How will Democrats keep their economic promise to America?

SpeedoGuy

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The top 10% of earners pay 70% of all income taxes. The top 50% pay 98% of all income taxes.

In other words, a small slice of the nation's population controls a disproportionately large majority of the wealth. Despite complaints that taxes stifle accumulation of wealth, these figures show there clearly isn't any shortage of billionaires in the USA.
 

Wyldgusechaz

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In other words, a small slice of the nation's population controls a disproportionately large majority of the wealth. Despite complaints that taxes stifle accumulation of wealth, these figures show there clearly isn't any shortage of billionaires in the USA.

Don't you want a country that creates a lot of self made billionaires? Most of the really rich folks around the globe made their money thru monopolies granted by birthright or cronyism. That gazillionaire from Mexico or the sultan of Brunei or the Arab sheiks.

America's rich guys usually earned it. Mark Cuban, Michael Dell, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Paul Allen, David Geffen.

Some of the negative thinking here is depressing. You guys must have really awful lives.

Look at the list. Hardly any just fell into it.

The 400 Richest Americans - Forbes.com
 

viking1

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Don't you want a country that creates a lot of self made billionaires? Most of the really rich folks around the globe made their money thru monopolies granted by birthright or cronyism. That gazillionaire from Mexico or the sultan of Brunei or the Arab sheiks.

America's rich guys usually earned it. Mark Cuban, Michael Dell, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Paul Allen, David Geffen.

Some of the negative thinking here is depressing. You guys must have really awful lives.

Look at the list. Hardly any just fell into it.

The 400 Richest Americans - Forbes.com

Inherited it, fell into it, stole it...what's the real difference?
 

B_InDepth

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democrats?? economy?? go together like a waffle and horse shit..

national healthcare will kill the economy..

the democratic way of making the government one gigantic crutch for everyone that wants to take advantage of it to lean on will kill the economy...

we need someone who teaches americans to be patriotic and more self sufficient..

we need someone with a new idea, a new way, a way of hope..!!

we need RON PAUL..!!!


Ron Paul 2008 — Hope for America
 

gjorg

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We put politicians in a place where they have to lie,and then we complain about what liars they are when they don't do what we want them to do. If honest Abe were on the ticket today he would not get elected. The real politician hopes that most intelligent people can see thru their smoke and mirrors,and that they can bullshit the rest of the uneducated,filthy unwashed masses that do most of the voting. Think crazed mobs with torches coming for Dr.Frankenstein and you get some idea.
 
D

deleted15807

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well, i despise both of the political parties, and will not vote for either, and while the republicans are plenty despicable on a range of topics, the democrats and their "soak the rich" make them pay their "fair share" bullshit are disgracefull.

paying taxes is a necessary part of citizenship...being absolutely bludgeoned with taxes for succeeding is evil and unfair

With income inequality reaching levels not seen since the Gilded Age why not 'soak the rich'? That money came most likely of the backs of the poor and middle class by charging 10 times the price it cost to make it.

The Republicans claim to be Christians why don't they actually follow through and actually redistribute the wealth as the Bible calls for?

“No land shall be sold outright, because the land is mine, and you are coming into it as aliens and settlers” (Leviticus 25:23)

The year of release established a universal release of debts and freedom every seven years to all enslaved for debt (Deuteronomy 15). In the 50th year, the year of jubilee was celebrated (Leviticus 25) in which all land sold returned to its original owner or his heirs. The jubilee year met three basic demands for justice: remission of debt, liberation of slaves and redistribution of land.

This redistribution of land prevented the accumulation of capital in the hands of a few.

Choosing Poverty
 

SpeedoGuy

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Don't you want a country that creates a lot of self made billionaires?

I want a nation where the distribution of wealth stengthens long term social, political and economic stability. History is full of examples of what eventually happens to nations where the concentration of wealth and power becomes too badly skewed.

America's rich guys usually earned it. Mark Cuban, Michael Dell, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Paul Allen, David Geffen.

There are traits among wealthy and powerful people that are worth celebrating and emulating. And there are at least as many traits among wealthy and powerful people that aren't.

Some of the negative thinking here is depressing. You guys must have really awful lives.

My life is pretty good and generally positive. What does that have to do with Democratic economic policy?
 
D

deleted15807

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I want a nation where the distribution of wealth stengthens long term social, political and economic stability. History is full of examples of what eventually happens to nations where the concentration of wealth and power becomes too badly skewed.

The last gilded age didn't end very well.

We know what John D. Rockefeller, the richest man in Gilded Age America, made in 1894, because in 1895 he had to pay income taxes. (The next year, the Supreme Court declared the income tax unconstitutional.) His return declared an income of $1.25 million, almost 7,000 times the average per capita income in the United States at the time.


