Illegal Immigrants Pay More Taxes Than Many Top U.S. Corporations

by Len Hart, The Existentialist Cowboy

If 'corporations' are people, then why are they NOT paying their fair share of taxes? Some pay very little! Some pay no taxes at all! The tax burden has, in fact, fallen upon REAL people and that --in itself --proves the LIE to the SCOTUS decision known, simply, as "Citizens United" in which five robed liars decreed that 'corporations' were 'people'. Citizens United was not a 'decision; it was a bald-faced lie! If it had been the truth 'Corporations' --being 'real' people --would be paying their fair share of taxes just like hard working and often hard pressed American REAL 'real people' are doing and have been doing since this nation's founding. And, when caught breaking the law, they would be imprisoned as are 'real' real people! If the letter of law applies to people and not to corporations, then corporation are NOT and will never be 'people'! SCOTUS has become crooked!

According to the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy (itepnet.org), undocumented workers paid billions in state organization that works on federal, state and local tax policy issues." GE, remember, paid NOTHING. Though conservatives will likely put ITEP alonside FactCheck and PolitiFact as liberal propaganda machines, ITEP is, as the NY Daily News reports, "a prestigious, nonprofit, nonpartisan research

--Illegal Immigrants Pay More Taxes Than Many Top U.S. Corporations

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has put out “A Guide to Corporate Freeloaders.”

1. Exxon Mobil’s 2009 profits totaled $19 billion, yet according to its SEC filings, the company received a $156 million rebate from the IRS plus it didn’t pay any federal taxes.
2. Bank of America made $4.4 billion in profits last year. This was after it received a $1 trillion bailout from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department, and a $1.9 billion tax refund from the IRS.
3. General Electric has made $26 billion in profits in the United States over the past five years. It’s also received a $4.1 billion tax refund from the IRS. GE has cut a fifth of its American jobs in the past nine years, and is boosting jobs overseas – where tax rates are lower. And where it can continue evading U.S. taxes.
4. Chevron’s IRS refund last year totaled $19 million but it’s 2009 profits came to a whopping $10 billion.
5. Boeing received a $30 billion contract from the Pentagon to build 179 airborne tankers. It also received a $124 million refund from the IRS.
6. Valero Energy made $68 billion in sales and received a $157 million tax refund check from the IRS. Over the past three years, it has received a $134 million tax break thanks to the oil and gas manufacturing tax reduction
7. Goldman Sachs paid 1.1% of its 2009 income in taxes. Yet it made a profit of $2.3 billion. And guess how much it received from the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury Department? $800 billion.
8. Citigroup profits last year totaled more than $4 billion. But it paid zero dollars in federal income tax, and received a $2.5 trillion bailout from the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury.
9. ConocoPhillips profits from 2007 through 2009 totaled $16 billion. But it was still awarded $461 million in tax arrears because of the oil and gas manufacturing deduction.
10. Carnival Cruise Lines is apparently getting pretty good business. Its profits over the past five years totaled more than $1.1 billion. It’s federal income tax rate, however, came to just 1.1%.

Experience had led me to believe that most of the so-called 'illegal immigrants' who live and work in the U.S. are honest, hard-working folk. They work, raise children, shop, spend money! In fact, they represent a far greater infusion of 'monies' into the economy than do corporate leeches.

These so-called 'illegal aliens' are, in fact, paying their fair share and more! Corporate crooks often pay NOTHING whatsoever even as they export jobs, possibly your job! They leave it to real 'real' people to take up the slack!

Unlike corporate leeches upon the economy, so-called 'illegal aliens' do not export jobs. Jobs stay right here in the U.S. That is in stark contrast to GOP policies in general which have always resulted in the decline of U.S. jobs, in effect, a net export to those nation's with whom we have a negative trade balance --significantly: China. [See: CIA World Fact Book, Current Account Balance]

It has been asked: when did America, a country whose narrative and history was built on the sweat of immigrants, turn against immigration and immigrants? That's easy! That result came about with the rise of the GOP --a party of lies, scapegoats and excuses!

