Tax the rich!!!

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by OzzyKP
Real poverty is not being able to afford electricity, to live in a truly dilapidated shack, and to go hungry on many nights. That is what being poor is and should mean.

Your standards are pretty low. Anyway, that's how poverty is defined in the dictionary and used properly.

[KrazyHorse]

Do Libertarians always seek to redefine terms to their liking?

I've run into quite a few cases of that over the years...

[Ming]

Originally posted by Kidicious
I don't want families to lose family things either. I'm not for the death tax per se, but I am for equality.

Then I repeat, this isn't a socialist country. That's not how we do it. Fair... maybe not... but our system is based on you being able to earn a better life for youself by working hard and smart... not "everybody gets the same" no matter how hard you work or how lazy you are.

Again... I see no problem with making sure people are fed, have a place to live, and can get a basic education... and get help so that they can help themselves... but, I don't believe they should be handed the same thing I have worked hard to get, and get it for free... now that's what is not FAIR!

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Ming
That's not how we do it. Fair... maybe not... but our system is based on you being able to earn a better life for youself by working hard and smart... not "everybody gets the same" no matter how hard you work or how lazy you are.

I think more people want fair than you think. Mostly they are satisfied because they are personally able to earn a decent living. They know there are others who can't, but they aren't sure what they can do about it. They also know the system is unfair, but they don't know what to do about that either. That's how you get people disagreeing about things and thinking that the only solution to problems is making other people make sacrifices.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
The State should simply take its share of the inheritance based on its fair market value.

How do you get to the fair market value? At what time do you consider the transfer of assets to occur? How do you deal with assets with value volatility or that are difficult to value?

A system that goes by a definable value is much more transparent and easier to manage.

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Do Libertarians always seek to redefine terms to their liking?

I've run into quite a few cases of that over the years...

More like redefining terms back to reality. It is bizarre how someone with a big screen TV, two cars, lots of DVDs, video games, etc, etc, etc is considered poor. It just really throws the whole discussion out of whack when a person who makes $40,000 is considered poor.

Do we all need a weekend condo in the alps to be considered middle class then? How on earth can one have a discussion like this when this is someone's material compass?

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse

So I'm never taxed on the car, even though I saw a net gain from it (without inheriting the car I would have spent 15000$, so I'm up 15000$ on the deal and I've not been charged any tax)

The sale tax on the car is paid by the previous owner. You would get $15,000 cash or you would get a car worth $15,000 inclusive of sales tax (which they would have spent the $15,000 on).

The scenario can also work the other way, if you want to sell the car you inherited to get the cash equivalent back you have to pay the gains tax.

[OzzyKP]

According to dictionary.com poor is "Having little or no wealth and few or no possessions. "

I don't think someone who makes $40,000 or even $10,000 a year counts as poor by the dictionary definition, but y'all seem determined to make that the case.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
But the wealthiest do so much for this country! Their contributions to society are beyond measure! Of course they deserve to pay the least in taxes.

The least?

Hell, they pay more as a percentage and as a whole!

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by OzzyKP
According to dictionary.com poor is "Having little or no wealth and few or no possessions. "

I don't think someone who makes $40,000 or even $10,000 a year counts as poor by the dictionary definition, but y'all seem determined to make that the case.

The definition describes me to a T. I don't think it's a good definition though, because it doesn't mention income. If you waste all your income but you still have adequate (or more in this case) consumption, you aren't poor. Poverty is different then poor.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Kidicious




How rich are you? You are incredibly out of touch with mainstream America.

Compared to the third world, dumbass.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker


Compared to the third world, dumbass.

Yes, he's out of touch with mainstream America, even compared to the third world. So are you.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Dauphin


The sale tax on the car is paid by the previous owner. You would get $15,000 cash or you would get a car worth $15,000 inclusive of sales tax (which they would have spent the $15,000 on).

The scenario can also work the other way, if you want to sell the car you inherited to get the cash equivalent back you have to pay the gains tax.

What? I'm no longer talking about sales tax; I'm talking about THE INCOME TAX I PAYED ON THE 15000 PRIOR TO PURCHASING THE CAR

[monkspider]

From a pragmatic perspective, I think that taxing the rich, and then using the money to create various programs to promote further economic development is probably the most effective way to run things in a capitalist society such as ours.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Tax gifts at the same rate.

Then you could "employ" the person with a very high salary for very little work.