Can a nation remain a superpower if its internal politics are incorrigibly stupid? - Page 5

piece-itpete · #41 07-30-2010, 03:15 PM

Absolutely! But they still paid a greater share of the overall tax burden.

Pete

d-ray657 · #42 07-30-2010, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Absolutely! But they still paid a greater share of the overall tax burden.

Pete

Pete, I draw two inferences from your conclusion. Please correct me if I am wrong.

1) You have no problem with the wealth gap growing during the Bush years - that is a greater concentration of income reflected in the fact that the highest 10% of incomes made more than the other 90% combined (the researchers did not count those with 0 or lower adjusted gross income.)

2) You do have a problem with the higher earning taxpayers paying a higher portion of their income in taxes.

Regards,

D-Ray

BlueStreak · #43 07-30-2010, 05:01 PM

No it can't. (In reference to the OP.)

"United we stand, divided we fall."

I don't expect the two parties will ever become best buddies, but until this "All or nothing" mentality that seems to pervade our politics stops, we will go nowhere.

The only way to acheive that is to purge the extremist whackjobs from both sides of the aisle. And how do you do that when the left wing media helps cover up their whackjobs, and the rightwing media openly defends and supports the loonies on their side. Why in the hell do we even hear from some of these people anymore? Just for the sake of common decency, their parties should have booted them by now.

Whatever happend to "Give and Take" and the art of negotiation? These days our elected officials conducts themselves like schoolyard bullies.

Dave

d-ray657 · #44 07-30-2010, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

No it can't. (In reference to the OP.)

"United we stand, divided we fall."

I don't expect the two parties will ever become best buddies, but until this "All or nothing" mentality that seems to pervade our politics stops, we will go nowhere.

The only way to acheive that is to purge the extremist whackjobs from both sides of the aisle. And how do you do that when the left wing media helps cover up their whackjobs, and the rightwing media openly defends and supports the loonies on their side. Why in the hell do we even hear from some of these people anymore? Just for the sake of common decency, their parties should have booted them by now.

Whatever happend to "Give and Take" and the art of negotiation? These days our elected officials conducts themselves like schoolyard bullies.

Dave

Dave,

You have been watching too much Fox. The only truly left wing media I know about is Pacifica Network. It would be unfair to say that the commercial media tailors its message to satisfy sponsors, but it will really think twice before it will report something that will piss the sponsors off. I see little more than reasonable analysis from the mainstream newspapers I read. One might suggest that they don't do enough reporting about some activist positions.

Fox doesn't really have to worry about sponsors, because it has the only one it needs. It most certainly tailors that message to satisfy its sponsor.

Who would you identify as left wing wackos? Nader? Sharpton? Jessee Jackson? NAACP? Anti-war activists. Gay activists. Planned Parenthood?

Regards,

D-Ray

BlueStreak · #45 07-30-2010, 05:56 PM

Hmmmm. You have a point there Donald.

Let's see. Who tries to champion the cause of the unpopular and despised, and who keeps telling us to just accept that these people are despised, because that's how it's 'sposed to be? You know, "They bring it on themselves.", as it were.

"...why do you sit among thieves and whores?" "It is they for whom I came. What need does a well man have of a physician?"

Think I'll go grab a beer, spin up some Dave Brubeck and contemplate this..............

Dave

d-ray657 · #46 07-30-2010, 06:35 PM

Brubeck. That's a grand idea old chap.

Regards,

D-ray

Charles · #47 07-30-2010, 06:55 PM

Brubeck.

Always thought that Paul Desmond was the Tesla of the quartet.

Chas

d-ray657 · #48 07-30-2010, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charles

Brubeck.

Always thought that Paul Desmond was the Tesla of the quartet.

Chas

There you go expanding our vocabulary again. In saying that Desmond was the Tesla of the quartet, are you suggesting that he was the primary innovator and creative force?

Regards,

D-Ray

piece-itpete · #49 08-02-2010, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d-ray657

Pete, I draw two inferences from your conclusion. Please correct me if I am wrong.

1) You have no problem with the wealth gap growing during the Bush years - that is a greater concentration of income reflected in the fact that the highest 10% of incomes made more than the other 90% combined (the researchers did not count those with 0 or lower adjusted gross income.)

2) You do have a problem with the higher earning taxpayers paying a higher portion of their income in taxes.

Regards,

D-Ray

I'm not sure of what do do with 1). It's a hard one. 2), I have absolutely no problem with even, fair taxation, at all. I don't even mind a graduated tax system to a large degree. But I do see vilification of the wealthy and by proxy big business/ Wall street as a negative, it can't be good for us.

Pete

BlueStreak · #50 08-02-2010, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

I have absolutely no problem with even, fair taxation, at all. I don't even mind a graduated tax system to a large degree. But I do see vilification of the wealthy and by proxy big business/ Wall street as a negative, it can't be good for us.

Pete

I can agree that villification of the wealthy could be bad. But, I also see that we, those of us who earn our living as employees, have been thoroughly villified and blamed for many of our countries problems. And I can only surmise that this has come from those who pay our wages. Also not good, IMHO.

Dave