patrick.net

How dare anyone question The Great God Ronald Reagan's economic policies.
The latest figures: The 5 richest people in the world have more than half the worlds pop.?
Now that some bad ass hoarding.

Pretty much correct.

HEY YOU says

The latest figures: The 5 richest people in the world have more than half the worlds pop.?

Now that some bad ass hoarding.

Hello? Most of it is being given away.

What a shit article. The real premise of this article is "A Complete misunderstanding of Capitalism, income mobility, and its advantages".

MSN has gone down the gutter with this socialist agenda.

They then pass those advantages onto their children, with parents placing a “glass floor” under their kids. They ensure they grow up in nice zip codes, provide social connections that make a difference when entering the labor force, help with internships, aid with tuition and home-buying, and schmooze with college admissions officers. All the while, they support policies and practices that protect their economic position and prevent poorer kids from climbing the income ladder: legacy admissions, the preferential tax treatment of investment income, 529 college savings plans, exclusionary zoning, occupational licensing, and restrictions on the immigration of white-collar professionals.

So buying a home in a good zip code, getting a 529 plan for your kids, helping your kids with tuition or buying a home, and using social connections to help your kids get employment opportunities is "keeping poor kids down"?

It's called hard work, and utilizing your assets.

What do you expect these people to do? Raise them in West Oakland, make them take massive loans so they can go to college, and give them absolutely no advice or help at all on how to succeed in the real world? Why would my kids need to do that when I already went through that hardship?

Because of my hard work, my kids now get to take part in the fruits of my work. It's a beautiful thing, seeing my kids actually getting their own rooms in a large house, never having to feel hunger, getting good private school educations, with fat 529 plans ready for them when they choose and are ready for college. I don't feel guilty for it and anyone who thinks I should be probably doesn't have those things in the first place.

Most socialist are huge hypocrites anyway. They lionize a man who owns 3 houses, pays a 13% tax rate and made over $1 million last year all the while criticizing the 1% of which he is firmly a part of.

Do as I say, not as I do.

Fuck socialism.

Goran_K says

So buying a home in a good zip code, getting a 529 plan for your kids, helping your kids with tuition or buying a home, and using social connections to help your kids get employment opportunities is "keeping poor kids down"?

It's called hard work, and utilizing your assets.

What do you expect these people to do? Raise them in West Oakland, make them take massive loans so they can go to college, and give them absolutely no advice or help at all on how to succeed in the real world? Why would my kids need to do that when I already went through that hardship?

Because of my hard work, my kids now get to take part in the fruits of my work. It's a beautiful thing, seeing my kids actually getting their own rooms in a large house, never having to feel hunger, getting good private school educations, with fat 529 plans ready for them when they choose and are ready for college. I don't feel guilty for it and anyone who thinks I should be probably doesn't have those thing...

The loser socialists on this board will not hesitate to lie, deceive, misinform, and defend socialism, even though it has repeatedly been proven a colossal failure.
They hate capitalism and love socialism, yet refuse to go live in a wonderful socialist paradise like Venezuela, Cuba, and Russia.
But that's OK, because these fools make this website fun.

All socialist arguments always boil down to "you have a big house, money, and other forms of wealth. You are definitely engaging in some nefarious activity and keeping poor people down."

Translation: "I feel bad about myself because I haven't put in the hard work and personal sacrifice to also attain wealth, so I feel compelled to make you feel bad for your wealth because I'm petty and jealous."

Total utter shit.

Trickle down works great. It's just that we were dumb enough to let it all trickle down to Mexico, China, India, etc.

Goran_K says

Total utter shit.

Goran,

No, the message is to tax the rich already. There is no reason for us to keep giving tax break. If I am paying 40% for the tax, so should the rich people like Romney. It really don't make sense that he and other rich people get away paying less than 15%. Giving the tax break to the rich does not help the economy. I mean trickle down economy has been proven wrong time and time The rich will just hoard the money and perhaps use it to extract more money from the middle class. When you have a skilled labor who can make products or provide services that are in high demand, it will improve the economy.. Only way to get there is through education. I mean investing in the future of our children.. It is very hard to enumerate the success of our education into a monetary return. But the government can as a form of tax. The rich people know this, That's why they invest in their kids.

I also hear the same rhetoric that 53% of the tax revenue is spent on the welfare to people who made bad choices and are basically lazy. That number is inflated. It is less than 11%. Just because you want to screw people who get welfare legitimately or illegitimately, you want to screw our children out of equal opportunity for education? Like I said, it won't help our economy or our country.

Goran_K says

All socialist arguments always boil down to "you have a big house, money, and other forms of wealth. You are definitely engaging in some nefarious activity and keeping poor people down."

