OT: Rating the President

[Instar]

Guys guys guys guys!
I get enough of debates in my philosophy classes! Agh! Save me!
Haha, just kidding, but seriously, this is a deep philosophical question of the time.

[Askan Nightbringer]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
The web sites you had posted before that Last post were all explicitly biased, and could in no way be trusted to give even remotely unbiased information.

So what is an unbiased source? The government and media commentators definetly aren't.

Originally posted by Fian:
If the rich really were running the country, why isn't their tax rate lower? Maybe a flat tax? It is precisely because we are a democracy, and their vote equals the same as a poor man's that we have such a disparity in the tax rates. The poor continue to want services that they can't pay for (prescription drug benefit), and the rich are then the ones that end up paying for it.

As for the rich owning everything, I don't know if that is true. Can you provide any evidence that it is? We have a large middle class in America that owns stock, and as a whole might own more than the richest 5%.

Well if the poor and middle class were running the country why isn't their tax rate lower? Don't know about the US but in Australia the tax-free threshold (the amount of income your earning before you have to pay tax) has moved about 10% in the Last 20 or so years, not really in line with the cost of a loaf of bread.

The rich also benefits from the services the poor gets. ie
1) The waiter serving them food is dying from some treatable illness.
2) The guy receiving welfare isn't robbing him.
3) The person who just left school has the education and skills necessary to flip burgers in his McDonald's franchise.

See, its a win-win situation. Putting more pressure on the poor is eventually going to find its way up the chain and eventually you'll get a peasant revolt and there's nothing more annoying than when your entertaining friends at your manor and angry peasants are burning your cars. Welfare/public services benefits society as whole, not just the individuals who receive it.

As for the rich owning everything. I've clarified that, they own/control almost everything. A large chunk of American's might own stocks but they still have no say in the company they own a part of. The major stockholders do. The advertisers in newspapers have more say in the "content" of the stories than the readers.

Askan

[Fyron]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
The web sites you had posted before that Last post were all explicitly biased, and could in no way be trusted to give even remotely unbiased information.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So what is an unbiased source? The government and media commentators definetly aren't.

Less so than some web site owned by some random person.

In the US, poor people pay no to almost no taxes. They _can't_ get a tax cut without being given tax money back.

[ February 07, 2003, 03:14: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[rextorres]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
In the US, poor people pay no to almost no taxes. They _can't_ get a tax cut without being given tax money back.

That is not true! What is your definition of a poor person? What is your definition of a tax?

EVERYONE who works pays social security tax BEFORE deductions. So a family of four making 20k (poverty level) still pays $1900 in taxes that they can't get back - even with credits. This applies even to a welfare check!!

That's a tax if you ask me.

Social Security is just a very large tax collection tool since its lumped into the general fund.

[ February 07, 2003, 04:20: Message edited by: rextorres ]

[Askan Nightbringer]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:

Less so than some web site owned by some random person.

In the US, poor people pay no to almost no taxes. They _can't_ get a tax cut without being given tax money back.

Most media commentators are random people with their own beliefs.

And do do you guys have sales tax over there? How bout petrol tax? Excise taxes on smokes and alcohol? Stamp duty on the purchase of houses? No taxes at all based on consumption?

Askan

[rextorres]

Originally posted by Askan Nightbringer:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:

Less so than some web site owned by some random person.

In the US, poor people pay no to almost no taxes. They _can't_ get a tax cut without being given tax money back.

Most media commentators are random people with their own beliefs.

And do do you guys have sales tax over there? How bout petrol tax? Excise taxes on smokes and alcohol? Stamp duty on the purchase of houses? No taxes at all based on consumption?

Askan

---

Yup . . . those are other taxes people conveniently forget about - some states even have a sales tax in California it is 7.5% - that's like a VAT.

[ February 07, 2003, 06:18: Message edited by: rextorres ]

[Fyron]

We were talking about income tax...

Most media commentators are random people with their own beliefs.

Yes they are. I think I made a point about them earlier...

[ February 07, 2003, 09:30: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]