Are the rich paying their 'fair' share?

[Al B. Sure!]

No, you are an idiot for thinking anything that doesn't resemble ancient Athens isn't a "democracy".

We are a Constitutional Republic!!!!

Holy crap stop arguing for the sake of arguing. Your defense of wealth earlier is proof you do it because I know you're a freaking liberal.

[giblets]

You're an idiot. Truly.

The technical description for the form of government we have is a Constitutional Republic.

No, you are an idiot for thinking anything that doesn't resemble ancient Athens isn't a "democracy". I never claimed the US isn't a "constitutional republic". (Don't capitalize it unless you want to look stupid.)

[Jon Miller]

Nobility = upper class + titles. In the case where titles are meaningless, nobility = upper class.

JM

[Al B. Sure!]

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

You're an idiot. Truly.

The technical description for the form of government we have is a Constitutional Republic and you know this full well. It's middle school civics.

[giblets]

HC, I'm seriously considering PM'ing Kuci and ask him to give you a good beating, though, when he reads this he will do it automatically

Yes, he deserves a beating for making a true statement that you can't refute.

[Al B. Sure!]

Is it false?

To be fair, historians centuries from now would probably describe the American Republic as a plutocracy.

[Hauldren Collider]

I seriously doubt that, since I am actually correct about the definitions of those words.

[BlackCat]

Is it false?

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

HC, I'm seriously considering PM'ing Kuci and ask him to give you a good beating, though, when he reads this he will do it automatically

[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

[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

[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]

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?

[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

[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]

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