Comments on: I’m Not Dissappointed – A Mini Rant

By: freedumb

freedumb — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:36:15 +0000

Beth, Steve, Thanks for your comments. Steve, I never read or heard anything like what you just mentioned. I’ll look into it more.

By: Steven Barths

Steven Barths — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:47:28 +0000

“Socialism is alive in America more than people realize. Welfare, Earned Income Credit, Food stamps…they are all forms of socialism.”

Also, the government is now taking ownership stakes in the nation’s largest financial institutions — this makes us probably the most socialized nation that doesn’t declare ourselves communist.

“Even our tax structure is designed to tax those who earn more, more.”

This is completely incorrect. The American tax system disproportionately taxes income (which those who earn less derive the majority of their net worth) over capital gains (where the rich derive their net worth from).

Warren Buffet (the wealthiest man in the world) noted that he manages to pays less tax than his secretary. It’s sorta sad how few people actually understand this (extremely important) point.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/t.....996735.ece

By: Beth aka "peete"

Beth aka "peete" — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:18:08 +0000

Very well said. Point #3 of your comment I believe is the most important. Many do not realize that our democratic system of government borrows from many other ideologies.

By: muckdog

muckdog — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:47:38 +0000

Economy is in downcycle. Hard for party in power to retain power in that scenario. I don’t think it was people choosing Obama over McCain as it was as much people not happy about the economy and picking “the other guys.”

I’ve seen this cycle from Nixon/Ford to Carter, from Carter to Reagan, from Bush to Clinton, and Clinton to Bush.

It’ll flip back again in the years ahead. Guaranteed.

But I agree that the country is evolving to be more “socialist.” That’s the natural evolution of societies. Even republicans today are to the left of yesterday’s democrats. Now the republicans like Arnold and McCain have embraced the government solving “global warming.” Crazy.

People trade in freedom for security, until the economy/country collapses, and the cycle begins anew. Businesses are going to countries with less of a burden and that have more rapid growth. We have a high tax burden, and it’s going higher. We have high debt with our entitlements and military spending.

Read Empire of Debt. Great book.