It has been said that there has always been a strong anti-immigration element in America! But I believe that that was not always the case. In fact, the Native Americans were here thousands of years before Europeans showed up and, in many if not most or all cases, Native Americans welcomed the new arrivals. They paid dearly for it. There are myriads of stories of genocide and atrocities. I refer the interested reader to Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, specifically, his description of the fate of the Arawaks.

In the meantime, all Americans of every ancestry and origin must begin to think clearly about transperant, bald-faced lies that are invariably told and sold by the U.S. GOP --not a political party but an evil kooky cult.

How the GOP Destroyed Detroit

by Len Hart, The Existentialist Cowboy

Muslims did not destroy Detroit! Nor was it destroyed by black people though bigots post pictures of the 'ruins' amid claims that Detroit is the 'victim' of a multi-racial society!

Who will bigots will blame next week? Hispanics? The Irish? Italians? I am Native American; will I be blamed though Detroit is probably the only large city in American that I have not set foot in?

Multi-racialism has nothing to do with an economic decline that is the result of Bush economic policies. It was the very worst administration to have ever exercised political power in the U.S. --Reagan, Bush and Bush Jr! Blaming 'Muslims' for this outcome is uninformed, perhaps bigoted!

The destruction of Detroit required help from phony and/or incompetent economists inside the GOP. The destruction of Detroit began with the deals Bush Sr cut with China as the U.S. tried to find an 'honorable' way out of Viet Nam. I have spoken with the Sr Bush about this personally. My questions were pointed: what deals were cut? What price was paid to get our asses out of Viet Nam with honor? GHWB was either incoherent or taciturn but never forthcoming. He preferred to tell stories about how he may have been 'duped' into eating 'dog lip' (presumably with sweet and sour sauce) at a formal dinner in the Forbidden City.

In footage and stills, much of Detroit looks like the aftermath of World War III. It was not Muslims nor black people who destroyed Detroit! Nor are Muslims to blame for gutting American industry, destroying or exporting jobs or the screwing over of the 'working man'. The U.S. --under GOP regimes --became a vassal state of China. [See: CIA's World Fact Book, Current Account Balance]
The gutting of American industry, the destruction of jobs, the export of jobs, the screwing over of the 'working man' --that's all the work of the GOP, a party that is utterly dependent upon bigots who make up a significant GOP constituency. [note: since Bush Jr left the Oval Office, the U.S. trade posture vis a vis China has improved somewhat!]

It was an economic 'scorched earth policy'. Reagan (the GOP in general) wanted to destroy unions and they did it! They did it by destroying jobs, and in some cases, the entire industry! Works every time. Those who lived through it, most certainly recall a "depression" lasting some two years.

Though I am not more enamored of Islam, I am quite sure that Muslims are still demonized by an uninformed segment of the U.S. population. For them, I have a clue: Muslims have nothing to do with the decline of Detroit. Nor do immigrants of any type or origin. Only bigots believe that to be the case.

Muslims are in America!! So what? We have been uninvited guests of Muslims ever since the U. S., running out of its own oil, discovered oil in abundance throughout the Middle East. Subsequently, the U.S. would, upon any pretext, con and/or steal it. If theft did not work, the U.S. would resort to duping the leadership of a foreign [Muslim] country to get it. Prior to the Senior Bush's decision to begin Persian Gulf War I, U.S. Ambassador April Glaspie had met with Saddam Hussein. According to the transcript of the meeting, she told Hussein that the U.S. had no position on 'Arab-Arab' disputes.

The official State Department discussion between Saddam and April Catherine Glaspie from July 25, 1990: Ambassador Glaspie:

“I have direct instructions from President Bush to improve our relations with Iraq. We have considerable sympathy for your quest for higher oil prices, the immediate cause of your confrontation with Kuwait. (pause) As you know, I have lived here for years and admire your extraordinary efforts to rebuild your country (after the Iran-Iraq war). We know you need funds. We understand that, and our opinion is that you should have the opportunity to rebuild your country. (pause) We can see that you have deployed massive numbers of troops in the south. Normally that would be none of our business, but when this happens in the context of your other threats against Kuwait, then it would be reasonable for us to be concerned. For this reason, I have received an instruction to ask you, in the spirit of friendship – not confrontation – regarding your intentions. Why are your troops massed so very close to Kuwait’s borders?”

