How much do extremely wealthy people owe to the society that gave them the chance to prosper so much?

[PredFan]

Exactly how did they allow the super rich to prosper?

By creating the environment that allowed them to grow so well. Do you think Bill Gates would be where he is today if he had been born in some isolated African tribe where he didn't have the opportunity to learn how to read?

That isn’t an answer. Exactly how did they create that environment?

 

[Anomalism]

Why should I pay a higher percentage than the guy who's life ambition is to put hamburgers in a bag all day ?

If you're extremely rich you should do it because you can and that dude's life sucks a lot more.

 

[Indeependent]

Exactly how did they allow the super rich to prosper?

By creating the environment that allowed them to grow so well. Do you think Bill Gates would be where he is today if he had been born in some isolated African tribe where he didn't have the opportunity to learn how to read?

That isn’t an answer. Exactly how did they create that environment?

You must be insane trying to get an actual answer from a Liberal.

 

[Anomalism]

Exactly how did they allow the super rich to prosper?

By creating the environment that allowed them to grow so well. Do you think Bill Gates would be where he is today if he had been born in some isolated African tribe where he didn't have the opportunity to learn how to read?

That isn’t an answer. Exactly how did they create that environment?

You must be insane trying to get an actual answer from a Liberal.

I'm amazed that I need to explain more.

 

[Indeependent]

Exactly how did they allow the super rich to prosper?

By creating the environment that allowed them to grow so well. Do you think Bill Gates would be where he is today if he had been born in some isolated African tribe where he didn't have the opportunity to learn how to read?

That isn’t an answer. Exactly how did they create that environment?

You must be insane trying to get an actual answer from a Liberal.

I'm amazed that I need to explain more.

Have mercy and spare us your "explanations".

 

[Cecilie1200]

That’s not where the money the government takes goes. And it never will. It goes to line the pockets of their special interest groups.

Public schools aren't perfect but we'd be in big trouble without them. Not everything the government does is bad or useless.

But most of what the government does is done badly and ineffectively. Take your example of public schools. I certainly agree that a nation is better off having an educated populace. But public schools are a lot more than simply "not perfect"; they, like all bloated government bureaucracies, are serving every goal and interest EXCEPT the education of the students. The United States spends on average $12,800 per student for education. Our annual education spending is higher than the GDP of many countries. Do we have the best-educated students in the world? Does anyone really think having the best-educated students in the world is the primary goal of public school systems?

 

[Anomalism]

But most of what the government does is done badly and ineffectively. Take your example of public schools. I certainly agree that a nation is better off having an educated populace. But public schools are a lot more than simply "not perfect"; they, like all bloated government bureaucracies, are serving every goal and interest EXCEPT the education of the students. The United States spends on average $12,800 per student for education. Our annual education spending is higher than the GDP of many countries. Do we have the best-educated students in the world? Does anyone really think having the best-educated students in the world is the primary goal of public school systems?

How do we make public schools better? I rarely hear anything but vague or ridiculous answers to that question.

 

[Crepitus]

How much do extremely wealthy people owe to the society that gave them the chance to prosper so much?

50%

 

[Cecilie1200]

Less is more.

The government is very inefficient due to no competitive pressures.

How much should taxes be cut?

Well, how much is the government spending that is wasteful and inappropriate?

The FBI came to Nassau County to investigate dozens of politicians pocketing taxes.
Most politicians are lawyers and know how to hide what they steal.
It takes 10 years to collect enough evidence to send someone to prison.

I'm not even talking about criminal activities, though. I'm talking about technically legal pork barrel spending, bureaucratic budget inflation, and entire sections of governments which really have no legitimate reason for existing.

Everything a politician does is technically legal; the bastards pilfer from every project they sign into law.

No, obviously everything a politician does is NOT technically legal, or the FBI wouldn't have been investigating it.

 

[Anomalism]

50%

You're the first person brave enough to start talking numbers.

