Christmas message from america's rich

menotyou

bella amicizia
I have issues with all the leeches on the system; not just the rich leeches, either. I delivered to a food bank. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I hated going there. I knew every 'customer' by face. I think the only movement they mase was to Aldi's and Walmart on the 3rd, and to W. Main St. every other Tuesday and Thursday. To hear them talk about how to cheat the system while they waited in line for the free food. I have always believed in helping those on need. I refuse to be used, though.

​I hate being used.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
It's not only the rich who think OWS is ridiculous.......lots of hard working people who don't have the time to camp in the city and they have jobs and responsibilities, families and moral character also shake their heads collectively at the human display.
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives

The quotes, which Matt finds so offensive, from the greedy bastards in this article are exactly what I have been saying about the Occutards. It is mostly a big party for most of them.

I found it interesting that the picture of Matt Taibbi, who wrote this piece, is of him at Skylight Studios which is the kind of place these greedy bastards would throw a party ... a bit of hypocrisy there.
This Matt guy probably spends as much on a night on the town as you and I take home in a week ... that sound fair?

While I agree with many of the complaints of the OWS movement, these people would pretty much be at the lower end of society, no matter what economic system was put in place.
And the Greedy Bastards would be at the top, no matter what economic system was put in place.

Merry Christmas
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives
There will always be people on the top and bottom, but we need to get back to where most of us are solidly in the middle.

I certainly will not argue with that.

And I don't know the answer to the following:

Isn't a greater number and percentage-wise of US citizens living at a higher standard of living now than they have at anytime in the past?
 

satellitedriver

Moderator
Isn't a greater number and percentage-wise of US citizens living at a higher standard of living now than they have at anytime in the past?
The answer is yes.

25yrs ago, I was living in a 52ft mobile home and had no job, but I had a will to succeed.
Now, I am debt free and have a net worth that is ten fold of my UPS salary/package.
This makes me one of the bad guys.

Most UPS drivers and middle management UPS personnel
think of themselves as middle class workers, and they are incorrect.

Drivers wages are in the top 10% of all income groups in the USA, and that 10% pays 90% of all taxes collected.
The top 1% pay 80% of the 90% of the taxes collected.

Tax the rich and feed the poor

til there is no rich anymore.

OWS supporters, this song is for you.
Ten years after - I'd love to change to world - YouTube
 

hypocrisy

Banned
Would you argue that the Roaring 20's and 30's were a prosperous time in America?
1919-20 top tax rate 73% (over $1mil)
1936-1939 top tax rate 79% (over $5mil)

How about the golden 50's?
Top tax rate ranged from 91-92% over $400,000 from 1950-1963.

The mid to late 60's were pretty good too, and top tax rates were 74% on average (over $200k).

In the decade I grew up, the 70's tax rates were again 70% on average (over $200k) and I had a better standard of living then than now, though less gadgets and better hair.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
What's funny is everyone's solidarity for the middle class....when in actuality, if you work full time at UPS, you are probably above the "middle class" level..
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives
Would you argue that the Roaring 20's and 30's were a prosperous time in America?
1919-20 top tax rate 73% (over $1mil)
1936-1939 top tax rate 79% (over $5mil)

How about the golden 50's?
Top tax rate ranged from 91-92% over $400,000 from 1950-1963.

The mid to late 60's were pretty good too, and top tax rates were 74% on average (over $200k).

In the decade I grew up, the 70's tax rates were again 70% on average (over $200k) and I had a better standard of living then than now, though less gadgets and better hair.

I'm willing to engage in a conversation on this. My dad was born in 1900 and he had to quit school in the 8th grade to help support the family. From what he has told me and from what I have read, most people in teh US were really poor. Much more poorer than the people at the bottom of the economic scale in the US today. I'm not sure what the purpose of posting the tax rates so I will wait on a response before replying on those.
 
What's funny is everyone's solidarity for the middle class....when in actuality, if you work full time at UPS, you are probably above the "middle class" level..

I still have the idea that it`s good to strive to make ones self as successful as possible and take care of themself rather than sticking their hand out.
 

hypocrisy

Banned
I'm willing to engage in a conversation on this. My dad was born in 1900 and he had to quit school in the 8th grade to help support the family. From what he has told me and from what I have read, most people in teh US were really poor. Much more poorer than the people at the bottom of the economic scale in the US today. I'm not sure what the purpose of posting the tax rates so I will wait on a response before replying on those.

Forgot about this post, having so much fun with Ass.
Yes most people were poor in 1900, and the middle class was practically non-existent.

It's generally accepted that Unions were one of the greatest contributors to the rise of a strong middle class in America.

In 1913, the 16th amendment was ratified which made the federal income tax a permanent fixture in America. The chart I was looking at started in 1913, and it was in response to Satellite's about taxes our group pays (drivers) and top 1%'ers. I inferred, as what seems to be the conventional wisdom today, that he is espousing that income taxes are inherently evil, are holding back prosperity, and we pay too much. I personally used to have this belief and while I'm not excited about paying income taxes (who is except that 'tard who retired from Google), I have now seriously questioned that belief:
Like Ronnie's idea of "trickle down" never worked, neither has slashing the income tax rates. Look here:
National Taxpayers Union - History of Federal Individual Income Bottom and Top Bracket Rates
to see a history over time and note how little we pay today. What it's not showing you is the erosion of solid middle to upper middle class families who paid the bulk over the years. Now it's too few on top and too many on the bottom paying little to nothing.
I'd like to see the uberwealthy get hosed. Oh not "put them in a poorhouse" hosed, they can still have an opulent lifestyle, but I want to see them give till it almost coulda kinda sorta smarted just a tiny bit. Not give for show in their pet charities or philanthropist organizations where they call all the shots.
I'd like to see a break for people who employ a lot of people and pay them well that are in the upper class. The more they spread it around, the better chance they will have to get into the uberwealthy over time.
Hopefully this leads to bringing more people solidly in the middle class, where most people are satisfied. Sure, we all say we want to be uberwealthy, but most people are just fine with the dream.
I'm not for earned income tax credits or other crap for poor people. I think everyone needs to be putting something into the pot even if it's pennies. If you aren't homeless and jobless (which shouldn't be happening in America) then something needs to be contributed.
I'm against sales taxes in general as it's too regressive and volatile. Punitive sales taxes, like the ones on alcohol and tobacco, just lead to funding new entitled organizations that while they should die as the product they are fighting against loses sales, they often don't and cry for funding anew from the rest of us. States such as Oregon seem to do just fine without sales taxes and I wish more would follow that example.

So basically what I'm saying is that there were a lot of years where people were more prosperous overall (even though we didn't have ipads and cell phones etc) and it's in large part because the middle class was strong, paid taxes and also wealthy people paid much more significant taxes than they do today.
 
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