Money In Politics

[g5000]

If you want less money in politics, then you clearly and plainly need less government.

Rich individuals and corporations donate to government in order to achieve favorable tax and trade polices. Government is not the problem; rich people controlling government is the problem:

And what exactly are those rich people trying to get for their money?

*cue Final Jeopardy theme*

 

[g5000]

Ok. Once we've replaced venal representatives, and figured how to make sure they don't get elected again, we can talk about increasing the power of government.

Explain how we improve the quality of politicians by diminishing the power of government?

You cannot improve the quality of politicians until you improve the quality of voters.

"Gimme gimme gimme, and make that guy over there pay for it!"

We get the politicians we deserve.

 

[g5000]

20 percent of all US Dollars were created in 2020, according to THE DATA

mo' money mo' problems!

When debt is paid off, the dollars which were created are destroyed.

The problem is not the Fed. The problem is not our politicians.

The problem is us.

"Gimme gimme gimme, and make that guy over there pay for it!"

 

[g5000]

If tax rates and tariff rates were very low...or flat, there would be no need to pay for favors.

Who defines "low"?

Well in the example of Trump who it appears may have been paying none or just a tiny fraction of a percent, just about any flat rate would be higher. The rate would have to bring in enough revenue to run the country without huge deficits.

The American people are not willing to pay enough taxes to pay for the government services they demand.

WE are the problem.

 

[g5000]

G, what is your opinion on getting rid of the income tax completely and replacing it with a National Sales Tax?

I am in favor of the Fair Tax. Have been for a while now.

The proposed Fair Tax Act (H.R. 25/S. 18) would apply a tax, once, at the point of purchase on all new goods and services for personal consumption. The proposal also specified a monthly welfare payment for low-income earners to offset the regressive tax impact.


Oops.

No, the Fair Tax would provide a prebate to everyone. Not just the poor. The prebate is based on the poverty level, but it goes to everyone.

Read the bill: Text - H.R.25 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): FairTax Act of 2019


“SEC. 301. FAMILY CONSUMPTION ALLOWANCE.

“Each qualified family shall be eligible to receive a sales tax rebate each month. The sales tax rebate shall be in an amount equal to the product of—
“(1) the rate of tax imposed by section 101, and
“(2) the monthly poverty level.


“SEC. 302. QUALIFIED FAMILY.

“(a) General Rule.—For purposes of this chapter, the term ‘qualified family’ shall mean one or more family members sharing a common residence. All family members sharing a common residence shall be considered as part of one qualified family.

 

[g5000]

Money in politics? What does it really mean? Is it about lobbyists? Democrats have a gigantic propaganda source who's masthead proudly proclaims to analyze every word uttered by (only) conservatives and amazingly Media Matters is tax exempt. It's no secret that most of the mainstream media is on the left side so democrats can save a lot of advertisement and sit back. The point is, what does "money in politics" really mean?

What does it mean when a liberal complains about money in politics?

 

[g5000]

Goddamnit I'm so fucking sick of this false equivalence. Corporations can't have you arrested. Corporations don't "fill the vacuum". They are not the same as government.

Private prisons currently exist.

Who/what decides who goes to prison?

 

[g5000]

That's another one. Regulations.

If I have the power to regulate the blazes out of your business and make it extremely difficult for you to get off the ground, why do you think that happened?

It happened because your competitors who have been around for decades paid me beaucoup dollars to make it harder for you to compete against them.

Who are you???

A TDSer

A Never Trumper. Do you know that that term means?

 

[g5000]

I always get belly laugh from this ridiculous argument. Government is corrupt, so, duh - we need more government? How does that work, in your head?

Government is corrupted by ridiculous amounts of private wealth distributed to a few venal individuals by markets free of any vestige of moral sentiment. The democratic solution requires government to distribute wealth and income in ways that don't produce economic inequality in the first place, and this won't be accomplished by drowning government in a bath tub while the corrupting agents remain with their fortunes in tact.

Bernie's Right: 3 Billionaires Really Do Have More Wealth Than Half of America

In the Gilded Age, a handful of men owned more wealth than the rest of America, too. And that was before Big Government and the Federal Reserve.

Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, JP Morgan...

 

[basquebromance]

the Clinton Foundation is a charitable foundation that does no charity...except for the Clintons own pockets!

 

[g5000]

Both sides bitch about money politics but I doubt either has ever turned down any donation from any person or group. If they do they are few and far between.

Absolutely correct.

Democrats are more overt with spending, where Republicans are more covert. Republicans take donations to put tax expenditures in the tax code far more often than Democrats do.

 

[georgephillip]

I don't want to diminish the power of government, I want to diminish its scope. Government should have all the power it needs to attend to its legitimate responsibilities. Getting in bed with corporations via the regulatory regime isn't one of those legitimate responsibilities

Government creates corporations by writing regulations, so where do you draw the line between legitimate and illegitimate responsibilities? Do you advocate for allowing for-profit corporations to regulate their own behavior?

