I am conservative, and even when I get rare chance to hear talk show, I often hear them say, "...but that cut wouldn't make a big difference." When I had to reduce budget for my family, every cut made a difference. For some reason, my creditors don't allow me to raise my debt ceiling.
Who gives you the right to take anyones money just because they have more than you do. Cenk, what if for just one year you made it BIG on a network TV show and made 20 million in one year? Then it's over, show is cancelled. Now you give the government 18 million and you keep 2. Problem is you have 40 years to live and you can't work anymore for some reason. Now how much would that 18 million come in handy for all the years you built your business on the internet. Isn't that worth something?
So if you were rich, you would then be happy to give all your money away? Sounds like you would be in the same position you are now financially. So what is your problem? Socialism won't get you anywhere you just want everyone else to be as miserable and short sighted as you are. Perhaps the next time you get your unemployment check or free food stamps you will thank those that are rich fo the helping hand you ungrateful useless good for nothing complainer.
@metron999 free food stamps aren't important if the food is divided evenly. Unemployment checks aren't needed if everyone who is able to work is forced to work. Helping hands aren't needed if the government decides who helps who. And i would like a better system for deciding who should make more money than "free market"(which is mostly controlled by the big corporations). I still think having a successfull company is ok as long as they return some profit to society
America was founded on principals of freedom and the rights of individuals. You are responsible for your welfare. You are not allowed to take money, food, or profits from someone else just because you are poor.
Forcing people to work? You want to bring back slavery? That is what communism is you know.
Free markets are what America is all about. Freedom of religion and the freedom to make your own destiny with the idea that nobody should decide how much you can make. Deal with it.
@metron999 I live in sweden, which many people do consider socialist. I don't think there has ever been a truly socialist country, but I just wanted to make it clear that socialism would be awesome if we could just teach people to think in "groups" and not as "individuals". A country is nothing but a big group and if you don't work you're holding the rest of us back. I'm still for free market and creativity, but a smart government should decide who to fund. People make too many useless products.
Why do you classify people that are rich as fucks? Do you classify people by race as well? You know if it were not for people having the ability to get rich everyone would be living like third world countries do. Starvation and disease. I defy you to show anyone starving in the United States like they do in socialist and communist and many other Utopian governmental systems you want. You are very very lucky to live in the U.S.A. If you don't like the constitution then leave.
Let me just ask you why you think it's right for you to tax the top 5% more. Yes wealthier people make more and it's easier for them to pay taxes. Yet the top 5% pay 50% of the taxes and 40% of people don't pay any taxes. You see the rich get just as much out of government as everyone else. It's like your buying a product from a store and you don't get anything thing else besides the fact you pay more. It's not fair and we should either go to a Fair Tax,Flat Tax,or a head tax.
We need to go to an 18% national sales tax. We do that through replacing entitlements with job insurance and private accounts in investment. And getting of all unconstitutional government departments. The 700 uses bases offshore. This will make us more competitive and we can still balance the budget. Plus if you get rid of all the other taxes the 22% embedded tax in all products is eliminated. This would make prices go down and it works.
1) A Federal Living Wage set at 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (~20k/year), indexed to inflation. States would be allowed to raise this further as they see fit.
2) Amend the Medicare Act to allow any employed person(s) to buy into it on a sliding tax scale based on monthly net income. Leave Medicaid/Food Stamps etc. mostly untouched to aid the unemployed poor.
3) Institute a "maximum wage" i.e. a tax bracket above which 100% of income is taken as taxes.
The maximum wage would be set high enough to allow reasonable accumulation of wealth and reinvestment but low enough to discourage wealth hoarding. If the rich don't like it, then by all means, they can spend a fortune uprooting their companies and taking them to another country that doesn't have a huge potential work force, lots of raw materials, and a massive industrial infrastructure like the USA.
Perhaps to the true unregulated laissez-faire capitalist state of Somalia.
he maximum wage would be set high enough to allow reasonable accumulation of wealth.
So how much is reasonable and who appointed you dominion over millions of free people? Perhaps you want to go back in history and appoint yourself god with power over the whole world!
If the rich don't like it, then by all means, they can spend a fortune uprooting their companies and taking them to another country
Um, they already did. It was when America was founded.
Taxes under Obama are the same level they were under Ronald Reagan.
Were Reagan's taxes "too high"? How about Nixon's? Ford's? Eisenhower's? Obama's tax plan is at the same level as Reagan's and lower than the other Republican presidents I've named.
this "shared sacrifice" concept sounds good but is totally bullshit and doesnt work! Who makes over a million dollars per year?? the smart investors, and the owners of business-they make up some of the largest portions of taxes given to the government, not cuz theyre TAXED more, but cuz theyre taxed LESS! if u take half their money away, "well i guess i cant hire any new employees this year, in fact ive got to CUT jobs and LOWER production." explain how that helps? Loss of jobs AND income taxes.
This would hit ALL americans, poor and wealthy. Right now, the wealthy's big argument is that the poor do not pay taxes and they don't (if we're talking about the really poor in the country) this also hits bussiness small and large. In addition, I would put a huge tax on any Amercian producible product that business buy in bulk on import to avoid consumption tax, just to make sure EVERYONE pays up. I don't mind paying my taxes, I consider it a priveledge to some extent.
Wait, the ultra-poor dont pay taxes? They pay 10% sales tax every time they go to the grocery store, and if they work minimum wage they get taxed on that. Not to mention they buy products for more than base value because the store/factories have to pay taxes, hence they raise their prices. By the way, I would be hard-pressed to find someone making above 5 million a year paying all of his/her taxes, so many of them hide accounts offshore, hide income, ect. Your point is BS at best.
2. If they are of the poorest in this county then they have an EBT card (welfare/foodstamps) which they pay no taxes beacause it is free.
3. Taxes on minimun wages are payroll taxes (medicade/SS) which they will end up using way more than they pay in, and to top that they receive an unearned income credit for which they will get paid (welware) more than was deducted to start with.
1) There are absolutely people living way below the poverty line. If you mean "no ultra-poor compared to most nations in Africa", then maybe. But compared to other industrialized nations? You're crazy.
2) Oh yes. A couple hundred dollars a month to buy food and 500 to pay for rent. They're nearly living like Rockefellers.
3) Well no shit, sherlock. That's how Social Security works. The rich subsidize the poor so the poor don't have to die in the gutter after a lifetime of working for the rich.
dont know if you read this Cenk (spelling?) but I would actually suggest the following: Lower overall "income tax" and impose a small consumption tax like maybe 2-4% on All good save for Food prodcuts. Every single thing that is purchased (physical or logical i.e. stocks) has a federal tax on it. Buy something out of the U.S.A f you bought with the U.S dolloar, you better pay the fed taxes on it. Over time Iwould continue to reduce income tax and increaes consumption to about 10%
I hope not, but Cenk might be right on having to bite the bullet on that one. The other possible alternative if we don't get enough returns on some of Obama's investments would be a more permanent tax to pay for the interest on this debt, and I don't think anyone wants that, people are paying enough interest on their own personal debt to swallow an indefinite tax just to pay for the interest on national debt.
Oh, I completely agree that education spending hasn't been going to the right programs. Like No Child Left Behind? The biggest joke of the republican party. It did the opposite of what it was supposed to - and benefited no one. Teachers around the country completely disagreed with it. But don't cut the spending. Just change the places within education it is going to.
It is fair but it will not happen. Because it is fair. Everybody will prefer some snake oil and some magic catch phrase and they wil go oooooh! And then go out and shop and spend money and ten years down the road they will be so in debt they will be unable to send their kids to college and there will be another recession.
i think that is a little bit over the top but what I would do is anyone making under 250,000 has no income tax. they deserve it. over 250,000 to 1 million tax them at 39.1%. 1 million up to 10 million tax them at 45%. And 10 million and up tax them at 50%. because we have to remember that not everyone has made millions off the stock market. their are some good people who have had great businesses and done it the right way. But we still need more balance for the middle class.
Wouldn't that be a big hit towards tax revenues? You need to tax people below 250000 a year at least a little bit. Our infrastructure would fall apart if that weren't the case... how do you think schools, bridges, public works etc get funded.
There have been behavioral finance studies that indicate that people are more likely to save the money they get from tax cuts. Kahneman and Taversky, the fathers of behavioral finance wrote a book about it actually. I guess its a matter of opinion though. I think we need to bite the bullet and pay more taxes for a while since Bush fucked everything up for everyone with his needless spending. It sucks, but it's necessary. I think we should tax cut once our deficit is cured.
i see what you're saying but it can be resolved by giving them a tax cut in a form of a welfare check,where people have to spend it by a certain amount of time or they'll lose their money.But we need to investigate the executives,CEO of the banks and indite them for fraud,and robbery. get us out of the wars and stop funding the 700 military bases we have worldwide.Create a speculation tax on wall street and have more whistle blowers that can actually do their job.Get all the wall street crooks.
