About Paul Krugman

First; Krugman has always been fronting for Hillary Clinton, he is an ardent Hillary supporter, so I'm not surprised his analysis never goes much towards liberalism than what Hillary would... to me it looks pretty obvious Krugman is fronting for Hillary knowing that Obama is likely a one-term President. Krugman is not going to prepare the political soil for someone the stature of a George McGovern--- an honest progressive nor for a true liberal. It's not only Krugman, but he is kind of the leader of this grouping that wants to assure the election of Roosevelt without a Frances Perkins, Henry Wallace and Harry Hopkins... most importantly without a huge, angry people's movement that is militant and organized for real change... the Krugman crowd is carefull not to help create another governor someplace like a Floyd B. Olson who might rise to challenge Hillary after a first term.

On the Social Security tax and Medicare taxes being regressive. I kind of consider any tax that isn't an income tax as regressive; but, it really is too much to expect that working people would have thee universal programs in this kind of system without "self-financing" them, isn't it?

We could have a National Public Health Care System without any fees or charges for less than what the Social Security tax is; paid for just like Social Security... wouldn't this be a lot better for most people who cannot afford high premiums and out of pocket payments for health care? an't we look upon these insurance premiums as a more regressive tax?

Here is the way I look at it, maybe I am wrong, but we live in the wealthiest country in the world (or at least a country where a very few people at the top have complete control over the life of our country by virtue of owning the means of production where working people produce this wealth); the richest country any way you look at it so we should bring forward demands for universal social programs like with health care, child care, good public transportation--- all pretty much for free and advocate that these things be paid for by ending the wars and slashing military spending and taxing the rich--- the real filthy rich--- and corporate profits, after all the most progressive tax is placed closest to wealth creation... but, we should always leave the option of people self-financing these things so in the course of struggles for these things people themselves can decide how they want to go forward once it is clear the concepts and ideas for such programs gain widespread public support.

We most likely wouldn't have Social Security today if Frances Perkins would have continued to insist on a progressive system of financing it as she originally had. And people seemed willing to settle for this "regressive" payroll tax. People also "settle" for the most regressive tax of all for funding public schools--- the property tax which hits working people the hardest and continues hitting them even harder as this recession/depression deepens.

Let's have a broad discussion about all of this; a discussion Paul Krugman and his middle class intellectuals will never initiate since it looks like we will more than likely see some kind of challenge to Obama in the upcoming Primary.

If someone would buy me a Greyhound ticket I would ride the dog from city to city the next two years challenging Obama's ideas myself; maybe I should consider walking :)

Alan