Attack on the Feds independence

[BuzzH]

I would say the things I have seen and experienced, which you know almost nothing about, have much more to do with my thoughts than my current income.

I will say that how people view the things being discussed in this thread absolutely changes with income level for a vast majority. That is also from what I have seen and experienced.

 

[Forkyfinder]

I will say that how people view the things being discussed in this thread absolutely changes with income level for a vast majority. That is also from what I have seen and experienced.

Right.


So you're all for cutting SS benefits to people who clearly have no need?

 

[BuzzH]

Right.


So you're all for cutting SS benefits to people who clearly have no need?

I think all income should be taxed for SS with a max benefit cap.

If that were the case, why would we have to cut benefits for anybody?

 

[Forkyfinder]

If that were the case, why would we have to cut benefits for anybody?

Why not just make everyone's SS benefits payment the same? Could do it concurrently with or without removing the cap?

Seems like thatd be fair, right?

 

[mevertsen]

I can say that my viewpoints over the last few years have changed from being pretty hard right minded, to more middle, even more left on some social issues.

A lot of that was related to income compared to people I was dealing with on a regular basis.

The challenge is, such as inflation, is that if you are doing well, and fall back, it takes much longer to recover from that, as you are behind the 8 ball in your career, skill set compared to current knowledge, etc.

If that happens more than once or twice in your life? It puts the person way behind, possibly never to catch up

No way I could jump into what I was doing before.

Edit to add. Not meaning that to be a poor me rant. Just sharing my experiences in my life. My family is okay.

Just sharing the perspective which some here may or may not have seen or experienced before.

 

[BuzzH]

Why not just make everyone's SS benefits payment the same? Could do it concurrently with or without removing the cap?

Seems like thatd be fair, right?

I'm down, as long as all income is taxed for SS. I bet we would all have a pretty tidy monthly benefit.

 

[Bonasababy]

What some miss or refuse to accept is that someone can work hard and do everything right...and find it harder than ever to improve their lot in life.

Or as I have discussed before how easily a problem...a health issue, an accident, being laid off, having a child they can afford until losing or being priced out of child care....can send the hard working American into poverty.

Also not appreciated is what dealing with poverty costs us, versus providing a safety net.

 

[BuzzH]

What some miss or refuse to accept is that someone can work hard and do everything right...and find it harder than ever to improve their lot in life.

Or as I have discussed before how easily a problem...a health issue, an accident, being laid off, having a child they can afford until losing or being priced out of child care....can send the hard working American into poverty.

Also not appreciated is what dealing with poverty costs us, versus providing a safety net.

Agreed, there are a lot of people that think they are way above those below them.

The reality is, a vast majority that think like that are wayyyyy closer to the guy living in the street than the guy crapping in a golden toilet.

Fact.

 

[SaskHunter]

you act like there is anything we can do.

there really isn't, at this point.

we're all kind stuck on the same runaway train.

Your entire country's "personality" is based on freedom, 2A and an aversion to tyranny... A segment of your society fanticizes about rising against tyrannical gov't overreach.

Americans have been talking a big game for DECADES and when it actually happens, crickets. Americans continuously bring freedom up and right now the rest of the world is pretty disappointed.

I'm not preaching for violence, but I'm very surprised there isn't a large, bipartisan, civil disobedience or protest movement happening.

 

[BuzzH]

What some miss or refuse to accept is that someone can work hard and do everything right...and find it harder than ever to improve their lot in life.

Or as I have discussed before how easily a problem...a health issue, an accident, being laid off, having a child they can afford until losing or being priced out of child care....can send the hard working American into poverty.

Also not appreciated is what dealing with poverty costs us, versus providing a safety net.

Agreed, there are a lot of people that think they are way above those below them.

The reality is, a vast majority that think like that are wayyyyy closer to the guy living in the street than the guy crapping in a golden toilet.

Fact.

 

[Forkyfinder]

I'm down, as long as all income is taxed for SS. I bet we would all have a pretty tidy monthly benefit.

Wait.

