Are the rich paying their 'fair' share?

[giblets]

Median household income 20151: $103,899

National median household income is less than half that.

Privilege of being middle-class then if that is middle-class

Yes, $100,000 is upper middle class. Very achievable for families with bachelor degrees if they don't waste their lives trying to get accepted into the armed forces.

[Hauldren Collider]

We were pretty slow in taking the "all men are created equal" business seriously.

It should be noted that having a nobility/aristocracy is very different from having an upper class.

[Jon Miller]

A consumption tax + transfers might be the best way to implement a tax, but it doesn't change the fact that the benefits of wealth are not being taxed by a consumption tax (such as networking).

JM

[BlackCat]

Equality is the enemy of liberty

Oh, so you are a supporter of monarchy, even feudalism ?

[Hauldren Collider]

He didn't say that the solution was absolute inequality.

[Al B. Sure!]

He didn't say that the solution was absolute inequality.

Or absolute lack of liberty, for that matter...

[Jon Miller]

Al, you don't have to convince us that Philly is a terrible place to live. We didn't choose to live there. And the government is never going to tax the intangible benefits of being middle class instead of broke, even if you consider that unfair.

Yes, the wealth benefits of being middle class compared to poor are as important quality of life wise as the wealth benefits of being rich compared to middle class. (maybe more important, if there weren't so many poor people I wouldn't have a problem with rich people not wanting to be taxed)

The fact that Albies example was middle class versus poor instead of middle class versus wealthy doesn't mean that his example does not demonstrate how wealth is not taxed.

JM

[Al B. Sure!]

So we agree that there are non-monetary, non-taxable privileges of having money, right? Jon's talking about social advantages with regards to networking but I showed the low crime exposure provided by having enough wealth to afford a house in a wealthy area, even though the property taxes paid in absolute dollars are not sufficient to explain the disparity in crime rates.

[BlackCat]

If I get Al rigth, then US democracy is totally irellevant - what really counts is money.

That may probably suck a bit for Al, but I guess that he will be a good henchman for someone with enough money

[Al B. Sure!]

If I get Al rigth, then US democracy is totally irellevant - what really counts is money.

That may probably suck a bit for Al, but I guess that he will be a good henchman for someone with enough money

We are not a democracy. We are a constitutional republic. Unfortunately, the fact that we have an economically-illiterate and irrational electorate means our government will not make the best policies.

[BlackCat]

It should be noted that having a nobility/aristocracy is very different from having an upper class.

That is pretty high on the list of stupid comments here on Poly

[giblets]

A consumption tax + transfers might be the best way to implement a tax, but it doesn't change the fact that the benefits of wealth are not being taxed by a consumption tax (such as networking).

JM

I don't see how networking could possibly be taxed. Should people be required to present the IRS with a list of people they are friends with so the IRS can assess how valuable their contacts are?

[Hauldren Collider]

That is pretty high on the list of stupid comments here on Poly

Is it false?

Understand that nobility is actually a legal distinction. Being upper class is just being richer than other people.

[giblets]

We are not a democracy. We are a constitutional republic. Unfortunately, the fact that we have an economically-illiterate and irrational electorate means our government will not make the best policies.

de·moc·ra·cy
   [dih-mok-ruh-see]
noun, plural de·moc·ra·cies.
1. government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.
2. a state having such a form of government: The United States and Canada are democracies.
3. a state of society characterized by formal equality of rights and privileges.
4. political or social equality; democratic spirit.
5. the common people of a community as distinguished from any privileged class; the common people with respect to their political power.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/democracy

[Jon Miller]

I don't see how networking could possibly be taxed. Should people be required to present the IRS with a list of people they are friends with so the IRS can assess how valuable their contacts are?

I didn't say it could be directly taxed, did you read what I wrote?

It is one of the many reasons that a wealth tax is defensible.

As I also said, but this time you might read it, a consumption tax + transfers might be the best way to implement a tax system.

JM