The Gift Tax: Bad on Principle

An Original Illustration by Me.

I’m probably going to hell for the crude drawing, and I know you’re saying to yourselves “you overused the word ‘bitch’ to the point where it stopped being funny” but it really does makes sense. Let me explain. You see, these days Uncle Sam has a very limited vocabulary. His most frequently used words include: “Bitch, bitches, taxes, big government, and more taxes.”

I think my little cartoon gets my point across: The Gift Tax is stupid because taxing people for giving each other gifts is stupid.

It’s as simple as that.

I hear all the time from whiny Liberals about how “to cut the Gift Tax would be to cut taxes for the rich.” So what? Just because it’s a tax that mostly impacts the rich doesn’t make it right. I then ask these same people “Why? Why should the government tax people for giving gifts?” After they explained why the government can tax the giving of gifts I reply “no you idiot, I mean why is it right that the government taxes gifts?”

That’s when they turn mute on me.

Sure, the Gift Tax is a source of revenue. Hell, it’s a source of unearned income taxation as well which makes it even better. But, as a matter of principle, the tax is complete bullshit.

It’s Good the Republicans Have their Priorities Straight

Ah, do you smell that? It's the smell of wedge issues! It must be election time!

Today, about a week after the Republicans in Congress decided that gay marriage and flag burning were more pressing issues than… apparently anything else, the Senate rejected a ban on gay marriage.

In fact, the amendment didn't even get an up-or-down vote as the vote was 49-48 to limit debate and bring the amendment to a vote, 11 votes short of the 60 votes needed. Thus, the measure was killed. For those keeping score the 49 votes to keep the measure afloat were only one more than the last time the measure was considered in 2004.

But while homosexuals all across America celebrate by having a brightly colored Faux-tini, it's important to note that the Republicans already knew there was no chance in hell of the amendment passing. Even Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO), the amendment's sponsor, didn't think it would get enough votes.

So why? Why would they they give priority to an issue that didn't have a chance in hell of passing? Because it's election time, my friends, that's why.

Just like in past elections they're going back to the strategy they know best–divide and conquer. They call these issues "wedge issues" for a reason, because they divide Americans from one another, and by using these issues to divide Americans from one another the Republicans think they can once again conquer. This time in the upcoming Midterm elections.

It's a dirty scheme for short term political gain that only hurts America in the long run.

What's worse is while they give priority to these issues other issues get ignored… you know, like Iraq or gas prices or all of the people without health care or…

You get the picture, and anyone with common sense will consider these and a host of other issues far more pressing than gay marriage or flag burning.

I hope the American people are smarter than this. I hope they have learned. I hope that they see that the Republican Party has only wasted their time for an attempt at political gain at a time when there are so many other far more pressing issues that must be addressed.