Translation: "I feel bad about myself because I haven't put in the hard work and personal sacrifice to also attain wealth, so I feel compelled to make you feel bad for your wealth because I'm petty and jealous."

Total utter shit.

Yup, absolutely. I'm a greedy capitalist pig, because I chose to sacrifice my early days so that I could have a better future for my kids and my retirement. I had the same opportunities as anyone else, but I chose to go for maximum education, live frugally, never took a vacation for 17 years, saved for my children education, and carefully invested for the future. Now i'm in my late 50's, my youngest just graduated from college with no debt, just like his older sister. I have rental income to retire if I want to, means to travel, and assist my children to buy their first home in OC.
But, I am an evil person, a capitalist, who took advantage of others like the billionaires do. Well fuck you if you do nothing right, and blame people like me for your misery. I have no intention of supporting losers and freeloaders with my hard earned savings, and the sacrifices I have made in the last 30 years.
Fuck you.

Strategist says

HEY YOU says

The latest figures: The 5 richest people in the world have more than half the worlds pop.?


Now that some bad ass hoarding.

Hello? Most of it is being given away.

Instead of paying decent wages and benefits in the first place? I applaud the few true philanthropists, but most of the charity of the ultra rich is self dealing. Like the 501c non profits that are simply a conduit for dumping huge amounts of money into influencing the political process and gaining favourable legislation. .

bob2356 says

Instead of paying decent wages and benefits in the first place

Americans and the West get the most decent wages and standard of living than anywhere else.

bob2356 says

I applaud the few true philanthropists, but most of the charity of the ultra rich is self dealing. Like the 501c non profits that are simply a conduit for dumping huge amounts of money into influencing the political process and gaining favourable legislation. .

How can giving away everything be self serving?

Strategist says

The loser socialists on this board will not hesitate to lie, deceive, misinform, and defend socialism, even though it has repeatedly been proven a colossal failure.

They hate capitalism and love socialism, yet refuse to go live in a wonderful socialist paradise like Venezuela, Cuba, and Russia.

But that's OK, because these fools make this website fun.

What a load of crap even for you. So anyone who objects to people making millions a year and paying 15% taxes while people make 100k a year paying 30% taxes is a socialist by your definition?

You use plenty of government services every single day. Are you a socialist?

Strategist says

bob2356 says

I applaud the few true philanthropists, but most of the charity of the ultra rich is self dealing. Like the 501c non profits that are simply a conduit for dumping huge amounts of money into influencing the political process and gaining favourable legislation. .

How can giving away everything be self serving?

Didn't read very carefully did you? I said I applaud the few TRUE philanthropists. Very very few of those exist. For the rest using tax deductible contributions to get political flavors is as self serving as it gets. A big chunk of what is being called charitable giving falls into this category.

bob2356 says

Strategist says

The loser socialists on this board will not hesitate to lie, deceive, misinform, and defend socialism, even though it has repeatedly been proven a colossal failure.


They hate capitalism and love socialism, yet refuse to go live in a wonderful socialist paradise like Venezuela, Cuba, and Russia.


But that's OK, because these fools make this website fun.

What a load of crap even for you. So anyone who objects to people making millions a year and paying 15% taxes while people make 100k a year paying 30% taxes is a socialist by your definition?

You use plenty of government services every single day. Are you a socialist?

You tell me:
I believe in a minimum standard of living for all. Even the fucking useless able bodied bums who need their ass whipped.
Free education for all, all the way to PhD. This would create the maximum possible opportunities for all to help society.
True capitalism above what I mentioned to create wealth and progress.

Strategist says

I am an evil person, a capitalist, who took advantage of others like the billionaires do.

Strategist,
No, you are not en evil person but sound bitter. You worked hard and made the right choices. You have used our system, infrastructure, and education system with patience and perseverance to be successful. Why should you think there is something wrong with that? It is absolutely your right to enjoy the fruits of your hard work and your return from your investment. So let me ask you this, why can't the US enjoy the return on their investment (providing you of education that is established by the institution that is private or public supported by the tax money.) and return on our use of the infrastructure?

Why should some kids be denied of equal opportunity for education just because of location? Why should certain school have the access to music education and not other schools? Why should you blame 11% of the tax revenue to support the deadbeats to deny kids any equal opportunity? Why should the rich people blame the 11%, so they get the special treatment of lower tax? We have already established that trickle down economy does not work. .

Just for your info. I went to a private university, and the US government paid most of my education. I am thankful for that. Without it, I am not sure how successful I could have been. Now, I am in a position to provide all that and more for my kids.

Strategist says

You tell me:

I believe in a minimum standard of living for all. Even the fucking useless able bodied bums who need their ass whipped.

