taxes – Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment.

The Nordic Countries show the way of COVID-19 treatment.

First, let us acknowledge that the Nordic Countries are not socialistic. They are welfare states, and as such have government controlled medical care paid for by taxpayer dollars. In Sweden the Value Added Tax is 22% and it is paid by everybody for all purchases. Of course gasoline and other luxury items such as cosmetics and spirits are taxed much higher, but you get the point. The important part is that all pay their fair share of taxes, so all contribute to the welfare state. But other than that, the Nordic countries are less socialistic than U.S.A. Even the railroads are privatized. It is true they all flirted with socialism in the 1970’s but found it was unsustainable (read Pomperipossa in Monismania), so they turned back from the brink and are now doing better than most countries. In fact, their 2021 economic freedom index is mostly higher than the U.S.A’s. They are as follows: Denmark is ranked 10th, Iceland 11th, Finland 17th, Sweden 21th and Norway 28th. By comparison U.S.A. is 20th out of 178 ranked countries.

Now to the Nordic countries and COVID-19. Almost alone in the western world Sweden decided to take the route of achieving herd immunity rather than using masking and shutdowns. Only sports and other large gatherings were prohibited. At first it looked like a catastrophe for Sweden, this was before any vaccines, but then some form of herd immunity started to form. More than a month ago Norway decided to treat Covid-19 just like a flu and abolished all Covid restrictions. Three weeks ago Sweden decided to “pause” the Moderna vaccine for people under the age of 31 years of age. Their reason was that there are more severe vaccine cases than cases in that age group. Denmark, Finland and Iceland followed.

What is the current COVID-19 situation in the Nordic countries?

. Fully Total since beginning of pandemic Last 7 days average per day

Country Vaccinated Cases/million Deaths/million Cases/million Deaths/million

Sweden 67% 114,137 2,465 58 0.40

Finland 66% 27,000 201 103 0.54

Denmark 78% 63,128 460 112 0.20

Norway 68% 35,760 161 73 0.36

Iceland 81% 36,197 96 122 0.00

(U.S.A) 56% 137,120 2,230 1,405 4.22

As we can see, Sweden, with a horrendous start is now near or at herd immunity having less than one tenth of the death rate of the U.S. The other Nordic countries are doing equally well, and this is without forced wearing of masks. Their vaccination rates are higher than In the U.S.A, but the difference in result is staggering. The masks will actually increase COVID cases.

Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax, a true Pomperipossa like scheme.

Image result for Elizabeth Warren on healthcare

Elizabeth Warren from Mass.

touts “Healthcare for all” with pizzazz.

Tax the rich is her call,

income, wealth, take it all;

a Pomperipossa tax pass.

You may ask: What is a Pomperipossa tax?

The term came into being in a publication, which was published in the Swedish evening tabloid Expressen on March 3, 1976. It was written in a deliberate style break, from children’s literature to legalese, and I have tried to do a close translation: https://lenbilen.com/2012/01/24/pomperipossa-in-monismania/

Read it! It tells of how the famous Swedish author, Astrid Lindgren got a 102% tax on her income. It made such a stink that the Swedish Social Democrats, who had been ruling Sweden seemingly forever lost the upcoming election, and got replaced by a basically progressive liberal coalition.

What is then the proposed Warrenesque wealth tax? In short it is a 2% tax on all household wealth over 50 million, 3% on over a billion. Elizabeth Warren herself is relatively poor, her wealth is only about 10 million, but Nancy Pelosi is worth around 100 million, so she will pay. The tax is similar to the so called Zakat in Sharia law which is 2.5% over a poverty minimum and is one of the five pillars in Islam. It is divided into eight parts. (One eighth is to support militant Jihad, but I digress)

The wealth tax is estimated to raise 2.5 trillion over ten years, far short of the estimated 50 trillion that medicare for all will cost over the same time period.

Sweden used to have a wealth tax, but so many rich people emigrated that it was removed and replaced with an ever increasing value added tax. It is now 25%.

Yes, that and a higher income tax just may be enough

Verse 31 of the Obama Impeachment song: Raising taxes through executive action.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest confirmed Monday that President Obama is “very interested” in the idea of raising taxes through unilateral executive action.

