I’ve lost track of the number of time our resident Liberals have cited the “fact” that American tax rates are among the lowest in the world, and our rich aren’t paying their fair share. Now, however, a noted liberal pundit is admitting publicly that that’s not true
On CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS Sunday, the perilously liberal host actually complained about America’s tax code being too progressive while noting, “The top ten percent in America pay a larger share of total taxes, 45.1%, than do the top ten percent in any of the 24 countries examined” (video follows with transcript and commentary):
I hope that one of the major focuses of this election campaign will be our tax system. For too long we’ve punished initiative and entrepreneurism and rewarded sloth. That has to change.
Hat tip to Cluster for the link for this post
Blogs For Victory 
Sensible reforms in taxes, entitlements and private market regulations are an absolute priority in the coming years, and so far it’s only the GOP that is offering anything of substance. The new budget submitted by Paul Ryan is a great step towards tax and entitlement reform that will bring certainty to a market place currently awash in uncertainty and help spur growth. And what do the democrats do? Instead of initiating an adult conversation, the democrats have decided to demagogue the issue AGAIN, and resort to name calling and fear mongering.
I think everyone is aware that the GOP Cut, Cap and Balance bill still sits on Harry Reid’s desk without one minute of debate, and I am sure this bill will suffer the same fate while the democrats have yet to even submit a budget for nearly 3 years. The current crop of democrats are guilty of dereliction of duty at the very least and have proven beyond any doubt that they are not responsible enough to hold positions of power. Instead of being honest with the public, and engage in responsible debate, they would prefer to deflect from their incompetence by distracting their minions with talk of contraception and inciting militia action in the Trayvon Martin case.
As Zakaria noted, having the rich pay more in taxes will accomplish NOTHING, yet that doesn’t stop the dishonest democrats from beating that drum in the name of class warfare and retention of power. Democrats and liberals have zero interest in actually solving our national problems, they would prefer to keep us angry at each other while they continue to raid the treasury.
Democrats and liberals have zero interest in actually solving our national problems, they would prefer to keep us angry at each other while they continue to raid the treasury.
That really says it all.
Obama to Russia: ‘After My Election I Have More Flexibility
This is exactly why Obama should not be reelected. Without an election to keep this guy in check, he will spend this country right into bankruptcy, strip our defense and ruin the private markets – all in the name of social justice.
GTFO 2012!
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-russia-after-my-election-i-have-more-flexibility_634473.html
Posting using multiple fake email addresses — deleted (plus didn’t really say anything of value anyway)//Moderator
Sasan posting under yet another fake name — deleted//Moderator
Fake email? why don’t you email me and I will reply.
I did, Sasan — and you DIDN’T reply//Moderator
just because I didn’t reply to your nasty email, doesn’t mean the email was fake. being old sucks doesn’t it?
I’ll let others be the judge as to whether or not it was a nasty email. Here’s what it said://Moderator
Please confirm that the email from which you are commenting is a valid email address. Comments originating from an invalid email address will be deleted. Comments from posters who fail to confirm that their email address is valid will also be deleted. You have 24 hours to respond.
BlogsForVictory Moderator
Other than the usual hate filled rants with a little ageism thrown in this time around, do you have anything of substance to offer?
just because I didn’t reply to your nasty email, doesn’t mean the email was fake. being old sucks doesn’t it?
That’s rich. Nasty? Look in the mirror.
But he could be an old FARMER which would really expose him to Sasan’s bigotry.
Or, worse, an old JEWISH farmer!
“The top ten percent in America pay a larger share of total taxes, 45.1%, than do the top ten percent in any of the 24 countries examined.”
This doesn’t mean anything without context. If the top 10% made all the income they would pay all the taxes. If everyone made the same amount with slight variation then the top 10% would pay only 10% of the taxes. The data could simply mean that income inequality in the US is different than any of the other 24 countries.
This is junior high school math. Of course, I don’t expect for anything deeper from CNN.
If the top 10% made all the income they would pay all the taxes.
