The DNC KenyanCommieMooselimbDidn'tBuildIt MegaThread!

[CountDeMoney]

Or maybe it has to do with the fact that our government doesn't seem to be very good at using its tax revenues? I wouldn't have issues with taxes if I thought my money was being spent wisely.  Hard to feel that way when I get a taxpayer funded mailer for Nancy Pelosi.

The only time you worry about a taxpayer is when he stops bitching.

Don't like franking privileges?  Take it up with the First Continental Congress.  And since you no long live in Nancy's district, quit bitching about her.

[Admiral Yi]

Sure you can. I can go to the store with a credit card and buy cheese with expected future income.

Then I guess if you hand over that cheese bought on credit to an unemployed person you meet Jacob's definition of citizenship.

If the employee isn't contributing to the employer's profit, why is the employer paying him?

This is silly semantics.  If the employee gets to claim partial credit for the taxes the employer pays on his profits, then the employer gets to claim partial credit for the taxes the employee pays on his wages and it all washes out.

[Eddie Teach]

It's one of the enduring mysteries of American politics why so many people with some dependence on government and modest personal incomes fervently support a Republican Party whose policies would be so inimical to their personal welfare – but then Karl Marx had it wrong from the start when he said economic self-interest axiomatically leads to political choices. Maybe he was right, though, in analyzing the phenomenon of "false consciousness."

God helps those who help themselves.

[garbon]

The only time you worry about a taxpayer is when he stops bitching.

And you know this how?

And since you no long live in Nancy's district, quit bitching about her.

It was an illustrative example about how one can have negative feelings about paying taxes but not think taxes are inherently bad.

[CountDeMoney]

The only time you worry about a taxpayer is when he stops bitching.

And you know this how?

It's an American tradition to bitch about taxes. 
Besides, when taxpayers don't bitch about their taxes, it's because they're no longer paying them and have started building fertilizer bombs in Ryder rental trucks instead.

[garbon]

The only time you worry about a taxpayer is when he stops bitching.

And you know this how?

It's an American tradition to bitch about taxes. 
Besides, when taxpayers don't bitch about their taxes, it's because they're no longer paying them and have started building fertilizer bombs in Ryder rental trucks instead.

Oh that was a rhetorical you.  Not really sure then how that was germane to the notion that taxes might be perceived as awful as they might be perceived as wasted by politicians.

[DGuller]

It's one of the enduring mysteries of American politics why so many people with some dependence on government and modest personal incomes fervently support a Republican Party whose policies would be so inimical to their personal welfare – but then Karl Marx had it wrong from the start when he said economic self-interest axiomatically leads to political choices. Maybe he was right, though, in analyzing the phenomenon of "false consciousness."

I don't think it's much of a mystery, it's clever politics.  Overheat the rhetoric on the social issues, and those who agree with your social issues will find a way to rationalize economic policies that fuck them.

[crazy canuck]

It's one of the enduring mysteries of American politics why so many people with some dependence on government and modest personal incomes fervently support a Republican Party whose policies would be so inimical to their personal welfare – but then Karl Marx had it wrong from the start when he said economic self-interest axiomatically leads to political choices. Maybe he was right, though, in analyzing the phenomenon of "false consciousness."

God helps those who help themselves.

I have to admit, this is one of the things I have never understood about American politics.  Over the years people here have tried to explain the phenomenon but I still dont get it.  For example why would so many people who need good health care coverage think a single payor system is evil. 

[crazy canuck]

It's one of the enduring mysteries of American politics why so many people with some dependence on government and modest personal incomes fervently support a Republican Party whose policies would be so inimical to their personal welfare – but then Karl Marx had it wrong from the start when he said economic self-interest axiomatically leads to political choices. Maybe he was right, though, in analyzing the phenomenon of "false consciousness."

I don't think it's much of a mystery, it's clever politics.  Overheat the rhetoric on the social issues, and those who agree with your social issues will find a way to rationalize economic policies that fuck them.

That works in a polarized political system.  But that doesnt answer the question of how so many poor and middle class folks became rabid Republicans to create your current polarized condition.

[DGuller]

That works in a polarized political system.  But that doesnt answer the question of how so many poor and middle class folks became rabid Republicans to create your current polarized condition.

/

[crazy canuck]

That works in a polarized political system.  But that doesnt answer the question of how so many poor and middle class folks became rabid Republicans to create your current polarized condition.

/

Yeah, I guess I keep underestimating that.

[Caliga]

The thing is that the people you are referring to in this are so obsessed with social issues like gay marriage (IT THREATENS MAH MARRIAGE SOMEHOW) and abortion that they'll vote Republican without caring about anything else either party stands for.  My mother in law is a good example of this.  She is your typical hardcore Christian voter who is so threatened by gay marriage and abortion rights that she probably doesn't bother to listen to what either side says about economic policies/healthcare/etc.  Also, I'm sure the fact that the President is black bothers her though she'd never dare admit to that fact.  Same goes for the majority of voters around here I'd wager.

[Valmy]

Only conclusion I can draw is that the rich pay more than everyone else but that is not sufficient.

Of course simple math would have led you to that conclusion decades ago.  Americans want the government to do all this stuff but not pay for it.  Entitlement at its worse.

[Razgovory]

Such a tax is unthinkable in a climate where Americans feel themselves overtaxed, despite the evidence that, in 2009 (according to the OECD), Americans paid the third-lowest share of their national income in tax within that organization.

We've spent well over 200 years convincing ourselves that taxes are evil and contrary to the myth of American self-sustainability. 
Hell, grade schoolers' first exposure to the concept of "taxes" is with the Boston Tea Party and as the (simplistic) root cause of the Revolution.  Can't fix a broken culture.

Or maybe it has to do with the fact that our government doesn't seem to be very good at using its tax revenues? I wouldn't have issues with taxes if I thought my money was being spent wisely.  Hard to feel that way when I get a taxpayer funded mailer for Nancy Pelosi.

Doesn't seem to be very good at using it's tax revenues compared to what?

[derspiess]

Doesn't seem to be very good at using it's tax revenues compared to what?

Private sector?