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There is that, yes. But you are saying, effectively, that the great majority of rich people are born that way. IRS statistics, from businesses, state that only about 20% of the rich in this county are that way due to inheritance. Are you saying that only the greed of the rich matters?
Charles Sands
Smyrna, TN
And of course, the IRS wouldn't lie, would they? Of course not. What they don't tell you is that of this 20%, how much of the overall real wealth they control.
The reality is, the vast majority of the REAL money, the Billions and Trillions (not the Millions) ... is OLD money, and it has always been that way, from day one. The property owners ... the infrastructure ... the financial markets ... the big corporations.
There is an entirely different world that exists other than the illusionary one you've been taught to believe exists.
A good rule of thumb for forming a rational opinion .... don't believe a word the IRS tells you.
No, I'm not saying that. But that considering that many like you (examples included in previous posts) find solace in pointing fingers at the poor and the middle class (in other words, at least 95% of Americans), is there really a need for a topic that claims that the "greed" of lower and middle classes are ignored?
Don't worry, I know you're not talking about me (which makes it even more interesting that I must point out the obvious). But, you're also working on wrong assumptions likely with the sole purpose of promoting the idea that it is the rich who are (at least generally) the victims.
I am not saying that the rich are always the victoms. There are obviously victoms from top to bottom, depending upon where you look. It seems that so many people want to have the rich pay "there fair share" - and pay it over and over and over, by the way - when there are so many people (percentage wise) not maying much at or all or nothing on the bottom.
Here is what I am saying: You work and buy 10 houses. I have more income, for example, and I buy 100 houses. At some point, someone determines we have too many houses and it is determined that some of my houses are to be destroyed. What makes my houses, for which I have worked, more expendible than yours, for which you have worked? The greed comes in when we realize that neither of us needs all these houses (although that is no one's business but our own) and you decide it is better for me to have some taken away than to have you to have some taken away.
And of course, the IRS wouldn't lie, would they? Of course not. What they don't tell you is that of this 20%, how much of the overall real wealth they control.
The reality is, the vast majority of the REAL money, the Billions and Trillions (not the Millions) ... is OLD money, and it has always been that way, from day one. The property owners ... the infrastructure ... the financial markets ... the big corporations.
There is an entirely different world that exists other than the illusionary one you've been taught to believe exists.
A good rule of thumb for forming a rational opinion .... don't believe a word the IRS tells you.
The libs through gov't statistics as US all the time and we are told these are true. But, when we use them they are NOT true. I understand that the IRS cannot be trusted is some ways, but what do we do? oh, hell. I just paid $1600 to the IRS, and they sent me a letter saying I owe $0.00, but I might not? Just Kidding.
The libs through gov't statistics as US all the time and we are told these are true. But, when we use them they are NOT true. I understand that the IRS cannot be trusted is some ways, but what do we do? oh, hell. I just paid $1600 to the IRS, and they sent me a letter saying I owe $0.00, but I might not? Just Kidding.
Charles Sands
Smyrna, TN
The Illegal Racketeering Schemers are just a collection agency for the Federal Reserve ... toting guns.
And that old saying .... "There are lies, damned lies, and Statistics."
I AGREE! BoA, ExxonMobil, et al are all GREEDY and INSATIABLE. They ought to be flogged and burned in effigy!!!
Conservative politicians have fostered and spurred this greed by giving more and more benefits in exchange for a piece of the riches and their votes.
The bag of money is empty and the conservatives have little if any support to offer in exchange for MORE of the taxpayers MONEY!
Big difference- those corporations EARNED their money by providing valuable goods and services to consumers. If the products they were selling were not desireable, the companies would have gone broke.
Beggars only recieve and do not produce anything valuable for society. They are consumers only and as a result, are put in the precarious position of relying upon the "charity" of others- in this case the government. Those dependent on the public dole have asked, and been granted by liberal policy, more and more benefits.
Now the bag is empty. No more treats for votes. What will the dependent class say now? Will they be angry at liberals who fostered and culled that dependency?
The greed comes in when we realize that neither of us needs all these houses (although that is no one's business but our own) and you decide it is better for me to have some taken away than to have you to have some taken away.