This is of course based on the premise that income is a finite amount, which is the only premise a liberal can use to justify his screed of “tax the rich”. Rational people know that income is infinite, and based almost solely on the actions and decisions of the individual. A very good reason why some folks don’t make a lot of money is a simply a result of their decision making and action, or lack thereof. It’s junior high school math.
The amount of goods that can be purchased is finite. The smallest unit of US currency (the cent) has a finite supply. The number of electrons in the universe if finite (physics). There are limited resources, that is the basic premise of economics (scarcity).
Now that we know that incomes are finite, I’ll repeat. We can’t know the meaning of the top 10% paying 45% of the taxes vs. other countries without more context.
You’ve fixed the idea that taxes are too high for the rich by fiat. That’s pretty much like junior high school.
Now that we know that incomes are finite, I’ll repeat.
Incomes are not a finite quantity barstool. When someone makes more money, someone else did not make less – it is not a zero sum game. And incomes are not based solely on natural resources, the current quantity of pennies, or electrons – incomes are currently derived more and more through personal services.
So want to try again?
@clueless
I never said incomes were a zero sum game (that would play into your cartoon argument). I said any defined measure of incomes will necessarily be finite. You are confusing incomes (a flow of revenue) with the ways of obtaining said incomes.
If you provide me with a precise definition of what an ‘income’ is I will show you it is finite. I also said scarcity is the standing assumption in economics. If you disagree with that assumption let me know.
The only infinite things are religious.
@Spook
“Research and report back on the average income of the top 10 % in each of the 24 countries.”
Again, that would be meaningless. If 10% of the US made 1 million per year and the other 90% in the US made 10,000 per year one would expect the top 10% to pay most of the income taxes. If everyone in Sweden made 10,000 +- 10 dollars you would expect that the top 10% to pay 10%.
It is the DISTRIBUTION of incomes which is important.
I don’t want to be open to the claim of laziness even if your question is meaningless. There is a thing in economics called the Gini coefficient which measures income inequality. The link is
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficient
The US is above Brazil and Mexico. Now, if you’ll return the favor and find out what percent of income taxes the top 10% in Brazil pay we can have a better discussion.
The US is above Brazil and Mexico. Now, if you’ll return the favor and find out what percent of income taxes the top 10% in Brazil pay we can have a better discussion.
Bardolf, you get an F on your homework assignment, citing statistics for 2 of 24 countries, both of which you got wrong. According to your own link, the U.S. is NOT above either Mexico or Brazil. In 2009, the U.S. was .47, Mexico was .52 and Brazil was .54. OTOH, over the last 20 years the U.S. Gini Index has been going up while Brazil’s has been going down, so perhaps if you wait long enough, your statement will be correct.
As to your question about taxes, Brazil has a top tax rate of 27.5%, which, at the current exchange rate, kicks in at around the equivalent of only $24,600 annual income. Brazil also has a 17-25% VAT. Sounds like almost exactly what Zakaria is advocating for the U.S.
If you provide me with a precise definition of what an ‘income’ is I will show you it is finite. – stool
Here’s the dictionary definition:
the monetary payment received for goods or services, or from other sources, as rents or investments
I can’t find a qualifier in that definition that would suggest, or even imply a defined quantity.
Spook
I should have said there was less inequality according to the Gini coefficient for the US vs. Mexico/Brazil not above as visually it does go the other way. I stand corrected. The rest of the graph shows that other advance economies countries examined had less income inquality. So my HW was a C because with my data you could find the answer to your question.
You get an F for your HW. I asked you what percent of the income taxes are paid in Brazil by the top 10%. You were lazy and simply quoted the tax rate which is meaningless. Your data doesn’t give a way to calculate an analogous 42% which you’ve published above.
@Clueless
Monetary payments have a unit, making them finite. The smallest unit is a penny in the US system. There is something called the money supply M1, M2 which is also finite.
This is junior high school math.
And this is your junior high homework assignment:
Research and report back on the average income of the top 10 % in each of the 24 countries.
Electrons for sale! Get your electrons here!
A penny each! Hmm.
Doesnt every spin of the turbine create at least one new electron? Or is it a zero sum because you have to burn something like coal? If that is the case lets just fire our electrical plants with plant matter. A remewable source.
