Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
I saw this image in my Facebook feed earlier today.
The image had been "shared" by a friend, who I am sure thought that the message of the image was ironic and hilarious. I'm sure that he thought that this was a statement that would count as a win, or a "run" or at minimum a "called strike," in a conversation about the sanctity of life. I'm sure this individual thought, "take that Rethuglican! How are you going to get out of this one."
Well, quite simply by saying "sure." If you are willing to agree that life begins at conception, I'm willing to add an additional 9 months to the child tax credit. Heck, my wife and I would have benefited from such a provision.
Now, that doesn't speak to the justness or desirability of having a child tax credit in the first place. That's an economic discussion for another time and place about using the tax code as a rent seeker's paradise.
No, this is just about whether if there is a child tax credit, and life begins at conception, whether it should apply from that moment.
Sure. If it takes a slight deduction in your tax burden to get you to recognize the sanctity of life, I'm all for it. The implication that adding 9 months of eligibility to an existing tax credit would alter mine is more that slightly offensive.
It seems to me that ads like this one, and the "anti" Romney ad by the Obama Truth team, further illuminate how poorly the left understand the beliefs of conservatives.
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Comments:
Oct '11
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
Also not until you file your taxes.
EJHill
It's not a check, it's a credit. You don't get the credit 'til the baby has a name and a Social Security number. · 26 minutes ago
Jan '11
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
EJHill
It's not a check, it's a credit. You don't get the credit 'til the baby has a name and a Social Security number. · 30 minutes ago
Forgive my panic - but I'm terribly cynical about these things. This has my Spider-sense tingling ... no, screaming ...
Of course, the only way to get it past the Supreme Court would be if they accept a notion of "personhood" that would automatically make all abortions illegal.
(And yes, I know it's unlikely to happen in real life anyway, but every action fosters a response - and that's what scares me.)
Feb '12
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
They best part is that the author of that picture believes its satire.
Yet another example of how conservatives speak liberal, but liberals don't speak conservative.
Jul '10
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
They think Republicans will be swayed from their views on when life begins by the specter of a tax cut?
The Stupid, it is strong with this one.
Oct '10
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
KC Mulville
NO!
They'll get pregnant, get the money ...thenabort the baby. If being pregnant makes money, but bearing the child doesn't, then we're setting up a disaster.
I agree with the principle, but this has disaster written all over it. If the mother believes her baby deserves the full protection of the law, then we'd have nothing to worry about. But for those who don't believe it in the first place, then subsidizing pregnancy gives an incentive for them to have an abortion ... which is what we're trying to avoid. And yes, there are plenty of women who think that it's just a blob of tissue, and would have no hesitation in aborting the baby. · 1 hour ago
Nah, just make the credit available with a one-year delay, requiring a valid SSN in order to claim the credit.
Oct '10
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
I don't get this image at all. Why would we disagree? Where's the conundrum?
Jul '11
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
Another perfect example of why government should get the hell out of encouraging any kind of behavior, for any reason, by implementing tax policies. The incentives don't work, they create unforeseen effects, and politicians get rich on the public's dime exploiting the issues to stay in office.
Why isn't the child tax credit called a loophole? Why? What now, Democrats?
Dec '10
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
Misthiocracy
What about the cost of buying maternity clothes, buying parenting books, taking parenting classes, child-proofing your home, renovating the nursery, trading your Porsche in for a minivan, etc, etc, and stocking up on supplies like diapers and baby clothes in anticipationof the birth?
Parents don't wait until the baby is born to start spending money on that stuff.
By the Residence Test, the current Child Tax Credit requires that the child live with you more than half the year. I assume this means the child has to be born between 12:00:01 am on the first of January and midnight June 30 to collect during the first year. If you manage to have one in June, you'll get the credit for up to 6 months of your pregnancy.
If the same rules are applied to pregnancy, how are you going to establish the moment of conception?
One more question: Do you expect to pay more for a minivan than you can get for your Porsche? If you don't, will that count against the credit?
Edited on April 12, 2012 at 4:23amJul '10
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
You're thinking way too hard about this. It ain't never gonna happen. Our brutal overlords will never give up that much revenue while at the same time conceding the underlying moral principle.
