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These men are all business men who have achieved the Pinnacle of Success in America, they are billionaires, so what do they understand that you may not?
1- They understand how capitalism works.
2- They understand and respect humanitarianism.
3- They walk more, talk less.
4- They understand what it is like to be rich, and what it is like not to be.
5- They don't stand to benefit from political rhetoric as much as politicians and their cronies do. They're realists.
6- They are the Americans that fall outside the realms of the so-called "real" or "patriotic" Americans. Like I said, they walk more, talk less.
One has only to observe that wealthiest areas in the U.S. correlate to the areas that supported Obama. Anyone who believes the Democratic Party is for the little guy hasn't been paying attention.
Good point, but what does that tell us? I mean during the Bush years, there were just as many billionaires supporting his presidency as those supporting Obama's now. I think in general both parties clearly cater to the wealthy, but i applaud the Obama Administrations effort to fairly (i use this word extremely loosely) tax the wealthiest individuals. However, to throw some strong criticism toward this administration
1. They should extend progressive taxes past the current cut off 25M-50M, 50M-100M,200M-500M,500M-1 Billion should be included in the progressive tax system.
2. To be truly fair just go to a flat tax system
3. Also the Obama Administration has not raised the "Death Tax" it should have been raised under the Clinton administration, but if they truly wanted to only tax the 1/10 1 percent they would move this up to 50-100 Million. The current 3.2 Million hits the middle class.
4. The taxation of dividends is really the most significant tax paid by the rich, if you really wanted to seriously tax the rich dividends would be the best way to do it. They receive the bulk of their yearly income via dividends, so increasing this tax, based on some progressive taxation scheme would help insure they are paying their fair=share etc. Warren Buffet already stated he pays only 16.7% on taxes and he has dividend income of more than 600 Million dollars a year (but it's only taxed at 15%, so 85% of his income is really only taxed at 15%, that is crazy.)
While the rest of us are mostly wage earners, that only receive (if you're lucky) 1-5% of your income through dividends etc. Yet they convince us to argue in favor of taxes that do nothing to help us out and we fall for it every time.
In terms of Buffet i tend to agree, you pay much more in taxes on your way up then you do once you get there. However, the only argument in favor of Buffet is that he was a very wealthy man in the 1960's and 1970's a period in which the richest Americans were taxed at a rate of more than 70% of earnings. The Wealth-Gap in those periods were extremely close, the wealth gap following the Roth-Kemp tax cuts in 1981 spurred the largest imbalance in the wealth-gap we have ever since. I think these men realize, they like many of us, have received some form of collective help along the way in establishing their businesses, whether through public schooling, government grants for education, tax breaks for businesses, and a host of other things, that have collectively helped these men achieve greater success than the general population, so like Carnegie and many of the guided age billionaires, they feel it is their duty to give back. Plus, it helps support the ideals and dreams of being an American. If the wealth-gap is closer, then the general belief that wealth is an achievable worthwhile goal is supported. However, when the wealth-gap increases people stop believing it is such a worthwhile and attainable goal and this creates serious problems for a "civilized" free society.
Once you reach the pinnacle of success you have more than enough money to provide for your children (assuming there's never ever hyper-inflation), so to have a country in which 95% of the assets that increase wealth are held in the hands of a small group of hard-working elite men, is going to create a problem for a "civilized society" and an increasing wealth gap usually leads a society to revolution (if history is any great indicator). To operate and run a civil society you have to balance all of these things and wealth (while I'm not advocating re-distribution through physical force) we need to have individuals contribute to the next generation of future business owners, innovators, and the next great leaders in our society.
I think Buffet, Gates, and the other billionaires realize this and are very interested in making sure we remain competitive.
I think they also realize the same people that complain about taxes and government are the same people that will come after their wealth and view them as a problem over time.
the government is tied into wall street. wall street goes up on the basis of which programs the government will support because they see that as money in the bank! you can see that daily in wall street movement.
the richest men have an agenda (to stay on top) and they collude with the government to do so. they benefit from a global market so i am not sure that their primary focus is even in the united states anymore.
the government is tied into wall street. wall street goes up on the basis of which programs the government will support because they see that as money in the bank! you can see that daily in wall street movement.
the richest men have an agenda (to stay on top) and they collude with the government to do so. they benefit from a global market so i am not sure that their primary focus is even in the united states anymore.
1. Bill Gates - Products from Microsoft
2. Warren Buffet - Afflack and a number of insurers and other mid-size businesses
3. Oprah Winfrey - Any product she promotes on her show (that your wife might purchase)
4. George Soros - I'd advise you avoid investing in any fund he may own
5. Pitzker Family - who owns a number of well branded hotel i'd suggest you never sleep at
6. Eric Schmidt/Larry Paige - Google co-founder and their CEO i suggest you do not use them for search
7.Steve Ballmer - please refer to Bill Gates
8.Steven Spilberg- I would highly suggest you never watch any of his movies and if you've purchased any of them i'd suggest you boycott them by throwing them away
9. George Lucas - I'd suggest you never ever watch star wars or buy any item of memorabilia
10. Kenneth Griffin - Financial Hedge Fund genius i suggest never investing in any fund he owns or operates (which tend to offer the highest returns)
Combined Wealth of Just the 11 I mentioned exceeds almost 200 Billion Dollars (not to mention 4 of the biggest Obama supports are in the Top 5 in terms of Richest in the country. He had the backing of the most successful businessman in our country Warren Buffet, what does that tell you?)
