Pet Peeves -- What's yours?

[Mick-7]

He is spun as some big hero for the "greatest generation" but I see FDR as the tipping point where American gov became too big and intrusive. Too many social programs enabling slackers. The national highway system, touted as being for defense, enabled globalists to sell out American manufacturing to LCD nations mostly in the orient. You can't brag about the public school system, it's a bucket of shit. National Parks=land grab. All government overreach. I would say though that allowing the private Fed reserve to control our currency was the worst of it all, and that can't be laid at FDR's feet....

Every policy will have a down side but public school education began to decline when the taxes of high income individuals and corporations were cut by the Reagan administration from 70% to 28%, which is obviously not a coincidence since it is tax money that funds the schools. The top 10% net worth individuals now control about 70% of the nations wealth, and most could care less about the public school system because they don't use it, they put their kids in private schools. The National Park system was established to conserve wilderness areas, so in effect to prevent land grabs by private individuals. The Federal Reserve could be reformed but would you rather have politicians controlling the money supply and interest rates?

[Stringswinger]

Every policy will have a down side but public school education began to decline when the taxes of high income individuals and corporations were cut by the Reagan administration from 70% to 28%, which is obviously not a coincidence since it is tax money that funds the schools. The top 10% net worth individuals now control about 70% of the nations wealth, and most could care less about the public school system because they don't use it, they put their kids in private schools. The National Park system was established to conserve wilderness areas, so in effect to prevent land grabs by private individuals. The Federal Reserve could be reformed but would you rather have politicians controlling the money supply and interest rates?

There is so much misinformation in your post.

1. Public schools are almost entirely funded funded by local property taxes, not Federal tax dollars.

2. The highest marginal tax rates from FDR to LBJ only affected a handful of tax payers. And if you factor in inflation, those high marginal rates were only applicable for incomes in the many millions. And they were marginal. Most of that wealthy taxpayer's income was NOT subject to those rates.

3. The National Parks were not created to preserve wilderness. That did not happen until the Wilderness act of 1964. The Parks were created for recreation. We now have some wilderness areas inside of National Parks, but most wilderness areas are outside of National Parks. No National Park in the USA is 100 percent wilderness to my knowledge.

4. Many people in the top 10 percent do send their children to public schools. They live in high end areas where the local property taxes support top notch schools. And many poor children attend private schools on scholarships.

Just keeping things real. You are welcome.

[James W]

Someday you will learn there is no such thing as a free lunch.

There is. It's called tax cuts for billionaires and quantitative easing for financiers.

[Mick-7]

There is so much misinformation in your post.

1. Public schools are almost entirely funded funded by local property taxes, not Federal tax dollars.

2. The highest marginal tax rates from FDR to LBJ only affected a handful of tax payers. And if you factor in inflation, those high marginal rates were only applicable for incomes in the many millions. And they were marginal. Most of that wealthy taxpayer's income was NOT subject to those rates.

3. The National Parks were not created to preserve wilderness. That did not happen until the Wilderness act of 1964. The Parks were created for recreation. We now have some wilderness areas inside of National Parks, but most wilderness areas are outside of National Parks. No National Park in the USA is 100 percent wilderness to my knowledge.

4. Many people in the top 10 percent do send their children to public schools. They live in high end areas where the local property taxes support top notch schools. And many poor children attend private schools on scholarships.

Just keeping things real. You are welcome.

I was generalizing, didn't intend to write an in-depth thesis on taxation in America, but your first two points are incorrect.

Tax inequality is not restricted to federal taxes. Nationwide, the share the lowest-income earners pay in state and local taxes is 54% higher than what the top earners pay. Local taxes now account for a little over 40% of public school funding nationwide.

See: Who Pays? 7th Edition – ITEP.

Here's a summary of the effect of tax inequality on public education:
How the Fairness of State Tax Codes Affects Public Education – ITEP

How corporate tax breaks can affect public school funding:
Students lose out as cities and states give billions in property tax breaks to businesses

Yes, I realize that not all national parks are in wilderness areas.

[RJVB]

Greed and the relentless pursuit of social status are not, by any means, traits associated with "alphas".

Not if you take alpha in the meaning of someone from the "soft/literary/humanitarian sciences, no. Although one could be surprised how much these alphas can behave like the alphas of the other kind.

But alpha dogs, and any other alpha animal, the real ones: if social status isn't also what they're all about I don't know what is. There can only be 1 alpha so greed is something that just comes along for the ride.

If you gotta call yourself an alpha dog, I assure you, you ain't.

Goes for a lot of other things too, real man or lady are drop-in replacements for alpha dog in that statement.

[Stringswinger]

I was generalizing, didn't intend to write an in-depth thesis on taxation in America, but your first two points are incorrect.

Tax inequality is not restricted to federal taxes. Nationwide, the share the lowest-income earners pay in state and local taxes is 54% higher than what the top earners pay. Local taxes now account for a little over 40% of public school funding nationwide.

See: Who Pays? 7th Edition – ITEP.

