Avenge estate tax repeal
We're approaching May, which in modern America means one thing. The arrival of this year's blockbuster big budget movies based on—comic books. This now-entrenched cultural reality somehow reminds me of Max Von Sydow's raging intellectual in the Woody Allen film Hannah and Her Sisters, when he thunders to his wife, Barbara Hershey, as he surfs through the channels, “Imagine the level of a mind that watches wrestling!”
So we see that the mighty Avengers are about to do battle with some dude named Ultron. As always, the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. Fine. Yawn. Zzzzzzz. Tell you what, wake me up when the Avengers take on somebody really dangerous. Like those effing bleeping Tea-bagging House Republicans.
Those relentless numbskulls are unparalleled in finding new ways to put bumblebees in my briefs. Their latest antic, a vote of 240-179 to repeal the federal estate tax, shows us yet again who really pulls their strings. Can you say Plutocracy? And no, I'm not talking about Mickey Mouse's dog!
Democrats quite rightly point out that a repeal of the estate tax is just another way for Republicans to plant nice, juicy hickeys on the buns of the 1 Percent. Actually, it's an even more select group of Pebble Beach residents who would benefit from such a measure, more like .2 percent of the population. And yet, by removing the estate tax from the books, the federal treasury would lose out on an estimated $270 billion over the next ten years. This is because, in case you forgot, the 1 percent now controls 40 percent of the wealth in our country. Which sets the stage for some gigonderous inheritances.
But gee, I guess 40 percent just isn't quite enough. So we get this sickening charade in Washington. Instead of doing something constructive with their time, like create a jobs bill or an infrastructure bill or a stop our elections from becoming bottomless Dumpsters of cash bill, we see House Republicans hustling up this gratuitous repeal that's nothing more than another way to lick the Guccis of their wealthy masters. File this madness right alongside the House refusal to end federal subsidies of billions to the oil industry.
Here's how the estate tax works. Let's say your dad invented chipotle mayonnaise. He croaks, and leaves you, his only heir, an estate valued at $9.34 million. Under the current estate tax, the first $5.34 million is exempt. Untouchable. No tax. That leaves you with $4 million exposed to Uncle Sam. The current rate is 40 percent. So you would write a check to the IRS for $1.6 mill, and roll on down the ha-ha highway with a haul of $7.74 million. What exactly is the problem here? I mean, talk about a win-win, fercrissake. Be a respectful citizen, a gracious trustafarian, write the fucking check, and STFU!
Thank god we have a president who will veto this POS as soon as it lands on his desk.