You can't give people cash and force them to spend it by a certain. It is financially impossible and against the constitution. Such restrictions on liquid cash is impossible, my friend. I do agree with the rest of your comment though. Well said, dude.
I disagree b/c these tax cuts are given to people instead of the IRS. this needs to be done for I think only 4 to 5 years to get our economy rolling. i also think that people wouldn't object to it because they'll have more money to spend and it won't go to the IRS. b/c too many people are underpaid and the standard of living has decreased due to inflation which increases prices. plus in these extreme times there needs to be more power to us instead of bailing out these corporations.
You don't understand the waterfall effect. When those people making over 10 million are taxed UP TO 70%, you think they can maintain their businesses as they has before such a tax? No. They're going to have lay-offs, lower wages, and make sacrfices to the middle and lower classes. Overall, though it seems reasonable, it will HURT the economy.
Well they don't need 10 million something fucking dollars.
WHo is being taxed up to 70 percent? Who needs more than 1-2 million every fucking year?
I mean the people that own Wal-mart are worth billions each. They didn't do ANYTHING for wal-mart it was their father. The company treats its employees like shit now to make MORE money.
They deserve to lose some of that money if it means that people doing physical labor for them for damn near minimum wage can go to a doctor for injuries doing so.
The top bracket for personal income taxes is 35%. Under Clinton, it was 39.6%. During Reagan's 1st term, it was 50%. Nixon, 70%, Eisenhower, 91%. Going to a 55% bracket would slightly above that of the Reagan years. Fine by me.
Why are people talking tax cuts when we are in so much debt? I do believe we need to cut spending (obviously) but we have to start paying for this shit sometime. Start talking about tax cuts when the deficit is not out of control.
Cenk, the US has run deficits almost every year since WWII, and the White House's own projections say that the deficit will only shrink a little bit, then grow right back to where it was.
Your tax ideas make sense, but they aren't anywhere near enough to cover the gap. Between that and the exploding healthcare costs, the US is rapidly headed for insolvency.
Better idea would be to make those takes on the higher income permanent. Harsh, but it needs to be done.
You can watch videos detailing how intellectually dishonest the young turks are when it comes to smearing conservatives! Just google how the left works or Dennis Praeger and the young turks!
The mistake with this kind of thinking (and it is a devastating mistake) is the notion that taxes should be assigned based on who can "handle it" and how much they can "handle." Taxes should never be imposed based on ability to pay, especially as a huge proportion of government spending, e.g., healthcare, does not benefit those who are paying the most.
Isn't the purpose of welfare programs to raise the income and quality of life of the destitute and the struggling at the expense of those that are well off?
Of course the rich would not benefit the most from those programs because they're rich.
How would you propose taxes be handled, less taxes for the rich, less taxes for all, make taxes voluntary instead of involuntary, etc.?
Well I have a basic moral problem with (involuntary) taxes at all, which leads most people to think that I'm just crazy. However, if I were convinced that taxes are not immoral I would propose a consumption tax with certain things (like food for instance) not being taxed.
It might make sense to base taxes on ability to pay if there were a certain fixed amount that needed to be raised. However, what actually happens is the gov't says, "hey these people can pay more, let's take it and spend it."
They "take it" and "spend it" because we HAVE to pay for certain things like the military, roads, schools, libraries, fire departments, police departments, the US Postal service, Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, etc.
If you have two people, one who makes 20 million a year and one who makes 20,000 a year and take 10% of their income as taxes, the millionaire still has 18 million dollars whereas the other guy now only has 18,000.
The millionaire can afford more without experiencing hardship.
To your first paragraph - false. Most of those things we do not "have" to pay for. And for those that we do, some (if not all) would be payed for willingly and fairly. For instance, some roads are owned by communities that run them as non-profit toll roads. I'm using that as an example, not a model.
i suggest everybody pay more taxes and therefore america can have almost free health care and it would contribute in the funding of the public school education system because those poor suckers can't even count much less do math
CALL FOR 25% CUT IN THE US MILITARY BUDGET AS A 1st STEP
Goal: To persuade the Obama Administration and the Congress to make an immediate 25% cut in the military budget.
A 25% cut in military spending would be an important first step towards a more fundamental restructuring of the US military, a decisive way to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and free up funds needed to develop a green and sustainable economy.
thank you marvin. my posts usually get mad thumbs down but that's ok. it makes the threads look more festive and Christmasy with all the reds and greens mixed in. hee hee
about the school year, extending it will not help anything; restructuring the way classrooms run and making them more efficient will bolster our education system. America for too long has subscribed to the "bury them with homework and hope they learn it" methodology for too long. It has failed the country and our children.
Google "U.S. Teens trail peers around world on Math-science test" you'll find an article that highlights how poorly we are doing by our kids in schools. I propose to get special interests out of our schools. By that I mean stopping the intellegent design yahoos from dumbing down our high school science courses.
That'd be a good start but the problem is more fundamental than that in my opinion. In the 70s and 80s we raised whole generations on this idea that self-esteem is everything and "book smarts" aren't that important. That's the legacy I'm afraid we're dealing with today.
Add to that the picture the media presents which is: if you become a scientist or engineer you will be ridiculed but if you make a sex tape or go on "reality tv" you become a billionaire.
"Theres class warfare, alright, but it's my class, the rich class, that's making war, and we're winning." ~Warrren Buffet.
That's interesting. He's probably the only rich person with any amount of fame who'll say that.
Everyone of you who are whining about the tax cuts that Bush enacted for people earning 250K plus a year. You guys really need to think about what Mr. Buffet said
we really should cut tons of stuff, but I'd totally start w/ that giant pink elephant ....the Military!!! I would avoid education, however only to an extent because there are so many things in all the budgets that could be cut. so, lets seriously nit pick and raise some taxes a lil' bit
That is a Valid point. If you're making 80k a year why are you complaining about people making 250k a year paying 40% they are still clearing 150k+ a year. many people would be glad to have that. As for the Supply side trickle down economics that we have been using since the 80's. I have just this to say "Don't piss on my back and tell me that it's rain...". That's exactly what Trickle Down economics is. The New Deal build the infrastructure that was used by business to grow our economy.
I think Obama knows his policies (such as Geithner's plan) will hit the working class hard. The same way he's not calling out AIG execs because his tax plan will hit them too (and he's that rich so he probably sides with them more than us unfortunately)
So I think he's trying to balance it all out but realistically, it doesn't, like you said paying 7mil off your 10 mil is not going to break the bankl.
Hopefully, Obama in the future will modify it like he said he might in the press conference
Education: increase the school year to match or exceed most other countries, DONE! Our school year is the shortest, so, DUH, our schools don't do as well. Period.
i dont think that lengthening the school yr will help...it doesnt matter how long children are in school most kids dont want to be there at all and many of the teachers just arent good at making the topics interesting. Id would rather there be a national circulum standard so that everyone will learn the same stuff that way ppl that go to schools in one district wont be better than kids that go to another. i think that would help more than lengthening the yr
I'd like punishment to be dispensed to the F - to - D children, and FORCE them to week-end schools to lift their grades. We can't BS our students, they've gotta learn, and if the punks don't wanna learn, we've gotta make 'em.
This is the difference between other countries and the us people. They actualy go out and protest for what they want as we are lazy and just bitch on youtube. I feel if other countries can offer universal healthcare and not be bankrupt its just stupid to think we as the socalled country thats baddass shouldnt be able to do the same. so we all pay higher taxes like in canada but its worth it . to put our money to make us stronger via education & healthcare.
A reasonable raise in taxes when the momentum comes, some spending cuts and progressive taxation would be a very good way of solving the debt problem.
I think the only ones who should pay 70 percent in taxes are those who benefited from these firms that needed bailouts. Otherwise I think that is a lil too much sacrifice. Who are we to determine how much anybody can survive on. Just like a person would be in trouble going from 40,000 a year to 15,000, the same idea goes for the ultra rich. And that wouldn't be safe or fair at all.
There's a few problems with this plan. #1, we will probabley only be on the upturn of this recession in 2010, so we should wait at least until 2012 or 2013 to start taxing. #2 taxes for the rich will have to go up, but not up to 70%. Regardless of what popular opinion these days may suggest, most of those in the highest levels of income did genuinly earn their money. The highest tax on the rich that I would be comfortable with is 55%. Taxes that are to high could start another recession too.