Here's a summary of the effect of tax inequality on public education:
How the Fairness of State Tax Codes Affects Public Education – ITEP

How corporate tax breaks can affect public school funding:
Students lose out as cities and states give billions in property tax breaks to businesses

Yes, I realize that not all national parks are in wilderness areas.

Federal spending makes up about 8 percent of public school funding. Your assertion that Reagan era Federal Tax cuts are the cause of a decline in public education is a stretch

How are public schools funded? | USAFacts

And I stand by my assertion that the top tax rates in the past were only paid by a handful of tax payers. They had exemptions in those days to prevent those rates from applying to all but a few taxpayers.

The Rich Never Actually Paid 70 Percent | The Daily Economy

[Mick-7]

Federal spending makes up about 8 percent of public school funding. Your assertion that Reagan era Federal Tax cuts are the cause of a decline in public education is a stretch

How are public schools funded? | USAFacts

And I stand by my assertion that the top tax rates in the past were only paid by a handful of tax payers. They had exemptions in those days to prevent those rates from applying to all but a few taxpayers.

The Rich Never Actually Paid 70 Percent | The Daily Economy

It's complicated and I'm no tax expert... but the effects of the Reagan and Trump tax bills on the federal budget and economy are clear, and the fact is they increased the federal debt and the income disparity between the wealthiest individuals and the vast majority of U.S. taxpayers. Of course factors other than taxes play a part but the "devil's dictionary" definition of the golden rule has been operative , i.e., "he who has the gold makes the rules."

What we learned from Reagan's tax cuts
Corporate Taxes Before and After the Trump Tax Law – ITEP

I think the moral of this story is that politicians with their strong financial/political biases should not be crafting these bills.

[DawgBone]

And I stand by my assertion that the top tax rates in the past were only paid by a handful of tax payers. They had exemptions in those days to prevent those rates from applying to all but a few taxpayers.

The Rich Never Actually Paid 70 Percent | The Daily Economy

What bothers me about the crying over this kind of stuff is it's all driven by a bunch of jealousy among the have nots. People wounded by the successes of another. It's like me bitching that I don't make your kinda lawyer cash. Well, I didn't go law school. Could've, but I wasn't interested in school. Still ain't. I didn't make good educational decisions and I didn't finish school. I earn accordingly. I'll be damned if I'm gonna blame someone else for that. I wanted to play more guitar so I did exactly that. What's to bitch about? I got zero complaints.

I wish people would look in the mirror and realize that the person staring back at you is the one who limited your earning potential more than anyone else. Blaming the government. Loser musician mentality in real time. Time to wake up and realize that "fair" is something you take your kids too, not anything that is promised to you.

[AllanAllen]

Someday you will learn there is no such thing as a free lunch.

That doesn’t mean we need to be locked in a race to dystopia. Just because things can’t be immediately perfect doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to make them better.

[AllanAllen]

What bothers me about the crying over this kind of stuff is it's all driven by a bunch of jealousy among the have nots. People wounded by the successes of another. It's like me bitching that I don't make your kinda lawyer cash. Well, I didn't go law school. Could've, but I wasn't interested in school. Still ain't. I didn't make good educational decisions and I didn't finish school. I earn accordingly. I'll be damned if I'm gonna blame someone else for that. I wanted to play more guitar so I did exactly that. What's to bitch about? I got zero complaints.

I wish people would look in the mirror and realize that the person staring back at you is the one who limited your earning potential more than anyone else. Blaming the government. Loser musician mentality in real time. Time to wake up and realize that "fair" is something you take your kids too, not anything that is promised to you.

You do realize both Trump and Elon were born into massive wealth right? They are not self made by any means. Elon Musk was already the wealthiest African from his family emerald mine before he moved here.

They were born on third base and act like they hit a home run.

[DawgBone]

You do realize both Trump and Elon were born into massive wealth right? They are not self made by any means. Elon Musk was already the wealthiest African from his family emerald mine before he moved here.

They were born on third base and act like they hit a home run.

Your criticisms over the financial standing of someone else are a bitter mask for your own envy and jealousy.

[Mick-7]

Your criticisms over the financial standing of someone else are a bitter mask for your own envy and jealousy.

No one in their right mind is jealous of Ebenezer Scrooge clones. What sort of society/world do you want to live in? That's the question.

How Wealth Inequality Spiraled Out of Control — Robert Reich

[Litterick]

The haves depend on the have nots, to work for them and buy their commodities. It is perfectly reasonable for the have nots to expect a fair reward for their work, which they can use to buy more commodities.

[James W]

I think the moral of this story is that politicians with their strong financial/political biases should not be crafting these bills.

I disagree with you here. There is no such thing as objective, unbiased economic policy. I mean, over here the UK government likes to pretend there is and has given more power to the 'independent' Office for Budget Responsibility. This use of language is basically all about making austerity seem not only rational but inevitable, rather than a political choice (and a bad one at that).

[DawgBone]

No one in their right mind is jealous of Ebenezer Scrooge clones. What sort of society/world do you want to live in? That's the question.