 

[basquebromance]

If Trump loses, it won't be because he didn't suck up to Wall Street enough.

 

[georgephillip]

Sounds good.
But what will we do with the Democrat reps once they're replaced?
Compost?

Will you visit?

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

The Fed makes short term loans, the Fed buys bonds and the Fed is owned by the US government.

It’s Our Money latest podcast “Wall Street Owns the Country” – Public Banking Institute

Ellen is funny.
Not surprised you like her.
She's dumber than you.
And that's not easy.

 

[basquebromance]

in all the other countries in the world, the phrase "bringing home the bacon" is associated with farming

only in america is it associated with money in politics

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

How are their earnings split up?

Maybe Wall Street on Parade can help you out?

Good thinking.

"These same Wall Street banks also participate in various advisory groups with the New York Fed where they hash out 'best practices' for their industry.

" Those 'best practices' were not sufficient to prevent JPMorgan Chase from becoming a three-count felon, Citigroup a one-count felon, and four of the banks (all but Bank of New York Mellon) from actively engaging in creating and selling subprime investments that blew up the U.S. financial system, the nation’s economy and a good swath of Wall Street in 2008."

These Are the Banks that Own the New York Fed and Its Money Button

Thanks for the link that didn't explain how the Fed's earnings split up.

The largest shareowners of the New York Fed are the following five Wall Street banks: JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Bank of New York Mellon. Those five banks represent two-thirds of the eight Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs) in the United States. The other three G-SIBs are Bank of America, a shareowner in the Richmond Fed; Wells Fargo, a shareowner of the San Francisco Fed; and State Street, a shareowner in the Boston Fed.

Largest shareowners? DURR.

As the Fed says.....

“The Federal Reserve Act requires that each member bank subscribe to the capital stock of the Reserve Bank in an amount equal to 6 percent of the capital and surplus of the member bank. These shares are nonvoting, with a par value of $100, and may not be transferred or hypothecated. As a member bank’s capital and surplus changes, its holdings of Reserve Bank stock must be adjusted. Currently, only one-half of the subscription is paid in, and the remainder is subject to call. A member bank is liable for Reserve Bank liabilities up to twice the par value of stock subscribed by it.”

Meanwhile.....Pam and Russ said,

"While the shares are non-voting in terms of quantity of shares held, the banks do get a vote in electing the Board of Directors of their regional Fed bank. Each regional Fed board has nine members. Six of the directors are elected by member banks. Three of the directors are appointed by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington, D.C.. From among these three, the Board of Governors selects a chairman and a deputy chairman of the given Bank’s board"

No shit, morons, the largest bank and the smallest bank each get the same SINGLE VOTE.

Thanks for the laugh. The Martens never fail to deliver the humor.

 

[dblack]

Ok. Once we've replaced venal representatives, and figured how to make sure they don't get elected again, we can talk about increasing the power of government.

Explain how we improve the quality of politicians by diminishing the power of government?

Not saying one has anything to do with the other. Just saying that increase the scope of government, especially when we're so divided politically, is bad idea.

 

[Blaine Sweeter]

We hear complaints from the Right all the time about how much regulations cost business and what a bad thing that is.

But the deep dark secret is that the old sclerotic businesses who own Capitol Hill want to be heavily regulated.

So they can snuff out any competition. Yes.

Oddball, give g5000 back his account and stop hacking him.

He’s always for smaller government, the problem is republicans are not. Tariffs are another problem...

Yeah, trade wars were always a left wing thing. Trump has always been a far left Democrat. I can't recall how many times I warned this forum in 2016 about that.

Trillion dollar deficits, trade wars, morally corrupt, craven. Figure it out, people!

I'm voting for Jo Jorgensen.

"I'm voting for Jo Jorgensen."
Oh for god's sake, then don't vote at all.
If you believe Trump is all that bad as you say, why are you going to help him win?
You've been a steady and wise voice on this board but you're looking like you don't understand what's really at stake for this country.
U.S. will have the same status in the world as the Philippines if Trump wins.

 

[Blaine Sweeter]

We hear complaints from the Right all the time about how much regulations cost business and what a bad thing that is.

But the deep dark secret is that the old sclerotic businesses who own Capitol Hill want to be heavily regulated.

So they can snuff out any competition. Yes.

Oddball, give g5000 back his account and stop hacking him.

He’s always for smaller government, the problem is republicans are not. Tariffs are another problem...

Yeah, trade wars were always a left wing thing. Trump has always been a far left Democrat. I can't recall how many times I warned this forum in 2016 about that.

Trillion dollar deficits, morally corrupt, craven, trade wars. Figure it out, people!

I'm voting for Jo Jorgensen.

You'll have to keep voting Libertarian.

That "limited government" and "conservative values" crap was a lie all this time.

What they REALLY wanted was a Trump.

As I said at least a hundred times, the 2016 election was about Mexicans and Muslims. It sure as shit wasn't about conservatism.

Yes, it was, Trump being able to read his audience and know that most whites are racists and many don't even know it.