Step-Back Lauri
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I don't know what do people mean by "world's greatest democracy", but that certainly hasn't been America in ages. I'd give Iceland a go as the greatest democracy. I feel they're most transparent and least corrupted democracy in the world. It also helps there isn't so many billionaires in smaller countries to bribe their *** off to get whatever they want. (Read: socializing money from mid class and poor to the rich)
fishonjazz
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And to be honest, just like the billionaires tax cuts, not taxing those things was/is a bad idea. It's a dumb idea to cut revenue when you are trying to get out of debt.
Imagine you are in a bunch of debt. So you cut your spending. Cut down on your subscriptions and eat out less and don't go on vacation etc. You find that you are able to save $200 dollars each month. That's great!
But not so great if you tell your wife to quit her job that was bringing in $1000 dollars per month.
That is basically trumps plan to decrease the deficit. Cut spending and then cut revenue by way more than the spending cuts.
So dumb.
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Sardines
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There is a balance, though, when you're talking about people at the low end of the income bracket. The money a server doesn't pay in taxes is going to be spent, stimulating more economic activity than if it just went to the IRS. A billionaire paying less taxes is unlikely to increase their spending, especially not on necessities or in a way that will make a significant impact on their local economy. There are millions of tipped employees and a handful of billionaires. Millions of servers who can now afford an additional pair of pants and the fancy spaghetti sauce, or even just avoid falling behind on their car payment is a plus for their local economy. Not sure where the tipping point is that would make letting them keep more of their money would cost more than just taking it to apply to the national debt is but I think we're not too close to that point right now.
TheStormofWar
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He's literally incapable of it because he doesn't have the first clue how. He's been repeatedly asked to simply explain the purpose and endgame of his tariffs to the businesses it's affecting, but he won't. Just a simple two sentence response and he can't bring himself to even do that.
Sardines
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The fact that so many consider him to be exceptionally intelligent and capable continues to baffle the ever living **** out of me.
D
Deleted member 365
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Really good post. Everyone should see their taxes go up. I think billionaires and millionaires should see significant increases. But I’m fine with everyone paying a little more. I’d like to get deficit spending under control under good economic times. Especially since Trump is plunging us into another recession which will likely require more bailouts to keep the recession from becoming a depression.
Step-Back Lauri
Well-Known Member
IDK .. The balance of upping taxes in times if looming recession is also a very delicate thing. If lower income people get even a bit too much tax axe (and it might be relatively small amount that will affect), their consumption might go down more than needed. That will lead into expanded probability of smaller entrepreneurs also facing issues, as they rely on mid class and lower income people use their services. If I'd up taxes in times of recession it should focus on mega rich, but also on things that are harmful to our health like tobacco, alcohol, sugar, etc.
D
Deleted member 365
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Admittedly, it’s precarious to do so now that Trump is plunging the country into recession again. But at some point, taxes need to go up. We’re so under taxed in this nation. We really need to visit other countries to gain perspective. Probably would also help Americans to see how others deal with gun violence, health care, mass transit, etc.
LogGrad98
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But the billionaires have put so much effort into making SOCILISM the ultimate boogey-man, there is no way anyone can gain any perspective on it. And the only group we do have spend any appreciably amount of time overseas are doing it as part the only truly socialist part of our society, the military. So they can feel like they are still true blue 'murrcans while living as purely socialist as any group of americans ever do. But boy just try telling one of them that. I had this discussion with a friend of ours during the first Trump admin, a guy who served 20+ years in the army. Had 3 kids all delivered on base hospitals, lived in Germany, Korea, somewhere else, can't remember. When I asked him what he paid out of pocket for his kids, it was nothing of course. What did he pay for dental? Nothing. How about clothing and food, all subsidized and cheap cheap cheap, really missed going to the commissary. When I pointed out that was straight up socialism he flew off the handle. No it wasn't it was him serving his country and being compensated for that. I asked what he did most of the time, like in Germany, for instance. Well, he spent a lot of time working with a civilian group arranging activities for the youth of the families that were serving there (one of our own here did something like this in a civilian capacity in Germany as well). Oh he did his tours in country, Iraq and Afghanistan, but he spent the rest of his time in logistics and in coordinating civilian activities and such. He just could not see that he was living in a socialist environment and that it worked very very well, and why can't we all live like that? No, socialism will always be the bad guy, it will take a monumental effort to change that in any meaningful way. And we will continue to slide down the list of developed nations as our cost of health care and health care outcomes have steadily dropped over the past 50 years. It will get way way way worse before it gets better, if it ever does. We are firmly THE capitalist society in this global experiment and we are winning in literally only one metric: who has the most billionaires and millionaires. That is the only place we are winning. Oh and who has the most wealth in the fewest hands. We win that by a landslide in all but third world dictatorships, and thanks to the Insane Orange Clown Posse we might leave a few of them in the dirt in that race too before all is said and done.
