Don't we all want to pay taxes?
@thegreatdebater (7316)
United States
October 24, 2011 10:58am CST
I was listening to CNBC today and Michael Moore made a great point that I think most Americans agree with. He noted that 53% of Americans pay taxes, while the other 47% don't, but want to. His point is that we all want to make enough money to get out of poverty, and support our families. The interesting point is that you have a group of Americans that want to pay taxes, (but aren't now) and you have a group that is paying taxes now, and don't want to. Shouldn't our country strive to get more people to pay taxes, or does keeping the poor poorer, and the rich richer make our country better?
2 responses
@grandpa_lash (5225)
• Australia
25 Oct 11
Perhaps some of those right wing zealots we find here at MyLot in the politics forums might do well to contemplate your point here. Keeping the poor poorer etc. is more or less doomed to long-term failure, surely, since sooner or later it is going to decrease the market to a size where those currently paying (or evading) taxes won't be earning enough to worry about it. Can't see where this might make any country better.
Lash
1 person likes this
@thegreatdebater (7316)
• United States
26 Oct 11
These right wingers DON'T want the country better, they want to make themselves better, and could careless about the country. That is what is wrong with this country, it is like the 1980's all over again where the only thing that mattered was money, and how much YOU could make.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
24 Oct 11
Of course many of the poor are generating the income that the more wealthy pay tax on. I'm not sure what your statistic has as its base. Is that 53% of all Americans both those of working age and others. or just those of working age? If it's the latter then that is a very sobering statistic. Either way not many are keeping a lot afloat.
@thegreatdebater (7316)
• United States
24 Oct 11
It is actually the latter, and it should be sobering to all of us. The problem is that we don't want to be remind of this as a culture, and we also don't like people flaunting their wealth as well. One problem with this statistic is that of the 47% of us not paying taxes that includes those that aren't paying taxes because of children. I would think that this would be discrimination seeing how one group is being singled out because they are either too responsible, can't have children, or for other mysterious reasons. If you ever figure that one out, let me know.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
24 Oct 11
I thought that the American Dream was all about conspicuous and vulgar displays of wealth. Rags to riches stories etc. When I've made it I can then say how easy it all was and that anybody can do it. The whole time enauring that my unskilled labor is illegal immigrants or white trailer trash too shot up or cowed to complain about the "minimum" wage that I pay.