You know what I like about this, is that he proposes an Idea. Something that we won't know will work unless we apply and try. Everyone is badgering this stimulus and everything else, but not too many people are offering a better Idea. As one that doesn't make much money and is a member of the Armed forces, I think his Idea is a good one. It will get shot down once it is proposed. But damn it's a great Idea. Can you imagine if the super rich were to get taxed a total of 70% of their income?
Ah man, you'd cut education spending? I think that that is the most important one. Serously. Tuition in post secondary just keeps on increasing, and middle class kids can hardly afford to go to college. (I should know.) My sol'n is to encourage the rich ppl to distribute money to others less fortunate across the country. I know it may sound juvenile, but hey, instead of giving to big charities, give $1000 to mid and low class families, they'd then have money to spend and noost the econ.
Never in a million years. It's stupid to even suggest something like that. It's like asking for every country to disarm their military. The reason being is that both Democrats and Republicans have super rich supporters, and they'll never let that happen. So it'll get shut down from both sides.
8 years of the wealthiest Americans getting a tax break while we were involved in two wars costing billions of dollars a month.
Well now, if these people are going to bitch about paying their fair share of taxes when they themselves have plenty of money to fall back on in the middle of this economic shit storm, I have some advice for you people to help alleviate your pain:
1. Go to the nearest Walgreens
2. Buy a box of Kleenex
3. Have your butler wipe the tears off your cheeks. : )
Did you come up with that all by yourself? Did you see he was fat and thought "Fat folks eat food" and then you thought, "pizza's a food" and put all that tough information together on your own?
It must be tough going through life without anyone recognizing your supreme level of intellect and civil discourse. The world is truly a more enlighten place with your observation of my grotesque size and appearance. Congratulations.
pulsar00815, you'd probably be shot cause you have rabies. At least you're acting like a rabid dog in this forum. I do think that every politician in Congress do need to stop giving themselves raises for the time being. Otherwise you make no sense.
50% tax wow that is so unreasonable. The economy goes down the drain and now everyone is an expert on how to fix it. The reason why Bush lower their taxes is so they could create jobs and invest more in the econmy. I do think their taxes should be raised but as Lincoln once said, "You can help the poor by hurting the rich."
go fuck yourself you stinking bucket of dog shit,your fucking filthy cunt stink i bet your tongue is stuck right up your mothers arsehole you fucking rag....have a nice day!
What most people do not understand is that you can't take greed out of the equation. We need a new/ better system that can correspond to the new world order. But this paycheck is on us no metter what...i hope America gets out of it ok. And cuts in education...? Are you serious? Education just might be the most important thing. Especially now....when we are building a new system.
Seeing as how I grew up in a family of three people and we managed to live on 20,000 a year, and it wasn't that bad. If you budget properly you can live a decent life.
No I wouldn't say so, most people I know want all the premium brand designer wear, good cars and multiple properties outside their income bracket, plus expensive holidays.
I'm just saying my only two life aspirations are to get an education (need a doctorate) and to travel the world, I don't give a shit about expensive crap otherwise.
Bullshit, my mom makes 80,00 a year off a single paycheck and supports her parents and 3 kids. Not to mention we still have enough money to save up over 70,000 in our savings and college tuition accounts put together and we can still pay our bills and buy things like a home theater system, 52 inch TVs, and a car for my brother, so how much could you save and spend with 250k you think?
To add to you comment. I also go to university granted I do so on a mixture of government grants and scholarships and money is still tight, but with proper budgeting I get by quite nicely. I manage to afford good clothes and such things on my limited paycheck as well because I don't spend it on every little thing. I save up until I have enough money to buy things that help me get through interviews and help me network here at my university.
taxes are graded, usually. So the tax that is a 50% is only the money that is 10 million and above, not the money that is below 10 million. The money between 1 and 10 milion would be at a lower tax bracket, and 100k to 1m is lower still, etc. It isn't that all your income is then taxed at the higher rate.
If they mention what they want to cut people will realise how bad politicians really are. Defence spending is way too high and when people realise how much is wasted, something may change. I don't think that fact is mentioned enough.
Just because your income is low does not give you the right to be insane with taxation. A 95% tax for those making 1 mil. that leaves 50,000. The way the tax code works, why not just get a job for 50,000 in the first place. I can tell you as a small business owner(7 employees) that I would immediately shut down. Running a small business is a very demanding job. I would just quit. If you hate people only because they do well what does that say about you?
It only makes sense that those who benefit the most from our capitalist system pay the highest percentage of their income to support that system.
One thing you would have to fix first though is the abuse of the tax deductions by the rich. Otherwise no matter how high you make taxes, they will still be ducking under them.
I think you're a little unfair, Cenk. 55%!!! That's WAY TO LOW!!! This is a crisis of unprecedented proportion! I mean, FDR raised the rate for anyone making over $100K/yr (approx. $1million in today's dollars) to 95% during WWII!!!! And, it stayed at 90% for years, and it was still at 70% in 1980 when Reagan took over! I think we should just implement 95% tax rate, no exceptions, no offshore bullshit, none of it for all people & corporations making over $1million/yr.
hey dumbass if you tax a guy making 1 million $ at 95%, he is making $50,000. Why should I guy who warked his ass of to get a good job get crippled in taxes, but a lazy bastard who doesnt do shit will end up making around the same as him
Please explain to me how 5% of 1 million is not 50k. This idea is totally insane. Why would anyone bother trying to get a high-paying job? I consider myself to be a liberal to moderate democrat, but if anything like this was even mentioned by the party instead of loons I would never vote democrat again.
It's a fact that these bailouts & stimulae are benefitting a very few at the top while the rest of us are supposed to just be happy to have a job. If we didn't bail anyone out, rich folk like you would lose 95% of your total wealth, let alone income, anyway. So, if we're going to pay for CDS, derivatives, etc, it might as well be the people who're getting paid off be the ones who pay in, not the poor slob down at the plant making $12/hr. Or, let the whole shithouse go up in flames. I don't care.
Rich people & their kids do not fight wars, they profit from them. Therefore, they might as well pay for them. These were the words of FDR. You also assume that everyone making $1million/yr does so honestly & thru hard work. I say, bullshit. There is so much fraud & greed in this country that I'd venture to say MOST of the people making $1million (this is net, not gross) did so not thru their own hard work but by fraud or off the backs of their employees who struggle to make ends meet.
I am not rich i make less then 80k a year and I fought in the wars you are talking about. You sound like a college freshman who has been listening to a crazy poly sci professor too much. Not all rich people are corrupt, there are many small business owners who worked their ass off to build their business from nothing, and then some jerk like you wants to ruin them by taxing them to death. I am all for regulating wall st, they are clearly out of control. The deregulation was insane, but so are u
Oh so now you get to decide who makes what? If you work hard to get a good job or to build a business you deserve to make whatever amount you can.
Look I am just as outraged as anyone about this wall st stuff. These guys are clearly out of control and we need more regulation. That said you cant blame every person with money in the country for the financial crisis. This was a select group of greedy dumb bastards that did it.
Actually, the jerk is you. You keep talking about these "small business owners" who "built their businesses from nothing" but those people are the minority.
The rich in this society get most of the subsidies and most of the welfare - and ALL of the bailouts. This bailout is the FOURTH financial bailout for the rich in my lifetime.
80k and bitching that billionaires have to pay high taxes? Sucker, you sound like you've been listening to Rush Limbaugh.
Who is talking about billionaires asshole? I said taxing a guy who cracks a million at 95% is insane. A person like me might end up making more than him a year then, how the hell is that fair? I hate Limbaugh he is a fat, disgusting right wing bigot. I am a passionate democrat I just find this crap about blaming everything on the rich as stupid. The wealthiest 1% in this country control far too much wealth, and they should pay more in taxes, but lets not go insane. U guys sound like marxists
I hate the poor because I think taxing people at 95% is unreasonable?
I am sucking up to Wall St. bankers by saying they are out of control, greedy, and need to be regulated?
That is funny you sound just like Limbaugh, you attack me because I disagree with you, and you ignore my argument and all the facts and just make up a bunch of bullshit. Like I said before the rich in this country control too much of the wealth, but taking away ALL their money is undemocratic and insane.
Yes, it's about your priorities and timing. We're in the middle of a robbery, and you saying, "wait, don't stop the thieves! You might unfairly hurt them!"
Yes, taking the side of the rich in a class war is hating the poor. And you only make 80k? Sucker.