How Wealth Inequality Spiraled Out of Control — Robert Reich

Someone in a place lesser than yours could levy the same sort of criticisms towards you. You have free time and money for the web and internet arguments, and probably ate well today and have food in the fridge. You might not have billions but you got a pretty cush life. Our critiques and judgments of others are really just us projecting our own failings onto that person. I would like a society where we don't allow the media, social norms, race, or class cause to cause us to judge others but rather that we have a spirit of love. If you find yourself complaining about a person more than you are praying for that person then you're doing it wrong. Have a good day Mick.

[AllanAllen]

Your criticisms over the financial standing of someone else are a bitter mask for your own envy and jealousy.

No man, you don’t understand my argument. You haven’t all along and I’m not going to try and explain it anymore.

You’re not really engaging, just prolonging a one sided discussion with lazy Tucker Carlson/Fox News quips.

[Stringswinger]

No man, you don’t understand my argument. You haven’t all along and I’m not going to try and explain it anymore.

You’re not really engaging, just prolonging a one sided discussion with lazy Tucker Carlson/Fox News quips.

Sorry, you are the lazy one here. The canard that someone on the right gets all their information/arguments from Fox News is pretty much an admission that you have been beat in the argument. It is a form of argumentum ad hominem. A classic fallacy of reasoning.

I understand your argument and it is the usual narrative than demeans the accomplishments of others because of an accident of birth. Musk and Trump have both accomplished a lot, more than any five of us who post on this forum combined. It seems that sour grapes causes blindness of a sort.

[Stringswinger]

The haves depend on the have nots, to work for them and buy their commodities. It is perfectly reasonable for the have nots to expect a fair reward for their work, which they can use to buy more commodities.

I do not disagree with your premise, but I would add that the have nots depend on the haves to supply them with work. It is perfectly reasonable for the haves to enjoy the rewards that their risk taking (which creates the jobs that the have nots need to survive) may bring them.

[AllanAllen]

Sorry, you are the lazy one here. The canard that someone on the right gets all their information/arguments from Fox News is pretty much an admission that you have been beat in the argument. It is a form of argumentum ad hominem. A classic fallacy of reasoning.

I understand your argument and it is the usual narrative than demeans the accomplishments of others because of an accident of birth. Musk and Trump have both accomplished a lot, more than any five of us who post on this forum combined. It seems that sour grapes causes blindness of a sort.

I mean, look at the responses. I’m not wrong here. For a guy who says he has no tv and avoids politics, he parrots a lot of conservative propaganda.

[AllanAllen]

I do not disagree with your premise, but I would add that the have nots depend on the haves to supply them with work. It is perfectly reasonable for the haves to enjoy the rewards that their risk taking (which creates the jobs that the have nots need to survive) may bring them.

There’s a difference in enjoying success and threatening to shut down the government and primary people who don’t boot lick because you don’t like the budget bill.

[James W]

I do not disagree with your premise, but I would add that the have nots depend on the haves to supply them with work. It is perfectly reasonable for the haves to enjoy the rewards that their risk taking (which creates the jobs that the have nots need to survive) may bring them.

The haves depend on the have nots to provide them with work. Where is Jeff Bezos without all those people who work for him? No where. He's just one man (or dog lol). Do you think he could deliver all those packages himself? No. Where do you think he or any other oligarch gets their profit from? From the work of others.

These people are nothing without their workers.

[DawgBone]

I mean, look at the responses. I’m not wrong here. For a guy who says he has no tv and avoids politics, he parrots a lot of conservative propaganda.

If it hasn't already dawned on you yet, the bandstand is a place of merit and you are running a business now. Let that sink in the next time some shithead wrecks your gig and/or costs you money or a decent venue with their antics and they still think they deserve equal payment for lesser quality work. It really starts to burn one's ass when it dawns on you that that "fellow musician" just stole a plate of food from your kid. Now enjoy your personal slide rightward.

[DawgBone]

The haves depend on the have nots to provide them with work. Where is Jeff Bezos without all those people who work for him? No where. He's just one man (or dog lol). Do you think he could deliver all those packages himself? No. Where do you think he or any other oligarch gets their profit from? From the work of others.

These people are nothing without their workers.

The boss, Bezos, founded the company from home, and until he sold his portion, carried all the financial risk and burden. You carry only a package and expect the same money. What a joke. In a free society if you want better pay, find a different job or get training that allows you to make better money instead of bitching. It's all there for the taking. Bezos won't stop you from starting your own company in the states.

[AllanAllen]

If it hasn't already dawned on you yet, the bandstand is a place of merit and you are running a business now. Let that sink in the next time some shithead wrecks your gig and/or costs you money or a decent venue with their antics and they still think they deserve equal payment for lesser quality work. It really starts to burn one's ass when it dawns on you that that "fellow musician" just stole a plate of food from your kid. Now enjoy your personal slide rightward.

I don’t feel like we are talking about the same thing anymore.

[DawgBone]

I don’t feel like we are talking about the same thing anymore.

We are, you just haven't made the connection to what you are doing yet.