@vivify saidVery very good, thanks. Maher has become one of my favorite middle of the road guys over the years, he DID back off from liberal party. I do wish he would have gone a bit farther after implying that 'there cannot be a democracy and liberty at the same time'.
Republicans have finally given up the pretense that they are pro-democracy and are actively speaking out against it.
I don't mean the GOP is secretly undermining democracy; they are *openly* trashing the idea of democracy itself. Bill Maher elaborates:
[youtube]GDkjjGZ92NQ[/youtube]
I TOTALLY take the liberty stance, as the most important virtue of the USA, but open to ideas. I had never heard the Churchill, 'Democracy is not that great except for all the others'. Love that.
@AverageJoe1 without a democracy, liberty goes to those rich enough and powerful enough to control and to steal all the resources and rights. With citizens like you, democracy in America is done. Before long we will look like Russia and Hungry.
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@phranny saidRight on.....
@AverageJoe1 without a democracy, liberty goes to those rich enough and powerful enough to control and to steal all the resources and rights. With citizens like you, democracy in America is done. Before long we will look like Russia and Hungry.
''Money can't buy you love, but it can
buy you a good defense attorney.''
@jimm619 saidThe Sixth Amendment guarantees the rights of criminal defendants, including the right to a public trial without unnecessary delay, the right to a lawyer, the right to an impartial jury, and the right to know who your accusers are and the nature of the charges and evidence against you. Many Republicans have stated they want to remove the right to a lawyer. With privately owned prisons and the world's highest incarceration rate, this move would help keep people of color out of sight and make those who own the prisons richer. It's a win win for the bigots.
Right on.....
''Money can't buy you love, but it can
buy you a good defense attorney.''
Sorry to say, many who participate in this forum do not care to read more than a sound bite bit of words. The following piece by Heather Cox Richardson clearly describes the current GOP goal. Keep in mind they are holding their annual party gathering in Hungry, a country that is an authoritarian pro Putin dictatorship.
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/april-23-2022?r=fufly&s=r&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
@phranny saidStrong words Phranny. Where did you hear that? No lawyer?
The Sixth Amendment guarantees the rights of criminal defendants, including the right to a public trial without unnecessary delay, the right to a lawyer, the right to an impartial jury, and the right to know who your accusers are and the nature of the charges and evidence against you. Many Republicans have stated they want to remove the right to a lawyer. With privately owned ...[text shortened]... ople of color out of sight and make those who own the prisons richer. It's a win win for the bigots.
Most of such positions held by me, upsetting to most, are borne out of my amazement that you all want to punish success. Literally restrict or control, or take from, successful people. Kamala said 'everybody end up at the same place'. I cannot imagine such an idea.
So,temper your thoughts of my positions with my wish for liberty to do what we want to do, as long as we follow the golden rule, and operate within the law. This is what I mean when I say leave people the hell alone. I also say Some People Work Harder than Others.*** Liberals don't get that. Why don't liberals let the successful enjoy the fruits of their labor. Your disdain for billionaires gives me pause. They have brought great prosperity to this country. Do you know that Rockefeller was worth SIX Billion in today's dollars? Seems like the USA did just fine with that rich SOB around.
*** Remember my analogies of 1000 people living on an island? One guy is quite enterprising, others fly kites, sleep on the beach. Y'all never could tell me why you thought his success wasn't fair to the other people, who had fewer coconuts. You never told what 'should be done' about that rich SOB.
@AverageJoe1When did the rich pay the most taxes?
In the 1950s and 1960s, when the economy was booming, the wealthiest Americans paid a top income tax rate of 91%. Today, the top rate is 43.4%. However, none of them pay 43.4%
Why do billionaires not pay taxes?
Billionaires have avoided taxation by paying themselves very low salaries while amassing fortunes in stocks and other assets. They then borrow off those assets to finance their lifestyles, rather than selling the assets and paying capital gains taxes.
Liberals are not opposed to people getting rich, very rich. We are opposed to people not paying taxes. The IRS needs an infusion of money so they can hire enough people to collect taxes from the very wealthy who can afford lawyers who can illegally hide their assets. That alone would bring in needed tax dollars. However, both parties are reluctant to do this as politicians in both parties depend on the same rich corporations and individuals to fund their campaigns.
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@phranny saidThis is right on stuff.....10 Thumbs up
@AverageJoe1When did the rich pay the most taxes?
In the 1950s and 1960s, when the economy was booming, the wealthiest Americans paid a top income tax rate of 91%. Today, the top rate is 43.4%. However, none of them pay 43.4%
Why do billionaires not pay taxes?
Billionaires have avoided taxation by paying themselves very low salaries while amassing fortunes in stocks and ot ...[text shortened]... icians in both parties depend on the same rich corporations and individuals to fund their campaigns.
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@phranny said"In the 1950s and 1960s, when the economy was booming, the wealthiest Americans paid a top income tax rate of 91%."
@AverageJoe1When did the rich pay the most taxes?
In the 1950s and 1960s, when the economy was booming, the wealthiest Americans paid a top income tax rate of 91%. Today, the top rate is 43.4%. However, none of them pay 43.4%
Why do billionaires not pay taxes?
Billionaires have avoided taxation by paying themselves very low salaries while amassing fortunes in stocks and ot ...[text shortened]... icians in both parties depend on the same rich corporations and individuals to fund their campaigns.
only a fool would believe that.
@mott-the-hoople saidCheck out this PDF from Stanford University. Just the facts.https://web.stanford.edu/class/polisci120a/immigration/Federal%20Tax%20Brackets.pdf
"In the 1950s and 1960s, when the economy was booming, the wealthiest Americans paid a top income tax rate of 91%."
only a fool would believe that.
As always, the rich did not pay what was mandated due to loopholes. The US has been a plutocracy for a long time.
@Phranny says -
With privately owned prisons and the world's highest incarceration rate, this move would help keep people of color out of sight and make those who own the prisons richer. It's a win win for the bigots.
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Six posts, that's all it took before a blowhard racist came in to preach to us about the evils of racism.
way to go, @Phranny,, you social just warrior, you. (I think your posts suck)
@Phranny says -
As always, the rich did not pay what was mandated due to loopholes. The US has been a plutocracy for a long time.
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Now, I will clue you in Phranny. There is not country in the world without a privileged class that is
at least part of the governing body. Not one, not even communist countries.
When Communist Fidel Castro of Cuba died, he was worth $1Billion!!! How can that possibly be?
His brother Raul is now worth about $780 million. This too, is not supposed to ever be
part of a communist country. And finally, Kim of NKorea is worth about $500 million. What can be said?
If any socialist or communist thinks they have the solution to make a classless society, you've been lied to.