Are you really this ignorant? Not every rich person in this country is a wall st. banker. In fact they are the minority. So you are crippling them to pay for someone elses greed. Also why would anyone continue to work if they had to pay so much in taxes? They would simply quit, and our economy would crumble. Also taxing people at such a high rate would make them poor, because they couldnt make payments on anything. So please remove your head from your ass and come back to reality.
I'm with you in that there's no need to "punish" people for being rich but #1 the proposal Cenk is making isn't punishment. It's the idea that if we all chip in we can mitigate this disaster.
#2 why do Americans all think that higher taxes would mean people wouldn't want their cushy high-paying jobs any more? Does everyone in Japan quit because of high taxes? Does everyone in Europe quit because of high taxes? That's just non-sense.
Im not talking about Cenk's plan. I am talking about these crazies that want to tax anyone who makes more than a million at 95%. That is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard and it would destroy our economy. Cenks plan is a little stiff but in the ballpark. I think he needs to break up the 100k - 1 million bracket though. That is way too large, 100k isnt even that much in the north east.
mm there's always room for negotiation. I was just saying, I think the issue of people not being willing to work if we raise taxes is a bit fallacious. Same as when they say they can't keep executives for under X amount.
95% is clearly a little over the top though. ;) And I don't think we should be raising taxes as a punitive measure any way. It needs to be about solving our problems not petty revenge. Hell the bankers may have "stolen" a lot of money but we let them.
If i made just over $1 million and was taxed at 95% so I was making 50k, I would quit. What the hell is the point? Our country does have a problem with wealth disparity though. Bill Maher has been throwing around a stat that during the Bush admin. $850 billion if new wealth was created, of which 75% went to the richest 1%. That is ridiculous. The middle class gets screwed in this country, they pay a much higher proportion of their total income in taxes then the wealthy and that is not fair.
Again, I agree 95% is unfair but if you get taxed at 95% when you earn over 1 million dollars, that means everything OVER 1 million gets taxed at 95%, not the 1 million itself. That's very important to realize. The first million you would be taxed the same as people in the under 1 million bracket.
Exactly. I think this fact was lost on Mr. Walsh. It was 95% on all income over $1million in FDRs day to pay for the war instead of borrowing the money from the private bankers & passing the bill on to the middle class & their kids/grandkids. Make your first $1million then 95% of everything after that goes to pay for bailouts, wars & the nat'l debt until it gets paid off. Also, put a heavy tax on wealth in general which is how you prevent dynasties from developing & wealth consolidation.
who said anything about 95%? And its not about the wealthy having tax breaks, its about people who know how to do their taxes properly not paying taxes.
fattkid and carryanation were arguing that is totally reasonable and that if you dont agree you are an evil bastard who hates the poor and loves rush limbaugh
I am conservative, and even when I get rare chance to hear talk show, I often hear them say, "...but that cut wouldn't make a big difference." When I had to reduce budget for my family, every cut made a difference. For some reason, my creditors don't allow me to raise my debt ceiling.
kiddingme01 6 months ago in playlist Politics - TYT
There are a lot of places to cut, just no politician wants to go on record for what he/she would cut, less they are demonized or worse, lose votes.
kiddingme01 6 months ago in playlist Politics - TYT
this should be applied all over the world. even though 5 years is short, some bastards will try and flee it.
gatskillz 1 year ago
Who gives you the right to take anyones money just because they have more than you do. Cenk, what if for just one year you made it BIG on a network TV show and made 20 million in one year? Then it's over, show is cancelled. Now you give the government 18 million and you keep 2. Problem is you have 40 years to live and you can't work anymore for some reason. Now how much would that 18 million come in handy for all the years you built your business on the internet. Isn't that worth something?
metron999 1 year ago
Since the Federal Government is charged with 100% of the cost of defense spending and that is a primary reason we have a Federal government.
How much of the Federal Budget should be defense spending?
Why does cenk laugh at everything he says? it's annoying as hell. It's not funny 99% of what he talks about so I don't get the joke.
metron999 1 year ago
my plan: socialism! and to all the rich fucks complaining: stop being so fucking selfish!
Chaaarge 2 years ago
@Chaaarge
So if you were rich, you would then be happy to give all your money away? Sounds like you would be in the same position you are now financially. So what is your problem? Socialism won't get you anywhere you just want everyone else to be as miserable and short sighted as you are. Perhaps the next time you get your unemployment check or free food stamps you will thank those that are rich fo the helping hand you ungrateful useless good for nothing complainer.
metron999 1 year ago
@metron999 free food stamps aren't important if the food is divided evenly. Unemployment checks aren't needed if everyone who is able to work is forced to work. Helping hands aren't needed if the government decides who helps who. And i would like a better system for deciding who should make more money than "free market"(which is mostly controlled by the big corporations). I still think having a successfull company is ok as long as they return some profit to society
Chaaarge 1 year ago
@Chaaarge
America was founded on principals of freedom and the rights of individuals. You are responsible for your welfare. You are not allowed to take money, food, or profits from someone else just because you are poor.
Forcing people to work? You want to bring back slavery? That is what communism is you know.
Free markets are what America is all about. Freedom of religion and the freedom to make your own destiny with the idea that nobody should decide how much you can make. Deal with it.
metron999 1 year ago
@metron999 I live in sweden, which many people do consider socialist. I don't think there has ever been a truly socialist country, but I just wanted to make it clear that socialism would be awesome if we could just teach people to think in "groups" and not as "individuals". A country is nothing but a big group and if you don't work you're holding the rest of us back. I'm still for free market and creativity, but a smart government should decide who to fund. People make too many useless products.
Chaaarge 1 year ago
@Chaaarge
Why do you classify people that are rich as fucks? Do you classify people by race as well? You know if it were not for people having the ability to get rich everyone would be living like third world countries do. Starvation and disease. I defy you to show anyone starving in the United States like they do in socialist and communist and many other Utopian governmental systems you want. You are very very lucky to live in the U.S.A. If you don't like the constitution then leave.
metron999 1 year ago
Let me just ask you why you think it's right for you to tax the top 5% more. Yes wealthier people make more and it's easier for them to pay taxes. Yet the top 5% pay 50% of the taxes and 40% of people don't pay any taxes. You see the rich get just as much out of government as everyone else. It's like your buying a product from a store and you don't get anything thing else besides the fact you pay more. It's not fair and we should either go to a Fair Tax,Flat Tax,or a head tax.
cpblackangel88 2 years ago
We need to go to an 18% national sales tax. We do that through replacing entitlements with job insurance and private accounts in investment. And getting of all unconstitutional government departments. The 700 uses bases offshore. This will make us more competitive and we can still balance the budget. Plus if you get rid of all the other taxes the 22% embedded tax in all products is eliminated. This would make prices go down and it works.
cpblackangel88 2 years ago 2
@cpblackangel88 sales tax hurts the poor and only really effects the poor
darkdragonsoul99 6 months ago
My own personal tax plan:
1) A Federal Living Wage set at 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (~20k/year), indexed to inflation. States would be allowed to raise this further as they see fit.
2) Amend the Medicare Act to allow any employed person(s) to buy into it on a sliding tax scale based on monthly net income. Leave Medicaid/Food Stamps etc. mostly untouched to aid the unemployed poor.
3) Institute a "maximum wage" i.e. a tax bracket above which 100% of income is taken as taxes.
AwfulVision 2 years ago
The maximum wage would be set high enough to allow reasonable accumulation of wealth and reinvestment but low enough to discourage wealth hoarding. If the rich don't like it, then by all means, they can spend a fortune uprooting their companies and taking them to another country that doesn't have a huge potential work force, lots of raw materials, and a massive industrial infrastructure like the USA.
Perhaps to the true unregulated laissez-faire capitalist state of Somalia.
AwfulVision 2 years ago
what about china?
JAROSLAVAGINA 2 years ago
@AwfulVision
he maximum wage would be set high enough to allow reasonable accumulation of wealth.
So how much is reasonable and who appointed you dominion over millions of free people? Perhaps you want to go back in history and appoint yourself god with power over the whole world!
If the rich don't like it, then by all means, they can spend a fortune uprooting their companies and taking them to another country
Um, they already did. It was when America was founded.
metron999 1 year ago
Yeah, Cenk, a five-year-plan. Nobody in america will take that the wrong way.
Well i guess they're just loonies anyway.
jbroadclearing 2 years ago
This guy is so stupid! You can tax everyone over $50 %100 until the end of time, and it will not pay for Obama's tax-eater plan.
Cohort227 2 years ago
When specifically is time ending?
alexebling 2 years ago
Taxes under Obama are the same level they were under Ronald Reagan.
