Lets hope he "spreads the wealth".
Commy
Posts: 4,984
"The top 1 percent of households received 22.9 percent of all pre-tax income in 2006, more than double what that figure was in the 1970s," the Working Group on Extreme Inequality reports. "This is the greatest concentration of income since 1928." And: "Between 1979 and 2006, the top 5 percent of American families saw their real incomes increase 87 percent. Over the same period, the lowest-income fifth saw zero increase in real income."
Its time for action. But, we can't expect Obama to do it himself. "When President Franklin Roosevelt heard pleas for bold steps to counter extreme economic inequality, he replied: "Go out and make me do it."
Keep hope alive.
Its time for action. But, we can't expect Obama to do it himself. "When President Franklin Roosevelt heard pleas for bold steps to counter extreme economic inequality, he replied: "Go out and make me do it."
Keep hope alive.
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Let's just breathe...
I am myself like you somehow
The top 1 percent of taxpayers (AGI over $364,657) earned approximately 21.2 percent of the nation's income (as defined by AGI), yet paid 39.4 percent of all federal income taxes.
Want them to pay the whole thing? How much is enough? How about a flat/fair tax so people don't get a free ride anymore.
After all deductions, credits, etc - the top 1% pays 23% of their AGI in income taxes while the bottom 50% pays less then 3%.
http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/22652.html
SHOW COUNT: (164) 1990's=3, 2000's=53, 2010/20's=108, US=118, CAN=15, Europe=20 ,New Zealand=4, Australia=5
Mexico=1, Colombia=1
Well come on....what better way to help a PJ fan who is down financially? We take the Government out of the equation completely and you get to help a military vet who qualifies for food stamps. Not only would you be doing a great thing....but
You would be DOING instead of TALKING.
A couple hundred dollars a month is all I'm asking....spread the wealth around.
Why are people OK with living in a society that pays athletes millions of dollars per year, but can't pay decent salaries to school teachers and nurses? Why are we OK with the fact that many people have to work 60-80 hours just to have shelter, clothes and food? Meanwhile, people who barely work, were born into wealth, and maybe don't even really work at all, well, life is a playground to them. This is fucking slavery, people. This is not to say that our current tax system is fair towards working people. We need a complete overhaul. We need to completely reorganize society. We work too much and produce too much shit - this only benefits the well-connected and wealthy. We could all work 20-30 hours a week and still have all the things we love, and more importantly everyone would have everything they need. We need not just spread the wealth, but also spread the responsibility. Our economic freedom shouldn't come at the expense of the hard working. The 'underlings' of society shouldn't be stuck with all of the nasty jobs. These should be shared responsibilities, and we'd all be better off for it. We'd have a cleaner environment and a sense of pride in our communities.
We should have a fair minimum wage and also maximum wage. The President earns $400,000 a year. Is there a job more important than President? So why should anyone make more money than the President in a year? Many people in this country (and, shit, in every other country too) make more money than they've actually earned, if we think critically about fairness. And many millions earn much less than they deserve. This leads to the sicknesses we have in our society. It's a dog-eat-dog world and it's unpleasant. We can make our lives better, but instead we choose to keep this unjust system alive in case we can join the ranks of the rich. Even at age 32, this still pisses me off greatly.
I just want my part of the "pie", and you guys make more then me, so its pretty simple. Give me part of your pay check, its not complicated.
it's not just a matter of everyone paying the same amount ... it's about a system that is fair which affords people the same level of opportunities and life standards ...
right now - the rich can afford to eat the best, the best doctors, the best education ... it's a perpetual cycle creating a properity gap ...
it's not simply about taking and giving from one group to another - it's about formulating a system that serves the needs of everyone not just a select few
I'm pretty sure they got your point. Perhaps you should say the same thing another 10 times?
I'm sorry...but it kills me that people talk about all this Socialist change, but when it comes to their pay check...its different.
Thats Hypocritical.
and food and education... may the rest of that wealth rain over whomever it chooses..
It's complete bullshit
Anyone with half a brain and a pinch of common sense should be able to see that our tax system in this country is failing many more people than it is helping.
There is a denfinate need for tax reform and I'm willing to give Obama's tax plan a chance considering the fact that this trickle-down Republican fairy tale that we've been sold by Reagan and every greed horny Conservative since has failed this country for too long.
Hense the word CHANGE folks.
It's high time we gave some other ideas a shot rather than shoot it down simply because it came from the "dreaded" left side of the floor.
