Tax Plan For Aristocracy

[jediuser598]

See that's the thing, as long as it is an equal playing field, then most people are fine with it. As long as they're subject to the same laws as us, it's all good, but increasingly that's not the case. My dad made a great point that I quote sometimes, "No one would be there to bail out my business if it fails, but if the Banks or Automakers fail, they get bailouts?"

It's not a fair playing field. Socialize the losses, privatize the profits.

The problem isn't income inequality, the problem is lack of equal opportunity.

I don't disagree with that.

But the game is rigged. Lemon Socialism shows that, absolutely.

I don't care that people have more money than I do. I enjoy my life, if we're being honest as possible, I feel bad that people don't get to be me (even with all my struggles). What pisses me off is when people are attacking opportunity, when they're making it harder for deserving people to excel. (I'm not one of those deserving people, mind you.)

[StCapps]

But the game is rigged.

Indeed, the game will always be rigged, the key is to rig the game in a way where economic mobility based on merit is promoted adequately, and the best way to do that is not by taxing the aristocracy more.
/shrugs

Give a man a fish, he feeds for a day, Teach a man to fish, he feeds for a lifetime. Adapt your policy proposals accordingly.

[LVH2]

Now that we've moved away from it, we see the middle class in the U.S. shrinking rapidly, and open and unchecked political corruption. G.I. bill ---> college costs six figures to fund a bloated administration in bed with private lenders.

The US hasn't been moving away from Robin Hood Economics, that been on the upswing in America for a while now.

I don't think so.



There's a lot of other stuff too. For example, traffic and parking tickets have become backbreakers. A co-worker got a $400 ticket for running a red light, and that was years ago. Meanwhile, redlight cams operate at a loss for the city and the corporations and paid off politicians get all the profits.

Obviously, the rich and middle class don't often get parking tickets, as they don't need to park on public streets.

Sales taxes, gas taxes, etc. tend to be regressive as well.

[StCapps]

I don't think so.



There's a lot of other stuff too. For example, traffic and parking tickets have become backbreakers. A co-worker got a $400 ticket for running a red light, and that was years ago. Meanwhile, redlight cams operate at a loss for the city and the corporations and paid off politicians get all the profits.

Obviously, the rich and middle class don't often get parking tickets, as they don't need to park on public streets.

Sales taxes, gas taxes, etc. tend to be regressive as well.

Progressive taxation, is not the only form of Robin Hood Economics, your cherry picking doesn't change that. 90% tax rate is ridiculous and that didn't help the middle class at all. You need to stop equating taxing the rich with helping the poor, there are better way to help the poor and the middle class, than simply taxing the rich more. Get an imagination, stop proposing half baked solutions.

[jediuser598]

But the game is rigged.

Indeed, the game will always be rigged, the key is too rig the game in a way where economic mobility based on merit is promoted adequately, and the best way to do that is not by taxing the aristocracy more.
/shrugs

Rigging the game has consequences. Rig it too much, and well, the whole system falls apart. Rig it a little here, and a little there, well you can get away with that, but if moderation isn't used, well again, the whole system falls apart.

Who really wants to watch a game where one team is completely free of any burdens, has the best equipment possible, the best training possible, and the other team is shackled and chained to the field. It will simply fall apart.

[jediuser598]

Give a man a fish, he feeds for a day, Teach a man to fish, he feeds for a lifetime. Adapt your policy proposals accordingly.

Telling me Americans don't work their asses off?

And no, it's not as simple as that. Plenty of people have their professions, start their own businesses, work on their skills and bring products to the market, but when you have lemon socialism, that's attacking people who deserve to be successful. That's one law for thee, another for me. That's not an equal playing field, or equal opportunity.

[StCapps]

Rigging the game has consequences. Rig it too much, and well, the whole system falls apart. Rig it a little here, and a little there, well you can get away with that, but if moderation isn't used, well again, the whole system falls apart.

A tough balancing act, but a game that isn't rigged is wishful thinking, and basing policy proposals on wishful thinking instead of realpolitik does not lead to optimal results. Pragmatism for the win, taxing the rich a little more, not going to fix the problem, if you actually want to fix the problem, there are far better solutions out there, so stop settling for band-aid solutions at best.

[jediuser598]

Rigging the game has consequences. Rig it too much, and well, the whole system falls apart. Rig it a little here, and a little there, well you can get away with that, but if moderation isn't used, well again, the whole system falls apart.

A tough balancing act, but a game that isn't rigged is wishful thinking, and basing policy proposals on wishful thinking instead of realpolitik does not lead to optimal results. Pragmatism for the win, taxing the rich a little more, not going to fix the problem.

You're not going to eliminate it. People in power are going to abuse that power, that's just part of being human. Isn't The American Experiment a government created on wishful thinking? The ideal of "you work your ass off, you're going to get ahead. Play your cards right, and you can create your own dynasty." You can real politik all you want, but it's important to have ideals to strive for. Real politik is just going over explored areas, wishful thinking is exploring new frontiers.

Real politik is "I know what happens next."

Wishful thinking is "I don't know what happens next, but going to try anyways."

[StCapps]

Filtering idealism through realpolitik can be useful, ignoring realpolitik because it doesn't fit with your picture of an ideal world, not so much. Got to be pragmatic, or you'll never be successful promoting your ideals.

[jediuser598]

Filtering idealism through realpolitik can be useful, ignoring realpolitik because it doesn't fit with your picture of an ideal world, not so much. Got to be pragmatic, or you'll never be successful promoting your ideals.

The definition of the term:

re·al·po·li·tik
noun
a system of politics or principles based on practical rather than moral or ideological considerations.