Were Reagan's taxes "too high"? How about Nixon's? Ford's? Eisenhower's? Obama's tax plan is at the same level as Reagan's and lower than the other Republican presidents I've named.
AwfulVision 2 years ago
this "shared sacrifice" concept sounds good but is totally bullshit and doesnt work! Who makes over a million dollars per year?? the smart investors, and the owners of business-they make up some of the largest portions of taxes given to the government, not cuz theyre TAXED more, but cuz theyre taxed LESS! if u take half their money away, "well i guess i cant hire any new employees this year, in fact ive got to CUT jobs and LOWER production." explain how that helps? Loss of jobs AND income taxes.
kirbiak90ZX 2 years ago
Hmmm.....
Grow the government in recession...
Grow the government in productivity...
Where are we headding?
kaizasolseiboy 2 years ago
This would hit ALL americans, poor and wealthy. Right now, the wealthy's big argument is that the poor do not pay taxes and they don't (if we're talking about the really poor in the country) this also hits bussiness small and large. In addition, I would put a huge tax on any Amercian producible product that business buy in bulk on import to avoid consumption tax, just to make sure EVERYONE pays up. I don't mind paying my taxes, I consider it a priveledge to some extent.
milanthron 2 years ago
Wait, the ultra-poor dont pay taxes? They pay 10% sales tax every time they go to the grocery store, and if they work minimum wage they get taxed on that. Not to mention they buy products for more than base value because the store/factories have to pay taxes, hence they raise their prices. By the way, I would be hard-pressed to find someone making above 5 million a year paying all of his/her taxes, so many of them hide accounts offshore, hide income, ect. Your point is BS at best.
thetotalvidwatcher 2 years ago
1. There are no ultra-poor in the United States.
2. If they are of the poorest in this county then they have an EBT card (welfare/foodstamps) which they pay no taxes beacause it is free.
3. Taxes on minimun wages are payroll taxes (medicade/SS) which they will end up using way more than they pay in, and to top that they receive an unearned income credit for which they will get paid (welware) more than was deducted to start with.
Cohort227 2 years ago
1) There are absolutely people living way below the poverty line. If you mean "no ultra-poor compared to most nations in Africa", then maybe. But compared to other industrialized nations? You're crazy.
2) Oh yes. A couple hundred dollars a month to buy food and 500 to pay for rent. They're nearly living like Rockefellers.
3) Well no shit, sherlock. That's how Social Security works. The rich subsidize the poor so the poor don't have to die in the gutter after a lifetime of working for the rich.
AwfulVision 2 years ago
4. "the store/factories have to pay taxes," What will happen when you tax the rich some more?
5. SOme of the rich may be hiding, What wil you do when they LEAVE?
6. Your point is BS.
Cohort227 2 years ago
dont know if you read this Cenk (spelling?) but I would actually suggest the following: Lower overall "income tax" and impose a small consumption tax like maybe 2-4% on All good save for Food prodcuts. Every single thing that is purchased (physical or logical i.e. stocks) has a federal tax on it. Buy something out of the U.S.A f you bought with the U.S dolloar, you better pay the fed taxes on it. Over time Iwould continue to reduce income tax and increaes consumption to about 10%
milanthron 2 years ago
how do you talk with your mouth so full?
elliotcheely 2 years ago
Income tax was only supposed to be no more than 7% for the top 2%.
WTF, what a joke.
chewbaca1989 2 years ago
so brainwashed about taxes.
chewbaca1989 2 years ago
I hope not, but Cenk might be right on having to bite the bullet on that one. The other possible alternative if we don't get enough returns on some of Obama's investments would be a more permanent tax to pay for the interest on this debt, and I don't think anyone wants that, people are paying enough interest on their own personal debt to swallow an indefinite tax just to pay for the interest on national debt.
ThoughtRipple 2 years ago
You know what shared sacrifice is COMMUNISM IDIOT!!!
shortman698 2 years ago
Lol yea the defense budget is the most because there are so many wackjob country's in the world wanting to kill us!!
shortman698 2 years ago
christ this is so much more complicated then it need be.
fair tax. problem solved.
oldhacks 2 years ago
Oh, I completely agree that education spending hasn't been going to the right programs. Like No Child Left Behind? The biggest joke of the republican party. It did the opposite of what it was supposed to - and benefited no one. Teachers around the country completely disagreed with it. But don't cut the spending. Just change the places within education it is going to.
hottfrogpines 2 years ago 5
It is fair but it will not happen. Because it is fair. Everybody will prefer some snake oil and some magic catch phrase and they wil go oooooh! And then go out and shop and spend money and ten years down the road they will be so in debt they will be unable to send their kids to college and there will be another recession.
Just watch it unfold.
xhagast 2 years ago
By a certain time i mean.
nnamdi247 2 years ago
i think that is a little bit over the top but what I would do is anyone making under 250,000 has no income tax. they deserve it. over 250,000 to 1 million tax them at 39.1%. 1 million up to 10 million tax them at 45%. And 10 million and up tax them at 50%. because we have to remember that not everyone has made millions off the stock market. their are some good people who have had great businesses and done it the right way. But we still need more balance for the middle class.
raughn3 2 years ago
Wouldn't that be a big hit towards tax revenues? You need to tax people below 250000 a year at least a little bit. Our infrastructure would fall apart if that weren't the case... how do you think schools, bridges, public works etc get funded.
nnamdi247 2 years ago
noo b/c u distribute the tax revenues from the rich to the middle class and poor. Plus poor and middle class people will have more money to spend.
raughn3 2 years ago
There have been behavioral finance studies that indicate that people are more likely to save the money they get from tax cuts. Kahneman and Taversky, the fathers of behavioral finance wrote a book about it actually. I guess its a matter of opinion though. I think we need to bite the bullet and pay more taxes for a while since Bush fucked everything up for everyone with his needless spending. It sucks, but it's necessary. I think we should tax cut once our deficit is cured.
nnamdi247 2 years ago
i see what you're saying but it can be resolved by giving them a tax cut in a form of a welfare check,where people have to spend it by a certain amount of time or they'll lose their money.But we need to investigate the executives,CEO of the banks and indite them for fraud,and robbery. get us out of the wars and stop funding the 700 military bases we have worldwide.Create a speculation tax on wall street and have more whistle blowers that can actually do their job.Get all the wall street crooks.
raughn3 2 years ago
You can't give people cash and force them to spend it by a certain. It is financially impossible and against the constitution. Such restrictions on liquid cash is impossible, my friend. I do agree with the rest of your comment though. Well said, dude.
nnamdi247 2 years ago
I disagree b/c these tax cuts are given to people instead of the IRS. this needs to be done for I think only 4 to 5 years to get our economy rolling. i also think that people wouldn't object to it because they'll have more money to spend and it won't go to the IRS. b/c too many people are underpaid and the standard of living has decreased due to inflation which increases prices. plus in these extreme times there needs to be more power to us instead of bailing out these corporations.
raughn3 2 years ago
You don't understand the waterfall effect. When those people making over 10 million are taxed UP TO 70%, you think they can maintain their businesses as they has before such a tax? No. They're going to have lay-offs, lower wages, and make sacrfices to the middle and lower classes. Overall, though it seems reasonable, it will HURT the economy.
musicguy129 2 years ago
Well they don't need 10 million something fucking dollars.
WHo is being taxed up to 70 percent? Who needs more than 1-2 million every fucking year?
I mean the people that own Wal-mart are worth billions each. They didn't do ANYTHING for wal-mart it was their father. The company treats its employees like shit now to make MORE money.
They deserve to lose some of that money if it means that people doing physical labor for them for damn near minimum wage can go to a doctor for injuries doing so.
makaisenki 2 years ago
The top bracket for personal income taxes is 35%. Under Clinton, it was 39.6%. During Reagan's 1st term, it was 50%. Nixon, 70%, Eisenhower, 91%. Going to a 55% bracket would slightly above that of the Reagan years. Fine by me.
Randy
fantagor 2 years ago
I like that plan!
Swordsquire 2 years ago
get fucked cenk education is important
IckyThump101 2 years ago
Why are people talking tax cuts when we are in so much debt? I do believe we need to cut spending (obviously) but we have to start paying for this shit sometime. Start talking about tax cuts when the deficit is not out of control.
melowar78 2 years ago
Cenk, the US has run deficits almost every year since WWII, and the White House's own projections say that the deficit will only shrink a little bit, then grow right back to where it was.
Your tax ideas make sense, but they aren't anywhere near enough to cover the gap. Between that and the exploding healthcare costs, the US is rapidly headed for insolvency.