Later.
uhhh ... no ... you are taking a big issue and simplifying it unrealistically ... i can understand now why mccain/palin focus on negative campaigning instead of offering a campaign of substance ...
Maybe so, but what you are describing is not realistic, I don't care how you cut it, any form of socialism "spreads misery equally" as the saying goes. This Utopian idea that we can all work together in one common cause of spreading the wealth around equally is crazy. Its not that the idea its self is bad, it just that it requires man to reach a new level of honesty and integrity that won't ever happen. People are only a couple of days with our food and water before they become part of the animal kingdom again. What you are asking is something that not realistic in society.
Our system isn't perfect, but it sure is a lot better then 80% of the world. And if there is a way for people to take advantage, they will. I just want the most amount of control over my money, I don't trust it to any one else.
Everyone deserves the basics ... food ... clothing ... shelter ... after that, some people have more, some people have less. That's just fucking life.
Some people have more because they worked harder. Some people have more because they are more talented than everyone else. Some people have more because their Daddy was rich, some people have more because they hit the fucking lottery.
Again, that's life. And that's the way it should be.
In general, I am for exceptionalism being rewarded. Not punished.
for the least they could possibly do
When I worked minimum wage (or near-minimum wage) jobs - loading trucks, stocking warehouses, etc, I worked MUCH MUCH harder than I do now at my OK-paying desk job. This might not be true in everyone, but every time I get a better job or a promotion, I end up working less for more money. But not everyone has the ability to graduate from college and get a semi-decent job, or a really nice job (which I'm still looking for). A lot of people get stuck doing shit jobs for shit wages... and resentment builds in these people, and then they mug us and/or kill us. It's fucking stupid.
Obama's no socialist, and he's probably not even a New Dealer, but it seems like he wants to make things a little more fair in this country. I mean, if he lives up to his promise of lowering taxes for 95% of us while taxing the top 5% more... that's better than what we've got.
well ...
1. it depends on how you judge what is better ... if you base it on the un human development index ... there are a few countries that are better and the majority of them are more "socialist"
2. you do realize that the system you're in is a mixed system that has socialist principles ... what we are talking here is an adjustment of a system that levels the playing field ... it's like you are in a professional sports league where the best team gets the first pick in the draft every year ...
I voted for McCain, but I'm over it and support our new President. There is no reason why he and the congress can't make things happen, they are in complete control and now its time for them to make good on their promises.
You'll have to explain.
I mean, on one level, it seems silly Alex Rodriguez makes a bajillion dollars to play baseball. It's not like he's curing cancer or even teaching inner-city kids math.
But on the other hand ... if someone is willing to pay it, you've earned it ... and who is the government to say you didn't?
(And, while we're on the subject, if we want to talk about rich fuckers who don't earn what they are paid, I give you members of the United States Congress.)
for the least they could possibly do
This is kind of what I'm afraid of.
I'd be less wary of an Obama presidency if there he had some sort of buffer in Congress. Instead, he's free to kowtow to the craziest fringe of his party ... which, as we learned the past eight years, is never good.
I will hope for the best, though.
for the least they could possibly do
I was referring more to executives who get paid to run their companies straight into the ground while the laborers for those companies who run the everyday shit so it doesn't get run into the ground get paid piss poor wages. Many people think higher taxes for the wealthy is the answer. I think not going bat shit crazy when deciding the salary of your top executives is more of an answer.
Like I somewhat alluded to in my distaste for increasing taxes on anyone, I don't think the government should have a say on whether you've earned your dollar or not. I just think it's gotten to a point where, due to dishonest ties, certain people are getting paid way more than what their true worth is. You fail a company, then your salary should suffer as well. I just look at the growing disparity between what the rich make compared to what the working class citizens make as more and more disgusting as time goes on. I'm sure you and many others have seen how executive pay has increased way more than average worker pay. It just seems there is no accountability for this anymore and that the American people are too apathetic to do anything to actually solve the root of the problem.
I agree with you about the US Congress. They have been selling out the interest of the American people since the early 1900's and it has only gotten worse as time goes on.
I see a very big problem with your statistic...it says the top 1% of households "received" 22.9% of all pre-taxed income...didn;t they "earn" it?
what about multi-million/billion $ corporations that pay no taxes? halliburton hasn't paid any taxes in years (they are headquartered in the cayman islands) is that right?
i heard an interesting take on this 'spread the wealth around' concept. New York City gives something like $80million more in taxes to the state of NY than it gets back, is that evil socialism?
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way