What's hilarious about the banner is that some dunderhead liberal thought it would trap conservatives in a dilemma! Lower taxes and life begins at conception: are there any two things conservatives are more likely to be in favor of?! Win-Win!!
Apr '11
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
Hear! Hear, Peter! Nail-on-head, man.
Peter Christofferson
You're thinking way too hard about this.It ain't never gonna happen. Our brutal overlords willnever give up that much revenue while at the same time conceding the underlying moral principle.
Feb '12
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
I want to know if you responded to your friend. What do the rest of you do with the similar posts from friends that we all get? I responded at first but have started to ignore because of the odd blending of my personal and work life in Facebook. Not sure I'm ready to go whole hog with that. Maybe I'm a coward.
Jul '10
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
KC Mulville
NO!
They'll get pregnant, get the money ...thenabort the baby. If being pregnant makes money, but bearing the child doesn't, then we're setting up a disaster.
. · 11 hours ago
Then We got them.
If ever they claim the credit and "get the money," then they've admitted that Life begins at Conception.
Dec '10
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
Peter Christofferson
You're thinking way too hard about this.It ain't never gonna happen.Our brutal overlords willnevergive up that much revenue while at the same time conceding the underlying moral principle.
What's hilarious about the banner is that some dunderhead liberal thought it would trap conservatives in a dilemma! Lower taxes and life begins at conception: are there any two things conservatives are more likely to be in favor of?! Win-Win!! · 11 hours ago
I think too hard about a lot of things. It's just the way I am.
Make you a deal; I won't tell you to think harder if you don't tell me not to think so hard.
I'm against the Child Tax Credit as it is, much less expanding the entitlement to cover more. But if the obvious point, that this is a stupid attempt to confound social conservatives, is the only thing that can be discussed, this thread would be pretty short.
Edited on April 12, 2012 at 3:48pmDec '10
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
But I'm truly thankful that you were here to explain why it's funny.
May '11
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
I generally don't respond to these taunts... I like facebook for keeping up with friends I don't get to see or speak with often. I don't appreciate the use of facebook as a soapbox for political proclamations and taunts. Unfortunately, I visit the site less and less, because my friends are soapboxing more and more. I'm pretty wired into this stuff all day, and wish there could be more politics-free zones in life (especially among friends). I think I'm in the minority here, but for what it's worth... that's my take.
Dec '10
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
If personhood only begins at birth, why are we wasting money on "pre-natal care" for a clump of non-person cells?
What now, Democrats?
Aug '10
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
Stuart Creque: If personhood only begins at birth, why are we wasting money on "pre-natal care" for a clump of non-person cells?
What now, Democrats?
My guess is that the Democrat's response would be that pre-natal care is for the mother, not the fetus.
Dec '10
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
Misthiocracy
Stuart Creque: If personhood only begins at birth, why are we wasting money on "pre-natal care" for a clump of non-person cells?
What now, Democrats?
My guess is that the Democrat's response would be that pre-natal care is for the mother, not the fetus. · 3 hours ago
They would certainly try.
The tip-off is in the term "pre-natal." Like, pre-natal vitamins: folic acid supplements, for example, don't do much for the mother but can be essential to preventing developmental anomalies in the cell clump. Certainly there's no reason for government dollars to be spent on those, in the Democrat worldview - right? No need to worry about the woman's moderate drinking or recreational drug use. No need to use more cumbersome and expensive work-arounds during surgery or other medical treatments: if the clump dies, no harm, no foul.
And when it comes down to it, why not insist on an inexpensive procedure to eliminate the clump and its attendant costs? Surely if a woman's on government assistance, the government has a right to demand that step, yes?
Jul '10
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
Dear me, we're being a wee bit touchy, aren't we? Meant my post in a friendly spirit; sorry I failed to make that clear.
Jul '10
Re: Conception, Life, Tax Credits, and Confused Liberals
Um, no. My post, for example, addresses the likelihood of this silly idea ever being seriously proposed, by Democrats or anybody else. I say fat chance. You disagree, apparently? You think there is a real chance that liberals in Congress would propose expanding the Child Tax Credit to cover children still in the womb?
Gee, I hope you're right.