Tax the Super Rich now or face a revolution

[SUXBNME 1,457]

Revolutions build over long periods — to critical mass, a flash point. Then they ignite suddenly, unpredictably. Like Egypt, started on a young Google executive’s Facebook page. Then it goes viral, raging uncontrollably. Can’t be stopped. Here in America the set-up is our nation’s pervasive “Super-Rich Delusion.”

 

We know the Super Rich don’t care. Not about you. Nor the American public. They can’t see. Can’t hear. Stay trapped in their Forbes-400 bubble. An echo chamber that isolates them. They see the public as faceless workers, customers, taxpayers. See GOP power on the ascent. Reaganomics is back. Unions on the run. Clueless masses are easily manipulated.

 

Even Obama is secretly working with the GOP, will never touch his Super Rich donors. Yes, the Super-Rich Delusion is that powerful, infecting all America.

 

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[BunnysBastatrds 2,316]

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I hate commie talk.

[MDC 7,133]

I agree with most of the article, but in the US it's more about how globalization has made our upper class vastly wealthier while dragging the middle class on down to the status of the rest of the world.

 

Interesting read, thanks for posting it.

[RLLD 4,143]

People who have had exposure to the cumulative sum know that the recent regime changes are a result of inequalities, and if you think it cannot possibly happen, you are naive.

[BLS 314]

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Wow....that article is HORRIBLE.

[BLS 314]

I agree with most of the article, but in the US it's more about how globalization has made our upper class vastly wealthier while dragging the middle class on down to the status of the rest of the world.

 

Interesting read, thanks for posting it.

 

 

You're officially a retard.

[SUXBNME 1,457]

Wow....that article is HORRIBLE.

You are saying that you don't agree with a respected WSJ economist?

[MDC 7,133]

You're officially a retard.

 

Excellent point well made, sir.

[DankNuggs 305]

Gotta love the blame game.... Being poor is all about finding someone to blame for being poor... You REALLY were supposed to be rich, but those evil 'Super-rich' stole it from you.... It has nothing to do with the fact your education level is uncompetitive, your asking wages are grossly inflated, and competition is superior... which provides you all those nice quality of living creature comforts (cheap zhit from china).

 

 

It is a paradox that globalization increases standard of living, yet dilutes in areas of emergence...

[mobb_deep 920]

I agree with most of the article, but in the US it's more about how globalization has made our upper class vastly wealthier while dragging the middle class on down to the status of the rest of the world.

 

Interesting read, thanks for posting it.

 

+1

 

Greed will drive the downfall of western civilization. Rinse, repeat.

 

[DankNuggs 305]

+1

 

Greed will drive the downfall of western civilization. Rinse, repeat.

 

Greed is a product of freedom... When idiots make stupid comments like this, just substitute Freedom = greed... because thats what they are saying...

[nikki2200 4]

Luckily you won't ever have to deal with the repercussions of taxation.

[SUXBNME 1,457]

Luckily you won't ever have to deal with the repercussions of taxation.

[RLLD 4,143]

The Pareto principle aside, there is an end game to greed. This is a historical fact.

[MDC 7,133]

The Pareto principle aside, there is an end game to greed. This is a historical fact.

 

Greed isn't the problem. The problem is that despite a far higher % of Americans with college educations and productivity through the roof, the middle class on down in this country have become so much lazier! While CEOs are working approximately 350 times harder than ever before.

 

Get your talking points right.

[Phurfur 70]

Be careful what you wish for...........

[RLLD 4,143]

Greed isn't the problem. The problem is that despite a far higher % of Americans with college educations and productivity through the roof, the middle class on down in this country have become so much lazier! While CEOs are working approximately 350 times harder than ever before.

 

Get your talking points right.

 

[NewbieJr 541]

People who have had exposure to the cumulative sum know that the recent regime changes are a result of inequalities, and if you think it cannot possibly happen, you are naive.

While I think that you can sometimes fall into the BLS category of paranoid alarmists, I happen to agree with you 100%.

I read somewhere that the wealthiest 500 americans earn more combined than the poorest 50% of the US population. That's right, 500 people earn more than half of the country. I bet the poor half could beat the crap out of those 500 dudes. Don't think it can't happen. Just keep up the greed. rich folk. See what happens.

[DankNuggs 305]

Greed isn't the problem. The problem is that despite a far higher % of Americans with college educations and productivity through the roof, the middle class on down in this country have become so much lazier! While CEOs are working approximately 350 times harder than ever before.

