So instead of coming up with an actual counter point, you make a random statement that has nothing to do with the points I made. Who said Americans weren't smart? Like I said, if being a lawyer was so easy and all of them make so much, go and do it.
Agreed! My brain still asleep i think. Can you be a little more specific about the hard numbers you're looking for. I'm thinking we can cut defense spending by at least 50 percent (phased in, of course) and still be spending far more than any other nation, still meet our objectives, and probably even improve outcomes. I don't see any downside to cuts in the defense budget at all. Would use the savings there to spark spending on infrastructure and create jobs in the lower middle class. Shift the present defense industry toward infrastructure engineering and away from armaments. I am a strong believer that we should not raise taxes in a recession, but that said I strongly favor a focused roll back of the cuts at the top end. That was a big mistake to begin with. Even Romer, who strongly opposes tax hikes in recessions, has said that such a very focused hike at the upper end, it's only a few percent hike, would make sense, and "probably" not be harmful. This is one place where the Republicans are acting like idiot Democrats. By the way, a 50% cut in defense spending plus a roll back of tax cuts going to those with adjusted gross greater than 250K recovers right at 1 trillion.
It is easy to forget that relative to much of the world's population most of us in the industrialized parts of the world are wealthy.
Why not have 1 fixed pay rate, health and pension plan for all public employees. those who are directly paid from taxes collected. ie. members of congress and their staff police/firefighters teachers state and local govt military prime contractors. ie. 42% of our taxpayers are paid from taxes... PAY THEM ALL Minimum Wage Medicare Social Security. After all this is public service. Maybe make all public jobs part time so they all have a second real job and basis with reality. When a Niles School Admin has an individual 26M pension things are FUBAR. When a police chief retires on a $300K pension and is contracted as a consultant back to do the same job for another $300K stinks of self dealing. Let the politician work part time as a congressman and part time for the corporate interests he is vested in. Why play the donor / superpac sham.. they have him in their pocket... At least make him wear their logo and get full perks. The 42% of our tax payers that are paid from taxes need to be reigned in to reflect a reasonable average income and reality.
wrong. you are making the typical lefty error which is a static analysis. you are assuming that if taxes are raised people will report the same total income as before and therefore tax revenue will rise. people will adjust their financial affairs to maintain the same effective rate.
There's a very simple way; New Jersey, where I live, does it. Exclude food (not bought at restaurants, of course), medicine, clothing. Done. This makes it automatically progressive, but you can even steepen the curve by taxing luxury goods at a higher rate. Simplicity itself.