Better idea would be to make those takes on the higher income permanent. Harsh, but it needs to be done.
TheMann2000 2 years ago
I trust a pile of dog crap more than I trust Dennis Praeger not to stink to high hell.
chukkufarley 2 years ago
You can watch videos detailing how intellectually dishonest the young turks are when it comes to smearing conservatives! Just google how the left works or Dennis Praeger and the young turks!
maytruthabound 2 years ago
The mistake with this kind of thinking (and it is a devastating mistake) is the notion that taxes should be assigned based on who can "handle it" and how much they can "handle." Taxes should never be imposed based on ability to pay, especially as a huge proportion of government spending, e.g., healthcare, does not benefit those who are paying the most.
noahnz 2 years ago
Isn't the purpose of welfare programs to raise the income and quality of life of the destitute and the struggling at the expense of those that are well off?
Of course the rich would not benefit the most from those programs because they're rich.
How would you propose taxes be handled, less taxes for the rich, less taxes for all, make taxes voluntary instead of involuntary, etc.?
orishas2000 2 years ago
Well I have a basic moral problem with (involuntary) taxes at all, which leads most people to think that I'm just crazy. However, if I were convinced that taxes are not immoral I would propose a consumption tax with certain things (like food for instance) not being taxed.
It might make sense to base taxes on ability to pay if there were a certain fixed amount that needed to be raised. However, what actually happens is the gov't says, "hey these people can pay more, let's take it and spend it."
noahnz 2 years ago
They "take it" and "spend it" because we HAVE to pay for certain things like the military, roads, schools, libraries, fire departments, police departments, the US Postal service, Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, etc.
If you have two people, one who makes 20 million a year and one who makes 20,000 a year and take 10% of their income as taxes, the millionaire still has 18 million dollars whereas the other guy now only has 18,000.
The millionaire can afford more without experiencing hardship.
AwfulVision 2 years ago
To your first paragraph - false. Most of those things we do not "have" to pay for. And for those that we do, some (if not all) would be payed for willingly and fairly. For instance, some roads are owned by communities that run them as non-profit toll roads. I'm using that as an example, not a model.
noahnz 2 years ago
WHY is it that YoungTurd keeps showing up in "promoted" videos? I'm sick up & feed of this smarmy marxist droog.
Pighood 2 years ago
youtube run by liberals!
maytruthabound 2 years ago
Gee...ya think?
Pighood 2 years ago
Read about Marxist theology. The Young Turks do not promote Marxism.
Emiljon 2 years ago
doggy style
geminielf7 2 years ago
i suggest everybody pay more taxes and therefore america can have almost free health care and it would contribute in the funding of the public school education system because those poor suckers can't even count much less do math
kylecoolio12 2 years ago
I'm a republican and I believe in tax cuts so here is what I think, any one who makes less than 50 K cut his taxes 95 %
so his taxes are5% that is how you cut taxes
Evolvedprimate 2 years ago
I wouldent say your a fully evolved primate
Watchurassfo 2 years ago
Obvious:
IRAQ MORATORIUM CAMPAIGN
CALL FOR 25% CUT IN THE US MILITARY BUDGET AS A 1st STEP
Goal: To persuade the Obama Administration and the Congress to make an immediate 25% cut in the military budget.
A 25% cut in military spending would be an important first step towards a more fundamental restructuring of the US military, a decisive way to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and free up funds needed to develop a green and sustainable economy.
friendsofbradwill 2 years ago
gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay
nitemaric 2 years ago
maybe this cenk guy could sacrifice a few less lasagna dishes and chocolate cheesecake desserts
pulsar00815 2 years ago
Pulse! You actually got voted up on this one! I'm so used to not being able to see your comments I just had to congratulate you on this one ;)
megamarsvin 2 years ago
thank you marvin. my posts usually get mad thumbs down but that's ok. it makes the threads look more festive and Christmasy with all the reds and greens mixed in. hee hee
pulsar00815 2 years ago
Oh yeah, we really need the government taking more of our money.
Ridiculous.
jaydstein 2 years ago
problem is that if you do it for five years, that five years will last forever
enigmatically 2 years ago
@enigmatically
Well that's how corrupt our tax-system is.
okayillgonow 2 years ago
not with you on this Cenk
blakaxe 2 years ago
How about you cut Millatary?
Kite208 2 years ago
about the school year, extending it will not help anything; restructuring the way classrooms run and making them more efficient will bolster our education system. America for too long has subscribed to the "bury them with homework and hope they learn it" methodology for too long. It has failed the country and our children.
Nowitzki25 2 years ago
Google "U.S. Teens trail peers around world on Math-science test" you'll find an article that highlights how poorly we are doing by our kids in schools. I propose to get special interests out of our schools. By that I mean stopping the intellegent design yahoos from dumbing down our high school science courses.
chukkufarley 2 years ago
That'd be a good start but the problem is more fundamental than that in my opinion. In the 70s and 80s we raised whole generations on this idea that self-esteem is everything and "book smarts" aren't that important. That's the legacy I'm afraid we're dealing with today.
Add to that the picture the media presents which is: if you become a scientist or engineer you will be ridiculed but if you make a sex tape or go on "reality tv" you become a billionaire.
megamarsvin 2 years ago
these guys need a show already
david3188col 2 years ago
"Theres class warfare, alright, but it's my class, the rich class, that's making war, and we're winning." ~Warrren Buffet.
That's interesting. He's probably the only rich person with any amount of fame who'll say that.
Everyone of you who are whining about the tax cuts that Bush enacted for people earning 250K plus a year. You guys really need to think about what Mr. Buffet said
chukkufarley 2 years ago
we really should cut tons of stuff, but I'd totally start w/ that giant pink elephant ....the Military!!! I would avoid education, however only to an extent because there are so many things in all the budgets that could be cut. so, lets seriously nit pick and raise some taxes a lil' bit
WARDOG1138 2 years ago
That is a Valid point. If you're making 80k a year why are you complaining about people making 250k a year paying 40% they are still clearing 150k+ a year. many people would be glad to have that. As for the Supply side trickle down economics that we have been using since the 80's. I have just this to say "Don't piss on my back and tell me that it's rain...". That's exactly what Trickle Down economics is. The New Deal build the infrastructure that was used by business to grow our economy.
chukkufarley 2 years ago
Comment removed
chukkufarley 2 years ago
I think Obama knows his policies (such as Geithner's plan) will hit the working class hard. The same way he's not calling out AIG execs because his tax plan will hit them too (and he's that rich so he probably sides with them more than us unfortunately)
So I think he's trying to balance it all out but realistically, it doesn't, like you said paying 7mil off your 10 mil is not going to break the bankl.
Hopefully, Obama in the future will modify it like he said he might in the press conference
bundle 2 years ago
Education: increase the school year to match or exceed most other countries, DONE! Our school year is the shortest, so, DUH, our schools don't do as well. Period.
ndyt 2 years ago
i dont think that lengthening the school yr will help...it doesnt matter how long children are in school most kids dont want to be there at all and many of the teachers just arent good at making the topics interesting. Id would rather there be a national circulum standard so that everyone will learn the same stuff that way ppl that go to schools in one district wont be better than kids that go to another. i think that would help more than lengthening the yr
indian8217 2 years ago
Teachers go apeshit everytime they reccomend taking away summer vacation.
UlyssesBreckenridge 2 years ago
well what other reason would you want to be a teacher??
no summer vacation.... FUCK THAT
dloghin 2 years ago
This is true.
UlyssesBreckenridge 2 years ago
UlyssesBreckenridge, reduce it, not take it away, compensate with higher pay.
ndyt 2 years ago
I'd like punishment to be dispensed to the F - to - D children, and FORCE them to week-end schools to lift their grades. We can't BS our students, they've gotta learn, and if the punks don't wanna learn, we've gotta make 'em.
Tyler1337Admin 2 years ago
This is the difference between other countries and the us people. They actualy go out and protest for what they want as we are lazy and just bitch on youtube. I feel if other countries can offer universal healthcare and not be bankrupt its just stupid to think we as the socalled country thats baddass shouldnt be able to do the same. so we all pay higher taxes like in canada but its worth it . to put our money to make us stronger via education & healthcare.
BlackMambakins 2 years ago
The government will not pay down the debt. They will just spend the added tax money into more government. Don't be fooled.
nasanction 2 years ago
A reasonable raise in taxes when the momentum comes, some spending cuts and progressive taxation would be a very good way of solving the debt problem.
I am with Cenk.
qanazir 2 years ago
Its easy to cut spending...