President Saddam Hussein:“As you know, for years now I have made every effort to reach a settlement on our dispute with Kuwait. There is to be a meeting in two days; I am prepared to give negotiations only one more brief chance. (pause) When we (the Iraqis) meet (with the Kuwaitis) and we see there is hope, then nothing will happen. But if we are unable to find a solution, then it will be natural that Iraq will not accept death.”

US Ambassador Glaspie: “What solution would be acceptable?”

President Saddam Hussein: “If we could keep the whole of the Shatt al Arab – our strategic goal in our war with Iran – we will make concessions (to the Kuwaitis). But if we are forced to choose between keeping half of the Shatt and the whole of Iraq (which, in Iraq’s view, includes Kuwait), then we will give up all of the Shatt to defend our claims on Kuwait to keep the whole of Iraq in the shape we wish it to be. (pause) What is the United States’ opinion on this?”

US Ambassador Glaspie:

“We have no opinion on your Arab-Arab conflicts, such as your dispute with Kuwait. Secretary (of State James) Baker has directed me to emphasize the instruction, first given to Iraq in the 1960s, that the Kuwait issue is not associated with America."

--Transcript of the Glaspie-Saddam meeting that started the Gulf War

Hussein was given a green light to lower the price of oil, though this outcome was most certainly at odds with Bush's real policy --higher prices for oil! In short --we have no one to blame for this outcome but ourselves.

Earlier, Ronald Reagan and Bush Sr may have committed 'high treason' with respect to Iran/Contra. Both men lied about it! Both were architects of a scheme that armed enemies of the United States. In simpler times it would be called 'high treason'. It would be 'high treasons' today if a Democrat had done it! The GOP is apparently above the law!

I refer you to the final report of Lawrence Walsh, Prosecutor for 'Iran-Contra' matters. Walsh left no doubt! He believed that Reagan, Bush et al had committed treason! There was a time shortly after FDR had shepherded the nation out of the Great Depression that the U.S. manufactured products, employed people to make things and export the results to other nations. In other words, the U.S. created jobs.

We no longer create jobs. I can prove that that is the case with numbers from the CIA itself. As mentioned, China is at the top of the list with the World's largest positive Current Account Balance. That's because China makes things, employs its population and exports its product to the world --primarily U.S. via Wal-Mart. Go to Wal-Mart! Find just one thing that is made in the U.S. Since Reagan, the U.S. has made very little of anything and less has been exported. The CIA's list proves my point. When did this trend begin? It began shortly after George H.W. Bush went to China, set up Nixon's famous but largely ceremonial trip to the Forbidden City. The deals that were cut turned out to have been the price we paid to get our sorry asses out of Viet Nam --a dank swamp we had no business being in in the first place. One pays for one's sins.

But when ignorant asses raise strawmen, red herrings, propaganda to justify their hate and bigotry, I part company. That's what's really wrong with the U.S. No one has been safe since it was discovered that big bucks could be made by killing Indians [Native Americans, my ancestors], driving Mexicans (who were there first) out of Texas, stealing land, waging wars in general. It was Randolph Hearst who said just prior to the U.S. attack on Cuba --"...you give me the pictures and I'll give you the war!"

Like Rome before us --we are busted and are not creating jobs. A trip to Wal-Mart proves that. Who is to blame? Not immigrants --though I cannot fathom why anyone in his/her right mind would want to come here. I cannot imagine why anyone would want to swim or wade across the Rio Grande.

The alleged 'Governor' of Texas --Rick Perry is lying about the 'Texas Miracle'! There was NO Texas miracle. There was no net increase of jobs over the time period he cites. There was, rather, a huge net decline in job creation! That is to be expected. It is the GOP modus operandi! It is best described as a Texas Two Step: 1) subvert education 2) by doing so, ensure a growing prison population which --alone benefits from the corporate ownership of the prison system!

What will Houston look like when the oil companies decide that, as the U.S. has all but run out of oil, what's the point of maintaining spiffy, shiny 80 story office buildings in downtown Houston? Last time, I checked there was lots of high rise office space in Dubai.

---

---