Cat Food vs. Tip Money Is Not A Balanced Approach

We won't get anywhere near "balance" until the motherfucking rich have paid back the tens of trillions of dollars they have stolen from the middle class and poor over the last 30 years.

Then we can talk about "shared sacrifice."  But not until.

Digby:

But it's the second half that really gets me and always has --- the idea that asking wealthy people to pay some more in taxes is somehow equivalent to taking money out of the hands of people who have basically nothing. It's in no way equivalent. Giving up a thousand dollars a year really is a sacrifice -- it's a painful reduction in their ability to live in dignity. Asking a millionaire to pay a few thousand more in taxes is completely meaningless. It's not a "sacrifice" its a tip.

I cannot understand why so many Americans accept this formula. No, cutting the meager benefits of people who are barely getting by is simply not "balanced" by taxing millionaires. If it is, the whole concept of shared sacrifice is turned on its head.

Anyway, we've featured this video on the blog before, but I think it's a good idea to feature it again in this context:

Ask yourself if it makes sense to ask some of the most vulnerable populations, people who are living on very little money, to cut back in exchange for something from people whose accountants will barely even notice. It's a very sad comment on our values and priorities.