“The president certainly has not indicated any reticence in using his executive authority to try and advance an agenda that benefits middle class Americans,” Earnest said in response to a question about Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) calling on Obama to raise more than $100 billion in taxes through IRS executive action.

Raising taxes on my own

Contempt for Congress I have shown.

All the money I have blown,

Now China demands: Repay our loan.

The complete Obama Impeachment song: https://lenbilen.com/2015/02/25/the-complete-obama-impeachment-song

Obama wants taxes like Sweden. A Limerick.

We are now in the thick of sequestration, a two percent cut in the growth of government spending, and according to Obama one of the worst calamities possible unless we raise taxes. In the meantime the stock market is in record territory. Some must see the world through a thick smoke.
This is what “Riksskatteverket”, the Swedish equivalent of the IRS has produced to prod people into paying more taxes.

Before coming to the U.S. from Sweden, I experienced a rather steep rise in taxes to help pay for a rapidly expanding government services. I got very good raises, but all the raises were absorbed in higher taxes, so my take home pay stayed about the same. After I left things got much worse, so bad that the famous author of “Pippi Longstocking,” Astrid Lindgren penned this essay in the tabloid “Expressen” in 1976 : https://lenbilen.com/2012/01/24/pomperipossa-in-monismania/
This character Pomperipossa helped bring down the socialist Swedish government after a reign of 44 years.
Which brings me to today’s Limerick.
Obama wants taxing like Sweden;
The welfare state’s excesses Eden.
No more jobs is our lot
They have all gone to pot
In the pit they are smoking their weed in.

Sequestration, the end of the world? A Limerick.

Obama the spender: “Tax more!
We Must spend much more than before
on Solyndra and friends”.
for on such he depends.
Sequester: Cut waste to the core?

So, is cutting the growth in spending by 86 Billion in a Federal Continuing Resolution spending of over 3.6 Trillion dollars the end of the world? Congress (The Democrats in the Senate, that is Harry Reid) have prevented a vote on any budget for four years. Yhe only budget that have been voted on in the Senate is the Presidental budget proposal. It got defeated 97 to 0. Not one Democrat voted for the White House budget! They are much more comfortable spending on the Continuing resolution, continuing to spend on canceled programs, not funding changes except as “emergencies” thus multiplying the debt.
The President himself promised to veto any proposal that changed the seguester. Listen:

Harry Reid blocks vote on Obama’s tax hike proposal. A Limerick.

Obama must think it is time to smoke weed.

McConnell said “vote”, but that old geezer Reid

put Obama’s proposal

in the garbage disposal.

We’ll go over the cliff, it’s Obama’s misdeed.

A Limerick on Thanksgiving Day leftovers: A 24 Billion dollar increase in Federal Debt.

The U.S. Treasury increased the net debt of the United States $24,327,048,384.38 on the day after Thanksgiving, which equals $211.69 for each of the nation’s 114,916,000 households. (CNSNEWS)

In August 2011, the debt ceiling — the amount of money the federal government is allowed to borrow — was raised by $2.4 trillion, to $16.394 trillion. According to the National Debt Clock, as of Nov. 23, the total debt was nearing the limit, at $16.3 trillion. You also could think of it as about $51,000 per person in the US.

A decadent town on Potomac,

where cronyism fills up its stomach.

It is borrow and spend,

print more money to lend.

Our government has run amok.

Obama claims Jesus would back his tax policy. Really?

“Jesus would back my tax-the-rich policy.”

President Obama really did say that at the recent National Prayer Breakfast.

He went on to say that his understanding of the Bible is his basis for his economic policies.

So the question is: Which Governmental authority was Jesus so supportive of?

We have four choices: The Pharisees, The Sadducees, The local government, represented by Herod the Tetrarch, or the Roman government under Caesar Tiberius, represented by Pontius Pilate?

We all know his opinion of the Pharisees and Sadducees: Matthew 23:27
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.”

This would be his opinion of Congress: Luke 11:46
And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.”

On Herod: Mark 8:15
And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

Acts 12:1
[ James Killed and Peter Imprisoned ] About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.

Could it have been the Roman Empire that deserved the taxes? Jesus did say: Matthew 22:15-22

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marvelled. And they left him and went away.

The tax mentioned was really a “tribute” and refers to a poll, or head tax, paid directly to the emperor by the subject peoples of the empire.

