Taxing the Rich and Living to Tell the Tale (chart)

[marmar]

http://toomuchonline.org/

[valerief]

1. What do we get for our federal tax dollars in the U.S.? WAR, nothing but WAR. nt

[CountAllVotes]

2. +1,000

YOU nailed it!!!

[erronis]

4. And corruption and bribery and obscene profits

Remove the black (hidden) expenditures from the income/outflow and you have plenty of money to educate our children (and our college-aged ones), repair our infrastructure, honor our commitments to the veterans and social security recipients.

That black stuff is just going into unknown pockets. Maybe to buy fancy exploding devices, but mainly to pad the bank accounts of US and foreign interests.

[valerief]

6. The WAR chest is a secret way for the very rich to pilfer even more money

from taxpayers.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

5. Thank you

a simple truth.

What could and should be done with those resources?

[ErikJ]

7. Doubling the top tax rate would help end War-profiteering

The lower the top tax rate the more it motivates the greedy war-profiteers.

[seveneyes]

10. Here is where USA taxes go

[valerief]

14. Nope. That chart includes NON-discretionary spending. Here's one that shows what Congress

decides to spend our money on. See the yellow slices for discretionary spending. The massive yellow slice is WAR.

?1397620572

[closeupready]

3. With a pledge like the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, how many degrees separate it from the mob?

Because with no legitimate unifying ideology, that is exactly what it has become.

[pansypoo53219]

8. denmark where i was was very happy to me. i saw no poverty, things were CLEAN.

great roads. I DID NOT HEAR SIRENS. heck, no sheriffs on the highways. just phones every mile. CAUSE THEY DID NOT NEED THE FUCK BUCKET reagan has created.

[econoclast]

9. Be careful what you wish for

Just looked at Sweden

There is a municipal income tax. Varies by municipality. FLAT RATE National average: about 31.5%

Then there is also a national income tax. Two levels.
Income Between SEK 402,800-602,600 (about USD 49,500-70,900) : 20%
Income over SEK 602,600 (about 70,900 USD): 25%

So its not just the 'rich' who pay these rates.

[hunter]

11. Horrors!

And their entire nation has fewer homeless people than my small city.

If you are paying taxes in Sweden, you are not living in typical U.S. American poverty, you are not even living in conditions as bad as low wage U.S. American workers must endure.

[econoclast]

12. Encourage your small city

To adopt a modified Swedish plan. Enact a modest 5% flat rate income tax. Use the proceeds to address the homelessness. Provide some assistance to low wage workers.

[hunter]

13. Flat, regressive taxes blow chunks.

Especially in nations like the U.S.A. with increasing income inequality.

I'm tired of living in the top banana republic of the American banana republics.

I seek steeply progressive taxes on both wealth and income.

People working for minimum wage shouldn't be paying any income tax, and only minimal taxes on non-food sales.

People who enjoy the greatest benefits of this nation's economic system ought to be paying the bulk of the taxes. People who are actually suffering as a consequence of our economic system shouldn't have to pay a dime for it, in fact they ought to receive subsidies and easy access to comfortable "living wage" jobs, even if those jobs must be created and paid for by government.

Our current economic system is stagnant. The scum rises to the top of the pond, blocking the light and oxygen from all below. The wealthy hoard their money in non-productive financial tools. Progressive taxes get the water circulating again.