2017 Aug 23^rd                                         

Yesterday I made the point that in spite of our problems with taxes some of our citizens have accumulated enormous wealth; the top American fortunes range from 55 to 81 billion dollars. Keep in mind that a billion is a thousand million, so 55 billion is 55 thousand million dollars, an unimaginable sum to most of us. This wealth has been accumulated under our, presumably, burdensome system of taxation. I maintain that we are far from over taxed; we are, howeverunevenly taxed. Few would debate that thesis.

I suggest a wealth tax be established; this would not affect anyone with less than five million dollars in assets. It would not impact the great majority of Americans. The tax would be graduated beginning with a 1 percent assessment on one’s net worth between five and fifteen million dollars. A net worth of a billion dollars would incur a tax of 5 percent, the top rate. The fine details remain to be worked out. The problem will be to get the principle accepted. Naturally there will be a huge protest against this government confiscation of wealth. Of course there will be just as there was after the introduction of the income tax. That tax required the passing of the 16th amendment to the constitution.

This new tax will produce enough money to spark a debate over just how to use it. After WW 2 we had an educational spurt in this country produced by the GI Bill. There is still a Gi Bill out there but why not make its benefits universal? Why not let it apply to all citizens? We are one of the few civilized nations that does not provide free education to all qualified citizens. That should change.

Let’s be clear; I don’t actually expect any of this to happen but a guarantee that it will not is to never propose it in the first place.

2017 Aug 22^nd

Our conservative friends in government tell us that we Americans are terribly over-taxed, that our taxes must be reduced forthwith lest our economy collapse. Really? Yes, they tell us, 44 percent of our income goes for taxes. Maybe you could get that if you counted gasoline taxes and dog licenses but if that’s true it is amazing that we live so well on the leftover. Keep in mind that there is an important distinction between taxes levied and taxes paid. Our corporate tax rate is well over 30 percent yet to corporate tax rate actually paid is about 19 percent.

If our taxes are too high then we should find a substantial reduction in the accumulation of private capital. That is not happening: We now have a population of about 320 million people and scattered among them are well over 520 billionaires. Please remember that a billion dollars is one thousand million dollars. Our new Secretary of Education is worth about five billion dollars and own a yacht of humungous dimensions that is 50 meters long and sleeps 12 in separate staterooms; it is worth about 40 million dollars. (Well, why not?)

DeVos’ brother, Eric Prince, lives out of the country for reasons he is hesitant to discuss, shares in this incredible wealth. Mr. Prince is in the private Army business just as his sister Betsy is pushing for government funding of private religious schools, Mr. Prince has offered to have  his employees completely takeover the Afghan war for just 15 billion a year instead of the current cost to the taxpayer of 45 billion a year. (I’m willing to bet he doesn’t get hired.)

As it happens we are churning out millionaires at a great rate. Of all the countries in the world we rank seventh in the per capita number of millionaires. The countries that are ahead of us are the tiny mid-east oil kingdoms and Singapore, We are adding about 17,000 millionaires a day to our population. Maybe we aren’t over-taxed at all; maybe we need a different kind of tax. There’ll be more about this tomorrow.

2017 Aug 21st 

As we’ve been told, “He got elected fair and square; so live with it.” As it happens, on one particular day in November of 2016, in just an instant of time, Trump managed to get enough Electoral College votes to become President of the United States. Had the election been held a day earlier, or a little later, the outcome could have been very different.

In short, it was the opinion of voters on just one day that determines our president for the next 1450 days, What happens if we discover that the president we have just elected is mentally unstable? The president can be impeached or perhaps the majority of his cabinet will certify that he is incompetent to carry out his duties. Failing these remedies, it seems that we are stuck with what we got until the next scheduled election. Bummer!

 In the case of the incumbent, he lost the popular vote by about three million votes. Then he insisted that this was because illegal immigrants flooded to the polls to support his opponent. There is no evidence for this,

A possibility is to have a “re-affirm vote” six months after the new president is worn in. We assume the new president is simply trying out for the job for the first six months he is on duty, If he as done a good job then he can be  re-affirmed; if he hasn’t then someone else can try the job.

The presidency is an enormously complicated job. What are the requirements? You have to be born in this country at least 35 years ago and lived her for fourteen years..  You needn’t be able to read or write; you can be a member of the flat earth society,if you get enough Electoral College vote you will become president. That’s  ridiculous.

When the constitution was written that might have been enough; It isn’t anymore. In most states the requirement to carry a pistol are more stringent than the requirement to control this country’s nuclear arsenal. The incumbent has actually asked several times why we can’t use nuclear weapons if we have them.   