But that makes him a mere piker by modern standards. Last year, according to Institutional Investor's Alpha magazine, James Simons, a hedge fund manager, took home $1.7 billion, more than 38,000 times the average income. Two other hedge fund managers also made more than $1 billion, and the top 25 combined made $14 billion.

How much is $14 billion? It's more than it would cost to provide health care for a year to eight million children — the number of children in America who, unlike children in any other advanced country, don't have health insurance.
 

mindseye

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I no longer pay any attention ... I don't like either party ...


See, that's the problem. Cynics like you complain about how bad the politicians are, but you're not actively listening or keeping tabs on how they're doing. You've admitted you don't pay attention to what the campaigners say, and so you're not informed enough to make a sound evaluation of them.

Politicians love people like you -- and people like you abound in this short-attention-span society. No matter how badly they screw up, they can come up with some loud, attention-grabbing distraction like "CLINTON GOT A BLOWJOB" or "LARRY CRAIG PLAYS FOOTSIES", and that takes the heat off them, because they know that the salacious and tawdry brings in higher ratings than chilling economic realities.

If you did pay attention, then you wouldn't be issuing a blanket condemnation of all politicians. Your delusion that everything in politics is bad is a shallow fantasy that you cling to in order to avoid your responsibilities as a conscientious voter.
 

HazelGod

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If you did pay attention, then you wouldn't be issuing a blanket condemnation of all politicians. Your delusion that everything in politics is bad is a shallow fantasy that you cling to in order to avoid your responsibilities as a conscientious voter.

Ouch. Harsh, but fair.
 

faceking

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Guess Who Really Pays the Taxes — The American, A Magazine of Ideas

I do not see how they will be able to deliver on many of their ideas.

The top 10% of earners pay 70% of all income taxes. The top 50% pay 98% of all income taxes. (Actually 100% most reported but I went with the lowest number I could find anywhere)

If they end the war in Iraq tomorrow that gives them $80 billion more to spend. Peanuts really in a $14 trillion economy.

What do they have to do to fulfill their commitment to the little man?

What would you be happy with?

You HAVE to be smarter than this... Dems are all about rhetoric and no action.... a few token programs that end up as photo-ops a few years later... and that's about it.

Notice how Chelsea goes to Stanford and not NYU-SUNY.....
 

Flashy

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With income inequality reaching levels not seen since the Gilded Age why not 'soak the rich'? That money came most likely of the backs of the poor and middle class by charging 10 times the price it cost to make it.

The Republicans claim to be Christians why don't they actually follow through and actually redistribute the wealth as the Bible calls for?

“No land shall be sold outright, because the land is mine, and you are coming into it as aliens and settlers” (Leviticus 25:23)

The year of release established a universal release of debts and freedom every seven years to all enslaved for debt (Deuteronomy 15). In the 50th year, the year of jubilee was celebrated (Leviticus 25) in which all land sold returned to its original owner or his heirs. The jubilee year met three basic demands for justice: remission of debt, liberation of slaves and redistribution of land.

This redistribution of land prevented the accumulation of capital in the hands of a few.

Choosing Poverty


utter nonsense...just because there is inequality in outcome has nothing to do with anything.

a smart person who works his/her ass off, learns, starts a small business and winds up earning 1 million dollars a year is not some anomaly...it is DESERVED. Someone who drops out of high school, plays video games all day, has no direction in life and winds up being a janitor or something has absolutely no claim on "inequal" final results.

People who are STILL succeeding and getting richer, while paying a mind bogglingly disproportionate amount of taxes have every right to keep what they earn and invest.

That is FAIRNESS...not inequality.

the rich have been "SOAKED" for years...there is no justification for increasing it.


i do not care what the republicans or democrats do, as long as they stay out of my life.

so now we should all live according to absurd biblical rights?

fine...maybe we should sacrifice our children on altars as well :rolleyes:


"That money came most likely of the backs of the poor and middle class by charging 10 times the price it cost to make it."

ah yes...every person who has been a success is just an exploiter of the poor.

people who make software are exploiting the poor, people who make computers and TVs are exploiting the poor, people who offer legal services, or consulting, and any human being who succeeds is just an exploiter.

we don't live in some absurd agrarian, biblical society...this is the real world.
 

Flashy

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The last gilded age didn't end very well.

We know what John D. Rockefeller, the richest man in Gilded Age America, made in 1894, because in 1895 he had to pay income taxes. (The next year, the Supreme Court declared the income tax unconstitutional.) His return declared an income of $1.25 million, almost 7,000 times the average per capita income in the United States at the time.


But that makes him a mere piker by modern standards. Last year, according to Institutional Investor's Alpha magazine, James Simons, a hedge fund manager, took home $1.7 billion, more than 38,000 times the average income. Two other hedge fund managers also made more than $1 billion, and the top 25 combined made $14 billion.

