Socialism for beginners

YouTube&ab_channel=SecondThought

Should be named socialism for republicans. Most other people know these things already but it's still a decent and interesting video

@zahlanzi said
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpKsygbNLT4&ab_channel=SecondThought

Should be named socialism for republicans. Most other people know these things already but it's still a decent and interesting video

if you had a choice…which socialist country would you like to live in?

@mott-the-hoople said
if you had a choice…which socialist country would you like to live in?

I would say Cuba, where everyone is exactly the same. Nirvana! My mind would be going a mile a minute, like it does now!
I think Zahlanzi would likewise pick a country espousing everyone in one homogeneous ball. He would not like allowing someone to get ahead of someone else!

Capitalism is great. Unfettered capitalism is as nasty as feudalism. I believe the U.S. needs strong labor unions to represent workers. Money needs to be pulled out of elections. The IRS needs adequate funding so they can pull in the money wealthy people and corporations owe but are unwilling to pay. The government needs to prevent monopolies. Agencies like OSHA and the FDA need to protect workers in the work place and consumers. All of the above is not what was expressed in the video.

@phranny said
Capitalism is great. Unfettered capitalism is as nasty as feudalism. I believe the U.S. needs strong labor unions to represent workers. Money needs to be pulled out of elections. The IRS needs adequate funding so they can pull in the money wealthy people and corporations owe but are unwilling to pay. The government needs to prevent monopolies. Agencies like OSHA and the FDA n ...[text shortened]... t workers in the work place and consumers. All of the above is not what was expressed in the video.

quick question...have the democrats weaponized the IRS?

@mott-the-hoople said
quick question...have the democrats weaponized the IRS?

No, the IRS is no being weaponized. There are wealthy individuals and corporations who can afford high priced lawyers to avoid taxes they owe. That's who the IRS wants to pay what they legally owe in taxes. The vast majority of tax paying workers cannot afford to cheat on their taxes. They do not have enough money to access illegal shelters for their wealth.

@phranny said
Capitalism is great. Unfettered capitalism is as nasty as feudalism. I believe the U.S. needs strong labor unions to represent workers. Money needs to be pulled out of elections. The IRS needs adequate funding so they can pull in the money wealthy people and corporations owe but are unwilling to pay. The government needs to prevent monopolies. Agencies like OSHA and the FDA n ...[text shortened]... t workers in the work place and consumers. All of the above is not what was expressed in the video.

I totally agree, me the selfish capitalist. Any one who breaks law, including nonpayment of taxes, should go to jail. Now, avoidance of taxes is another issue. That is legal.
Very nice post. I can’t imagine the most liberal among us taking exception to your post.

@phranny said
No, the IRS is no being weaponized. There are wealthy individuals and corporations who can afford high priced lawyers to avoid taxes they owe. That's who the IRS wants to pay what they legally owe in taxes. The vast majority of tax paying workers cannot afford to cheat on their taxes. They do not have enough money to access illegal shelters for their wealth.

But if they are ‘avoiding ‘ taxes, using the many loopholes, legally, how can you say ‘avoiding taxes THAT THEY OWE”? they don’t owe taxes which they are legally avoiding.
So your statement is patently incorrect.

@phranny said
No, the IRS is no being weaponized. There are wealthy individuals and corporations who can afford high priced lawyers to avoid taxes they owe. That's who the IRS wants to pay what they legally owe in taxes. The vast majority of tax paying workers cannot afford to cheat on their taxes. They do not have enough money to access illegal shelters for their wealth.

is this article wrong?

“In a legal settlement that still awaits a federal judge's approval, the IRS "expresses its sincere apology" for mistreating a conservative organization called Linchpins of Liberty — along with 40 other conservative groups — in their applications for tax-exempt status.

And in a second case, NorCal Tea Party Patriots and 427 other groups suing the IRS also reached a "substantial financial settlement" with the government.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the two settlements Thursday. The Justice Department quoted him as saying of the IRS activity: "There is no excuse for this conduct. Hundreds of organizations were affected by these actions, and they deserve an apology from the IRS. We hope that today's settlement makes clear that this abuse of power will not be tolerated."


https://www.npr.org/2017/10/27/560308997/irs-apologizes-for-aggressive-scrutiny-of-conservative-groups

@averagejoe1 said
I totally agree, me the selfish capitalist. Any one who breaks law, including nonpayment of taxes, should go to jail. Now, avoidance of taxes is another issue. That is legal.
Very nice post. I can’t imagine the most liberal among us taking exception to your post.

I consider myself a liberal. You have a very strange notion of what liberals in the U.S. believe.

@averagejoe1 said
But if they are ‘avoiding ‘ taxes, using the many loopholes, legally, how can you say ‘avoiding taxes THAT THEY OWE”? they don’t owe taxes which they are legally avoiding.
So your statement is patently incorrect.

No, they are not using legal loopholes. Illegally hiding taxable income by very wealthy individuals and corporations is not easy nor quick to uncover. It requires skilled tax experts and the IRS cannot afford to hire an adequate number of such individuals. They can barely keep up with the tax returns for average middle and upper class individuals and corporations.

@mott-the-hoople said
is this article wrong?

“In a legal settlement that still awaits a federal judge's approval, the IRS "expresses its sincere apology" for mistreating a conservative organization called Linchpins of Liberty — along with 40 other conservative groups — in their applications for tax-exempt status.

And in a second case, NorCal Tea Party Patriots and 427 other groups su ...[text shortened]... tps://www.npr.org/2017/10/27/560308997/irs-apologizes-for-aggressive-scrutiny-of-conservative-groups

Reliable source. Appalling. Heads should and hopefully will roll.

@mott-the-hoople said
if you had a choice…which socialist country would you like to live in?

i am quite happy where i am but spain would be a nice alternative.
Canada. New Zealand would be awesome. Norway . Plenty of nice places i would live. The US is not one of them

Now you can either leave this exchange where it is or say something dumb like AJoe did and say those aren't socialist countries and i can only pick from North Koreea, Venezuela or Cuba. Which will you choose?

@zahlanzi said
i am quite happy where i am but spain would be a nice alternative.
Canada. New Zealand would be awesome. Norway . Plenty of nice places i would live. The US is not one of them

Now you can either leave this exchange where it is or say something dumb like AJoe did and say those aren't socialist countries and i can only pick from North Koreea, Venezuela or Cuba. Which will you choose?

oh…you want to lie unencumbered?

https://helpfulprofessor.com/is-spain-socialist-or-capitalist/

@phranny said
I consider myself a liberal. You have a very strange notion of what liberals in the U.S. believe.

Certainly you acknowledge the penchant to, at some point, use money or goods or taxes created by another persons?
You have to answer that , with all due respects to have a discussion .