That's a tough one, and I know it means a lot of pain to many people, including folks I know well. But, it's not the end of the world. Listen, I used to work for AT&T. Nowadays, this may be just a name to you, but, when I joined Bell Labs, in 1980... I mean, man, we were Ma Bell, THE BELL SYSTEM, the biggest corporation in the world, rich and powerful and safe beyond belief. Then, a little blip in the radar, called MCI, happened, and the rest is history, as you say. Most of us, sooner or later, had to leave, one way or another. Fast forward to today: many of those same people are better off, working for other corporations or running their own business, like myself. No problemo. It's possible to do this, especially if the Government doesn't stop you or throw too many obstacles at your feet. For example: like many people on ET, I'm a good trader and pay lots of taxes. BUT, I can't save in an IRA, because it's not "earned" income. What kind of stupid bureaucracy comes up with that nonsense? What's the difference? Taxes are taxes, right? Why do I have to incorporate and spend lots of $$ needlessly? Not to mention the paperwork? Oh well, again...
I'm afraid it is way too much to ask. Your premise is that the purpose is to extend a helping hand to those in need, who will gratefully use it to get on their feet again. In reality, pols like Obama see the capitalist system as unfair and government programs as a way of achieving "social justice", meaning they steal money from people who earned it and give it to their political supporters. If you object, you are "greedy" or maybe even an evil "speculator". The inevitable trajectory of democratic societies is they work well until the have nots learn that through political power, they can seize the wealth of the haves. It's all downhill from there, since people tend to have pretty expensive tastes when someone else is footing the bill. Pretty soon, hello Hugo Chavez. The Drafters of our Constitution were well aware of this problem and took considerable care to prevent it from happening. Unfortunately, the people foolishly approved an income tax amendment and the courts did their part by eroding the Constitution's protection of private property and by interfering with the electoral system.
I see how small business can be shut out by competition. But it is the business owner who should see when their businees has better competition, and plan to get out. The bigger competition also can offer a lower price product which HELP poorer by giving them a better price. So it is not always bad for everyone when bigger business gives low prices, but takes away someones business.
Yeah, I agree. This is unfortunate for all of us. Ask a liberal: would you rather have half of a 12" pie or a third of a 30" pie? You can guess the answer.
Yannis, I understand most of your posts but not this one. I think all people would take a bigger peice if they had a choice. They woold choose 1/3 of the 30 inches pie. Maybe I lost something in the translation?
Right. The Rich get richer and the Poor (not in worldwide relative terms) stay poor, because the Rich keep doing the things that made them rich and the Poor keep doing the same things that keep them poor (lottery tickets, too many babies, etc.) Only they can change their mindset.
With the fair tax, how does government know how much money to put in each persons retirement? If 23% is taken from every dollar spent, but not taken from income, then how does government decide how much a person will receive for retirement? Many purchases are cash and not tracked. So when retirement comes then does the government give benefits by how much income a person had on their life?
Yannis, you have been elected Pres. of USA. by way of a sweeping mandate. You must manage those programs that you so eloquently said needed revision. I, the Congressman, ask you, how do you define, "on their feet?"