Free education for all, all the way to PhD. This would create the maximum possible opportunities for all to help society.

True capitalism above what I mentioned to create wealth and progress.

I have advocated for state provided room and board on this forum as well. Education would be a reasonable addition. It may be a form of socialism, but it is a better form of socialism where everyone qualifies for government housing and food as long as they agree to live in government provided housing and eat at the government cafeteria. If you want to choose your own place to live and food to eat, you ought to pay for it yourself.

Free everything never works out, seems to run out of money

Nobody says

Strategist says

I am an evil person, a capitalist, who took advantage of others like the billionaires do.

Strategist,

No, you are not en evil person but sound bitter. You worked hard and made the right choices. You have used our system, infrastructure, and education system with patience and perseverance to be successful. Why should you think there is something wrong with that? It is absolutely your right to enjoy the fruits of your hard work and your return from your investment.

Thank You, nobody. I'm just a middle class dude who did not care for immediate gratification, and lived for the future.

Nobody says

So let me ask you this, why can't the US enjoy the return on their investment (providing you of education that is established by the institution that is private or public supported by the tax money.) and return on our use of the infrastructure? Why should some kids be denied of equal opportunity for education just because of location? Why should certain school have the access to music education and not other schools? Why should you blame 11% of the tax revenue to support the deadbeats to deny kids any equal opportunity?

I believe in FREE education for all right up to PhD. In the long run it helps society and progress. Scientific progress is the key to a better world for all.

Nobody says

Why should the rich people blame the 11%, so they get the special treatment of lower tax? We have already established that trickle down economy does not work. Just one more thing. As the economy improve this 11% is going to come down even more. The choice you make would tell you what kind of person you are.

This is where I disagree. There will always be a certain number of people who will not be capable of much. I'm not criticizing them, i'm just being realistic. "No matter how much you swerve the water in a pail, some of it will always be in the bottom" These people and their supporters should not be blaming the rest of us for not rising from the bottom, when every available opportunity has been given to them to rise to the top.

PeopleUnited says

Free education for all, all the way to PhD. This would create the maximum possible opportunities for all to help society.

That is going too far. Why should anyone who doesn't deserve be a recipient of any investment (education)? Strategist hates the welfare deadbeats, but we need some losers and failures. It is a simple statistics. Not everyone can be a success or the 1%. We need the middle class to pay the return of our investment. If it is an income property, the tenants pay the rent to the owner. Just imagine everyone is a landlord or owner. So we need to create the middle class or uneducated bunch of people by denying the equal education and opportunity to the certain section of US. What better way to control this? By forcing the funding cut on the public school. The public school in the rich neighborhood will continue to do well, because people like us continues to donate.

FortWayne says

Free everything never works out, seems to run out of money

You have a good point, however, education is not an expense, it is an investment. It's the only path to progress.

Investment income should be taxed more highly, especially above a certain tax bracket. I think taxing investment income at 50% over $500,000 would produce a Renaissance in this country of wealthy people suddenly investing their massive hoards in business creation and research into product/science development. If they can no longer use passive investment income to rape the little guys, they have to #MAGA!!!!!!
MAGA BITCHES! MAGA!!!!

Liberals made it an expense with their unions, tenures, and funding of the border hordes...

Strategist says

You have a good point, however, education is not an expense, it is an investment. It's the only path to progress.

Strategist says

"No matter how much you swerve the water in a pail, some of it will always be in the bottom" These people and their supporters should not be blaming the rest of us for not rising from the bottom, when every available opportunity has been given to them to rise to the top.

Strategist, you are a very naive person. Do you honestly believe that everyone gets the equal chance? I grew up in the poverty stricken neighborhood, and the school district didn't offer any classes or opportunities that my kids are getting at their school. Not every public school is the same. Some school gets the state of art network server for them to work on. Some school gets nice music buildings.

Like I said, offering unequal opportunity for certain sector of people is not a bad thing, because we can't have everyone become the 1%. It is a simple statistics. But if you go too far, then it will also ruin the overall economy.

Nobody says

PeopleUnited says

Free education for all, all the way to PhD. This would create the maximum possible opportunities for all to help society.

That is going too far. Why should anyone who doesn't deserve be a recipient of any investment (education)?

You would need to be qualified for further education at public expense. Obviously, if you could not finish 9th grade, you will not be admitted to a University.

Nobody says

Strategist hates the welfare deadbeats, but we need some losers and failures. It is a simple statistics. Not everyone can be a success or the 1%.

I hate the able bodied welfare deadbeats. These are the true losers who undeservingly sponge off the hard work of others. I'm not asking them to be in the top 1%. I'm asking them to get a minimum paying job, and stop sponging off the rest of us. Why am I wrong?