 

Get your talking points right.

Far too many 'colleges...' far too many kids getting 'college educations' that aren't worth the paper the diploma is printed on... The problem is expectations... People somehow got the expectation they could go to their crappy community college and make 100g's right out of school... education doesn't guarantee you zhit... in fact, the idea of things being 'guaranteed' is an f-ing joke... Guaranteed retirement, guaranteed health care, guaranteed employment...

 

This is basically the no child left behind model expanded into a society... you have a bunch of morons expecting a much better lot in life, sadly they are just idiots that the system passed through...

[DankNuggs 305]

Greed isn't the problem. The problem is that despite a far higher % of Americans with college educations and productivity through the roof, the middle class on down in this country have become so much lazier! While CEOs are working approximately 350 times harder than ever before.

 

Get your talking points right.

Ahhhh the infamous 'MDC Model of Communism and General Disfunction':

[RLLD 4,143]

While I think that you can sometimes fall into the BLS category of paranoid alarmists, I happen to agree with you 100%.

I read somewhere that the wealthiest 500 americans earn more combined than the poorest 50% of the US population. That's right, 500 people earn more than half of the country. I bet the poor half could beat the crap out of those 500 dudes. Don't think it can't happen. Just keep up the greed. rich folk. See what happens.

 

The Pareto principle, also known as the 80-20 rule, speaks to this. The notion of wealth condensations and the negative impact on society is dismissed by some as "sour grapes" due to a sense of entitlement or a general misrepresentation of the rising tide theory. Regardless, it isn't as if we do not have a frame of reference to derive some ideas as to how the disparity, left unchecked, results in revolution or civil strife.

[MDC 7,133]

Far too many 'colleges...' far too many kids getting 'college educations' that aren't worth the paper the diploma is printed on... The problem is expectations... People somehow got the expectation they could go to their crappy community college and make 100g's right out of school... education doesn't guarantee you zhit... in fact, the idea of things being 'guaranteed' is an f-ing joke... Guaranteed retirement, guaranteed health care, guaranteed employment...

 

This is basically the no child left behind model expanded into a society... you have a bunch of morons expecting a much better lot in life, sadly they are just idiots that the system passed through...

 

You can blow all the hot air about expectations and laziness you want. The bottom line is that today's US workforce is far more educated and more productive than ever before, but manufacturing in this country is dead and middle class salaries have stagnated for 30 years.

 

Meanwhile, the super-rich control a far greater share of the nation's wealth. And the reason is globalization. It's made the rich that much richer but it's dragged the standard of living among the middle class in this country down to the level of our global competitors.

 

[SUXBNME 1,457]

I DankNuggs

[DankNuggs 305]

You can blow all the hot air about expectations and laziness you want. The bottom line is that today's US workforce is far more educated and more productive than ever before, but manufacturing in this country is dead and middle class salaries have stagnated for 30 years.

 

Meanwhile, the super-rich control a far greater share of the nation's wealth. And the reason is globalization. It's made the rich that much richer but it's dragged the standard of living among the middle class in this country down to the level of our global competitors.

 

I disagree, out educaiton system is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy behind the competition... We have a higher quantity of poorly educationed people...sure... But as compared to our international competitors we are slipping big time...

 

We are shifting from a manufacturing economy to an information based economy, and a big reason that was done was because of taxation and labor unions... And you know what, switching to an info based economy will hurt the lower/middle classes more... Technology drives efficiency...efficiency reduces jobs...

[DankNuggs 305]

I DankNuggs

[MDC 7,133]

I disagree, out educaiton system is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy behind the competition... We have a higher quantity of poorly educationed people...sure... But as compared to our international competitors we are slipping big time...

 

The irony is that you're one of the guys who voted in these governors who are massively slashing education budgets to make up deficits caused by corporate tax cuts and unfunded wars.

 

We are shifting from a manufacturing economy to an information based economy, and a big reason that was done was because of taxation and labor unions... And you know what, switching to an info based economy will hurt the lower/middle classes more... Technology drives efficiency...efficiency reduces jobs...

 

We are shifting away from manufacturing because we have a system that allows companies to create overseas tax shelters and hire cheap international labor, then turn around and sell their products back to Americans. So the Wall Street class benefits from the lowest tax rates and the weakest labor laws, and the US middle class gets to compete with workers from all over the world.

 

Basically your whole failed system of corporate deregulation is creating a class system here that resembles India. Nice job, you.

 

[Recliner Pilot 61]

We should start taxing the 47% of workers who pay ZERO income taxes.

[DankNuggs 305]

If you really want to get into it... There is a tax side, but there is also the currency side of the equation... Japan and China manipulate their currancies to makes their exports cheaper... They can do this because they own all our debt and we are reliant on them to continue doing so...

 

You talk about greed...But...

 

1.) greed created unions which is basically a system of concentrating the wealth of workers into the fewer union subscribed hands.

2.) Unions forced manufacturing overseass

3.) social entitlements ( another form of greed - concentrating wealth in the hands of a select group) forced insane borrowing

4.) Insane borrowing allowed China leverage to abuse currency

5.) Currency abuse is what kills manufacturing...

 

All 5 of these points MASSIVELY reduced the # of jobs and the strength of the middle class.... The smoke and mirrors politicians made you believe these things strengthened the middle class... All it realy did was strengthen a political power base while raping and pilaging the lower and middle class...

 

 

Capitalistic Greed > Socialistic Greed....

[Bert 1,128]

We are shifting away from manufacturing because we have a system that allows companies to create overseas tax shelters and hire cheap international labor, then turn around and sell their products back to Americans. So the Wall Street class benefits from the lowest tax rates and the weakest labor laws, and the US middle class gets to compete with workers from all over the world.

 

 

So we agree that we should eliminate the corporate income tax and replace it with a consumption tax.

[DankNuggs 305]

The irony is that you're one of the guys who voted in these governors who are massively slashing education budgets to make up deficits caused by corporate tax cuts and unfunded wars.

 

 

 

We are shifting away from manufacturing because we have a system that allows companies to create overseas tax shelters and hire cheap international labor, then turn around and sell their products back to Americans. So the Wall Street class benefits from the lowest tax rates and the weakest labor laws, and the US middle class gets to compete with workers from all over the world.

 

Basically your whole failed system of corporate deregulation is creating a class system here that resembles India. Nice job, you.

 

It has very little to do with education budgets....It has to do with tenure, it is the entire system which exists on seniority instead of being merit based... This isn't a money issue. it actually could be at some point, but the larger issue is a system that isn't competitive...

[NewbieJr 541]

This separation of the wealthy and the poor and the elimination of the middle class is the exact reason that the public is leaning more towrds these entitlements and handouts that the conservatives bellyache about. If the country is 20% wealthy and 80% poor, then of course the candidates who promise ways to give relief to those falling behnd is going to get the votes.

 

Look, everyone understands there is a percentage of the country who are more than happy to sit on their asses and collect unemployment checks and/or welfare and/or food stamps and/or disability, etc. Those people are much bigger asswholes than the greedy rich bastards who award themselves million dollar salaries and sit back and let those around them do everything. But the truth of the matter is, there are millions and millions of hard working, intelligent, educated people who can't find jobs or are stuck in low paying jobs with no advancement possible. And most of them have been told they have to work for 5% decrease in salaries or have been on a salary freeze for the last two years.

 

This isn't about the lazy slobs out there. It's about the guy who was making $40,000 twenty years ago and is now making $42,000. While everything around him has doubled in price since then. eventually, something's going to give and something will be done about it. Either voluntarily, or forcefully.

[DankNuggs 305]

But the truth of the matter is, there are millions and millions of hard working, intelligent, educated people who can't find jobs or are stuck in low paying jobs with no advancement possible. And most of them have been told they have to work for 5% decrease in salaries or have been on a salary freeze for the last two years.

 

This isn't about the lazy slobs out there. It's about the guy who was making $40,000 twenty years ago and is now making $42,000. While everything around him has doubled in price since then. eventually, something's going to give and something will be done about it. Either voluntarily, or forcefully.

Sadly, those people are carring all this bloat and waste on their backs as well.... Interesting tho...revolt to what? Usually people revolt towards freedom and capitalism... Who the hell wants to revolt so they can turn into the soviet union?

[MDC 7,133]

It has very little to do with education budgets....It has to do with tenure, it is the entire system which exists on seniority instead of being merit based... This isn't a money issue. it actually could be at some point, but the larger issue is a system that isn't competitive...

 

The education system is a whole other topic of conversation and I think you and I would probably find a lot more common ground than you'd expect.

 

Leaving all that aside, corporate deregulation + globalization is the biggest reason that the middle class in this country is stagnated or shrinking while the rich get infinitely richer. When you have a system that lets corporations set up off-shore shelters, get cheap labor, and then sell their products back to Americans at huge mark-ups, while the middle class is forced to compete with labor from all over the world, class stratification is no real surprise.

[mobb_deep 920]

This separation of the wealthy and the poor and the elimination of the middle class is the exact reason that the public is leaning more towrds these entitlements and handouts that the conservatives bellyache about. If the country is 20% wealthy and 80% poor, then of course the candidates who promise ways to give relief to those falling behnd is going to get the votes.

 

Look, everyone understands there is a percentage of the country who are more than happy to sit on their asses and collect unemployment checks and/or welfare and/or food stamps and/or disability, etc. Those people are much bigger asswholes than the greedy rich bastards who award themselves million dollar salaries and sit back and let those around them do everything. But the truth of the matter is, there are millions and millions of hard working, intelligent, educated people who can't find jobs or are stuck in low paying jobs with no advancement possible. And most of them have been told they have to work for 5% decrease in salaries or have been on a salary freeze for the last two years.

 

This isn't about the lazy slobs out there. It's about the guy who was making $40,000 twenty years ago and is now making $42,000. While everything around him has doubled in price since then. eventually, something's going to give and something will be done about it. Either voluntarily, or forcefully.

 

[Bert 1,128]

The education system is a whole other topic of conversation and I think you and I would probably find a lot more common ground than you'd expect.

 

Leaving all that aside, corporate deregulation + globalization is the biggest reason that the middle class in this country is stagnated or shrinking while the rich get infinitely richer. When you have a system that lets corporations set up off-shore shelters, get cheap labor, and then sell their products back to Americans at huge mark-ups, while the middle class is forced to compete with labor from all over the world, class stratification is no real surprise.

 

The corporate regulation in Ireland is pretty stiff and the wage scale is similiar to ours so why are US jobs going there? Oh that's right that tax thing that doesn't have an impact on jobs.

[NewbieJr 541]

Sadly, those people are carring all this bloat and waste on their backs as well.... Interesting tho...revolt to what? Usually people revolt towards freedom and capitalism... Who the hell wants to revolt so they can turn into the soviet union?

The revolt is being done with the voters. As more and more of our citizens go from comfortable middle class to barely-getting-by low income families, the more they will support candidates who promise socialist-like ideas. Guys will always take handouts if necessary, but (and you can ask Sux) they'd be more than willing to earn an honest dollar themselves if given the opportunity. The generalization that those who are unemployed or way overqualified for their positions/salaries are lazy and/or stupid is something made up by conservatives to lump every together as people looking for handouts. IF CEOS and presidents of companies wouldn't decide to pay their workers 30k a year and themselves 3 million a year, you'd have much less resentment and division amongst the classes in this country.

[Bert 1,128]

This separation of the wealthy and the poor and the elimination of the middle class is the exact reason that the public is leaning more towrds these entitlements and handouts that the conservatives bellyache about. If the country is 20% wealthy and 80% poor, then of course the candidates who promise ways to give relief to those falling behnd is going to get the votes.

 

Look, everyone understands there is a percentage of the country who are more than happy to sit on their asses and collect unemployment checks and/or welfare and/or food stamps and/or disability, etc. Those people are much bigger asswholes than the greedy rich bastards who award themselves million dollar salaries and sit back and let those around them do everything. But the truth of the matter is, there are millions and millions of hard working, intelligent, educated people who can't find jobs or are stuck in low paying jobs with no advancement possible. And most of them have been told they have to work for 5% decrease in salaries or have been on a salary freeze for the last two years.

 

This isn't about the lazy slobs out there. It's about the guy who was making $40,000 twenty years ago and is now making $42,000. While everything around him has doubled in price since then. eventually, something's going to give and something will be done about it. Either voluntarily, or forcefully.

 

Term limits and restructuring our tax system would solve most of these ills.

[MDC 7,133]

The corporate regulation in Ireland is pretty stiff and the wage scale is similiar to ours so why are US jobs going there? Oh that's right that tax thing that doesn't have an impact on jobs.

 

US companies are going to Ireland because taxes are lower and we let them set up overseas offices without paying any taxes here. If we closed that loophole they wouldn't be setting up overseas tax shelters. If we took your advice and bribed them by cutting taxes in half, would they come back to the US? No, they'd find another country with even lower tax rates and move there.

 

[BLS 314]

This separation of the wealthy and the poor and the elimination of the middle class is the exact reason that the public is leaning more towrds these entitlements and handouts that the conservatives bellyache about. If the country is 20% wealthy and 80% poor, then of course the candidates who promise ways to give relief to those falling behnd is going to get the votes.

 

Look, everyone understands there is a percentage of the country who are more than happy to sit on their asses and collect unemployment checks and/or welfare and/or food stamps and/or disability, etc. Those people are much bigger asswholes than the greedy rich bastards who award themselves million dollar salaries and sit back and let those around them do everything. But the truth of the matter is, there are millions and millions of hard working, intelligent, educated people who can't find jobs or are stuck in low paying jobs with no advancement possible. And most of them have been told they have to work for 5% decrease in salaries or have been on a salary freeze for the last two years.

 

This isn't about the lazy slobs out there. It's about the guy who was making $40,000 twenty years ago and is now making $42,000. While everything around him has doubled in price since then. eventually, something's going to give and something will be done about it. Either voluntarily, or forcefully.

 

I will say this about your post:

 

You're dead right. And you're right to be concerned about a revolution in this country. It's brewing, whether you all want to believe it or not, one simply only needs to watch the news every night. Gun sales are insanely radical since Obama took office, but I'd argue that the crash helped that surge into the stratosphere.

 

People are fed up. Fed up with politicians, fed up with the super wealthy getting more while we struggle to find work.

I would argue these things are happening for much different reasons that most here, but nonetheless, in complicated issues, the causes often can be just as complicated.

 

The part that scares me the most is NOT a revolution, even a bloody revolution. I think many see a revolution against government, especially when those entitlement benefits run out (and they will...and sooner than you think).

What concerns me more than a revolution against government is the contents and viewpoints of this thread.

People on both sides of the aisle have strong arguments that seems to carry some merit. Regardless of fact or not, people wholeheartedly believe them. And what you have is a division of a division. People vs. Government, until government is gone or overthrown (which by no means would ever be a pretty thing), but then what? People on the left vs. people on the right.

 

Once your revolution is complete and government is overthrown, you plunge straight into a civil war. One that will dig this country into a unrecoverable hole the likes of which no one can imagine. If we're lucky, China won't invade us during our weakest moments and take all of our natural resources and make us slaves.

 

The guy in the article is a tool because while his hatred and anger are very real, he lacks the proper insight to see what would likely happen should he get his wish.

 

I've given up on government to fix it's ways. We will implode because it's the nature of humanity. Nobody will get elected by saying "I'm going to take stuff away from you". Even though it's exactly what's needed, we all know it won't happen.

So we'll continue to drink those entitlement cap'n cokes and then put our foot on the gas pedal and crash this shiny blue Charger we call America, right into the fuckin trees and when it happens, there won't be any airbags.

[NewbieJr 541]

I will say this about your post: You're dead right.

And you're right to be concerned about a revolution in this country. It's brewing, whether you all want to believe it or not, one simply only needs to watch the news every night. Gun sales are insanely radical since Obama took office, but I'd argue that the crash helped that surge into the stratosphere.

 

People are fed up. Fed up with politicians, fed up with the super wealthy getting more while we struggle to find work.

I would argue these things are happening for much different reasons that most here, but nonetheless, in complicated issues, the causes often can be just as complicated.

 

The part that scares me the most is NOT a revolution, even a bloody revolution. I think many see a revolution against government, especially when those entitlement benefits run out (and they will...and sooner than you think).

What concerns me more than a revolution against government is the contents and viewpoints of this thread.

People on both sides of the aisle have strong arguments that seems to carry some merit. Regardless of fact or not, people wholeheartedly believe them. And what you have is a division of a division. People vs. Government, until government is gone or overthrown (which by no means would ever be a pretty thing), but then what? People on the left vs. people on the right.

 

Once your revolution is complete and government is overthrown, you plunge straight into a civil war. One that will dig this country into a unrecoverable hole the likes of which no one can imagine. If we're lucky, China won't invade us during our weakest moments and take all of our natural resources and make us slaves.

 

The guy in the article is a tool because while his hatred and anger are very real, he lacks the proper insight to see what would likely happen should he get his wish.

 

I've given up on government to fix it's ways. We will implode because it's the nature of humanity. Nobody will get elected by saying "I'm going to take stuff away from you". Even though it's exactly what's needed, we all know it won't happen.

So we'll continue to drink those entitlement cap'n cokes and then put our foot on the gas pedal and crash this shiny blue Charger we call America, right into the fuckin trees and when it happens, there won't be any airbags.

Wait. I didn't mean for all of that to happen!!

 

I was thinking maybe a way to tax those wealthy bastards more and give relief to those struggling. Your way scares me.