Still not a zero sum game there Bardolf.
Electrons are neither created nor destroyed. There are things called conservation laws which hold in physics. Resources are abundant doesn’t mean they are infinite. Stewardship is a directive for a reason.
I never said incomes were a zero sum game. I said one can’t know the proper distribution of income taxes a given decile should pay without knowing the proper distribution of income for that decile.
OT
BREAKING NEWS
TRA VON SUSPENDED for DRUGS !!!!!!
yet the Fla RACIST WITCH HUNT and media LYNCHING continues.
The sun is going to burn out in, oh about 5 billion years. You think we have enough electrons to last until then?
I think I will have a sale. 2 electrons for a penny! Get em while they are hot!!
😛
I will gladly pay you for an electron tuesday if you will let me have one today……
“I will gladly pay you for an electron tuesday if you will let me have one today……”
Sorry Cash only. However I will make this one time deal. If you purchase 4 electrons at the absolute low price of only 2 pennys, I will throw in 4 free carbon credits and a autographed picture of owl bores butt!
Act now!! Supplies are limited.
I applaud B’s effort, but the asylum has been overrun. The sun is burning out it’s electrons…?
Uh boy.
BTW, our top ten percenters control 90% of all financial wealth in this country, so the fact that they pony up 45% of all taxes seems pretty skimpy. Unless you consider they can afford pretty good tax attorneys. And lobbyists.
the autograph would be the only to distinguish it from Uboma, welll unless you had a photo shopped picture of U’s BC next to him.
BTW, our top ten percenters control 90% of all financial wealth in this country, so the fact that they pony up 45% of all taxes seems pretty skimpy.
And if the United States had a “WEALTH” tax, you would have a point, but we don’t so you don’t — as usual.
creepy assclown: “Unless you consider they can afford pretty good tax attorneys. And lobbyists.”
Who needs lawyers when they can simply not pay their taxes like Buffett, Geitner, half of obAMATEUR’s administration who have been in trouble for not paying taxes, Charlie Rangel, etc. etc…. and then criticize those who “don’t pay their fair share”.
You along with the other weak minded proggy drones fall for their stupid mindless tactics time and again. It is people like you that keep them in power.
I am sure that the “black” community can be proud of this:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/trayvon-martin/cracker-tshirt-759832
And according to the NYT, Zimmerman is a “white” hispanic. Funny though I never heard the NYT refer to Obama as a “white” black.
I wonder if Al Sharpton had these shirts made. You know Al – that MSNBC political commentator, who doubles as an activist, and then back as a political commentator, then activist, then political commentator, then…..well you get the picture.
cluster
I am sure that the “black” community can be proud of this:
you mean THIS community?
As I said, there are those out there who are CASHING IN on this terrible incident:
“REVERENDs” (used very loosely) Sharpton and Jackson
Black Pathers
Various Politicians up for reelection
the proggy media
and this little gem:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/trayvon-martin-trademarks-769123
What is this some new therapy to deal with grief?
Oh, just wanted to pass along a message from Obama. Now that he’s a ten percenter, and on his way to being a one percenter, he says thanks for sticking up for him NOT raising his own taxes.
He appreciates it. Says you guys are the best. Sends hugs.
hugs?
isnt he on vacation?
you mean he said send OPM
bozo,
Higher taxes accomplishes nothing. We have severe systemic problems in this country that need to be dealt with on a lot of different levels other than just the simple minded, and partisan approach of raising taxes on the “rich”.
And your blatant envy of money is not very flattering.
I am not worried about how much money anyone else has. I am busy cathing more fishies and baking more pies.
Not to mention selling surplus electrons and carbon credits. Want to earn more money? Catch fishies and bake pies. Or at least learn how to catch and bake and quit expecting somebody else to finace your life.
1. You got a license to catch fish or are you cheating taxes?
2. Pies are just a lot of empty calories which will make you fat. I don’t expect you’ll be asking the taxpayer to subsidize your diabetes medication or blood pressure medicine in the future.
jk