How much is $14 billion? It's more than it would cost to provide health care for a year to eight million children — the number of children in America who, unlike children in any other advanced country, don't have health insurance.

So?

they made that money because they performed a service...which is making a high return on the money given to them to invest by people with the money to PAY for their wealth creating services.

if they had not made that money, it would not have just randomly gone to provide health care to anyone...since it would likely not have existed, since those same wealthy people would have taken the principle and instead of investing it in hedge funds, would have put it in securities such as muni bonds, which yield a far lower rate of return, do not give over 20% of profits to hedge fund managers, and are exempt from federal taxation.

money that has not been earned does not just magically appear to help the unfortunate and down trodden...it is EARNED by someone else for providing a service in most cases.

Hedge fund operators have just as much right to make as much as they can if people deem their services to be valuable.

you cannot just take what someone has earned, which is what those hedge fund managers did, and just say, "oh someone else should have that"


here is a tip...the wealthy ALWAYS get richer, if they are smart, because they can afford the services of people who specialize in wealth and asset management.

this is not the Soviet Union...

people are free to earn and succeed here.

you want free health care for the uninsured? what are there, 43 million uninsured people in this country? what would it take to get them a decent basic health care plan? probably 100 billion a year.

try legalizing marijuana, and taxing it heavily. Try increasing taxes on alcoholic beverages. Try increasing taxes on fatty fast food places like McDonalds.

Done.


don't blame successful people for being successful.

done in an instant.
 

D_Sir Fitzwilly Wankheimer III

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With the top 50% paying all the income tax, how much fairer could you make it? I am bewildered by what you might feel is fair. The top 10% already pay 70% of all income taxes. If we went to a flat tax the taxation on the poor would go up seeing as they pay no income tax at all now.

The saying goes: "can't win for losing."

that's right, you can't beat a dead horse
 

Sklar

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Democrats - - "Here's a social program for you. If you ever improve your financial situation we will drop you from this program."

Republicans - - "America is the land of opprotunity. We will allow anyone to start their own business and enjoy the fruits of their own labor. The better you do, the better off financially you will become."

Democrats - - "The rich are evil for working harder than you and getting more money. We will redistribute their wealth to you so you don't have to work as hard and leave the social program we created for you."

Republicans - - "The poor are lazy, selfish people who only want a hand out not a hand up."

Democrats - - "If you are an illegal alien, stay here and live off the system. There are too many of you for us to handle. So go ahead and vote because we know you love us."

Republicans - - "Democrats can't even call an illegal alien an illegal alien. They are undocumented workers.*"

* Hillary Clinton, in the first debate, when asked about giving illegal aliens drivers licenses in New York. The words illegal aliens never left her mouth but undocumented workers did. Quite a few times.

Democrats - - "We love gay people. Come to America."

Republicans - - "We tolerate gay people as long as they never: 1) Serve their country openly. 2) They never get any of the same benefits as a married couple. 3) They never tarnish the image of marriage (because we as hetersexuals are doing a fine job of that ourselves). 4) We condemn that Iran puts their homosexuals to death (so come over here where we can discriminate against you but, HEY, at least we won't kill you)"
 

Principessa

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See, that's the problem. Cynics like you complain about how bad the politicians are, but you're not actively listening or keeping tabs on how they're doing. You've admitted you don't pay attention to what the campaigners say, and so you're not informed enough to make a sound evaluation of them.

Politicians love people like you -- and people like you abound in this short-attention-span society. No matter how badly they screw up, they can come up with some loud, attention-grabbing distraction like "CLINTON GOT A BLOWJOB" or "LARRY CRAIG PLAYS FOOTSIES", and that takes the heat off them, because they know that the salacious and tawdry brings in higher ratings than chilling economic realities.

If you did pay attention, then you wouldn't be issuing a blanket condemnation of all politicians. Your delusion that everything in politics is bad is a shallow fantasy that you cling to in order to avoid your responsibilities as a conscientious voter.

QFT!

Preach it brother Mindseye! :cool::smile:
 

rimmer9

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Speaking as an independant as i'm in the UK. Forget the promises surely it's about the kind of society you want over there. A right wing, biggotted, everyman for himself or a more moderate, liberal attitude but hey, what do I know.
 

Flashy

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Speaking as an independant as i'm in the UK. Forget the promises surely it's about the kind of society you want over there. A right wing, biggotted, everyman for himself or a more moderate, liberal attitude but hey, what do I know.

it really is not as simple as all that.

I hate both parties equally. Both offer terrible platforms from the extreme wing of each party.

a bigotted right wing party is just as bad as an extreme, confiscatory leftist party.

neither extreme wing is the solution.