im not saying that the harder you work at digging ditches, the richer you get. But speaking in general, if you work hard, you are rewarded with a decent paycheck that you can usually support your family and enjoy some hobbies, provided you are responsible and dont have several children.

However, the principle is still the same. Taxing the wealthy more than the middle class doesnt make sense IMO. Why cant it just be a simple flat rate across the board? get rid of rules,exemptions, everything. Cost savings from the thousands if not hundreds of thousands of IRS workers should be enough to take a small chip out of the deficit right?

Papachristou wrote:

And here is a more realistic example...

You need a 2.0 GPA to pass, a 4.0 to pass with colors. 2% of the students get a GPA over 500. 5% of students get a GPA over 100. Now you ask if they want to share some of their GPA. Maybe the answer would be different, maybe not... either way it still a incredibly invalid example because the people with 1.0 GPA are not going to go homeless or die of starvation. And many people living below the poverty line are not lazy or stupid.

tweoijfoi wrote:

So if the outcomes are disparate enough, theft is okay...got it.

robertknyc wrote:

How naive. a 5% on someone making 15k a year means they can't afford some basic life neccessities. A 5% tax on a multi-million dollar income means he can't afford the gold lining on his car's rims.

tweoijfoi wrote:

This is a poor corrollary to how economics works. There is not a set amount of GPA points that the teacher has to distribute. A teacher could give every student an A, or every student an F (in theory). There is also no student with a GPA above 4.0. There is no student who has a 5,000 GPA and works to keep everyone else at a 2.5 GPA.

tweoijfoi wrote:

i disagree. in order to contribute and take part in society/government, you should be paying taxes. we need government as much as government needs us but government needs responsible citizens who recognize their roles in life and are willing to contribute for the benefits they receive such as driving on nice roads (mostly), being able to go grocery shopping without worrying about a suicide bomber or the government shooting down people who protest. These are all things US citizens enjoy and must pay for.

Someone making 15k a year has drastically lower expenses than you or I. 5% is what it is. what happens if they get a speeding ticket? a $150 ticket is 12% of their monthly income! are they exempt from it?

Papachristou wrote:

Um, ..

If a millionaire gets a $150 ticket, does it really discourage them from speeding?

tweoijfoi wrote:

Yes. If incomes are disparate enough, the wealthy can use their wealth to dictate the rules of the game. Kind of like how mom-and-pops can't compete with Walmart, except it's the top 2% vs. the bottom 98%. They don't steal from the poor, they just decide how much money to give everyone else.

tweoijfoi wrote:

In a Democratic society, should not all citizens be treated equally before the law?

🍺

Stinkdyr wrote:

Um, yes... and they are probably barely making ends meet. They don't pay less for the essentials just because they are poor. They still have to afford a place to live, food, clothing, etc...

If a millionaire gets a $150 ticket, does it really discourage them from speeding?

tweoijfoi wrote:

i believe that last flat tax proposal i saw was arond 17% and exempted those making less than $40 or $45k. i searched a few sites and the IRS employs approximately 100,000-125,000 people. The code is longer than several bibles and has been rewritten more times than bart simpson has had detention.

its not just welfare though, its the HUD housing, free cell phones, utility assistance, etc. the debit cards really piss me off. maybe its because it is a larger proportion of the population in the midsouth than surrounding states but everytime, EVERYeffingTIME im at the register (kroger, schnucks, walmart etc) i always see someone paying with their damn EBT card then ringing up their beer seperately. plus they are ususally grossly overweight (in their defense, our system and options do not support buying healthy food) but when you dont work and just sit around all day, i doubt they are doing exercises in the am before they watch their tv shows. last time, the guy in front of me is talking to his friend how he was at the dogtrack and took a grand to gamble, won more money etc. then he whips out that good ole government welfare card to pay for his stuff. i almost lost it !

Papachristou wrote:

I couldn't get through the whole thread because the insanity from the left is so disturbing.

I didn't watch the video, but I get the gist of it.

Although you can find flaws with the suggestion that GPA is not the same as wealth, the point isn't to make this EXACTLY the same, simply to demonstrate that it's unfair to take from those who earn something simply because others can't, won't, or are otherwise unable to get it themselves.

Remeber, the reality of this is that nobody is claiming we shouldn't pay any taxes. Or that all social programs need to end.
Reality says that these things are necessary and good when implemented correctly and not abused. Abused by those receiving and those distributing for political gain.

So the video was to prove that these supposed bleeding hearts are all well-intentioned when it comes to spending other peoples money, but keep your filthy hands off their own prized possession that they worked hard for. Because THAT is different.

But instead of spirited debate or logical discussion, all we get is a dissertation on how GPA differes from wealth.
Bravo.

tailgater wrote:

So income redistribution is wrong. Not according to most on here. It is very right, just as long as all the income redistribution is going uphill. From the middle to the upper class. After all they work harder than the middle class, and they deserve it more. They also won't spend it as foolishly, as the middle class. Havn't heard anyone complaining that the rich are making obsene profits. Nope income redistribution is alive and well, till the middle runs out of money.

drywalldog wrote: