Bill Maher on California Income Taxes: 'Liberals - You Could Actually Lose Me'

[Phurfur 70]

"Well," Maher unsuccessfully tried to interrupt as Maddow continued. When she was finally done, he surprisingly pushed back.

 

Pointing at Virginia's former Republican Congressman Tom Davis, Maher said, "You know what? Rich people - I'm sure you'd agree with this - actually do pay the freight in this country."

 

"I just saw these statistics," he continued, "I mean, something like 70 percent. And here in California, I just want to say liberals - you could actually lose me. It's outrageous what we're paying - over 50 percent. I'm willing to pay my share, but yeah, it's ridiculous."

 

So it appears there is a point where Maher's money becomes more important than his politics.

 

 

Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2013/03/16/bill-maher-california-income-taxes-liberals-you-could-actually-lose-m#ixzz2O2VbLfAo

[Recliner Pilot 61]

It's fun when it is other people's money.

 

Fukking hypocrite.

[jerryskids 6,960]

I appreciate his honesty; he moved up a peg in my book. I would have expected him to toe the line on the show, then left and hired another accountant to figure out how to lower his tax burden, like any upstanding liberal would.

[Voltaire 5,388]

It's been a long while since I watched his show regularly, but has he ever been an advocate for welfare state programs? It's possible to both ridicule Republicans and not be enchanted with big nanny government. Also, since he has a great deal of respect for Ron Paul, there's a clearly libertarian streak there.

 

He may be entirely consistent.

[edjr 6,732]

I appreciate his honesty; he moved up a peg in my book. I would have expected him to toe the line on the show, then left and hired another accountant to figure out how to lower his tax burden, like any upstanding liberal would.

[edjr 6,732]

It's been a long while since I watched his show regularly, but has he ever been an advocate for welfare state programs? It's possible to both ridicule Republicans and not be enchanted with big nanny government. Also, since he has a great deal of respect for Ron Paul, there's a clearly libertarian streak there.

 

He may be entirely consistent.

 

He's very consistent. He's a lot closer to the middle than most 'liberals'.

[KSB2424 3,153]

I appreciate his honesty; he moved up a peg in my book. I would have expected him to toe the line on the show, then left and hired another accountant to figure out how to lower his tax burden, like any upstanding liberal would.

This

[NewbieJr 541]

It's been a long while since I watched his show regularly, but has he ever been an advocate for welfare state programs? It's possible to both ridicule Republicans and not be enchanted with big nanny government. Also, since he has a great deal of respect for Ron Paul, there's a clearly libertarian streak there.

 

He may be entirely consistent.

He's very consistent. Anyone who isn't radically far right is considered a dumbe liberal by conservatives.

[KSB2424 3,153]

Bill Maher, while being a Democrat/Liberal personality only really bothers me when he goes 'off' on religion like he does. I can agree to disagree on politics and issues with folks but he actualy ridicules religious people. He crosses the line in my opinion. He'll go out in public or bring folks on his show and talk down to them as if they are stupid for being religious. It's appalling behaivor.

 

Maher is not agnostic, he's an Atheist. Which means he too has faith; faith that no God exists. It takes just as much faith to be an Atheist as it does to be religious. Both sides think they actually know the answer to life's biggest question.

[Herbivore 1,151]

Bill Maher, while being a Democrat/Liberal personality only really bothers me when he goes 'off' on religion like he does. I can agree to disagree on politics and issues with folks but he actualy ridicules religious people. He crosses the line in my opinion. He'll go out in public or bring folks on his show and talk down to them as if they are stupid for being religious. It's appalling behaivor.

 

Maher is not agnostic, he's an Atheist. Which means he too has faith; faith that no God exists. It takes just as much faith to be an Atheist as it does to be religious. Both sides think they actually know the answer to life's biggest question.

 

George Carlin had a great line - I was religious until I reached the age of reason. Your entire second paragraph is a reason people like Maher would make fun of you. It's dumb.

[NewbieJr 541]

Bill Maher, while being a Democrat/Liberal personality only really bothers me when he goes 'off' on religion like he does. I can agree to disagree on politics and issues with folks but he actualy ridicules religious people. He crosses the line in my opinion. He'll go out in public or bring folks on his show and talk down to them as if they are stupid for being religious. It's appalling behaivor.

 

I agree. I hate when non-believers mock religeous people. It's very tasteless and disrespectful.

[TimmySmith 2,783]

Bill Maher, while being a Democrat/Liberal personality only really bothers me when he goes 'off' on religion like he does. I can agree to disagree on politics and issues with folks but he actualy ridicules religious people. He crosses the line in my opinion. He'll go out in public or bring folks on his show and talk down to them as if they are stupid for being religious. It's appalling behaivor.

 

Maher is not agnostic, he's an Atheist. Which means he too has faith; faith that no God exists. It takes just as much faith to be an Atheist as it does to be religious. Both sides think they actually know the answer to life's biggest question.

The Democratic party is his religion. Honestly. Is for most atheists. Obama is their current spiritual leader. They must have an emotional connection with their Presidents and policies.

[Herbivore 1,151]

The Democratic party is his religion. Honestly. Is for most atheists. Obama is their current spiritual leader. They must have an emotional connection with their Presidents and policies.

 

This is also dumb.

[NewbieJr 541]

The Democratic party is his religion. Honestly. Is for most atheists. Obama is their current spiritual leader. They must have an emotional connection with their Presidents and policies.

You sound more like a brainwashed, radical, right-wing loonybat everytime you post something.

[GobbleDog 1,006]

Even though I'm a Republican, I've always like Maher. He seems to speak his own mind and doesn't simply toe his party line. This is further proof.

[OldMaid 2,134]

I don't think it's any secret that I like Bill Maher and enjoy his show... it's really nice to see some of the conservatives come forward and say they sort of respect him for this. There's hope for this place yet!

 

 

Also, I don't thnk this tread is going the way RP planned. Just a hunch...

 

 

Edit: Oops! I guess it's a Phurfart thread. I sometimes get them confused. My bad.

[NewbieJr 541]

I don't think it's any secret that I like Bill Maher and enjoy his show... it's really nice to see some of the conservatives come forward and say they sort of respect him for this. There's hope for this place yet!

 

 

Also, I don't thnk this tread is going the way RP planned. Just a hunch...

 

 

Edit: Oops! I guess it's a Phurfart thread. I sometimes get them confused. My bad.

Haha. I sometimes have to scroll back to the top to see which bonehead posted a thread I'm in, too. Don't feel bad. They were twins separated at birth.

[nikki2200 4]

Bill Maher, while being a Democrat/Liberal personality only really bothers me when he goes 'off' on religion like he does. I can agree to disagree on politics and issues with folks but he actualy ridicules religious people. He crosses the line in my opinion. He'll go out in public or bring folks on his show and talk down to them as if they are stupid for being religious. It's appalling behaivor.

 

Maher is not agnostic, he's an Atheist. Which means he too has faith; faith that no God exists. It takes just as much faith to be an Atheist as it does to be religious. Both sides think they actually know the answer to life's biggest question.

 

I'm an atheist. It doesn't take much effort for me to not believe in god. I don't really think about it. Why is atheist such a dirty term?

[GobbleDog 1,006]

Why is atheist such a dirty term?

I prefer "non-believer". The word "atheist" has an anti-religion context.

[KSB2424 3,153]

I'm an atheist. It doesn't take much effort for me to not believe in god. I don't really think about it. Why is atheist such a dirty term?

I never said it was a dirty term.

 

The way some (not all) Athiests talk down to religious people as if they know for certain the answer to life's biggest question is what irritates me. This is what Maher does. Since we don't actually know for certain (yet, and may never) that answer then it takes "faith" to think that there is not and was never a God. You have faith in that conviction. It's actually not that much different than a religous person on the other end of the spectrum.

 

Agnostics view that the existence or non-existence of any deity is unknown and possibly unknowable. Those people seem to be a bit more 'nice' to both religious folks and athiests in my experience.

[Bert 1,128]

I'm an atheist. It doesn't take much effort for me to not believe in god. I don't really think about it. Why is atheist such a dirty term?

The same reason religious has, the extremists.

[OldMaid 2,134]

I never said it was a dirty term.

 

The way some (not all) Athiests talk down to religious people as if they know for certain the answer to life's biggest question is what irritates me. This is what Maher does. Since we don't actually know for certain (yet, and may never) that answer then it takes "faith" to think that there is not and was never a God. You have faith in that conviction. It's actually not that much different than a religous person on the other end of the spectrum.

 

Agnostics view that the existence or non-existence of any deity is unknown and possibly unknowable. Those people seem to be a bit more 'nice' to both religious folks and athiests in my experience.

Substitute "faith" for logic and you might be on to something.

[hoytdwow 202]

I never said it was a dirty term.

 

The way some (not all) Athiests talk down to religious people

I'm not an athiest, but am close to it. I look down only on religious people who conflate their faith with politics and who preach a willful ignorance of science and learning. And also people who dress like pimps to go to church.

[The Moz 71]

This is why I really don't mind Maher or O'Reilly -- as I consider Bill Maher the lefts version of O'Reilly - both Bills

 

As on certain issues they will break from their parties line and just say what they really think.

[The Moz 71]

I'm not an athiest, but am close to it. I look down only on religious people who conflate their faith with politics and who preach a willful ignorance of science and learning. And also people who dress like pimps to go to church.

 

Damn I focking agree with you something

 

I am Catholic but do not believe in close to everything the church teaches - if I went more than a few times a decade.

[Bert 1,128]

And also people who dress like pimps to go to church.

 

Oh hell worms will be here any time to call you a racist.

 

 

I agree with you except I believe in "God" just not most of his fan clubs.

[DankNuggs 305]

I'm an atheist. It doesn't take much effort for me to not believe in god. I don't really think about it. Why is atheist such a dirty term?

Compare Atheism to Agnosticism.

 

 

I'm not a Maher fan, but nice to see him stating beliefs beyond party lines.

 

Someone should really do a study on how much in total taxes a person pays a year at different income levels. You never see it because there are so many tiny taxes snuck into stuff that you never break it out. I bet it would be mind blowing

[nikki2200 4]

Compare Atheism to Agnosticism.

 

 

I'm not a Maher fan, but nice to see him stating beliefs beyond party lines.

 

 

I don't know the actual difference in the definitions, but my interpretation is atheists believe there is no god. Agnostics don't really believe in god but say there is a possibility of a god or they are somewhat spiritual, and do not believe in any religion that currently exists.

 

I really think the agnostic thing is all about the fact that atheist is such a dirty word and people view you as a walking Satan if you admit to it, so they say they are agnostic which gives them a bit of a reprieve from all the stereotypes and bile.

 

I don't believe there is a magic man in the sky who controls everything. I think our origins were accidental, if that's the right word for it, not planned, designed, or created by someone. I don't think we understand even 1% of the universe or how we got here and we very well may never. But I don't believe that we came from some being who announced "let there be a universe". In my mind, that makes me an atheist and I'm not ashamed to say that like a lot of people are.

[DankNuggs 305]

I don't know the actual difference in the definitions, but my interpretation is atheists believe there is no god. Agnostics don't really believe in god but say there is a possibility of a god or they are somewhat spiritual, and do not believe in any religion that currently exists.

 

I really think the agnostic thing is all about the fact that atheist is such a dirty word and people view you as a walking Satan if you admit to it, so they say they are agnostic which gives them a bit of a reprieve from all the stereotypes and bile.

 

I don't believe there is a magic man in the sky who controls everything. I think our origins were accidental, if that's the right word for it, not planned, designed, or created by someone. I don't think we understand even 1% of the universe or how we got here and we very well may never. But I don't believe that we came from some being who announced "let there be a universe". In my mind, that makes me an atheist and I'm not ashamed to say that like a lot of people are.

I look at is as Atheists believe that humans are the supreme being of the universe. Its egotisitical. Agnostics acknowledge (say 5 times fast) the unanswered questions such as the unmoved mover and realize there are mysteries beyond their comprehension.

 

I think your description makes you an agnostic.

[drobeski 3,061]

He is an actual bigot but you'll never hear a liberal call him out for it.

Selective and fake outrage is a convenient trait liberals all share.

[parrot 789]

I look at is as Atheists believe that humans are the supreme being of the universe. Its egotisitical. Agnostics acknowledge (say 5 times fast) the unanswered questions such as the unmoved mover and realize there are mysteries beyond their comprehension.

 

I think your description makes you an agnostic.

 

Einstein called himself an agnostic due to his "attitude of humility corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual understanding of nature and of our own being."

 

I don't believe in God, but I won't tell anyone else they shouldn't believe in God. That's how I see the difference between agnostic and atheist.

[NewbieJr 541]

He is an actual bigot but you'll never hear a liberal call him out for it.

Selective and fake outrage is a convenient trait liberals all share.

This is shtick, right?

 

You just accurately described the Republican party. Bigots with selectively fake outrage. Things like using teleprompters, vacations and golfing, not keeping all campaign promises, the deficit, etc......all tried and true facts of every President in their lifetimes, but only an outrage when it's a Democrat in office. Wake up, Jack Neckless.

[nikki2200 4]

I look at is as Atheists believe that humans are the supreme being of the universe. Its egotisitical. Agnostics acknowledge (say 5 times fast) the unanswered questions such as the unmoved mover and realize there are mysteries beyond their comprehension.

 

I think your description makes you an agnostic.

 

a·the·ism [ey-thee-iz-uhm]

noun

1.

the doctrine or belief that there is no God.

2.

disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings.

 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/atheism

 

 

The way you look at atheism is the stereotype and bile I was talking about. Atheism means you don't believe in god. I really think it's as simple as that. And like I said, I think this concept of Agnosticism came about because people hear "Atheist" and automatically paint a picture of some horrific Satan-like person in their heads.

[GobbleDog 1,006]

 

Einstein called himself an agnostic due to his "attitude of humility corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual understanding of nature and of our own being."

 

I don't believe in God, but I won't tell anyone else they shouldn't believe in God. That's how I see the difference between agnostic and atheist.

Stephen Hawking always replies the same way to the question - do you believe in god? "Well, if by god you mean the forces and laws of the Universe, then yes."

 

Obviously that isn't what reporters are asking, but it's nicer than saying " " which is probably what he's thinking.

[TimmySmith 2,783]

You sound more like a brainwashed, radical, right-wing loonybat everytime you post something.

Yawn. A. vast majority of atheists I have met and seen are over the top worshipers of the Democratic party and it's politics. Everyone worships something. You seem to worship pop culture and everything shallow.

[drobeski 3,061]

This is shtick, right?

 

You just accurately described the Republican party. Bigots with selectively fake outrage. Things like using teleprompters, vacations and golfing, not keeping all campaign promises, the deficit, etc......all tried and true facts of every President in their lifetimes, but only an outrage when it's a Democrat in office. Wake up, Jack Neckless.

War on women anyone ?

Voter id anyone ?

You guys invented the term white mexican to create fake outrage.

Pathetic phony assclowns, phony like your hair and skin color.

[nikki2200 4]

From Wikipedia:

 

Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities.[1][2] In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities.[3][4][5] Most inclusively, atheism is simply the absence of belief that any deities exist.[4][5][6][7] Atheism is contrasted with theism,[8][9] which in its most general form is the belief that at least one deity exists.[9][10]

 

The term atheism originated from the Greek ἄθεος (atheos), meaning "without god(s)", used as a pejorative term applied to those thought to reject the gods worshipped by the larger society. With the spread of freethought, skeptical inquiry, and subsequent increase in criticism of religion, application of the term narrowed in scope. The first individuals to identify themselves using the word "atheist" lived in the 18th century.[11]

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism

 

[DankNuggs 305]

a·the·ism [ey-thee-iz-uhm]

noun

1.

the doctrine or belief that there is no God.

2.

disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings.

 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/atheism

 

 

The way you look at atheism is the stereotype and bile I was talking about. Atheism means you don't believe in god. I really think it's as simple as that. And like I said, I think this concept of Agnosticism came about because people hear "Atheist" and automatically paint a picture of some horrific Satan-like person in their heads.

Your interpretation depends on your definition of 'God'

 

you seem to use the christian interpretation of God. The unmoved mover may have simply set up some dominoes and tipped the first one. Atheism is an active reject of the unmoved mover, which like someone said requires as much faith as the organized religions you detest.

 

Science tells you matter cannot be created or destroyed. but matter exists.

[BudBro 183]

He's very consistent. Anyone who isn't radically far right is considered a dumbe liberal by conservatives.

hey newbie...long time. i liked maher's honesty on the tax issue. if he felt his taxes were being utilized properly and were going to support the ideology to which he subscribes, he wouldn't have complained. there are underlying issues that he is clearly concerned about, but hasn't stated. there are proven economic principles that apply to everyone, including the leftist of the left. and that is, there's a breaking point for everyone where they take their ball and go home. he's found it. so, he'll either go the way of the romneys and learn to better utilize the tax code, or he'll stop working and live off what he has. california ought to pay attention to the message maher and phil mickelson and others are saying. downsize the govt and learn to live within their means or they're taking their taxes elsewhere. we, as a nation, ought to say the same thing. we're supporting a leviathan and it's going to eat us while we're feeding it.

[Franknbeans 46]

The way you look at atheism is the stereotype and bile I was talking about. Atheism means you don't believe in god. I really think it's as simple as that. And like I said, I think this concept of Agnosticism came about because people hear "Atheist" and automatically paint a picture of some horrific Satan-like person in their heads.

 

I would claim to be agnostic because I really want to believe in a god but I have found no evidence that one exists. I am open to the possibility that one does exist rather than definitively claiming that there is no way one can exist. Of course, should one ever reveal themselves to me, he/she/it will have a lot of explaining to do.