Why we need to tax Wall Street transactions

[tripfunkmonster]

wyoraider86 made a valid point.Corporations in this country are looking out for corporations.People can't have an effect on corporations without being shareholders and that's OK as long as corporations don't control our government. With Wall St. running our government,we no longer have democracy because one dollar,one vote is not democratic.Corporations have shown us many times-they have no soul and therefore no compassion.That's sub-human.We need to rise above the animal kingdom.

[wyoraider86]

@ winerage

Thats because in theory we should have direct influence in government and politics. Chompsky points out how it is adventagous to coorperate America to have the anti-government sentiment that exists today. Coorperations are not democracy's, they are ran by boards who seek only to improve the bottom line. The anti government sentiment that exists today is likely purpetuated through the media by coorperate interests.

[WineRage2]

Taxes are never the answer. What's the point of curtailing corporate power if we increase government power?

[JopinKlobe]

So, it's better to have the top 5,500 richest families plus the world corporate powers to control the United States of America than the government by, for and of the people. The very government that this country was founded with.

OUR country has sacrificed hundreds of thousands of lives throughout its history to preserve all of our freedoms. Not one "Corporate Person" has sacrificed one damn thing - indeed, they're prospering on the river of blood and money that wars provide.

[Houshalter]

@JopinKlobe bullshit. No one is arguing in favor of corruption, what an absurd strawman.

Not that it's relevant at all to the issue at hand, but businesses have sacrificed unimaginable amounts of wealth to the government through taxation, and instead of putting it to any kind of productive use it fritters it away on wars and other destructive purposes.

[jjoplin69]

@winerage2

Government representative are elected. Corporate officers are not.

So I guess the point is ......democracy

[WineRage2]

I am a bit sceptical... I don't see the difference between government and corporate power nowadays. They work together to bleed the people to death. I don't think this is what our founding fathers had in mind and I do believe government can be different. Taxes are a form of dictatorship. They are necessary to a certain degree but when you use them to fix problems you are going to fail. Here's a word government and corporations hate because it really might solve the people's problems: EDUCATION.

[bapyou]

"EDUCATION"

Yeah, and Dean Baker has a Phd in economics. You should listen to what he has to say. Or read his books. Your reaction against taxes is knee-jerk. The truly wealthy escape paying their fair share of them in a myriad of ways, and at a cost to the rest of us. Taxes are not a black & white issue by any means. You've got to look at the entire economic picture, which is what Baker gives you. Read his books, or even listen to some of his longer talks here on YouTube.

[WineRage2]

I agree with what you say 100% but the issue as I see it is not economical but ethical. As long as we have poor education the rich will find ways to doge paying taxes either through legal loopholes or corruption. That is what I mean when I say taxes cannot fix any problems. We need to educate people so that they no longer want to doge paying their taxes because they see they the value of taxation for a civilized society.

[bapyou]

"We need to educate people so that they ... see they the value of taxation for a civilized society."

You're suggesting we teach people NOT to be greedy?

Good luck.

I have read the work of persons who actually state "Greed is good "... Just like that stupid movie from the 80s.

In a culture where people hold such an opinion, how can we expect social responsibility to be anything more than a fantasy?

[Houshalter]

@jjoplin69 yes, bussiness men actually have to compete and meet consumer demands effectively to get whatever limited position of power they end up with. Politicians meet no such test and get to control the entire country.

[jjoplin69]

@Houshalter

"limited power'???

The top 1% own 40% of this nation's wealth. The 1% effectively OWN the politicians through donations in our currently corrupted system.

In theory, politicians get control of the country through something called 'elections', which they win by getting the most amount of 'votes'.

What color is the sky on your planet?

[Houshalter]

@jjoplin69 No, not in theory, in reality. We already have free elections, and people still don't vote out corrupt politicians, and yet you want to continue to let them have almost absolute power over the entire country?

[moyxx030]

Because in theory the government, unlike corporations, actually has people's interest in minds, not profit. If the government does not, then that's another problem.