Taxes collected per person 1800-2000 from John Stossel Goes to Washington

[MrHhholden]

I did not say that they are incapable lf running a business, I was simply stating what I thought would happen. I am NOT a "parrot", and I would gladly look into it and decide for myself.

[1776bricks]

It's a lot more than $10,000 a year. We are going into debt plus paying the $10,000 a year.

[MrHhholden]

You cannot tax the wealthy anymore than the poor jobless people. The wealthy are the ones opening businesses and creating jobs(not enough right now) but you tax them more they won't be able to do that in fact most will just make MORE lay offs to compensate for the higher taxes

[1776bricks]

@MrHhholden I disagree. If you let poor people have more money, they can spend more into the economy. This argument I hear repeated like a parrot in a banker's home is faulty. Why wouldn't you want the middle class and poor to run their own businesses. What do you have against them having their own money? They aren't intelligent enough to spend it on the right things? Are you making up your own argument, or are you a parrot?

[kDest]

My second point:

This graph, as used by its polemicists, doesn't factor in that our annual taxes could be much lower if we raised corporate and rich persons' taxes considerably. Right now we hardly tax these groups and they hold the majority of our nation's private wealth. So, of course, WE the working poor have to pay more taxes to compensate for these other two groups' lack of civic duty and sense of entitled wealth.

If you want lower taxes, don't cut social programs, tax the wealthy!

[kDest]

We also became an empire in the 50s and beyond. That kind of military is expensive to maintain, especially when it conducts state of the art research like atomic bombs, lasers, arpanet, computers, powered infantry armor, etc. The 19th century had no space program. I mean, just consider that. Our money helps fund something that 19th century men like Jules Verne could only fantasize about. We went to the moon, and sent probes to mars, to comets, to Venus, etc. This all costs more for us.

[kDest]

Two points:

Number one, this graph is overly simplistic because it does not include what services government provided during the 18th and 19th centuries, or even the 20th. In early America there was no healthcare. If you were old, or poor, and sick, you either needed the help of friends or you were screwed. There was no unemployment for people laid off to recuperate. There wasn't the public school system that we enjoy today, which has ended illiteracy. There was no social security. Etc.

[KripDrip]

people back then only made a few pennies! You can buy things in cents back then. Wages were much lower and prices were much cheaper.

[pensword5]

@KripDrip That $20 is in todays money...adjusted for inflation...the whole chart is. Notice the comment above by "grradd"

[dannidandannikins]

It looks like an exponential growth curve. Exponential growth normally ends in sudden collapse. The USA has two options: a) continue with this kind of tax growth in which case the collapse of the US economy and state is only a matter of time or b) start cutting back on taxes and save your country.

[Mrmoc7]

I meant ridiculous in the sense that the average American pays significantly less than $10,000 per year.

[anynameplease]

@Mrmoc7 I believe that you're only considering taxes taken off of your paycheck. Think about it, property tax, sales tax, gasoline tax, cigarettes, alcohol, and this list would go on and on if I listed them all. I was shocked to learn that it was only 10k per person. I would have thought it would have been more.

[Mrmoc7]

@anynameplease

Dude, this number is *ridiculous*. 50% of Americans don't even pay federal taxes because their incomes are too low.

Please...

[anynameplease]

@Mrmoc7 I still believe that you're only looking at taxes on personal income. Most people do not realize all the excise taxes that they pay every. City and township taxes, sewer, water, etc. Then toss in vehicle registration, tax on your insurance for vehicle, plates, marriage lincense, etc. and so forth. There are a lot of taxes and fees collected by the government for bogus reasons. Take a look at what the government cost us in 1940 versus our GNP, then look at it today. It's huge.

[Mrmoc7]

$10,000/yr? Lol, that's downright ridiculous.

[LibertyAndLove1776]

"These are the times that try men's souls.

This short motto has echoed for centuries. It gave strength to American patriots in 1776 as it propelled them to liberty. This motto is alive and just as appropriate today as it was at the beginning of the Revolution."

[OnziTam]

do not worry

australia is worst

[LibertyAndLove1776]

Australia is moving the fastest of all "free" nations into dictatorship. People are already disarmed due to Port Arthur.

The ruling elite are shutting down the Australian economy to drive out the hope of its people. Whilst doing this, they are busy in other areas, destroying democracy, decimating communities and regions, and working away at the Australian psyche. Their timing is critical.

[LibertyAndLove1776]

Over the years, Australia has already eliminated most of the smaller shires and virtually dismantled local governments. People have less and less of a voice in what is occurring. The ruling elite have effectively programmed their lackeys to shout the praises of fluoridating drinking water despite the overwhelming evidence that fluoride is a dangerous and potentially lethal toxin. Forced fluoridation is only the beginning.

[LibertyAndLove1776]

The widely stated purpose of the rescue package is to preserve Australian jobs and ward off the recession. The hidden agenda behind the Australian and similar rescue packages is to put the nations into deep debt, followed by depression, which will ultimately discourage entire nations. Many will succumb to the NWO plans as they will be so confused, helpless and in a state of hopeless despair that they will accept nearly any type of conditions.

[devilmirror]

Well, people can argue that our dollar loose 95% of it purchasing power.

As a result, the tax collected now would be $10,000 x 0.05% or $500 per person per year.

So yeah, we pay more tax than we did so in the past. But, with adjusted inflation, we pay about 25X compared to our grandfathers.

It's still bad though. Don't get me wrong.

[Sean2046]

i'm pretty sure that chart is adjusted for inflation...

[LibertyAndLove1776]

but probably for the official fake inflation rate

[dh3st3r]

John started off by saying the $20 was in todays dollars so the $10000 , also in todays dollars accounts for inflation.

[grraadd]

he said: $20 in today's money - including inflation.

So all sums are in inflated dollars to save you counting percentages...

[Nielsio]

In the United States history the first step, the monopolizing of the mint, begins with the history of the United States itself. The second step, the monopolization of money substitutes, occurs with the founding of the Federal Reverse in 1913. The third step, stopping redeemability, occurs in 1933/1934.

[Sean2046]

i love john stossel! he presents libertarian ideas in an accessible way. he was the key ingredient to converting my boyfriend to anarchism.

[thomaserossi]

Converting to anarchism? Delusional.

[Sean2046]

haha, i think john stossel is secretly an anarchist. he makes anarchist arguments that i don't ever hear libertarians make. he just says he's a libertarian and pretends to be for limited government so he'll be aired on mainstream television.

[Scoforever]

Is there anywhere were I can see the whole documentary?

[rambo26]

I'm pretty sure it's on here, search for "John Stossel goes to Washington"

[Scoforever]

I've seen that series and I've never seen this bit.