Props.

 

[Indeependent]

But most of what the government does is done badly and ineffectively. Take your example of public schools. I certainly agree that a nation is better off having an educated populace. But public schools are a lot more than simply "not perfect"; they, like all bloated government bureaucracies, are serving every goal and interest EXCEPT the education of the students. The United States spends on average $12,800 per student for education. Our annual education spending is higher than the GDP of many countries. Do we have the best-educated students in the world? Does anyone really think having the best-educated students in the world is the primary goal of public school systems?

How do we make public schools better? I rarely hear anything but vague or ridiculous answers to that question.

Drop sports, music and gym and encourage the kids who are interested to find a weekend program for such.
The school day should be longer than 3-4 hours...3-4 hours is a joke!
How can a kid learn discipline or be prepared for the real world when they have so much time to be independent?

 

[Crepitus]

Surely something, right? I see a lot of people talk like taxes are theft. Is it not just our obligation?

Yes, it is an obligation. The billionaires would be no-one without the legions of people they don't pay enough to live without government assistance.

 

[Thinker101]

But most of what the government does is done badly and ineffectively. Take your example of public schools. I certainly agree that a nation is better off having an educated populace. But public schools are a lot more than simply "not perfect"; they, like all bloated government bureaucracies, are serving every goal and interest EXCEPT the education of the students. The United States spends on average $12,800 per student for education. Our annual education spending is higher than the GDP of many countries. Do we have the best-educated students in the world? Does anyone really think having the best-educated students in the world is the primary goal of public school systems?

How do we make public schools better? I rarely hear anything but vague or ridiculous answers to that question.

As we have seen time and time again, more money doesn't to schools doesn't work. Hold them accountable.

 

[Anomalism]

Drop sports, music and gym and encourage the kids who are interested to find a weekend program for such.
The school day should be longer than 3-4 hours...3-4 hours is a joke!
How can a kid learn discipline or be prepared for the real world when they have so much time to be independent?

How about smaller classrooms and better supplies?

 

[Indeependent]

Less is more.

The government is very inefficient due to no competitive pressures.

How much should taxes be cut?

Well, how much is the government spending that is wasteful and inappropriate?

The FBI came to Nassau County to investigate dozens of politicians pocketing taxes.
Most politicians are lawyers and know how to hide what they steal.
It takes 10 years to collect enough evidence to send someone to prison.

I'm not even talking about criminal activities, though. I'm talking about technically legal pork barrel spending, bureaucratic budget inflation, and entire sections of governments which really have no legitimate reason for existing.

Everything a politician does is technically legal; the bastards pilfer from every project they sign into law.

No, obviously everything a politician does is NOT technically legal, or the FBI wouldn't have been investigating it.

That's a tough one.
The paperwork is almost always legal; what they do with the money they are given is another story.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Gates would have gotten rich there too. He'd of been selling rocks and tree bark to the masses.

He wouldn't be worth 80 billion dollars.

No, but success is relative.

 

[Indeependent]

Drop sports, music and gym and encourage the kids who are interested to find a weekend program for such.
The school day should be longer than 3-4 hours...3-4 hours is a joke!
How can a kid learn discipline or be prepared for the real world when they have so much time to be independent?

How about smaller classrooms and better supplies?

Kids with ADD & ADHS need smaller classes.
Define better supplies when they already receive iPads.

 

[Anomalism]

As we have seen time and time again, more money doesn't to schools doesn't work. Hold them accountable.

There are teachers using their own money to supply their students.

 

[Crepitus]

50%

You're the first person brave enough to start talking numbers.

Props.

More specifically I would say 50% on everything over $1,000,000.00 and more like 75% of earnings over $100,000,000.00.

 

[badbob85037]

Surely something, right? I see a lot of people talk like taxes are theft. Is it not just our obligation?

Oh you poor sole. Not born into wealth and lacking the knowledge and skill to gain it. I bet it must sucks being you.