Occupy Wall Street vs. the Tea Party

Page 18 of 27 [ 419 posts ] Go to page Previous 1 ... 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 ... 27 Next

Previous topic | Next topic

GoonSquad
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 11 May 2007
Age: 54
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,748
Location: International House of Paincakes...

05 Dec 2011, 9:45 am

Sweetleaf wrote:

zer0netgain wrote:

LKL wrote:

zer0netgain wrote:

That chart is stupidity exemplified.

Democracy has nothing to do with the distribution of wealth.

While I agree that there are better ways to graphically represent wealth distribution, the idea that economic inequality has no effect on political systems is incredibly naive.

Maybe, but here is the simple truth.

Unless we can 100% prove that the results of an election are always rigged, the "elites" depend on the unwashed masses showing up and casting ballots.

You can have all the money, but if the masses WILL NOT VOTE for your puppet, you don't get your way.

So, arguably, it isn't an issue of the "rich" buying elections (although that money often determines outcome is an issue).

It is an issue of the vast majority of voters being IDIOTS who make life-changing decisions by listening to the flood of mass media sound bites and push button topics rather than critically analyzing what each candidate is really about and what the nation (as a whole) needs for positive forward growth.

I put no confidence in the democratic process because the mass majority of American voters are morons who can be herded like cattle into making choices at the ballot box. I've seen many "intelligent" people go brain dead the minute the campaign comes upon them...unable to do much other than parrot the talking points of their favorite party.

The inherent failure of democracy is the people who are allowed to vote.

Yes when its obvious corporate money plays a huge role in politics the right thing to do is blame the voters for everything that's gone wrong. I will agree many of them do make un-informed votes and are un-aware that voting in the presidential election is not actually going to change things. Why not educate the masses then? I mean we can't very well have some dictator making all the choices that would suck.

You can lead the masses to knowledge but you CANNOT make them think....

The mob has always been subject to manipulation.

The best societies have a relatively benevolent elite and a well educated, politically aware middle-class.

The problem is, that requires agreement on ideology and and a bit of indoctrination (like citizenship/civics classes in school) and that will NEVER happen in pluralistic America...

_________________
No man is free who is not master of himself.~Epictetus

ruveyn
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 21 Sep 2008
Age: 87
Gender: Male
Posts: 31,502
Location: New Jersey

05 Dec 2011, 10:13 am

GoonSquad wrote:

The best societies have a relatively benevolent elite and a well educated, politically aware middle-class.

..

It takes a solid productive middle class to keep the aristocrats honest.

ruveyn

Inuyasha
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 12 Jan 2009
Age: 41
Gender: Male
Posts: 9,745

05 Dec 2011, 2:29 pm

GoonSquad wrote:

Inuyasha wrote:

LKL wrote:

Can you at least try to make an intelligent argument?
Mr. 'I'm-on-the-dole-but $100K-isn't-rich'?

You do realize you just admitted that you think small business owners should have their taxes hiked.

And why exactly should small business owners be exempted from taxation? Is it because they provide crappy jobs with low wages and no benefits?

If small business is our only economic hope because we've allowed global companies like Walmart to strip mine American industry, we're already lost...

All you are doing is proving my point that when you're talking about "taxing the rich," you're really talking about running already struggling small business owners out of business.

GoonSquad
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 11 May 2007
Age: 54
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,748
Location: International House of Paincakes...

05 Dec 2011, 2:37 pm

Inuyasha wrote:

GoonSquad wrote:

Inuyasha wrote:

LKL wrote:

Can you at least try to make an intelligent argument?
Mr. 'I'm-on-the-dole-but $100K-isn't-rich'?

You do realize you just admitted that you think small business owners should have their taxes hiked.

All you are doing is proving my point that when you're talking about "taxing the rich," you're really talking about running already struggling small business owners out of business.

All you're doing is spamming the forum with the same tired old nonsense.

Answer the question or give your fingers a rest.

_________________
No man is free who is not master of himself.~Epictetus

Inuyasha
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 12 Jan 2009
Age: 41
Gender: Male
Posts: 9,745

05 Dec 2011, 3:49 pm

GoonSquad wrote:

Inuyasha wrote:

GoonSquad wrote:

Inuyasha wrote:

LKL wrote:

Can you at least try to make an intelligent argument?
Mr. 'I'm-on-the-dole-but $100K-isn't-rich'?

You do realize you just admitted that you think small business owners should have their taxes hiked.

All you are doing is proving my point that when you're talking about "taxing the rich," you're really talking about running already struggling small business owners out of business.

All you're doing is spamming the forum with the same tired old nonsense.

Answer the question or give your fingers a rest.

I'm just not letting you falsely define small business owners as "millionaires and billionaires." Cause if you can't get away with using poll-tested words and people know whom the tax hikes are really targetting, they would never support the tax hikes.

