The Question Conservatives Can't Answer

[auditor0007]

It was their money to begin with. They earned it.

When are you on the left going to realize that taxes burden the American people with labor they have to pay the government before they can take care of themselves? The money is theirs.

At what point have they paid their fair share?

At the point that they at least pay a representative percentage in taxes based on their income. While everyone on the right loves to throw out the fact that the wealthy pay most of the income taxes, they miss the true facts. When we look at the federal government, we need to look at all taxes and all revenue, not just a portion that is less than half.

When all forms of taxation are included into revenues, the top 10% only pay 30% of all federal taxes. And that is definitely unfair, because the top 10% take in 45% of all income. They are undertaxed and because of this, they have accumulated enormous amounts of wealth while the rest of Americans have seen their incomes stagnate or diminish. This is not about stealing from the rich; it's about making them pay their fair share. All I hear on this board is how we have a spending problem, which we do. However, revenues have fallen 30% in the last ten years as a percentage of GDP, so we definitely have a revenue problem also. But God forbid we should suggest asking the wealthy to pay a fair share. Instead, we see ridiculous examples of how the wealthy pay 70% out of 40% of all revenues, while paying next to nothing out of the other 60% of revenues.

 

[Rinata]

They will say this is a lie and that will be that. Or else they won't answer at all.

You know, I try to avoid calling people liars when there is any ambiguity. But the fact that you are trying to claim that we wont answer the question after several of us have already answered it is a comete and utter lie.

Are you ready to admit you were wrong?

Yes, I was wrong. I forgot the third option. You'll give a convoluted response that is supposed to pass for a real answer. Is that what you did??

And you can save the holier than thou act. All of you teabag heads lie like friggin' rugs. So save it. I don't know who you're trying to impress.

 

[Rinata]

Don't you love the extremes some of these fucking idiots go to? You mention some reduction in needless regulations and that's going to result in China like regulations.

Well, Rdean is an extremist. And he has yet to demonstrate to me a desire for sincere debate. So it really doesnt surprise me much.

People who think regulations fix problems don't understand that laws don't change people. Nor do they change nature.

And you have???

 

[Rinata]

So now that we've answered your 'unanswerable" question. Do you have any further questions or are you simply going to pretend no one has answered it?

If your answer is the richest 1% worked three times harder and contributed three times as much to American productivity over the last forty years as the rest of us, you haven't answered my question.

"In what way do the richest 1% deserve these extraordinary gains?"

So you are picking the "Pretend no one has answered it" option.

I really wish we had more people on this board who will honestly discuss things.

Admit it. You're getting your ass kicked!!!

 

[Patrick2]

"The following fact was sent to numerous conservative pundits, politicians, and profit-seekers:

"Based on Tax Foundation figures, the richest 1% has TRIPLED its share of America's income over the past 30 years. Much of the gain came from tax cuts and minimally taxed financial instruments.

"If their income had increased only at the pace of American productivity (80%), they would be taking about a TRILLION DOLLARS LESS out of our economy.

"And a question was posed:

"In what way do the richest 1% deserve these extraordinary gains?

"This question was not posed in sarcasm.

"A factual answer is genuinely sought.

"It seems unlikely that 1% of the population worked three times harder than the rest of us, or contributed three times as much to American productivity.

"Money earned from tax cuts and minimally taxed financial instruments is not productive income."

Any takers, Cons?

The Question Conservatives Can't Answer | Common Dreams

What do you mean they took a trillion dollars "out" of the economy?? Unless you think it's all sitting in a swiss bank account, the money was invested in companies that help america, or spent (helping america), or loaned out (helping america).

 

[Quantum Windbag]

"The following fact was sent to numerous conservative pundits, politicians, and profit-seekers:

"Based on Tax Foundation figures, the richest 1% has TRIPLED its share of America's income over the past 30 years. Much of the gain came from tax cuts and minimally taxed financial instruments.

"If their income had increased only at the pace of American productivity (80%), they would be taking about a TRILLION DOLLARS LESS out of our economy.

"And a question was posed:

"In what way do the richest 1% deserve these extraordinary gains?

"This question was not posed in sarcasm.

"A factual answer is genuinely sought.

"It seems unlikely that 1% of the population worked three times harder than the rest of us, or contributed three times as much to American productivity.

"Money earned from tax cuts and minimally taxed financial instruments is not productive income."

Any takers, Cons?

The Question Conservatives Can't Answer | Common Dreams

Because they are smarter than you? Or perhaps better at football, basketball, or some other sport?

Or does that simple fact make you upset because you think performance is not a valid criteria for making money? Do you honestly believe that no one should make more money for being better at something?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

They will say this is a lie and that will be that. Or else they won't answer at all.