It won't be greed knowing when to stop. Greed happens with no end in sight. Satisfaction never guaranteed.
Let us look at three classes of people, one among the bottom-50% of American populace, households making abotu $30K/year. Let us call them poor. The top 5% as the rich and the rest in varying degree of "middle-classness".
Now answer these:
1- Who struggles the most acquiring the basic necessities?
2- Who, among these, would be most burdened by any tax increase?
3- Why do you think someone making $50K (an average American household) may not owe any federal income tax?
4- Do you agree with this: "No society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the greater part of the members are poor and miserable"? (Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations)
The Illegal Racketeering Schemers are just a collection agency for the Federal Reserve ... toting guns.
And that old saying .... "There are lies, damned lies, and Statistics."
I DO think we need to get rid of the Federal Reserve. Does this go for all or most of the gov't or just the IRS?
One thing I can't stand are people saying things like "the rich are taking away my money" or "I can get ahead because the rich are taking too much money" -- which is the money they are EARNING. The ecomomy is not like a pie. It is not that if I take a large piece, you have a smaller piece. If that were the case, nothing would ever increase in value.
It won't be greed knowing when to stop. Greed happens with no end in sight. Satisfaction never guaranteed.
Let us look at three classes of people, one among the bottom-50% of American populace, households making abotu $30K/year. Let us call them poor. The top 5% as the rich and the rest in varying degree of "middle-classness".
Now answer these:
1- Who struggles the most acquiring the basic necessities?
2- Who, among these, would be most burdened by any tax increase?
3- Why do you think someone making $50K (an average American household) may not owe any federal income tax?
4- Do you agree with this: "No society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the greater part of the members are poor and miserable"? (Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations)
Obviously the lower income people struggle the most getting the basics, and are hurt more my all or most income tax increase. I don't know why anyone is about to not pay ANY income tax. If I am an employer and my taxes go up, eventually, I will have to raise the prices of whatever I produce, and that will directly or indirectly move your prices up. So, I tax increase on ME is actually being paid by YOU! The business won't take a hit, because to a business, everything is a business expense. The amount of employees, bonuses, and overall cost of items produces effects rising expenses and that includes higher taxes, whether they be personal or business taxes.
As far as the Smith quote, no one can win with that because many people won't be happy - which is subjective - until they have EVERYTHING of yours because they hate you for having it.
Obviously the lower income people struggle the most getting the basics, and are hurt more my all or most income tax increase. I don't know why anyone is about to not pay ANY income tax. If I am an employer and my taxes go up, eventually, I will have to raise the prices of whatever I produce, and that will directly or indirectly move your prices up. So, I tax increase on ME is actually being paid by YOU! The business won't take a hit, because to a business, everything is a business expense. The amount of employees, bonuses, and overall cost of items produces effects rising expenses and that includes higher taxes, whether they be personal or business taxes.
As far as the Smith quote, no one can win with that because many people won't be happy - which is subjective - until they have EVERYTHING of yours because they hate you for having it.
Charles Sands
Smyrna, TN
While you focus on federal income tax alone, I’m glad you brought out the additional burden that is levied on a greater percentage of income for those who don’t make much. There is a lot more taxes to pay than just income tax. No? This burden is reduced by federal government, by allowing people deductions. If that didn’t happen, the businesses will suffer, and so will people as they will be forced to cut back (if that were even possible).
And you didn’t get Adam Smith quote which actually fits perfectly with above. He wasn’t speaking purely on humanitarian ground (he has other writings that deal with that). Businesses cannot thrive without people having the means to participate in the economy. It is right along the lines of “the invisible hand” that he mentions elsewhere. If income flow heads in one direction, towards the top 1-2%, the economy would go downhill. In fact, that is exactly what has happened for last decade, if not last 3-4 decades. What it also does is create an economy based on credit. And people lose land, homes and virtually everything, to overcome that. This is not the society you want, right?
Self-interest is not the same thing as greed. Everybody wants more, but some people struggle to meet their basic needs first, much less be a concern of greed to others.
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