It comes down to what sort of society you want to live in. Do you want to live in a place where everyone is educated and thriving, or do you want to live somewhere that is riddled with crime and poverty?
The small percentage we planned to take from the ultra wealthy would not have adversely impacted them, but it would have unquestionably improved the lives of millions.
You can call me a commie for that if you want. I'd just call you callous.
Wow, that is not even close to an accurate depiction of what we wanted; that is, unless in your world view "working class" somehow magically includes people who make the majority of their income through capital gains and contribute nothing of worth to society other than gambling in the world's largest casino.
Yes, and Neuromancer of course, hah.
Settle down. You may as well go off and join Antifa if you're so paranoid about nazis everywhere around you.
I have pretty thick skin, fortunately. I knew what I'd be in for here. I mostly came to talk to the folks that are willing to be objective and definitely to see how many others like myself there may be. Thanks for this!
I am not ashamed to say that I am in favor of a society that is directed toward maximizing the potential of the human condition, but I wholly disagree with your characterization of my views.
Well, how about, "no one today would call him a communist."
It's not that they don't have the right to have children, just that the government shouldn't be in the business of incentivizing those who already can't afford to have children to have them. In my view, welfare should be a helping hand to get you to a place where you can become a more productive member of society...THEN you can consider having children. Not the other way around.
Additionally, if you actually care about children, then you should know that children born in the low income ghettos correlates perfectly with crime. When we make birth control and abortion accessible in these areas, crime drops.
I am not anti-children, I am just in favor of making sure that people only have children when they can give that child a good life.
Everyone that can make a child should
Do you honestly believe this? Even the mentally infirm? How could that possibly be good for society?
Let's cut the nazi name-calling, I came here to get away from that nonsense. Give me an honest answer on that one.
The FAIR tax is a consumption tax that, you're correct, completely eliminates our current tax code. What it does is increase the sales tax on goods well above what it is now, with the idea being that those who can afford to spend more on luxuries etc, naturally wind up paying more of their fair share of taxes. It does provide for a certain amount of tax "rebate" to those making under a certain amount of money so as to keep things manageable at the lowest rungs of society.
The big takeaway is that a consumption tax of this sort has a number of benefits, it removes problematic loopholes that are used by the wealthy to hide their income, and perhaps most importantly, it brings in tax revenue that we are currently losing to the black market. Drug dealers and criminal don't pay taxes on their income, but they do buy goods and services.
I'm not much for twitter, but I'll definitely check it out.Thanks for the tip.
Holly shit ... now that is 3rd reich level shit . Capitalism yes ... but i wouldn't go that far.
Why not?
So long as you realize what this entails.
I am against globalism, pro-wall, and anti-immigration. I think third-wave feminism has brought nothing but social ills.
Bring it on.
Thanks, friend!
Bernie is what would be called a "Social Democrat" in Europe. The closest we've ever come to that in the US would have been FDR—no one called him a communist.
I'm a neuroscientist, Ph.D., employed in research. Won't say more because I'm sure you know how tenuous and toxic the culture is in the working world I'm forced to live in...
You're quite right about STEM types being more willing to consider the evidence...it's what we're trained to do! Facts don't care about feelings.
Once upon a time (circa Ron Paul days), I was in favor of the FAIR tax, what's your opinion on that?
Anyway, I gradually shifted to the left's narrative on this one. I'll have a read of your link and if I think it credibility refutes my views, I'll reconsider.
I never donated more than I could afford to give as I'm a responsible adult. Anyone who did otherwise will have to deal with the consequences. I don't require a refund.
I should have mentioned above, I am anti-globalist and also in favor of closing the border. Build the wall, absolutely. This is another reason why I've switched to Trump, I could never get onboard with the idea that open-borders was compatible with a thriving American middle-class. I still think we might disagree on your conceptions of education.
Trump has done more to help rebuild the middle class than anybody in 50 years
And in that case, I want to keep hearing more about it! Thank you.
I see overlap in terms of foreign policy, both could be considered isolationist (stay the hell out of unnecessary conflicts and solve the problems at HOME first). Both have economic protectionist views and look to penalize major corporations for offshoring US jobs. Both have an interest in restoring the dignity of the middle-class family in this light.
As for the SJW attacks against Trump. I don't agree with any of that, never did. It's come to such a fever pitch now, that I decided to stop by here and have a chat with you folks. That's how much all that bullshit has alienated me from the left.
Thanks for this, I'm learning new things here and I truly appreciate it. I am not married to my views; I'm a scientist in terms of my career, and I apply those principles to my life; that is to say, when and If new evidence refutes my view of the world, I will consider it and admit my mistake.
Edit: interesting to note that Friedman's solution isn't necessarily in line with Trumps economic protectionist policies.
I just want a strong middle-class. I want people who weren't born into multi-generational wealth to have access to education and actually be able to create a respectable life for themselves in this country. If that's your definition of communism, then we may be at odds.
I will have a read of MMT as, I'll admit, that's the first time I've come across the term.
Do I think 29% is high enough? This country was at its greatest directly following WWII. I'm sure you know what the tax rate was then. Didn't seem to hurt, only to help things.
See, this is informative. I actually agree with you on a lot of what you said. Mostly the notion of responsibility to the responsible.
I hate the idea, for instance, that people on welfare are allowed to run around having yet MORE children, and are actually rewarded for doing so. That's not the way things should be, nor would they in my vision. Personally, I think women on welfare should be required to have IUD implants; and I think they should be kicked out of the program for failure to adhere to such measures.
That said, it's simply a fact, that the cost of education in this country has grown exponentially, while middle-classes wages have not kept pace with inflation. We are creating generations of debt-slaves who even if they do manage to graduate, are unable to contribute to the economy in any meaningful manner (e.g. buying a new car or house), because they're now shouldering with the massive weight of 50k in student loans etc.
I think it's great that the wealthy can provide education etc for their families. I also think that those without the financial means should not be in the business of popping out children that they can't afford. What I take issue with, however, is penalizing people who, through no fault of their own, were born into economic circumstances that are exceedingly unfavorable for their development into a productive citizen. Your views seem to endorse a sort of multi-generational karmic retribution (which leads to a caste system as in India). Why not let us set everyone on an equal playing field (or at least to a certain baseline where something like a college education is achievable outside a lifetime of debt), and let the individual's own merits determine their destiny?
No one is talking about a 90%, go read the policies, the numbers are there. You're deluded if you think anyone actually was asking for that.
Why are you so willing to defend 1% of the population that couldn't give a damn about you?
We differ, clearly. I said that in my introduction. We agree on social issues, which is why I'm voting trump. I'm not going to justify the rest to you, because it doesn't matter to me if you agree or not. I just want to see this SJW bullshit shut down and I want to close the border. Let's work together on that.