... category of wanton living. That basically people who don't or aren't able to save for retirement are guilty of sinful living, accusing them of throwing away their money on things like "booze, women, and movies." (Note to Dr. Shades: This topic belongs in Terrestrial because of subject matter equated with LDS religion.)
That's why they're unable to save for retirement, according to him.
"To hear Chuck Grassley tell it, multi-millionaires and billionaires -- and their heirs -- deserve an expensive tax break. ... the estate tax recognizes the people that are investing,” Grassley said, “as opposed to those that are just spending every darn penny they have, whether it's on booze or women or movies."
Not that perhaps they're underemployed, or unemployed, middle class to working class that the bottom keeps sinking to new lows as the rich concentrate their power and wealth further while the other 99% erodes away. Many has to scrape along without having health insurance or other safety net when illness comes knocking.
Convenient also for the senators and congress people to forget their salaries and health insurance are paid for by the hard-working American taxpayers. The same ones he accuses of not being careful with their spending (or they'd be able to save, according to him.)
How many people do you know who work hard, some holding down 2-3 jobs to support their homes and families, and still doesn't have much if anything to show for it besides exhaustion?
People are scraping by in this economy. To shift the onus onto them that it's their fault they can't get ahead when the government has designed it that way - is well, disingenuous.
Reminds me of the old my wife Griffith film "Intolerance." Grassley's quote could have come from a script right out of that movie.
It also is reminiscent of how the General Authorities speak down to the laypeople of the church. Directing them to live a certain way because that's the formula for keeping the old codgers in power so as not to unravel the status quo. And to keep paying their tithes. Always the tithes. No loopholes for weary disciples!
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show ... and-movies