LKL
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 21 Jul 2007
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Posts: 7,402

05 Dec 2011, 5:05 pm

Yes: they're targeting the wealthiest 1%-10% (depending on the iteration) of the population.

Inuyasha
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 12 Jan 2009
Age: 41
Gender: Male
Posts: 9,745

05 Dec 2011, 5:08 pm

LKL wrote:

Yes: they're targeting the wealthiest 1%-10% (depending on the iteration) of the population.

Has a poor person ever hired you for a job?

LKL
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 21 Jul 2007
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Posts: 7,402

05 Dec 2011, 5:28 pm

No, and neither has a rich person. The people who hired me were all either moderately successful business people (ie, well off but not wealthy) or mid-level HR types who make similar wages to me. The people who actually *pay* for my income are almost entirely poor or lower-middle-class, because that's what my hospital's patient base is.

GoonSquad
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 11 May 2007
Age: 54
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,748
Location: International House of Paincakes...

05 Dec 2011, 9:29 pm

Inuyasha wrote:

GoonSquad wrote:

Inuyasha wrote:

GoonSquad wrote:

Inuyasha wrote:

LKL wrote:

Can you at least try to make an intelligent argument?
Mr. 'I'm-on-the-dole-but $100K-isn't-rich'?

You do realize you just admitted that you think small business owners should have their taxes hiked.

All you are doing is proving my point that when you're talking about "taxing the rich," you're really talking about running already struggling small business owners out of business.

All you're doing is spamming the forum with the same tired old nonsense.

Answer the question or give your fingers a rest.

Again...

And why exactly should small business owners be exempted from taxation? Is it because they provide crappy jobs with low wages and no benefits?

If small business is our only economic hope because we've allowed global companies like Walmart to strip mine American industry, we're already lost...

I've never had a good job from a small business owner.

I've made TONS of money working in manufacturing, but your buddies in the GOP want to sell American industry to China.

_________________
No man is free who is not master of himself.~Epictetus

iamnotaparakeet
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 31 Jul 2007
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 25,091
Location: 0.5 Galactic radius

05 Dec 2011, 9:44 pm

Tea Parties don't get violent.

GoonSquad
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 11 May 2007
Age: 54
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,748
Location: International House of Paincakes...

05 Dec 2011, 10:28 pm

iamnotaparakeet wrote:

Tea Parties don't get violent.

That's because prosperous people don't break things.... they own things.

It's the people who don't own things that break them.

People revolt when they have nothing left to lose.... mostly.

_________________
No man is free who is not master of himself.~Epictetus

iamnotaparakeet
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 31 Jul 2007
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 25,091
Location: 0.5 Galactic radius

05 Dec 2011, 10:44 pm

GoonSquad wrote:

iamnotaparakeet wrote:

Tea Parties don't get violent.

That's because prosperous people don't break things.... they own things.

It's the people who don't own things that break them.

People revolt when they have nothing left to lose.... mostly.

They revolt especially when fed propaganda telling them that because everything is unfair that they have a right to steal and murder.

Vexcalibur
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 17 Jan 2008
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,398

05 Dec 2011, 10:58 pm

iamnotaparakeet wrote:

Tea Parties don't get violent.

I've seen occupiers. And I've seen real violent protests in my own life. I don't really buy the BS that occupiers are violent. The most violence I see comes from police forces.

For shame USA. Bunch of hypocritical morons, I am not going to buy your BS about liberating countries or promoting democracy any more.

_________________
.

LKL
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 21 Jul 2007
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Posts: 7,402

06 Dec 2011, 1:53 am

GoonSquad
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 11 May 2007
Age: 54
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,748
Location: International House of Paincakes...

06 Dec 2011, 2:01 am

iamnotaparakeet wrote:

GoonSquad wrote:

iamnotaparakeet wrote:

Tea Parties don't get violent.

That's because prosperous people don't break things.... they own things.

It's the people who don't own things that break them.

People revolt when they have nothing left to lose.... mostly.

They revolt especially when fed propaganda telling them that because everything is unfair that they have a right to steal and murder.

That isn't propaganda. Violent revolt against injustice is a basic human right.

_________________
No man is free who is not master of himself.~Epictetus

Sweetleaf
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 6 Jan 2011
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Posts: 34,548
Location: Somewhere in Colorado

06 Dec 2011, 2:05 am

LKL wrote:

Maybe that's because the Tea party does not do anything........the party that gets the most media attention does not do anything, and the rest of the world is supposed to respect us stupid americans when the protesters that actually go out and protest are dissed on and the tea party is glorified based on the nothing they have done.

Screw the damn tea party.

_________________
We won't go back.

Page 18 of 27 [ 419 posts ] Go to page Previous 1 ... 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 ... 27 Next

Jump to:

Occupy Wall Street vs. the Tea Party Post Reply New Topic

Occupy Wall Street vs. the Tea Party