't dissuade him from yelling, I could at least have just walked away!
Leone
Flaming" a common problem on website forums, concur & apologies
Submitted by alhs06 on
Lee,
Your words of wisdom rang true, & clear enough to help me shake off my overall frustration with thought that I don't agree with.
sincere thanks' Lee my Bro!
My apologies to LadyLib, nobody (who is somebody) & WeWar ...Shalom (שָׁלוֹם)
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