The ACLU or some similar organization should start filing criminal changes in state-level courts (which Trump can't pardon) against the "swamp creatures" in his cabinet who are CLEARLY guilty of quid-pro-corruption!

Donald Trump (and most self-proclaimed "conservatives") believe in the sanctity of property on the assertion that all income and wealth obtained is earned by its recipient. The fact that this is not the case, that our systems of property law and taxation have since the very founding of this country favored income and wealth derived from speculation and monopoly privilege is an issue deemed too controversial to be publicly discussed.

We forget that our laws and many public policies are traced to the laws that governed the British people, laws enacted by a small minority who comprised (and still comprise) an aristocratic landed elite. The framers of the U.S. Constitution were very much of the same background and position in society. The historian Jackson Turner Main provided the details in his 1965 study, "The Social Structure of Revolutionary America." Even by the mid-1700s the land with the original 13 colonies was controlled by a relatively small number of families. George Washington became (directly and as principle of several land speculation enterprises) the largest individual landowner of his era. Charles Beard provided more evidence in his controversial dissertation "An Economic interpretation of the Constitution of the United States."

The passage of the 16th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was championed by reformers as a way to publicly collect some portion of income derived from the private collection of rents on land and from gains on the sale of land. The basis for a progressively higher rate of taxation on higher incomes is that the higher the income the less is earned in the form of wages or even returns to the ownership of actual capital goods (i.e., buildings, machinery, technologies) and more is derived from passive investments and speculations. Of course, over time, the taxation of rent-derived income and gains on the sale of land (and financial instruments) has been constantly weakened by lobbyists amply rewarded by a rentier interests.

What actual tax reform would look like is quite different from what is embraced by either conservatives or progressives, however. The key to a just system of public revenue is to recognize that the private appropriation of land rents and other monopoly rents (e.g., from the broadcast spectrum, licenses to extract resources of all kinds, or even take-off and landing slots at airports) amounts to a redistribution of wealth from society to individuals. The value of nature's assets are determinated not by anything an individual holder does or does not do but by aggregate demand and by the societal investment in infrastructure that provides or improves access to locations and to resources. As Henry George, among others, argued, rents are the rightful property of the community or society. Collect rents and there would be no need for confiscatory taxation of legitimate private property and earned incomes. Anyone really interested in tax reforms that will yield both justice and economic efficiency would benefit by reading what Henry George had to say on the subject.

Sounds like many of you malcontent leftie/socialists are starting to grasp what I have been saying for over a year.

Put down your teddy bear and venture out of your safe space.

I'm not kidding, reliable word is out, TRUMP IS NOT A REPUBLICAN!

Outback: In reference to yesterdays reply.....Obviously I'd love to see Bernie and fellow progressives as a majority power laying the groundwork for good government, the sort our founders and enlightenment thinkers envisioned. Whether it's with a third party or a takeover of the current Democratic Party means little to me. I'm sure you already realize a third party will pull votes from Dems thus creating a huge advantage for the Fascists. I can only assume you're so frustrated with the Dems that the difference between a Trump or Clinton in the White House means little to you. After seeing the lack of support from Schumer and Pelosi for single-payer, I'm amost in your corner now.....getting closer my friend. BTW: I did vote for Nader in 2000...LOL ..although at the time I knew Gore would carry my state.

Actually The Tangerine Man is fending off 2 vicious angry beasts at once... 1. "The Media" and its great of job covering the Russia/ Mueller naratative ...albeit only for brief moments like this and hurricanes. 2. " The Angry Mega-Donor" who doesnt give a damn about anything except a tax cut on the top marginal rate (already a bargain and incentive for the worlds richest to be here) , a cut in the unearned income rate aka capital gains, and or protecting the deferred income rule for the Goldman Sachs choir. Oy!

Donny will go to where he can feel popular. His soul is so empty, that he needs that. HOWEVER, if he turns over some new leaves, it CANNOT absolve him from his life of crime, can it? I mean , if it could, then anyone could just stop doing crimes and say "i have evolved".

In the end, we still need him out of office for his crimes, and people in who are TRUE representatives of the people. They are out there now.

They have and they haven't. Back home now, under an unbreathable pall of smoke.

It's getting harder and harder to find unaffected regions these days with the effects of anthropogenic climate disruption accelerating much faster and more intensely than earlier models suggested. It most definitely is a deadly serious worldwide phenomenon, by far the most important issue of the day, one that dwarfs every other problem short of, perhaps, the ever-impending threat of nuclear annihilation.

Haha, other than those happy-sh*t realities, traveling is always fun and interesting. It seems, however, that most regular people, even though they're too polite to say so to your face, view America as a malignant empire and a pariah state, raping the world for its resources and reaping chaos in the process. Yes, it is always interesting -- we've strayed far from the inspiring image of the noble hero of WWII and great savior of Western democracy.

Trump is unpredictable. His stab at health care has been an embarrassment.. He might make a run at single payer with the Democrats just to punish his party.

Outback, how goes the battle against the fires in your neck of the woods?

It is hard to believe there is no compassion for fellow man in American politics

What kind of character will ignore a sick human?

Shame on politicians

Supposed to be so upright and Christian and all!!!

Not on your (and everyone else's) life!