by Mario T. García
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The U.S. Congress has now passed the tax bill, and President Donald Trump has signed it. What a travesty! What outrageous injustice! Republicans claim that it will benefit mostly the middle class — whatever that means. What they actually mean is that it will benefit the most wealthy people in the country and the biggest and most powerful corporations. This is what they mean by "middle class." The biggest winners are the corporations. Their tax rate is incredibly reduced from 35 percent to 21 percent — and is permanent.
Tax rates for individuals are reduced more modestly but are not permanent. These are the corporations who help fund most Republicans and so this is payback time. The bill will also mean actual tax increases for many because it will limit mortgage-interest and property tax deductions. The bill also contains other unjust provisions such as doing away with the mandatory tax under Obamacare for those who do not sign up for health care coverage. This will leave millions without health insurance because there is no incentive for them to purchase it and will drive up rates for others who now will have to help pay for those without insurance. I can't understand how Republicans and Trump can be so callous and insensitive. How is this Americanism? How is this humane?
The bill clearly makes it obvious that we live in a class society, where there is clear income inequality and that the richest control most of society. We live in an unjust society where some, mostly Republicans, do not care or do not seem to care for others besides the very wealthy. They would love to also undo or severely restrict what they call "entitlements," suggesting that Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid are "handouts" to poorer people.
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However, these are programs paid by the people themselves who can take advantage of them when needed. They are not handouts. The real "entitlements" or handouts are those which the Republicans just gave out to the 1 p[percent of the population, including the corporations. My hope is that most Americans will see through the deceit that just occurred and will be outraged and begin to mobilize to "take their country back."
What the Republicans did, including Trump, can only be reversed by Americans mobilizing and organizing in coalitions that will represent different interests but who are bound together by their reaction to the injustices emanating from the Republicans in Congress and from Trump. Americans must engage in a political takeover that will hopefully bring some semblance of justice and fair play back to the country. We can lament all we want about the unfairness of the tax bill, but this will change nothing. Americans have to be active and move to vote in record numbers in the 2018 congressional elections and vote the rascals out of office and aim to do the same to Trump in 2020. Inaction is not acceptable if a democratic society is to survive Trumpism.