Henry’s Daily Detritus

2017 Aug 18^th,-20^th

Buchanan’s column yesterday claims that if we erase our history who are we. Some of this history is is not history at all; it is myth created by the losers. Keep in mind that the revered Robert E. Lee was  a traitor to his country. When he was at West Point he swore an oath of allegiance, an oath he violated when Virginia removed itself from the union. Lee could have resigned from West Point and remained neutral, but he did not. He chose instead to commit himself to the destruction of his country and the glorification of his state. Now we have the myth of Lee as hero to a lost cause. Lee is not alone, many other southern officers attended West Point, swore an oath of loyalty to their country and then became traitors, among them are JEB Stuart, James Longstreet, “Stonewall” Jackson. We also include among these former United States officers, Jefferson Davis.

What happened? How did these traitors, these promoters of slavery, become heroes? The answer is, “Slowly but steadily.” There was the steady erosion of black civil rights epitomized in  “The Birth of a Nation,” and a KKK now mainstreamed and marching hooded and unembarrassed down the streets of mid-western cities. There is President Wilson who kept us out of war and allowed the country to slip into the grossest bigotry. Finally there is “Gone With the Wind” which reminded us yet again how noble was the cause of the gallant south fighting against terrible odds to preserve a life where people of color were considered property like horses or cattle.

Six hundred thousand lives were lost by both sides in the Civil War; that is two percent of the country’s population at that time. The equivalent loss given today’s population would be about six million dead. What would be the effect on this country today if a civil war cost us six million dead? Would we tolerate monuments constructed to the heroes of the losing side? ( Are there monuments to Adolph Hitler, Heinrich Himmler and many other prominent members of the losing side in WW 2? Perhaps Germany prefers not to be reminded of that chapter in their history.)

Finally, Buchanan tells us that, “All men are created equal,” is an  ideological statement. Buchanan wants evidence for its scientific proof. There is none of course because taken literally the statement is false on its face. “All men are created equal” was never meant to be taken literally; it means that thjey are equal under the law…even that was a lie at the time it was written.

(It might take me some time to get back in the grove but I’m working on it.)

Henry's Daily Detritus: 2017 June 11thNo detritusposted today; not there...

Henry's Daily Detritus: 2017 June  11th
No detritusposted today; not there...:



 2017 June  11 th No detritus posted today; not there isn’t any, but my 90 years require me to take a day off; perhaps tomorrow?



 Henry's Daily Detritus: 2017 Aug 9th Hello again! Is anyone still checking out this blog? I hadn't expected to be gone so long but as the Yogi said, "Predicting is tough, especially about the future."

I have spent the last two months on an inspection tour of hospital emergency rooms ( same hospital; different emergencies) and a local and well regarded rehab center.

I have now been home a few days (a much modified home) with various gadgetry allowing me to move about while reducing the odds that I will wind up on my kiester. This gadgetry has bee installed under the direction of my wife who in very thorough. Every rom is "bugged" lest I cry for help unheard. That's great except my sotto voce cursing is also revealed.

So what happened?  I began with a back problem affecting the control of my right leg a large and painful cyst whose surgical removal would not be wise at my age. I just got some pain medication instead.

The interaction between these meds in my system was about as lethal as any surgical procedure could have been. I began to hallucinate, epidermis began peeling off my fingers. The peeling has moved to the palms of my hands. Well, you get the idea. I still have much physical and occupational therapy with home health care to assist my beleagured wife. I'll try to get back to politics tomorrow but for now the "Daily" part of this blog's title is questionable,

2017 June  11^th

No detritus posted today; not there isn’t any, but my 90 years require me to take a day off; perhaps tomorrow?

2017 June 10^th

I was thinking about Lena Epstein, the subject of my June 1 blog, Ms. Epstein is the third generation owner of Vasco Automotive products in Detroit and will run as a Republican against Debbie Stabenow, in 2018. Ms. Epstein’s platform, so far as she has affirmed one, is to offer generous 10 percent tax cuts to all voters. Standing outside a polling place with envelopes stuffed with hundred dollar bills and offering one to each entering voter is illegal… but making this promise isn’t. Go figure.

The politics after the Civil War was unbelievably rotten. Those who worked to get politicians elected were assured of good jobs at generous pay whether or not they were competent. Sometime there were more job seekers than there were jobs. Sometimes that led to assassinations. That’s how Teddy Roosevelt became president when President McKinley was shot and the same thing pushed Vice President Chester Alan Arthur to the presidency when James Garfield was assassinated in 1881. (Except for how they attained the office there are very few similarities between Arthur and Roosevelt.)

The need for reform had been apparent for some time. Gorge H. Pendleton, a senator from Ohio, produced a bill that specified that certain federal employees could only be fired for incompetence. Initially this covered only about ten percent of federal employees but outgoing presidents could cover any of their appointees and soon most federal employees were covered. It didn’t help President Arthur however because he had destroyed the use of patronage by the movers and shakers in both parties with the result that he was a one term president.

There are now tests you have to pass to get a civil service job; these tests ae similar to the SAT and ACT tests used by some colleges to screen their applicants. So to work for the government in a secure job you must do well on a civil service test… but to get elected to an office that allows you to appoint someone who will be required to pass such a test requires nothing at all but getting the necessary votes …which can  be bought.