Spring Break
Mob mentality still rules policy
Furrah Qureshi
Issue date: 4/3/09 Section: Ed-Op
America is a nation that repeatedly legislates by emotion, not thought. Post 9/11 outrage paved the way for the Iraq War. And now, $165 million in bonuses is pushing Congress to stamp a 90 percent tax on a bonus because they don't like the fine print?
Firstly, we need to get one thing straight. I am no Wall Street fan nor am I even in the same universe of thought as a fiscal conservative or a laissez-faire CEO. I support massive welfare plans and advocate that billions of dollars be given to fund public education across America. I believe in taxes, for all, and I would love to throw a banana cream pie at Alan Greenspan. But my recent bout of populist anger isn't enough to cause me to flagrantly trample upon a legal agreement. As a prospective lawyer and member of the American Justice system, I believe there is no way you can rationalize throwing a 90 percent tax on the AIG bonuses. I do concur that all taxpaying Americans are shareholders of AIG, but a 90 percent tax is an unconstitutional way to get our money back. The most important idea to consider is that this will set a dangerous precedent for Congress. Our government body is held to the same constitutional standings that we are, and just because the government does not like something, no matter how bloodcurdling and infuriating as the AIG bonuses, it can't just fabricate an earmark to get it back. Think about what this bonus taxation means to the thousands of employees at other companies who actually did earn their bonuses. Just because for the moment, we all want AIG executives to suffer, doesn't mean we should jeopardize our beliefs. This is just like the Iraq War.
The most tragic and traumatic socio-political event I have ever witnessed was the September 11th attack on America. The pain and sense of loss to this day shadow our nation. But politicians of the time used the nation's heightened fear and turned it into hysteria, and fear mongered the path to Iraq. The premise of nuclear weaponry in Iraq has long been disproven. Six years later, America is still entangled in a messy military situation. Billions of dollars have and will be spent on this now publicly admonished war. But to me, the most disparaging aspect to the war has been the malevolent precedent it sent. The Bush doctrine of preemptive strike broke American tradition and forever changed the United States' persona to the world. The ascribed power given to the executive branch and its powers in regards to declaring war are a legal quagmire wrought with ethical discrepancies. "Plausible Deniability" came into play and the American media sat back and watched. The causation for the Iraq War is now so apparently questionable, but the fear and hysteria of a post 9/11 society paved the way for this costly war.
Firstly, we need to get one thing straight. I am no Wall Street fan nor am I even in the same universe of thought as a fiscal conservative or a laissez-faire CEO. I support massive welfare plans and advocate that billions of dollars be given to fund public education across America. I believe in taxes, for all, and I would love to throw a banana cream pie at Alan Greenspan. But my recent bout of populist anger isn't enough to cause me to flagrantly trample upon a legal agreement. As a prospective lawyer and member of the American Justice system, I believe there is no way you can rationalize throwing a 90 percent tax on the AIG bonuses. I do concur that all taxpaying Americans are shareholders of AIG, but a 90 percent tax is an unconstitutional way to get our money back. The most important idea to consider is that this will set a dangerous precedent for Congress. Our government body is held to the same constitutional standings that we are, and just because the government does not like something, no matter how bloodcurdling and infuriating as the AIG bonuses, it can't just fabricate an earmark to get it back. Think about what this bonus taxation means to the thousands of employees at other companies who actually did earn their bonuses. Just because for the moment, we all want AIG executives to suffer, doesn't mean we should jeopardize our beliefs. This is just like the Iraq War.
The most tragic and traumatic socio-political event I have ever witnessed was the September 11th attack on America. The pain and sense of loss to this day shadow our nation. But politicians of the time used the nation's heightened fear and turned it into hysteria, and fear mongered the path to Iraq. The premise of nuclear weaponry in Iraq has long been disproven. Six years later, America is still entangled in a messy military situation. Billions of dollars have and will be spent on this now publicly admonished war. But to me, the most disparaging aspect to the war has been the malevolent precedent it sent. The Bush doctrine of preemptive strike broke American tradition and forever changed the United States' persona to the world. The ascribed power given to the executive branch and its powers in regards to declaring war are a legal quagmire wrought with ethical discrepancies. "Plausible Deniability" came into play and the American media sat back and watched. The causation for the Iraq War is now so apparently questionable, but the fear and hysteria of a post 9/11 society paved the way for this costly war.
Be the first to comment on this story