MSNBC’s interview Wednesday with Vice President Kamala Harris revealed little of substance, but provided enough hints as to how she might govern to make every voter run in the opposite direction.
When it came to the economy, Harris called for class warfare, and she made it clear who the enemy was.
Harris used the term "billionaires" twice, "corporate taxes" thrice, "corporations" five times, and "fair share" six times. Billionaires and corporations were the enemy.
For example, "we’re going to have to raise corporate taxes," she said. "And we’re going to have to raise — we’re going to have to make sure that the biggest corporations and billionaires pay their fair share."
As of last year there were a total of 735 billionaires in the United States — about 0.000219% of the population. Does she think they’re going to save the economy?
And high income earners already pay their "fair share," according to the Tax Foundation. The top 1% of income earners paid 42.3% of the total taxes collected in 2020. The top 5% paid 62.7% of the tab.
What percentage of the total tax revenue does she want them to pay?
It’s no wonder that the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents IRS employees, endorsed Harris for president. The IRS is her favorite federal agency.
She also wants to increase the corporate tax rate by a third, from 21% to 28% — not to bring down the national debt, but to pay for her new campaign promises.
What Harris fails to recognize, however, is that corporations — and all businesses for that matter — don’t pay taxes. Each time she raises business taxes, businesses are forced to raise prices on their own goods and services as well.
Their customers pay the taxes. It’s either that or the business is heading to bankruptcy court.
And each time they raise their prices in order to survive, they contribute to inflation — something Harris calls "price gouging," which MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle also asked her about.
"But as somebody who supports free markets, who’s a capitalist, how do you go after price gouging without implementing price controls?" Ruhle asked. "Because, once we get in this zone, people start to get worried and they say, I don’t know what she stands for."
Harris answered, "Just to be very frank, I am never going to apologize for going after companies and corporations that take advantage of the desperation of the American people."
She added, "Yes, I’m going to go after them. Yes, I’m going to go after them."
After the interview Ruhle admitted to her network colleague, Chris Hayes, that Harris "didn’t give a clear and direct answer" to the economic questions, but added, "that’s OK, because we’re not talking about clear or direct issues."
Although Hayes thought that the interview was "refreshing" overall, he brought up what should be the number one issue of every American voter this year: the economy.
"The question about inflation and prices, this to me is sort of one of the most frustrating aspects of this campaign." he said.
The thing that people are 100% correctly, rationally, and understandably reacting to, is two or three years of the highest rate of inflation we’ve had in a generation, which has been incredibly unpleasant."
Harris admitted as much during the interview. She told Ruhle at one point, "You know, gone is the day of everyone thinking they could actually live the American dream."
And Harris is a large part of the administration that created the "highest rate of inflation we’ve had in a generation" and put the brakes on "everyone thinking they could actually live the American dream."
For those reasons Harris is trying to distance herself from Biden with her motto, "A New Way Forward."
But voters — and even children — are beginning to see right through it.
CNN visited an elementary school yesterday and interviewed students. They asked a young boy, for example, "What’s the first word that pops into your head when you hear the name Kamala Harris?"
Without hesitation he answered matter-of-factly, "Liar."
CNN also asked a young female black student who she would like to see as our next president.
"It’d be good for us to have a black woman as president for the first time in history," she said. "But my vote’s kinda still on Trump."
There may be hope yet.
But if Chris Hayes thought the prices of goods and services are high now, he hasn't seen anything yet. Just elect Harris as the 47th president and watch either prices soar through the stratosphere, or supermarket shelves empty out — if not both.
Free markets grow the economy; crippling taxation and Soviet-style price controls destroy economies, and the hopes and aspirations of every citizen along with them.
Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to Newsmax. He is also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and a Second Amendment supporter. Read Michael Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.