Something tells me the taxes (and benefits) you pay in under this system are going to be a lot different than those after.

Would you cut a check for the difference you'd need to pay?

 

[WyoCoalMiner]

What some miss or refuse to accept is that someone can work hard and do everything right...and find it harder than ever to improve their lot in life.

Or as I have discussed before how easily a problem...a health issue, an accident, being laid off...having a child...can send the hard working American into poverty.

Also not appreciated is what dealing with poverty costs us, versus providing a safety net.

Who is missing that? Who has called for the complete removal of the existing safety net?

Getting hit with a shit sandwich and finding it hard to improve your lot in life has always been a thing. Life improvement was never, and is not today, a guaranteed yes or no proposition.

Is it harder to improve today than 40 years ago? Yes. The why is the discussion. As long as I and others push back against the notion that increased wealth distribution is the clear and unequivocal answer to the problem you will continue to say we refuse to acknowledge the problem.

 

[BuzzH]

Wait.

Something tells me the taxes (and benefits) you pay in under this system are going to be a lot different than those after.

Would you cut a check for the difference you'd need to pay?

Sure, but who cares? If everyone else is paying taxes on all their income with no loopholes, why would I care?

You think it would bother me to pay SS on my dividends, rental income, etc.? Not if everyone else was doing the same. The problem is, the wealthy, once again, have rigged the system so they don't have to pay and they would fight tooth and nail to keep things as they are.

 

[Hem]

Keep her rolling boys, almost to #500.
Some of you have earned a coffee break, which most Americans expect.

 

[WyoCoalMiner]

Some of you have earned a coffee break, which most Americans expect.

Paid or unpaid?

 

[mevertsen]

Who is missing that? Who has called for the complete removal of the existing safety net?

Getting hit with a shit sandwich and finding it hard to improve your lot in life has always been a thing. Life improvement was never, and is not today, a guaranteed yes or no proposition.

Is it harder to improve today than 40 years ago? Yes. The why is the discussion. As long as I and others push back against the notion that increased wealth distribution is the clear and unequivocal answer to the problem you will continue to say we refuse to acknowledge the problem.

Maybe the "WHY" question really hasnt been elaborated a whole bunch in this discussion.

I'll take a stab at it.

Debt, and the easy access to it.

Our nation's debt proves that.

Buy it now and pay it later, for everything.

Many will claim they carry no balance month to month.

The debt facts say otherwise.

If you make debt rewarding and saving cynical, people find it easier to buy things with debt, rather than save for the purchase, resulting in the inflation of goods but not wages.

 

[mevertsen]

Sure, but who cares? If everyone else is paying taxes on all their income with no loopholes, why would I care?

You think it would bother me to pay SS on my dividends, rental income, etc.? Not if everyone else was doing the same. The problem is, the wealthy, once again, have rigged the system so they don't have to pay and they would fight tooth and nail to keep things as they are.

Get rid of all loopholes. Pay your taxes (flat or graduated, whatever).

No carve outs, no credits, no deductions. For anyone, or any business.

If you make a dollar, pay a tax on it.

 

[Hem]

Paid or unpaid?

Let's call it an " appreciation" break.
Some of us would appreciate it...

 

[BuzzH]

Your entire country's "personality" is based on freedom, 2A and an aversion to tyranny... A segment of your society fanticizes about rising against tyrannical gov't overreach.

Americans have been talking a big game for DECADES and when it actually happens, crickets. Americans continuously bring freedom up and right now the rest of the world is pretty disappointed.

I'm not preaching for violence, but I'm very surprised there isn't a large, bipartisan, civil disobedience or protest movement happening.

We reached peak freedom a while ago in this Country, we're now regressing, and fast.

It was great seeing it happen, sucks that it's disappearing.

 

[Forkyfinder]

Get rid of all loopholes. Pay your taxes (flat or graduated, whatever).

No carve outs, no credits, no deductions. For anyone, or any business.

If you make a dollar, pay a tax on it.

I'm in.

Let's call it a flat tax.