2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forum"I pay all the taxes that are legally required......."
I pay all the taxes that are legally required and not a dollar more, Romney said in a debate in January, according to the New York Times.
This quote has bothered me since I first heard it months ago. If strictly following the rules is all that keeps you from cheating, what does that say about your moral reasoning? I was once involved with someone who would brag in much the same way when it came to being law-abiding, but I can tell you first hand, that didnt say much for his character. As it turned out he was one of most cruel, manipulative bullies Ive ever met. He didnt much care what he had to do or who he hurt along the way to get what he wanted.
Much the same type of behavior is revealed in Romneys past in his bullying a kid at school, impersonating a cop at college for fun, and putting his dog on the roof of the car. All of these show a pattern of human indifference and inability for empathy. These are certainly NOT the traits I want The Man with The Button or NDAA to have. More than any other presidential candidate in my lifetime, Romney scares the hell out of me.
tjdee
(18,048 posts)That's what I thought when I read that, and not much has changed.
It shows how uncreative, uninspired and uncaring he is, in one succinct statement.
immoderate
(20,885 posts)His most frequent retort when I describe some right wing atrocity is, "Is it illegal?"
Their brains work differently.
--imm
I get the same when discussing Mitt's taxes. No question of is it right or moral that he pays so little taxes. Just "if what he did was legal then it's OK." I think (hope!) the majority can see it as an issue of fairness.
Laura PourMeADrink
(42,770 posts)would anyone know that? since we haven't seen his tax returns. It's amazing how many people say that. That is the true meme = getting everyone to say what he did was legal
zbdent
(35,392 posts)"Just because something's 'legal' doesn't make it moral."
immoderate
(20,885 posts)--imm
Carolina
(6,960 posts)to that kind question and those kind of Christian hypocrites is always:
Something may be technically legal, but it's morally wrong and reprehensible to a real Christian!
immoderate
(20,885 posts)In fact, I know him from an atheist meetup. So discussions about morality and ethics are very tricky. In fact, the only immorality he recognizes in something that prevents the ruling class from compiling money. That's how he interprets the Constitution.
He is also a champion equivocator. Everything becomes a word game. Examples: "Trickle down is a political, not economic term. "Trapping heat" is not an allowable term when referring to greenhouse gasses. And everything that exists is "natural," because it exists. Roads and buildings are therefore natural features.
It is a game. But he is one of those people who are hard wired to be conservative. We have been carrying on mostly by email for three years now, and about the only progress I've made is that he no longer insists that global warming is a socialist conspiracy, pushed by scientists who want to cash in on government grants. But I think he still rationalizes that way.
--imm
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)He is a predator
Booster
(10,021 posts)Brigid
(17,621 posts)Last edited Wed Sep 5, 2012, 09:55 PM - Edit history (1)
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead man's bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing." -- Matthew 23:27-28.
Booster
(10,021 posts)Brigid
(17,621 posts)It's Matthew 23:27-28.
Booster
(10,021 posts)a bible. If they had, they would be a Dem.
salin
(48,955 posts)He would not be qualified to run for president if he had paid any more.
Subtle - but HUGE.
Lower income tax payers do not have the options for the HUGE tax dodges that he employs - and thus par FAR higher rates of taxes. That last statement, made on the world stage - is that if you are not rich enough to be able to take such tax avoidance efforts, and if you pay your fair share, than you are NOT QUALIFIED to be president. Apparently you should only be able to run if you are smart enough to make people of lower incomes than yours make up (collectively) the difference between what you would (should?) pay in taxes and what you actually pay.
Re-stated - if you don't find ways to make other taxpayers subsidize your bills than you aren't smart enough to be president.
Who knew that a republican rule to power is that you contribute to the deficit and push your personal tax obligation onto other tax payers.