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More TVs per home, vast computing and communications power and access to much of the sum of human knowledge in the hands of virtually everyone, vacations, larger houses, better (and more) vehicles, more choices, etc.
What does that have to do with anything? Are you afraid you'll end up in public housing for the homeless?
Surveys and studies show that Denmark is the highest in citizen satisfaction. Their citizens feel that their government is working for their benefit as it should, that they are well protected from crime, that they get a fair deal in life without having to look over their shoulders constantly, that their risk of health cost breaking them is nil, and that they will not be destitute in retirement if they have no children to take care of them.
Such life satisfaction is worth something. Reduced worry, stress, and anxiety means fewer ulcers and better health on average. It also means happier families and therefore less marital strife and fewer divorces.
Since you realize that, check out Denmark's tax progressivity compared to that of the U.S. in the tax progressivity charts, here:
Then work at developing marketable skills. You want to pay no taxes while receiving benefits far in excess of your contribution to society. On education, how much do you contribute to the costs of educating your kids in the public schools? On drugs, are you receiving subsidized healthcare? Guess who's subsidizing that - taxpayers who are paying far more than you are.
A flat tax where everyone contributes the same percentage isn't fair, but it's far better than our current progressive system. If I'm making $100,000 and pay 10%, and you're making $10,000 and paying 10%, I'm still contributing far more than you are. If I'm making $200,00 and paying 30%, and you're making $10,000 and paying nothing, how is that in any way close to fair by any measure? We both still get just one vote on election day.
You're free to go start a billion dollar company and join the 1%. Nothing is stopping you except you.
More nonsense from you. You completely ignore that stuff like IQ, work rate, risk taking, sociopathic behavior (strongly encouraged in the current economic system) etc is overwhelmingly GENETIC and/or decided very early on in childhood (in the womb and the first couple of years of childhood). Whats so great about punishing and rewarding people for stuff they had nothing to do with?
The donor class has POLITICAL POWER far in excess of their one vote. As long as you ignore this, you are simply not paying attention. Who do you think the puppets that you vote for listen to? You or his or her financial overlords? They will get no-bid government contracts, bailouts, wars, patents, weakening anti-trust legislation to rip off consumers, corporate welfare etc etc to gain even more power and wealth over the 99%. To just suggest that people should just start companies and develop themselves is complete ignorance of how politics and economics work. America is turning into a Latin American country with a tiny massively wealthy and powerful elite at the top with near total control of the political system and social mobility is dwindling by the day.
And the rich still pay far more in taxes there than here. Just because the rich are richer in America and naturally pay more as a share of total taxes doesnt mean that the rich dont pay more taxes in Denmark! Thats what you simply fail to understand. In America, we have a cap on income subject to payroll taxes. In Denmark they dont. Just because they have a VAT and very low property taxes doesnt meant that the rich dont pay taxes!
You want to pay no taxes while receiving benefits far in excess of your contribution to society.
Don't tell me what I want, especially when you're full of slanderous BS.
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On education, how much do you contribute to the costs of educating your kids in the public schools?
Ever hear of "property taxes"? And I don't have any kids.
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On drugs, are you receiving subsidized healthcare?
No. I pay for mine and 1) that is irrelevant because you are trying to make this to be an issue of individuals, and 2) it's none of your business since this is not about individuals.
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A flat tax where everyone contributes the same percentage isn't fair, but it's far better than our current progressive system.
No, it's not better and you are advocating for the rich right now. Those who can more afford taxes should pay more taxes. Taxing a $10 million income 70% (which unfortunately isn't going to happen) will never harm the ability of a person to pay for a nice roof over their head, and new car, food on the table prepared by a personal chef, a housekeeper, and a vacation home.
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If I'm making $100,000 and pay 10%, and you're making $10,000 and paying 10%, I'm still contributing far more than you are.
And it would be hurting me much, much, much more than it would be hurting you.
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If I'm making $200,00 and paying 30%, and you're making $10,000 and paying nothing, how is that in any way close to fair by any measure? We both still get just one vote on election day.
You get to live on $140,000 and I get to live on $10,000. How is that fair? No, I don't expect equality, but we need to provide adequate supports for those who cannot help themselves.
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You're free to go start a billion dollar company and join the 1%. Nothing is stopping you except you.
Well that's a crock and you know it. Like every such argument you ignore the many, many differences between people and their life circumstances because that is the only argument you have.
Good point, some things are on the right track. Perhaps one day we'll get that down to 0% and have a level playing field in the labor market.
Yes, just like in Latin America. Crushed unions, a desperate underclass and a tiny elite at the top steamrolling over the 99%. Thats the dream of the donor class that buy the politician you vote for. They dont care about people like you, they laugh at you. Why do you argue for a society with immense suffering and human misery just so that the top 0.01% can live like medieval kings and queens? Whats in it for you?
I suspect that many of the working stiffs who push this agenda just do it because they have been instructed to consider themselves victims of the bottom 5% who they dont consider themselves part of. The donor class direct their anger towards them in order for the working stiff to push for policies benefiting the super rich (massive cuts in taxes).
Meanwhile there is a pretty well-established and proven set of actions that can get someone to VOLUNTARILY pay $18.00 / hour or even more for your labor. You may not like those actions because they do require things like making good choices, delaying gratification, persevering, etc. I encourage everyone to pursue these actions who would like to make $18.00 / hour.
Every time I found myself unsatisfied, I did what was needed to make my skillset more marketable - another certification, more training, another degree, etc. It works. And works much more reliably than expecting that if I whine about it, big brother will demand it for me.
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Originally Posted by jojajn
Your scenario fails to account for the boom in economic growth when all the employees have more buying power. The owner can buy so much to eat and hoard.
And what happens when $18/hr an hour becomes the new $7/hr as prices increase to offset the increased costs to the business owners and manufacturers? Meanwhile, those at $20, $50, or $100/hr have not received a corresponding increase in their wages and effectively have had their buying power greatly diminished. Then the bottom feeders will demand $30/hr because they just cant make ends meet on that "paltry $18/hr while the robber barons get rich at our expense!"
All the baby turtles don't make it to the sea. That's nature's way. Our attempts to change this idea makes everyone weaker in the end.
And the rich still pay far more in taxes there than here. Just because the rich are richer in America and naturally pay more as a share of total taxes doesnt mean that the rich dont pay more taxes in Denmark!
Denmark (and other European and Scandinavian countries) has a regressive tax system.
Do you know what regressive means, in regards to taxation?
It means taxing a proportionally greater amount from those with lower incomes than those with higher incomes. For reasons I, others in this thread, the Washington Post article, and even the economist I quoted already explained, progressive taxation creates the perverse incentive for the government to enact policies that make the rich even richer because they're the ones disproportionately paying the country's bills.
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