Anything related to war on drugs
Education
Homeland Security
Defense
ThePranxster 2 years ago 2
I agree. I am in law enforcement and the 'war on drugs' is a scam and it is hurting millions of people!
We tolerate drunk driving, but dont you dare smoke a little marijuana?
Does not make sense!
WhiteBull 2 years ago 3
I think the only ones who should pay 70 percent in taxes are those who benefited from these firms that needed bailouts. Otherwise I think that is a lil too much sacrifice. Who are we to determine how much anybody can survive on. Just like a person would be in trouble going from 40,000 a year to 15,000, the same idea goes for the ultra rich. And that wouldn't be safe or fair at all.
zadkiel04 2 years ago
There's a few problems with this plan. #1, we will probabley only be on the upturn of this recession in 2010, so we should wait at least until 2012 or 2013 to start taxing. #2 taxes for the rich will have to go up, but not up to 70%. Regardless of what popular opinion these days may suggest, most of those in the highest levels of income did genuinly earn their money. The highest tax on the rich that I would be comfortable with is 55%. Taxes that are to high could start another recession too.
GeeYouAreYou0001 2 years ago
You know what I like about this, is that he proposes an Idea. Something that we won't know will work unless we apply and try. Everyone is badgering this stimulus and everything else, but not too many people are offering a better Idea. As one that doesn't make much money and is a member of the Armed forces, I think his Idea is a good one. It will get shot down once it is proposed. But damn it's a great Idea. Can you imagine if the super rich were to get taxed a total of 70% of their income?
ironwork92000 2 years ago
Ah man, you'd cut education spending? I think that that is the most important one. Serously. Tuition in post secondary just keeps on increasing, and middle class kids can hardly afford to go to college. (I should know.) My sol'n is to encourage the rich ppl to distribute money to others less fortunate across the country. I know it may sound juvenile, but hey, instead of giving to big charities, give $1000 to mid and low class families, they'd then have money to spend and noost the econ.
hottfrogpines 2 years ago
As a well informed guy like Cenk to say that he'd cut education spending suprises the hell out of me!
ironwork92000 2 years ago
70% in some states?owch thats alot.....i do agree with this shared sacrifice but the figures are a little high.
42Unknowns 2 years ago
Never in a million years. It's stupid to even suggest something like that. It's like asking for every country to disarm their military. The reason being is that both Democrats and Republicans have super rich supporters, and they'll never let that happen. So it'll get shut down from both sides.
akfak0retlaw 2 years ago
8 years of the wealthiest Americans getting a tax break while we were involved in two wars costing billions of dollars a month.
Well now, if these people are going to bitch about paying their fair share of taxes when they themselves have plenty of money to fall back on in the middle of this economic shit storm, I have some advice for you people to help alleviate your pain:
1. Go to the nearest Walgreens
2. Buy a box of Kleenex
3. Have your butler wipe the tears off your cheeks. : )
Kubrick1498 2 years ago
Man, cenk, this would cause a national riot. Even the brainwashed poor like plumber joe would rise up in anarchy over this.
chefawkes 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
listen to this asshole talk about sharing. I bet if I asked this fat fuck for a slice of his xtra large pizza he'd shoot me
pulsar00815 2 years ago
Bravo.
Did you come up with that all by yourself? Did you see he was fat and thought "Fat folks eat food" and then you thought, "pizza's a food" and put all that tough information together on your own?
You must be so proud.
banonKING 2 years ago 2
shutup baconKING! ur a fat fuk too!
pulsar00815 2 years ago
(applause) Genius. Pure genius. You've opened my eyes. You are truly a person of reason and intelligence.
I salute you sir.
banonKING 2 years ago
I remember you. baconKING right? since you recognize my genius you may now have a triple cheese whopper u fat fuck
HAHAHAHA!!!!!
pulsar00815 2 years ago
It must be tough going through life without anyone recognizing your supreme level of intellect and civil discourse. The world is truly a more enlighten place with your observation of my grotesque size and appearance. Congratulations.
banonKING 2 years ago
Comment removed
chukkufarley 2 years ago
pulsar00815, you'd probably be shot cause you have rabies. At least you're acting like a rabid dog in this forum. I do think that every politician in Congress do need to stop giving themselves raises for the time being. Otherwise you make no sense.
chukkufarley 2 years ago
50% tax wow that is so unreasonable. The economy goes down the drain and now everyone is an expert on how to fix it. The reason why Bush lower their taxes is so they could create jobs and invest more in the econmy. I do think their taxes should be raised but as Lincoln once said, "You can help the poor by hurting the rich."
thetuffknight 2 years ago
why is he not a politician? you actually have plausible solutions.
soccerdude601 2 years ago 2
I think it's a clever idea. 50% sounds tough though. Shared Sacrifice. I like it. Let's toss this over to Krugman and see what he thinks.
mozkrew211 2 years ago
Defense spending divided by 6. Problem solved.
;)
Shisho2k 2 years ago 2
I work in the private sector and get by just fine. tax the liberal scum politicians to death if they want to save money
pulsar00815 2 years ago
Love your idea. <3 *glomps Cenk*
wereTrevor 2 years ago
Invade Iran...it`ll take your mind off things.
znotty 2 years ago
just like how invading Iraq took our mind off Iraq right? tool.
tim9798 2 years ago
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go fuck yourself you stinking bucket of dog shit,your fucking filthy cunt stink i bet your tongue is stuck right up your mothers arsehole you fucking rag....have a nice day!
znotty 2 years ago
you are truly a vulgar person not even worth insulting
menthol5 2 years ago
go fuck yourself cockbreath.
znotty 2 years ago
Tax cuts are bullshit. It cost us 100 billion dollars in 2003 alone.
fanaticmoron 2 years ago
What most people do not understand is that you can't take greed out of the equation. We need a new/ better system that can correspond to the new world order. But this paycheck is on us no metter what...i hope America gets out of it ok. And cuts in education...? Are you serious? Education just might be the most important thing. Especially now....when we are building a new system.
romania4uluv 2 years ago
Agriculture? That's going to affect everyone in my state, but there are more important things I guess... FFA rock...
kvhansel 2 years ago
250 000 isnt as much as u think
fjackson90 2 years ago
Seeing as how I grew up in a family of three people and we managed to live on 20,000 a year, and it wasn't that bad. If you budget properly you can live a decent life.
sealsparrow 2 years ago 2
But some people can't live without Armani, Mercedes, inefficiently made/grown "speciality" food and other over-priced crap that no one needs.
I admit, personally I would just want enough money to live decently + travel the world.
giansideros 2 years ago
most people do
adobo777 2 years ago
No I wouldn't say so, most people I know want all the premium brand designer wear, good cars and multiple properties outside their income bracket, plus expensive holidays.
I'm just saying my only two life aspirations are to get an education (need a doctorate) and to travel the world, I don't give a shit about expensive crap otherwise.
giansideros 2 years ago
Bullshit, my mom makes 80,00 a year off a single paycheck and supports her parents and 3 kids. Not to mention we still have enough money to save up over 70,000 in our savings and college tuition accounts put together and we can still pay our bills and buy things like a home theater system, 52 inch TVs, and a car for my brother, so how much could you save and spend with 250k you think?
fanaticmoron 2 years ago
To add to you comment. I also go to university granted I do so on a mixture of government grants and scholarships and money is still tight, but with proper budgeting I get by quite nicely. I manage to afford good clothes and such things on my limited paycheck as well because I don't spend it on every little thing. I save up until I have enough money to buy things that help me get through interviews and help me network here at my university.
sealsparrow 2 years ago
how about the whole govt shut down for a yr
fjackson90 2 years ago
pusseyass
WKaliberr 2 years ago
taxes are graded, usually. So the tax that is a 50% is only the money that is 10 million and above, not the money that is below 10 million. The money between 1 and 10 milion would be at a lower tax bracket, and 100k to 1m is lower still, etc. It isn't that all your income is then taxed at the higher rate.
bubburubb 2 years ago 4
That's a very important distinction to make and one most people probably don't consider.
megamarsvin 2 years ago
If they mention what they want to cut people will realise how bad politicians really are. Defence spending is way too high and when people realise how much is wasted, something may change. I don't think that fact is mentioned enough.
TheFunkyDomination 2 years ago
250,000 - 1 mil is a HUGE bracket. Break it down
johnnytturbo 2 years ago
yep
not fair for a person making exactly 250k to be taxed exactly the same as someone making 4 times more
WKaliberr 2 years ago
have every member of congress, the president and all cabinet members work for 1 dollar a year for 5 years.
pulsar00815 2 years ago
Just because your income is low does not give you the right to be insane with taxation. A 95% tax for those making 1 mil. that leaves 50,000. The way the tax code works, why not just get a job for 50,000 in the first place. I can tell you as a small business owner(7 employees) that I would immediately shut down. Running a small business is a very demanding job. I would just quit. If you hate people only because they do well what does that say about you?
finerbiner 2 years ago 2
It only makes sense that those who benefit the most from our capitalist system pay the highest percentage of their income to support that system.
