Republicans aren't going to tell Americans the real cause of our $31tn debt | Robert Reich

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

52% : They now pay more in payroll taxes (which finance Medicare and Social Security) than previously, so their overall taxes have remained fairly flat.
48% :Not only is the Republican story false, but it leaves out the bigger and more important story behind today's federal debt: the switch by America's wealthy over the last half century from paying taxes to the government to lending the government money.
47% : This means that a growing portion of everyone else's taxes are going to wealthy Americans in the form of interest payments, rather than paying for government services that everyone needs.
45% : The rich used to pay taxes.
45% : It's the decline in tax revenue from America's wealthy combined with growing interest payments to them.
43% : Even after all tax deductions, the wealthy typically paid half of their incomes in taxes.
41% : When they're in power, they rack up giant deficits, mainly by cutting taxes on corporations and the wealthy (which amount to the same thing, since wealthy investors are the major beneficiaries of corporate tax cuts).
39% : They're demanding that the $31.4tn federal debt be reduced and government spending curtailed - thereby giving cover to Republican efforts to hold America hostage by refusing to raise the debt ceiling.
38% : Raise taxes on the wealthy.
31% : Federal spending must be cut!

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