I will give you that I had not yet answered the question, but I did answer it when I saw it. Does that make you a liar?

If not, the fact that some people did answer it certainly does.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Based on Tax Foundation figures, the richest 1% has TRIPLED its share of America's income over the past 30 years. Much of the gain came from tax cuts and minimally taxed financial instruments.

Too fucking bad....Those "gains" are in terms of money that belonged to them in the first place.

If their income had increased only at the pace of American productivity (80%), they would be taking about a TRILLION DOLLARS LESS out of our economy.

And if worms had machine guns, birds wouldn't fuck with them.

The notion that someone "took money out of the economy" is pure commie bullshit, which is mind boggling in its sheer economic ignorance.

I gave George the figures once that proved that there is more wealth now than there was in the 80s and he still insists that finance is a zero sum game. The fact that there are more rich people, and that they have more money, makes no difference to his delusions.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Conservatives can answer it. The federal government doesn't generate income.

Sure it does. NASA has over two thousand patents that generate hundreds of billions of dollars from both patent sales and licensing. Everyone knows that.

Lying again, when will you stop?

 

[IndependntLogic]

"The following fact was sent to numerous conservative pundits, politicians, and profit-seekers:

"Based on Tax Foundation figures, the richest 1% has TRIPLED its share of America's income over the past 30 years. Much of the gain came from tax cuts and minimally taxed financial instruments.

"If their income had increased only at the pace of American productivity (80%), they would be taking about a TRILLION DOLLARS LESS out of our economy.

"And a question was posed:

"In what way do the richest 1% deserve these extraordinary gains?

"This question was not posed in sarcasm.

"A factual answer is genuinely sought.

"It seems unlikely that 1% of the population worked three times harder than the rest of us, or contributed three times as much to American productivity.

"Money earned from tax cuts and minimally taxed financial instruments is not productive income."

Any takers, Cons?

The Question Conservatives Can't Answer | Common Dreams

I'm not a "Con" (although I've been called it a few times) but I'll offer a few ideas.
1. Technology. It has had the same effect on wealth creation as on many other things: acceleration. While technology has contributed to the decline of income from all those people who used to work at say, printing shops or travel agencies, it has increased the amount and rate at which the rich can leverage their specialized knowledge (i.e. how to get rich or richer) into even more wealth.
2. Globalization. We can monitor the NIKKEI in real time, send and receive contracts, orders etc... across the globe in seconds. So people who have the ability to get rich, have certain skills. Now they can leverage them even more efficiently and in more places.
3. In one respect you're right - but not when it comes to personal tax breaks. Where you're right is Corps. Corporations have been given BILLIONS is special tax breaks, subsidies etc... since the 80's, that they never used to get. It used to be, these tax breaks and subsidies were reserved only for businesses that were helping the public good (like phone companies putting phone lines in rural areas that wouldn't be profitible to them, because of the low number of customers) but now? Big Oil? Other Multi-National companies? They are not providing some new technology or service that Americans wouldn't otherwise have. They aren't building bridges or infrastructure. They haven't been for decades. But they still get our money. This defnitely helps the rich get richer and faster.

So I'm not demonizing the rich. I don't fault them their success and I feel blessed to have mine. I'm just making an Independent's observations.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Yeah, we can afford our current level of debt relative to US GDP.
Our debt level relative to GDP has been higher in the past than it is today.
Japan's has been much higher for a decade or more.
The problem here starts with borrowing from parasites instead of taxing them.

btw, where did the $3.5 trillion figure come from?

======
Are you seriously this obtuse? That is the FEDERAL BUDGET for this year and the forseeable future!

I didn't ask you if we could afford our "debt" did I? Of course, you know I didn't....


I asked you what? For which you continue to sidestep?

I"m done with you.....

If we can afford the current debt level why is Moody's threatening to downgrade our bonds unless we cut $4 trillion from it?

 

[Rinata]

They will say this is a lie and that will be that. Or else they won't answer at all.

I will give you that I had not yet answered the question, but I did answer it when I saw it. Does that make you a liar?

If not, the fact that some people did answer it certainly does.

You people are so thick!!!

 

[Quantum Windbag]

They will say this is a lie and that will be that. Or else they won't answer at all.

I will give you that I had not yet answered the question, but I did answer it when I saw it. Does that make you a liar?

If not, the fact that some people did answer it certainly does.

You people are so thick!!!

Does that mean the answer to my question is yes?

 

[skookerasbil]

"The following fact was sent to numerous conservative pundits, politicians, and profit-seekers:

"Based on Tax Foundation figures, the richest 1% has TRIPLED its share of America's income over the past 30 years. Much of the gain came from tax cuts and minimally taxed financial instruments.