Why do you think the two wealthiest men in America have no problem with President Obama's tax plan to tax them more?
What do they understand about the sustainability of our economy, that average citizens clearly do not understand?
What are your thoughts on the wealth-gap and Bill Gates being one of the chief supporters of the super wealthy paying more of their "fair share" of taxes to collectively help out the masses?
These men are all business men who have achieved the Pinnacle of Success in America, they are billionaires, so what do they understand that you may not?
Why do you think Andrew Carnegie gave all his money away to charity upon his death?
Are you saying that these people know something because they supported this administration and we should follow their lead because they're the most successful people in America? Or are you saying that there's some kind of massive conspiracy?
Do you realize that Gates and Buffett have pledged over $60,000,000,000 to charity? Soros donates millions to charity and employs over 1,000 people in his own philanthropic organization. Oprah is annoying as hell (and her viewers are a bunch of idiotic sheep), but she's also given a ton to charity.
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1. Bill Gates - Products from Microsoft
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has pledged more to charity than any other organization in history.
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2. Warren Buffet - Afflack and a number of insurers and other mid-size businesses
Aflac...seriously, they are on TV every minute and you can't spell Aflac? In June 2006, Buffett gave approximately 10 million Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (worth approximately USD 30.7 billion as of 23 June 2006) making it the largest charitable donation in history and Buffett one of the leaders in the philanthrocapitalism revolution.
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3. Oprah Winfrey - Any product she promotes on her show (that your wife might purchase)
Oprah is annoying as hell (and her viewers are a bunch of idiotic sheep), but she's also given a ton to charity.
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4. George Soros - I'd advise you avoid investing in any fund he may own
Soros donates millions to charity and employs over 1,000 people in his own philanthropic organization.
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5. Pitzker Family - who owns a number of well branded hotel i'd suggest you never sleep at
Their charitable donations have led to the following: Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago, Pritzker Architecture Prize, Pritzker Military Library, Pritzker Legal Research Center at Northwestern University School of Law, Pritzker Institute of Biomedical Science and Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technologym Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Chicago's Millennium Park, A. N. Pritzker Elementary School, Pritzker Family Children's Zoo at the Lincoln Park Zoo
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6. Eric Schmidt/Larry Paige - Google co-founder and their CEO i suggest you do not use them for search
These guys also founded Google.org, which is a philanthropic organization that donates money to clean energy research and they also started the Google Foundation, another charity.
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7.Steve Ballmer - please refer to Bill Gates
Ballmer and Gates are not in agreement in political discussions. Ballmer has vocally opposed Obama:
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Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer has threatened to move more US jobs overseas if President Barack Obama refuses to change his stance on ending tax breaks on foreign earnings.
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8.Steven Spilberg- I would highly suggest you never watch any of his movies and if you've purchased any of them i'd suggest you boycott them by throwing them away
Sorry, but throwing away a 25 year old VHS copy of Indiana Jones wouldn't hurt him. Spielberg has helmed numerous charity foundations, including one that brings joy to the lives of dying children.
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9. George Lucas - I'd suggest you never ever watch star wars or buy any item of memorabilia
Again, buying a 25 year old Ewok figurine off of a comic book collector on eBay won't exactly help Lucas. In 2005, Lucas gave $1,000,000 to help build the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial on the National Mall in Washington D.C. to commemorate American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. He then gave $180,000,000 to USC.
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10. Kenneth Griffin - Financial Hedge Fund genius i suggest never investing in any fund he owns or operates (which tend to offer the highest returns)
Griffin is a member of several philanthropic boards, including a number of Chicago organizations. As a director of the Chicago Public Education Fund, he has stated, "The long term success of our country depends on the success of our public schools". In 2003, Griffin was the recipient of the ARK award for his philanthropy. In October 2006, the Griffins and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation opened a new charter school in Chicago called Woodlawn High School. Griffin's foundation, Citadel Group Foundation, has contributed to public education, the Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Griffin has also made contributions to the Robin Hood Foundation and has served on the committee for the Wall Street Poker Night Tournament, a philanthropic event.
It's amazing, you're so against all these people, and yet you can't even spell half of their names right. Plus, you're so in the dark about everything that you're blaming these people for problems that they're trying to solve. Why not call out Larry Ellison? That guy has billions and is NOT donating it to charity without a court order.
I'm not sure about you, but I'd rather have our billionaires donating their vast wealth to charity instead of giving it to their spoiled brat kids.
So what was your point?
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