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REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS
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Thursday, August 28, 2008 3:09 PM
KIRKULES
Quote:Originally posted by chrisisall: Quote:Originally posted by Kirkules: The problem with a flat tax is that the rich use a smaller percentage of their total income as desposable income than the poor and middle class.*falls outta his chair* DUDE!!! You seriously need a math class. If a rich guy pays lawyers & accountants to keep him from paying taxes because of loopholes, a flat tax will still bring in more revenue than nothing. Chrisisall
Quote:Originally posted by Kirkules: The problem with a flat tax is that the rich use a smaller percentage of their total income as desposable income than the poor and middle class.
Thursday, August 28, 2008 3:21 PM
FUTUREMRSFILLION
Thursday, August 28, 2008 3:27 PM
Quote:Originally posted by FutureMrsFIllion: Quote:Originally posted by Kirkules: The problem with a flat tax is that the rich use a smaller percentage of their total income as desposable income than the poor and middle class.
Thursday, August 28, 2008 3:37 PM
Thursday, August 28, 2008 3:57 PM
KWICKO
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)
Quote: Your problem is that you are starting from the false assumption that the rich pay little or no taxes under the current system.
Thursday, August 28, 2008 3:58 PM
Quote:Originally posted by FutureMrsFIllion: You are right he did. However, your assertion that rich people spend less of their disposable income is absolutely absurd. I have no disposable income as my income is too low. My brother has the means to buy $14000 plasma screen tv's - so who do you think would pay more tax in either a flat income tax or flat sales tax situation?
Thursday, August 28, 2008 4:09 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: Quote: Your problem is that you are starting from the false assumption that the rich pay little or no taxes under the current system. Certainly, I'm NOT starting from that assumption. But you certainly seemed to be starting from the assumption that the bottom 95% of us pay NO taxes whatsoever. I'm aware that the rich pay some rather high income taxes - if you can prove that any of that money is actually INCOME. That's the rub - it tends to get squirreled away through loopholes and blind trusts until there is no income that can be recorded without the use of forensic accountants. So you take a CEO who's getting $175 million a year in salary, bonuses, and incentives. Do you suppose he's actually paying the income tax on that entire amount? And you do have it right on one point - a flat tax would take a higher percentage of disposable income from the poor and middle class - but only when they spent their money. If you have, say, a flat rate of 10-12% on goods sold (I currently pay 8.25% sales tax on most things), the poor and middle class won't really feel that much of a pinch, AND the rich will have reason to keep the tax rates in check, because they are also paying that same percentage on the things they buy. 10% on a new Honda isn't going to kill me - figure the gubmint takes about $2000 on that purchase; extrapolate that to the 10% tax on a Bugatti Veyron 16.4 (at $1.2million list price), and you see why the rich won't want the tax rate going any higher than that. They have a vested interest in looking out for the poor, at least a little bit, because what they sow, so shall they reap. The poor also won't have too big a bitch about it, because they can't point at the rich and say they aren't paying their fair share. If they buy something, they pay. They pay the same percentage of the price that the poor would pay. If the rich want to buy more expensive things, then they'll pay more in actual dollars in tax, but the percentage of the price will stay the same. Buy a house in the Hamptons? 10% goes to Uncle Sam. Buy a time-share in Aspen? 10%. Buy a crack-house in the ghetto? 10% Rent a car? 10% Buy a Pinto? 10% Buy an Aston Martin? 10% THAT is what I'm proposing. For the record, I have no issue at all with paying my taxes. No one wants to see taxes increase, but I can say that I don't see how we're going to spend our way out of the hole we've dug without raising taxes at least a bit. At some point, we have to start paying down that massive deficit and our national debt, or we will continue to see our dollar devalued and our debt load increasing, until we are no longer ABLE to pay it down. We have to start somewhere, and it seems to me that if the rich and poor are in it for the same percentages, it will be more fair to all involved. The best part of the idea is that it encourages a bit more frugality. It's not going to stop me buying food, or shoes, but it might make me think twice about buying that third, fourth, or fifth car just to have as a weekend toy. Right now, I have six cars, which is at least four more than I have any need for. Several of them are rarely driven. Will it work? Who knows... it'll probably never get the chance. But it would be nice to see someone try. What we've got now surely isn't doing much good... Mike
Thursday, August 28, 2008 4:37 PM
FINN MAC CUMHAL
Quote:Originally posted by citizen: Have you read one of Frem's posts?
Thursday, August 28, 2008 5:22 PM
Quote: Great post Kwicko, can't really find anything I totally disagree with. Sounds like we agree on a lot more than either of us would like to admit.
Thursday, August 28, 2008 5:43 PM
Thursday, August 28, 2008 6:36 PM
Thursday, August 28, 2008 6:54 PM
FREMDFIRMA
Thursday, August 28, 2008 6:56 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: But when you take money from ANYONE, you take money from the economy. What are the po' folk going to do with their money, save it? Hell, no - they're going to spend it! Thus are created more demand for goods, and more jobs to meet that demand.
Thursday, August 28, 2008 7:07 PM
Thursday, August 28, 2008 7:13 PM
PIRATENEWS
John Lee, conspiracy therapist at Hollywood award-winner History Channel-mocked SNL-spoofed PirateNew.org wooHOO!!!!!!
Quote:"I'm an alcoholic!" -Glenn Beck
Thursday, August 28, 2008 11:52 PM
CITIZEN
Quote:Originally posted by Fremdfirma: Oh, just in case it wasn't so clear from the post... Fuck raising taxes, start CUTTING shit. Goddamn, it's shocking that no one else even brought that concept up yet.
Friday, August 29, 2008 1:46 AM
Quote: They don’t create more jobs to meet that demand. They just create demand. Those jobs are created by the rich people who invest in the economy, taking advantage of that demand. Poor people don’t have the resources to create jobs, not in the short run. In the long run, maybe, but in the here and now, it takes the resources of rich people.
Friday, August 29, 2008 1:52 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Fremdfirma: Oh, just in case it wasn't so clear from the post... Fuck raising taxes, start CUTTING shit. Goddamn, it's shocking that no one else even brought that concept up yet. -F
Friday, August 29, 2008 4:08 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: ...and the demand of the poor people. Try building a factory just because you have the money to do so, and see where that gets ya.
Friday, August 29, 2008 4:55 AM
RIGHTEOUS9
Friday, August 29, 2008 5:44 AM
Friday, August 29, 2008 5:54 AM
Friday, August 29, 2008 6:00 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Righteous9: it's an ideal we built our nation on, and we are second rate. That cool with you?
Friday, August 29, 2008 6:04 AM
Friday, August 29, 2008 6:21 AM
Friday, August 29, 2008 6:26 AM
Friday, August 29, 2008 6:39 AM
RUE
I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!
Friday, August 29, 2008 6:45 AM
CHRISISALL
Quote:Originally posted by Kirkules: got A's in Calculus I, II, III and Elementary Deferential Equations.
Friday, August 29, 2008 6:46 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal: The point is that while there may be differences between the developed nations, these differences often are not significant enough to be concerned with being second best.
Friday, August 29, 2008 6:47 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Righteous9: In this case we're talking specifically about what second best means. You are fine with our waning upward mobility in this nation, even while other nations have improved beyond us in this area.
Quote:Originally posted by Righteous9: I like how our chants of patriotism are going to have to change over time.
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