By His enigmatic response, did Jesus really mean for His followers to provide financial support (willingly or unwillingly) to Tiberius Caesar – a man, who, in his personal life, was a pedophile, a sexual deviant, and a murderer and who, as emperor, claimed to be a god and oppressed and enslaved millions of people, including Jesus’ own? The answer, of course, is: the traditional, pro-tax interpretation of the Tribute Episode is simply wrong. Jesus never meant for His answer to be interpreted as an endorsement of Caesar’s tribute or any taxes.

Instead of jumping into the political discussion, though, Jesus curiously requests to see the coin of the tribute. It is not necessary that Jesus possess the coin to answer their question. He could certainly respond without seeing the coin. That He requests to see the coin suggests that there is something meaningful about the coin itself.

In the Tribute Episode, the questioners produce a denarius. The denarius was approximately 1/10 of a troy ounce of silver and roughly worth a day’s wages for a common laborer. It carried the image of Tiberius, and Tiberius was so jealous of his image that Tiberius even made it a capital crime to carry any coin stamped with his image into a bathroom or a brothel.

Jesus then asks the counter question “Whose image is on the coin? They answer Caesar’s. But that is not all. The inscription also says “Tiberius Caesar, Worshipful Son of the God, Augustus.” And on the other side it says “Pontif Maxim,” which means High Priest.

It was at tha point Jesus says “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. “

It really had nothing to do with the lawfulness of paying taxes, but an admonition to keep their priorities straight.

So what is Jesus attitude towards collective duty versus individual responsibility?

An answer can be found in the parable of the ten talents: Matthew 25:14-30 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. ¹⁶ Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. ¹⁷ In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. ¹⁸ But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ “Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and * settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ ²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

²² “Also the one who had received the two ⁾talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ ²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

²⁴ “And the one also who had received the one ^(L)talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. ²⁵ And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

²⁶ “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. ²⁷ Then you ought to have put my money ^]in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. ²⁸ Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

²⁹ “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. ³⁰ Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

If that doesn’t speak of individual responsibility before God, I do not know what will.

Oh, and with Jesus saying you should have put the talent in the bank, so I would have received my money back with usury he preempted Sharia Law which forbids interest payment on loans. Therefore Sharia Law is not of God.

The National debt. Can it be blamed on George W. Bush? Nancy Pelosi anyone?

“After years of historic deficits, this 110th Congress will commit itself to a higher standard: Pay as you go, no new deficit spending,” Nancy Pelosi said in her inaugural address from the speaker’s podium. “Our new America will provide unlimited opportunity for future generations, not burden them with mountains of debt.”

How well did she do, and is all of this the fault of George W. Bush?

Let us look at the numbers.

When Bush was sworn in on January 20, 2001, the national debt was $5,727,776,738,304.64. Dennis Hastert was the speaker of the house.

When Pelosi was sworn in on January 4, 2007, the national debt was $8,670,596,242,973.04.

When Bush left office on January 20, 2009, the national debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08.

When Pelosi left office on January 24, 2011, the national debt was $14,014,049,043,294.41.

The estimated National debt Feb 12, 2012 is $15,368,215,367,669.46.

The average debt added per day during Bush/Hastert 2175 days was $1.353 billion

The average debt added per day during Bush/Pelosi 741 days was $ 2.640 billion

The average debt added per day during Obama/Pelosi 714 days was $ 4.744 billion.

The average debt added per day during Obama/Boehner so far is about 3.52 billion.

In short: Republican President and Republican house is horrendous. Republican President and Democrat house is horrendous times two. Democrat President and Democrat house is horrendous times three and a half. Democrat President and Republican house has failed so far to make a dent in the increase. I am pinning my hope on Sarah Palin and the Tea Party. So far she has not entered the race. If there is a brokered convention anything can happen.

Sarah Palin vetoed over 500 million dollars of legislation during her term as Governor of Alaska in a time of revenue surplus. Even with that she enjoyed an approval rating of over 80%, earning her the title “The most popular Governor in America”.

“Tax expenditures” put Joe Biden to sleep. A Limerick.

The President spoke and put Biden to sleep.

“Reduce tax expenses”* a promise to keep.

He calls them a cut,

They are anything but.

It’s a tax hike for all who pay taxes, …you Creep!

* “Tax expenditures”, doublespeak for deductions.