What do you hate most about politics and politicians?

[infinite monkey]

Hey you guyyyyyyyyyysssssssss (as yelled by Rita Moreno on Electric Company) STOP ACTING LIKE 9TH GRADERS. That goes for the constituents as well. Big baby boo boos, for crying out loud.

Romper Room politics are good for some people, due to their limits of understanding anything much beyond the ABCs and Run Dick Run. But most of us are sick of the politicians and the big baby boo boos with their thumbs in their ears, waving their fingers, and saying 'n'yeah n'yeah n'yeah."

Time to grow up and put on your big boy and girl pants. Taking your ball and going home is SO 40 decades ago.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/04/0...ex.html?hpt=T2

If life (and politics) sometimes seems stuck in the ninth grade, the recent gyrations between the White House and congressional Republicans is a perfect case in point. The topic: averting a government shutdown. The meeting: on Capitol Hill between House GOPers and Senate Democrats.

Not invited to the party (or so they say): The White House.

I actually spent time trying to figure this out. Not exactly a lucrative reporting experience, as it turns out. Here's how each side portrayed the perceived slight:

From a senior White House adviser: Office of Management and Budget director Jack Lew asked to go to the meeting. He was turned down.

From the president: "The speaker apparently didn't want our team involved in that discussion. That's fine." (Not.)

From a top aide to House Speaker John Boehner: That's not what happened.

Of course, it doesn't really matter, except that this is no spring fling. It's about a shutdown of the federal government that a) would be stupid, self-defeating and hurtful and b) would distract attention from more important budget issues to deal with in the future.

[Spexxvet]

If you're one of the "top" and a repubican, then you're conservative.

If you're one of "everybody else" and a democrat, then you're a liberal.

If you're one of "everybody else" and a repubican, then you're an idiot.

[TheMercenary]

Someone remind us, what percent of all federal taxes does the top one percent pay?

What percent of all federal taxes does the bottom 60% pay?

[classicman]

Here are two for you Merc -

What percentage of their TOTAL income does the top 1% pay?

What percentage of the total wealth does the top 1% control?

[TheMercenary]

The top 1% will always control the majority of the wealth. Always. In a free market economy that is how it works. In a Socialist or Marxist society you will substitute the "top 1%" everyone rails against with the top members of the politburos. Not different. The most important aspect of our current tax system is that it is dominated by "zero liability voters". The majority will continue to support systems that they do not actually have to pay for. They will vote for any politician that costs them or promises to cost them nothing.

[classicman]

Lets try this again...

What percentage of their TOTAL income does the top 1% pay?

What percentage of the total wealth does the top 1% control?

[TheMercenary]

No, LETS TRY AGAIN! Your questions are Rhetorical....

The top 1% will always control the majority of the wealth. Always. In a free market economy that is how it works. In a Socialist or Marxist society you will substitute the "top 1%" everyone rails against with the top members of the politburos. Not different. The most important aspect of our current tax system is that it is dominated by "zero liability voters". The majority will continue to support systems that they do not actually have to pay for. They will vote for any politician that costs them or promises to cost them nothing.

[TheMercenary]

Why would some one who makes $15,000 a year care how much wealth the top one percent "controls"?

Define "controls".

Is all of this based on the one non-peer reviewed article you sent me from that mainstream magazine? Have you accepted that as the honest to goodness truth?

[TheMercenary]

How many people are in the top 1%?

How many people are between 2% and 10%?


Obama and the Dems want you to buy off on the idea that a person who lives in San Francisco and make $250k as a family is a millionaire? Do you believe that?

[classicman]

Easy big guy ... I was trying to see if the numbers were relevant.
For example - If they control 40% do they also pay 40% of the taxes?
If so, then I'm fine with it, BUT if they control 80% and only contribute 20% then there is a problem - no?

[classicman]

In 2008, the bottom 50 percent of taxpayers, ranked by income, paid an average tax rate of 2.59 percent.

One percent of the population paid 38.02 percent of the tax burden in 2008, and reported an average tax rate of 23.27 percent.

In 2008, the bottom 50 percent of taxpayers, ranked by income, paid an average tax rate of 2.59 percent. The median taxpayer reported an income of $33,048 on his tax return that year -- meaning that half of all filers reported income above that point and half reported income below it. All told, the bottom 50 percent of taxpayers paid 2.7 percent of the total income tax revenue received in 2008. Conversely, the top 50 percent of taxpayers paid 97 percent of the tax burden in 2008.

[TheMercenary]

Where is the link?

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by classicman

Easy big guy ... I was trying to see if the numbers were relevant.
For example - If they control 40% do they also pay 40% of the taxes?
If so, then I'm fine with it, BUT if they control 80% and only contribute 20% then there is a problem - no?

If 60 or more % contribute nothing is that a problem?

[Happy Monkey]

They contribute lots, in sales (etc, etc...) tax and cheap labor.

[TheMercenary]

How much in Federal Income tax?