"If their income had increased only at the pace of American productivity (80%), they would be taking about a TRILLION DOLLARS LESS out of our economy.

"And a question was posed:

"In what way do the richest 1% deserve these extraordinary gains?

"This question was not posed in sarcasm.

"A factual answer is genuinely sought.

"It seems unlikely that 1% of the population worked three times harder than the rest of us, or contributed three times as much to American productivity.

"Money earned from tax cuts and minimally taxed financial instruments is not productive income."

Any takers, Cons?

The Question Conservatives Can't Answer | Common Dreams

C'mon s0n.........."CommonDreams" is a hyper-far left website like all the k00k left websites you post up.

The class warfare crap is an excercise in epic fAiL in 2011. Taxes aint going up s0n = 100% certainty. Whine like a limpwrister all you want........I'll be sitting here on the sidelines laughing my balls off. Just like the president.......9 months have gone by since the political map of the country went deep red..............and they still havent figured out what hit them. Its fcukking fascinating.


Anyway......the fact is, the wealthy have paid 11 trillion in taxes over the last 40 years to help the plight of the poor and nothing has changed........in fact, its gotten progressively worse for these people as theyve morped into a mindset of dependency. These people are walking around with better cell phones than I have and having their food paid for by others........with many out there taking in money off the books from someplace else. BS to that s0n............

Anyway.......the whole thread is a moot point. Higher taxes arent happening. Time to accept and move on s0n..........because elections have consequences!!

 

[WillowTree]

They will say this is a lie and that will be that. Or else they won't answer at all.

I will give you that I had not yet answered the question, but I did answer it when I saw it. Does that make you a liar?

If not, the fact that some people did answer it certainly does.

You people are so thick!!!

Here's the question no dimocrat can ever answer.. who told you that you were entitled to take someone's money and use it for your own stupid lifestyle? what makes you thaink you're all that?

 

[Skull Pilot]

The OP is flawed.

It's not "America's income"

Income belongs to those who earn it not to America.

 

[editec]

Have you seen the bigger piggies
In their starched white shirts
You will find the bigger piggies
Stirring up the dirt
Always have clean shirts
To play around in

In their sties with all their backing
They don't care what goes on around
In their eyes there's something lacking
What they needs a damned good whacking

Piggies

Beatles

 

[RetiredGySgt]

"The following fact was sent to numerous conservative pundits, politicians, and profit-seekers:

"Based on Tax Foundation figures, the richest 1% has TRIPLED its share of America's income over the past 30 years. Much of the gain came from tax cuts and minimally taxed financial instruments.

"If their income had increased only at the pace of American productivity (80%), they would be taking about a TRILLION DOLLARS LESS out of our economy.

"And a question was posed:

"In what way do the richest 1% deserve these extraordinary gains?

"This question was not posed in sarcasm.

"A factual answer is genuinely sought.

"It seems unlikely that 1% of the population worked three times harder than the rest of us, or contributed three times as much to American productivity.

"Money earned from tax cuts and minimally taxed financial instruments is not productive income."

Any takers, Cons?

The Question Conservatives Can't Answer | Common Dreams

Expl;ain first why it is any of your business how much others make.

 

[georgephillip]

The OP is flawed.

It's not "America's income"

Income belongs to those who earn it not to America.

I think the term "America's income" refers to the total US national income earned by all workers in a single year.

The richest 1% of Americans have tripled their share of total income over the last 40 years.

I don't believe they've earned that money in any meaningful way; I'm even more certain that level of inequality is not sustainable over the next four decades.

 

[georgephillip]

"The following fact was sent to numerous conservative pundits, politicians, and profit-seekers:

"Based on Tax Foundation figures, the richest 1% has TRIPLED its share of America's income over the past 30 years. Much of the gain came from tax cuts and minimally taxed financial instruments.

"If their income had increased only at the pace of American productivity (80%), they would be taking about a TRILLION DOLLARS LESS out of our economy.

"And a question was posed:

"In what way do the richest 1% deserve these extraordinary gains?

"This question was not posed in sarcasm.

"A factual answer is genuinely sought.

"It seems unlikely that 1% of the population worked three times harder than the rest of us, or contributed three times as much to American productivity.

"Money earned from tax cuts and minimally taxed financial instruments is not productive income."

Any takers, Cons?

The Question Conservatives Can't Answer | Common Dreams

Expl;ain first why it is any of your business how much others make.

For the same reason it's my business (and yours) how much money bank robbers and muggers "earn".

"Money earned from tax cuts and minimally taxed financial instruments is not productive income."

Do you agree?