A calculated life – Real people and Politicians | Eastern North Carolina Now

    I hardly ever listen to talk radio anymore because I do not spend that much time in the auto as I did when I was working for living.  Nevertheless, yesterday I had to spend about an hour in the car and the only thing on the radios, AM or FM worth listening to (???) was Rush Limbaugh.

   I must insert my semi-disclaimer here:  I view talking heads like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow, and the ever- popular Mark Levin as nothing more than entertainers with a point of view.  You might notice that there is no common particular political philosophy in all of these pundits, they come from both sides of the aisle.  One of the things that they all have in common is that they are entertainers first and commentators next.  All are bombastic and use over the top hyperbole to gain attention and audience You do not have to agree with either side to recognize that the measure of their talent is in the amount of advertisers and ratings they attract. 

   Now, having said that, occasionally they may hit on something that makes me say: "Hmm- Indeed That's a good point."  I grant you it does not happen often but when it does, it causes further contemplation on my part.  One of the dangers of today's media influence, in both print, social, broadcast or talk radio is that you can reinforce your own prejudices by what you choose to follow.  I am not immune to that, but if you want to develop a cohesive argument for your point of view, you must be aware of the arguments on the other side of the political street.

   What was interesting about Rush's lecture (that is what his radio show is, interspersed with his biting sarcasm humor) was his explanation of the Trump Tax debate.  I won't bore you with the details of who used what technique or deduction.  That is not the point.

   What was interesting is that he explained the playing field for public disclosure of a politician's tax filings. Here are a couple of points that made me go "Hmm- Indeed That's a good point."

• Politicians set up their tax situation based around how the public will perceive them when they release their returns.
• Private people set up their tax situation to maximize how much they keep and legally minimize how much taxes they pay.
• The whole release of tax forms is a big scan.

   I probably lost most of the people on the left with the mere mention of Rush Limbaugh, but if you are still with me take a look at his discussion in this 12:44 video from his radio show and see if you have a 'HMM..." moment.