Can't they just pay more tax dollars that is higher than they are obliged to pay? I guess this is America.
I’m in the 1 Percent. Please, Raise My Taxes
21–30 of 101 posts
Re: I’m in the 1 Percent. Please, Raise My Taxes
#22This is a great idea, but Eli doesn't need to wait for the law to be changed. He can donate as much as he wants directly to the US government right now. https://fiscal.treasury.gov/public/gifts-to-government.html
Except raising tax rates on everyone above a certain income is much more effective than one person voluntarily donating.
Sure, but why does he need to wait for everyone else to support it? He should set a positive example by dumping his own money into the treasury first. After all, he really does believe in this and it's not just virtue-signaling.
Re: I’m in the 1 Percent. Please, Raise My Taxes
#23Does IRS prohibit people from paying extra in tax if they want to?
Nope. It might be just a form of virtue signaling knowing full well they won't get their bluff called.
Hm.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtue_signalling
>In recent years, the term has been more commonly used within groups to criticize those who are seen to value the expression of virtue over action.
This man appears to be taking action, and advocating action.
> Two decades ago I turned full-time to philanthropy and threw myself into supporting public education, scientific and medical research, and visual and performing arts, believing it was my responsibility to give back some of what had so generously been given to me. But I’ve come to realize that no amount of philanthropic commitment will compensate for the deep inequities preventing most Americans — the factory workers and farmers, entrepreneurs and electricians, teachers, nurses and small-business owners — from the basic prosperity we call the American dream.
Lately, I find myself in discussions with people using the term to mock anybody that demonstrates care for liberal cause. I'm happy to acknowledge the transformation of the term "virtue signalling" to mean "supporting liberal causes," if that's what you want the term to mean in your post. Of course, I'd abandon any presumptive negative associations with the action of "virtue signalling," then.
Re: I’m in the 1 Percent. Please, Raise My Taxes
#24That's an admirable expression of morals, but everyone with a calculator figure out that the 1% don't have enough money to pay for a welfare state.
The plain truth is, if you want a welfare state, the middle class has to pay for it:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/demo...
I was really glad to find the Washington Post publish this. Perhaps it will wake up some people to the questionable promises that certain Democrats are espousing currently.
(The wording of this comment was edited to cause less offense)
Re: I’m in the 1 Percent. Please, Raise My Taxes
#25This is a great idea, but Eli doesn't need to wait for the law to be changed. He can donate as much as he wants directly to the US government right now. https://fiscal.treasury.gov/public/gifts-to-government.html
I've thought a lot about that option, but the problem is that wealth provides a disproportionate amount of influence in politics.
If all the people who didn't want to give any of it up hoarded it and spent it lobbying to keep inequality at a maximum and the people who wanted equality gave the majority of their wealth away then we would very quickly find ourselves in a dystopian nightmare.
It has to be everyone, equally. It has to by a systemic change.
Re: I’m in the 1 Percent. Please, Raise My Taxes
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
You do realize that the top 1% is more than just the wealthiest 100 Americans, right? And you do realize that nobody's saying "reduce everybody else's taxes to zero", right?
Only those with more than 50 million in total assets will be paying a "wealth tax" according to Liz Warren's plan, everyone else won't be paying. I never claimed the top 1% is just the top 100 wealthiest Americans.
> I never claimed the top 1% is just the top 100 wealthiest Americans.
But in a response to an article about the top 1%, you used the top 100 wealthiest Americans as a counterpoint. If you're not trying to make a connection, why bother with the analogy?
Re: I’m in the 1 Percent. Please, Raise My Taxes
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
Except raising tax rates on everyone above a certain income is much more effective than one person voluntarily donating.
Sure, but why does he need to wait for everyone else to support it? He should set a positive example by dumping his own money into the treasury first. After all, he really does believe in this and it's not just virtue-signaling.
What is your take on the reasoning he put in the article on why he doesn't "just" do that?
> Two decades ago I turned full-time to philanthropy and threw myself into supporting public education, scientific and medical research, and visual and performing arts, believing it was my responsibility to give back some of what had so generously been given to me. But I’ve come to realize that no amount of philanthropic commitment will compensate for the deep inequities preventing most Americans — the factory workers and farmers, entrepreneurs and electricians, teachers, nurses and small-business owners — from the basic prosperity we call the American dream.
Re: I’m in the 1 Percent. Please, Raise My Taxes
#28If you took the total combined wealth of the wealthiest 100 Americans, you wouldn't be able to fund the federal government for more than half a year or so. Taxing the rich sounds nice as virtuous political rhetoric but it won't effectively address poverty, just further erodes the liberty of private citizens. If you want to fund more social programs then tax corporations, like the oil companies and the large investmen…
> just further erodes the liberty of private citizens
How does taxation do this? Taxation is a mechanism for funding the maintenance of an ordered society which enables extreme wealth creation. It's the wealthiest citizens who benefit the most from law enforcement, infrastructure, and national defence.
Re: I’m in the 1 Percent. Please, Raise My Taxes
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
Except raising tax rates on everyone above a certain income is much more effective than one person voluntarily donating.
Sure, but why does he need to wait for everyone else to support it? He should set a positive example by dumping his own money into the treasury first. After all, he really does believe in this and it's not just virtue-signaling.
This is a dumb argument because it assumes that others would follow his example.
Re: I’m in the 1 Percent. Please, Raise My Taxes
#30It's always been fascinating to me that "things that poor people spend most of their money on" is subject to a sales tax but "things rich people spend most of their money on" isn't.
Services from beauty shops, car repair, home maintenance and repair? Taxed. Services from lawyers and accountants? Not taxed.
Buying a TV, food, gasoline? Taxed. Buying a piece of land or stocks? Not taxed.