One thing you would have to fix first though is the abuse of the tax deductions by the rich. Otherwise no matter how high you make taxes, they will still be ducking under them.
jstutz2003 2 years ago
I think you're a little unfair, Cenk. 55%!!! That's WAY TO LOW!!! This is a crisis of unprecedented proportion! I mean, FDR raised the rate for anyone making over $100K/yr (approx. $1million in today's dollars) to 95% during WWII!!!! And, it stayed at 90% for years, and it was still at 70% in 1980 when Reagan took over! I think we should just implement 95% tax rate, no exceptions, no offshore bullshit, none of it for all people & corporations making over $1million/yr.
FattKidd 2 years ago
hey dumbass if you tax a guy making 1 million $ at 95%, he is making $50,000. Why should I guy who warked his ass of to get a good job get crippled in taxes, but a lazy bastard who doesnt do shit will end up making around the same as him
walsh1916 2 years ago
1) Your numbers are way off
2) Lazy bastards? Enough lazy bastards in all brackets.
wimscheers 2 years ago
Please explain to me how 5% of 1 million is not 50k. This idea is totally insane. Why would anyone bother trying to get a high-paying job? I consider myself to be a liberal to moderate democrat, but if anything like this was even mentioned by the party instead of loons I would never vote democrat again.
walsh1916 2 years ago
It's a fact that these bailouts & stimulae are benefitting a very few at the top while the rest of us are supposed to just be happy to have a job. If we didn't bail anyone out, rich folk like you would lose 95% of your total wealth, let alone income, anyway. So, if we're going to pay for CDS, derivatives, etc, it might as well be the people who're getting paid off be the ones who pay in, not the poor slob down at the plant making $12/hr. Or, let the whole shithouse go up in flames. I don't care.
FattKidd 2 years ago 3
Rich people & their kids do not fight wars, they profit from them. Therefore, they might as well pay for them. These were the words of FDR. You also assume that everyone making $1million/yr does so honestly & thru hard work. I say, bullshit. There is so much fraud & greed in this country that I'd venture to say MOST of the people making $1million (this is net, not gross) did so not thru their own hard work but by fraud or off the backs of their employees who struggle to make ends meet.
FattKidd 2 years ago
I am not rich i make less then 80k a year and I fought in the wars you are talking about. You sound like a college freshman who has been listening to a crazy poly sci professor too much. Not all rich people are corrupt, there are many small business owners who worked their ass off to build their business from nothing, and then some jerk like you wants to ruin them by taxing them to death. I am all for regulating wall st, they are clearly out of control. The deregulation was insane, but so are u
walsh1916 2 years ago 2
Just because you work hard you don't deserve to make a fortune. You need a quality product that people actually need.
Rekmackan 2 years ago
Oh so now you get to decide who makes what? If you work hard to get a good job or to build a business you deserve to make whatever amount you can.
Look I am just as outraged as anyone about this wall st stuff. These guys are clearly out of control and we need more regulation. That said you cant blame every person with money in the country for the financial crisis. This was a select group of greedy dumb bastards that did it.
walsh1916 2 years ago
Actually, the jerk is you. You keep talking about these "small business owners" who "built their businesses from nothing" but those people are the minority.
The rich in this society get most of the subsidies and most of the welfare - and ALL of the bailouts. This bailout is the FOURTH financial bailout for the rich in my lifetime.
80k and bitching that billionaires have to pay high taxes? Sucker, you sound like you've been listening to Rush Limbaugh.
CarryANation 2 years ago 2
Who is talking about billionaires asshole? I said taxing a guy who cracks a million at 95% is insane. A person like me might end up making more than him a year then, how the hell is that fair? I hate Limbaugh he is a fat, disgusting right wing bigot. I am a passionate democrat I just find this crap about blaming everything on the rich as stupid. The wealthiest 1% in this country control far too much wealth, and they should pay more in taxes, but lets not go insane. U guys sound like marxists
walsh1916 2 years ago
Oh my apologies, you are a passionate democrat that hates the poor and sucks up to rich Wall Street bankers.
That is what the Democratic party has become, the party of hedge funds and bankers.
People who make millions a year are in the top 1%
We are in the middle of getting scammed by the rich, and you are worried about "Marxists" because they want to tax the rich?
Bah, the Democraps are worthless, Obama is the same as Bush.
CarryANation 2 years ago
I hate the poor because I think taxing people at 95% is unreasonable?
I am sucking up to Wall St. bankers by saying they are out of control, greedy, and need to be regulated?
That is funny you sound just like Limbaugh, you attack me because I disagree with you, and you ignore my argument and all the facts and just make up a bunch of bullshit. Like I said before the rich in this country control too much of the wealth, but taking away ALL their money is undemocratic and insane.
walsh1916 2 years ago
Yes, it's about your priorities and timing. We're in the middle of a robbery, and you saying, "wait, don't stop the thieves! You might unfairly hurt them!"
Yes, taking the side of the rich in a class war is hating the poor. And you only make 80k? Sucker.
CarryANation 2 years ago
Are you really this ignorant? Not every rich person in this country is a wall st. banker. In fact they are the minority. So you are crippling them to pay for someone elses greed. Also why would anyone continue to work if they had to pay so much in taxes? They would simply quit, and our economy would crumble. Also taxing people at such a high rate would make them poor, because they couldnt make payments on anything. So please remove your head from your ass and come back to reality.
walsh1916 2 years ago
I'm with you in that there's no need to "punish" people for being rich but #1 the proposal Cenk is making isn't punishment. It's the idea that if we all chip in we can mitigate this disaster.
#2 why do Americans all think that higher taxes would mean people wouldn't want their cushy high-paying jobs any more? Does everyone in Japan quit because of high taxes? Does everyone in Europe quit because of high taxes? That's just non-sense.
megamarsvin 2 years ago
Im not talking about Cenk's plan. I am talking about these crazies that want to tax anyone who makes more than a million at 95%. That is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard and it would destroy our economy. Cenks plan is a little stiff but in the ballpark. I think he needs to break up the 100k - 1 million bracket though. That is way too large, 100k isnt even that much in the north east.
walsh1916 2 years ago
mm there's always room for negotiation. I was just saying, I think the issue of people not being willing to work if we raise taxes is a bit fallacious. Same as when they say they can't keep executives for under X amount.
95% is clearly a little over the top though. ;) And I don't think we should be raising taxes as a punitive measure any way. It needs to be about solving our problems not petty revenge. Hell the bankers may have "stolen" a lot of money but we let them.
megamarsvin 2 years ago
If i made just over $1 million and was taxed at 95% so I was making 50k, I would quit. What the hell is the point? Our country does have a problem with wealth disparity though. Bill Maher has been throwing around a stat that during the Bush admin. $850 billion if new wealth was created, of which 75% went to the richest 1%. That is ridiculous. The middle class gets screwed in this country, they pay a much higher proportion of their total income in taxes then the wealthy and that is not fair.
walsh1916 2 years ago
Again, I agree 95% is unfair but if you get taxed at 95% when you earn over 1 million dollars, that means everything OVER 1 million gets taxed at 95%, not the 1 million itself. That's very important to realize. The first million you would be taxed the same as people in the under 1 million bracket.
megamarsvin 2 years ago
Exactly. I think this fact was lost on Mr. Walsh. It was 95% on all income over $1million in FDRs day to pay for the war instead of borrowing the money from the private bankers & passing the bill on to the middle class & their kids/grandkids. Make your first $1million then 95% of everything after that goes to pay for bailouts, wars & the nat'l debt until it gets paid off. Also, put a heavy tax on wealth in general which is how you prevent dynasties from developing & wealth consolidation.
FattKidd 2 years ago
warren buffet's secretary pays a higher percentage of her paycheck to taxes than he does lol
PyroAnarchist23 2 years ago
who said anything about 95%? And its not about the wealthy having tax breaks, its about people who know how to do their taxes properly not paying taxes.
owl975 2 years ago
fattkid and carryanation were arguing that is totally reasonable and that if you dont agree you are an evil bastard who hates the poor and loves rush limbaugh
walsh1916 2 years ago
Just to clarify, it's 95% on all income ABOVE $1million/yr. Not, once you make $1million, we take it all away.
FattKidd 2 years ago