Maggie's Farm

Tax cuts generally are a good thing and lead to more jobs and of course the ability of citizens to keep more of their own money. I think it is a mistake to disparage tax cuts. Imagine a world where you were allowed to keep 100% of what you earned. Wouldn't that be a good thing?

On the other hand higher taxes generally reduce investments and jobs while at the same time encouraging people with the money that could be invested in job creation to take it somewhere else. Rarely do tax increases ever return the revenue that was claimed it would produce BUT always produces the negative impact on the economy and jobs that was not discussed.

There is a tax increase I could get behind that would help our economy and our jobs; higher taxes on foreign products. If a product like a car for example, is 40% made in Japan or Germany than tax that 40%. If it is 100% made in another country than tax that 100%. I think a good rate of taxation on foreign goods would be 50% of retail price paid by the purchaser.

My suggestion to fix our own taxes is a flat tax of 10% on all income of any source and a graduated tax on higher incomes to 20%. Change the property taxes to be more equitable so it isn't based on the value of the home but simply on potential occupancy. For example a three bedroom home should be $1000 a year while a large apartment building would be $1000 X the number of units. Also abolish state and city income taxes and restrict them to sales taxes.

“Tax cuts without associated spending cuts act as a stimulus” yada, yada, yada…

Oh please, get a clue. You have effectively made the argument that taxes are essential for a good economy. I.E. if we took 20% of your income the world is a better place and if we take 30% the world gets even better, ad infinitum Karl Marx is laughing at you for being such a useful idiot.
Obviously if it were possible the best possible economy would be if the government took 0% of our money.

“No, because then there would be no government”
You are saying that if there were no income tax then there couldn’t possibly be a government and all the good things government bring. And yet there are states with no income tax and last time I checked they had a government.

“All taxes and” government “spending have a distorting effect on markets.”
On that we agree.

All "successful modern economies" are in transition to bankruptcy and war. Read history. If what you said and believe were true than Rome would still be the biggest strongest country/economy around. All governments increase taxes until they destroy their own economy, i.e. kill the goose that lays golden eggs. Most of what our government does harms us and is not necessary. Most of what government does that is essential they do extremely poorly and it costs 2-10 times what it would cost the private sector to do. The government is our albatross our job is to struggle to stay alive until they kill us off.

“The U.S. has generally reduced taxes over the last generation.”
Yes! Every time we get an intelligent, educated non-communist government we cut taxes. Then the communist steal the elections and we get higher taxes.

“The private sector won't build freeways on their own.”
So, you’ve never driven back East in NY and Mass and half a dozen other states? Toll roads baby!
But, since you brought up roads it is another example of government malfeasance. They have siphoned off the gas taxes for non-road projects which requires, wait for it… more and higher taxes. Kinda proves my point doesn’t it?

As for Rome, please, I beg you, take some history classes and put down that CRT text book.

"Are you suggesting ancient Rome was a modern economic system?"

For it's time all things considered it was bigger than the U.S. economy. Are you suggesting Rome did not overtax their population AND spend too much on welfare???

Read Caesar and Christ by Will Durant.

Now you don't know what "fascist" is.

I did argue both sides. Excessive taxes are destructive of freedoms and nations. A flat tax of 10% to 20% would be bearable and the revenues would allow the federal government to accomplish everything it is supposed to as long as it kept it's nose out of what it is not supposed to do.

Pretty simple.

You had to prevaricate. I don't blame you, you are wrong and don't want to admit it. Seatbelts don't kill you just by putting them on. The covid vaccine does, not everyone of course but an incredible number of people have died from the covid vaccine. I believe that the magic and elusive number of deaths is actually greater than all previous deaths from all previous vaccines combined. We don't know, exactly, because the government is actively keeping that information from us while they simultaneously force people to get the vaccine.

It is obvious at this point that Democrats are intent on dividing the country on race and starting a race war. The Rittenhouse case is a perfect example even though there isn't actually a race component. The left, the Biden supporters, are allowed to riot, burn cities, loot businesses and attack and kill people with no interference. But if you try to stand up against this outrage the left stands together to bring you down and uses the legal system to do it. Officer Chauvin didn't kill George Floyd, drugs killed George Floyd. Chauvin was simple sacrificed on the alter of black racism to the mob and our legal system participated in that. It was a political intimidation of the police intended to force all police departments to back off arresting the Democrat voters. Simple as that.