As Benjamin Franklin is to have said, "We have a republic, if we can keep it." The extent to which this republic would advance the promise of democracy (i.e., equality of opportunity) has from the very beginning encountered deep opposition by a privileged elite. The evidence was first presented by the historian Frederick Jackson Turner and political economist Henry George in the late 19th century. With the end of the frontier era, they both wrote, the existence of "haves" and "have nots" became a permanent condition, although movement in each direction still occurred. Charles Beard documented the origins of this systemic inevitability in his book "An Economic Interpretation of the U.S. Constitution," noting that only the elite were represented at the Constitutional Convention. In the mid-1960s, another historian, Jackson Turner Main, examined wealth ownership in the mid-18th century and discovered that already much of the wealth held was inherited rather than earned.

Social democracy and what in the United States is best described as "liberalism" kept a lid on the extremes until the emergence of the conservative right that ushered Ronald Reagan into the Presidency. We have from that time on been on a path whereby our systems of property law and taxation have exacerbated an already seriously unjust redistribution of income and wealth from producers to those who enjoy "rentier" privilege.

We do need real tax reform, but the package now advanced will achieve an even more rapid acceleration of income and wealth concentration at the top. We need to shift the source of public revenue from the taxation of earned income, from actual capital goods (i.e, buildings, machinery, technologies) and commerce and onto unearned income and what are wrongly classified as "capital gains." Actual capital goods do not appreciate in value over time. Gains on the sale of assets such as land, commodities and financial instruments should be taxed at least as high as any other source of income.

Ideally, public revenue should come from ground rents and economic rents, meaning the potential annual rental value of locations, of tracts of agricultural and mineral-laden lands, of the broadcast spectrum, of licenses granted to extract resources from the seas and oceans, and other natural assets with an inelastic supply (one important example being take-off and landing slots at airports).

Edward J. Dodson, Director

School of Cooperative Individualism

www.cooperative-individualism.org

How good would it be if cities and towns could fight back by 'eminient domaining' the internet providers telephone poles and cables on OUR sidewallks, streets, air space. - OR - Use local zoning or bylaws to stipulate conditions for using OUR streets sidewalks and airspace

Good work Diane "Pussy Hat" Chelsea Clinton Reynolds, now you only have about 2000 more of Trump's reported lies to find apologies for. But of course the main difference between these news outlets and Trump and Fox news is that they will actually report their errors and make apologies. Trump and Fox news, not so much!

Benito Mussolini said, "Fascism should really be called corporatism, since it is the melding of corporation and state." I've been calling this fascism since Citizens United gave corporations 'persons' our constitutional rights and made money = speech.

The quotes from German citizens gave me chills. It's hard to believe, as a first time commenter, how many American citizens are content with this state of affairs, and actively defending it.

#7 Kend, If Trump was the slightest bit interested in "higher wages for workers" why did he hire 70 foreign workers at Mar a Lago?

If he wanted to give "higher wages for workers" why does he not start with the minimum wage that has not been increased since 2009?

Why is it that these trolls come on this site and complain about fake news and have nothing to back it up with. Yet they vote for a President that lies 5 times a day on average.

What I think about your article? It's true: we're already there! I warned people before the election last November that this creature in the Whitehouse is the epitome of fascism and that we are heading into Hitler times again, this time in the United States. And I predict that he will propell us into World War III. He should never have been selected!

Trump calls it fake news because it is. It is unbelievable how many times news programs have to apologize for the lies they have told. To compare Trump to Nazi Germans is honestly about the lowest Thom has gone. The only thing Hilter and Trump have in common is they both wanted higher wages for workers.

Diane Cha Ching: Why don't you put forth some effort and explain why you stand against the will of the vast majority of citizens in this country. Go ahead and defend Crooked Donny and your Kochpublican Party.

Lets have a debate over established facts and truth, things like McConnell filbustering Democratic Party legislation to end tax breaks for companies shipping jobs overseas, Trump fake University, trickle down economics, the list is endless...take your pick, but no alternative facts allowed.

beepbeep - your nature is nasty, cruel, thoughtless, inconsiderate, inhuman

We are aliens... where do you come from?

beepbeep... nasty piece of work that

Reading the reactions to the end of Net Neutrality, this may be the end of the Republican Fascist Party. They certainly do not represent the people. I cannot wait until 11/18 to vote them out.

Because I live in a very rural area I pay $59.99 per month for internet. Not to mention what I pay for a cell phone. This morning on local tv news they did a local poll on Net Neutrality. 78% wanted it to stay the way that it is 10% did not know what Net Neutrality is.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_in_South_Korea