Politics

[Doug Hamilton]

Tim if they did, they would not be leftists.

The underground economy is enormous and untaxed. A consumption tax would capture the unpaid

The underground economy is enormous and untaxed. A consumption tax would capture the unpaid tax on thea

Underground economy? You are suggesting that the government increase the tax burden on the individual? I don't think I understand.

 

[ActionBob]

The underground economy is enormous and untaxed. A consumption tax would capture the unpaid tax on thea

Where are you from? What underground economy are you speaking of? Russia?

 

[sgt_zim]

The underground economy is enormous and untaxed. A consumption tax would capture the unpaid tax on thea

The federal government doesn't have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. Figuring out a way to tax the "underground economy" doesn't solve the problem, won't even make a dent in the problem. Our legislators and executives have been reckless for decades.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Where are you from? What underground economy are you speaking of? Russia?

I didn't get what he was talking about either, Bob. Maybe he isn't from the US? Maybe Russia, like you said.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Interesting video. Poland is preparing for Russia. Given Poland's history, can't say I blame them.

 

[steve white]

The underground economy is enormous and untaxed. A consumption tax would capture the unpaid tax on thea

Yet, unless it is imposed because another tax is discontinued I would oppose it as just one more means of the government getting its hands on more dollars to waste.

 

[Red Leg]

Interesting video. Poland is preparing for Russia. Given Poland's history, can't say I blame them.

I was once speaking with a senior Polish officer at a conference and asked him what Poland would do if in some hypothetical world Poland was forced to choose between again fighting the Russians or the Germans. He laughed and answered, "fight the Germans first of course - always business before pleasure."

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

The underground economy is enormous and untaxed. A consumption tax would capture the unpaid tax on thea

The federal government doesn't have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. Figuring out a way to tax the "underground economy" doesn't solve the problem, won't even make a dent in the problem. Our legislators and executives have been reckless for decades.

I didn't get what he was talking about either, Bob. Maybe he isn't from the US? Maybe Russia, like you said.

Yet, unless it is imposed because another tax is discontinued I would oppose it as just one more means of the government getting its hands on more dollars to waste.

I agree with @Ed Lally about the underground economy. There is a huge amount of people in the US in various trades (home construction, plumbing, electricians, etc) that will quote a price and quote a lower "cash" price, which of course goes un-reported. I know a lot of people that have hobbies or side gigs and make a few grand a month and it's unreported income.

I also agree with @sgt_zim about the Federal government's spending problem. However, I get disgusted when politicians use the phrase, "We're going to make the wealthy pay their fair share." For the most part, people that are making a good living, comply with the IRS tax codes and pay their fair share. When politicians float the idea of a "wealth tax", taxing higher income people, just because they can, I don't think that is right. Property tax is already a form of wealth tax. Wealthy people tend to live in more expensive houses and/or have multiple houses and pay a substantial amount of property tax. Given the cap on SALT tax of $10k (a Trump implemented rule) much of these taxes are no longer deductible on a federal return. Taxes went up for the "wealthy."

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

The looming social security problem, that neither Trump or Biden are talking about.

The coming Social Security fight could be 1983 all over again

To figure out how Social Security's insolvency debate may play out in the years ahead, it helps to consider what transpired in 1983.

finance.yahoo.com

Social Security just passed Medicare as the government's most pressing insolvency risk

An annual government report offered a glimmer of good news for Social Security and a jolt of good news for Medicare even as both programs continue to be on pace to run dry next decade.

finance.yahoo.com

 

[Red Leg]

It would appear ever more evident that like most of Putin's other Ukraine associated strategic goals, his expectations for gas export profits has also collapsed.

Pretty good assessment from Foreign Policy.

Gazprom’s Declining Fortunes Spell Trouble for Moscow

The gas giant’s record loss should worry the Kremlin on several fronts.

foreignpolicy.com

 

[barryk]

The looming social security problem, that neither Trump or Biden are talking about.

The coming Social Security fight could be 1983 all over again

To figure out how Social Security's insolvency debate may play out in the years ahead, it helps to consider what transpired in 1983.

finance.yahoo.com

Social Security just passed Medicare as the government's most pressing insolvency risk

An annual government report offered a glimmer of good news for Social Security and a jolt of good news for Medicare even as both programs continue to be on pace to run dry next decade.

finance.yahoo.com

It is my understanding that the CPI does not include food and energy cost increases...if this is true, could Trump's numbers seem more of a possible?

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Yet, unless it is imposed because another tax is discontinued I would oppose it as just one more means of the government getting its hands on more dollars to waste.

Now I'm beginning to see the point. If the entire income tax system was scrapped to be replaced with a consumption tax I could probably support it. Unfortunately, I do not see the politicians dumping the income tax in order to tax everyone equally. That might mean that the illegal aliens would have to pay taxes like everyone else. Can't have that!

 

[Red Leg]

Not much into the whole meme thing on this thread, but this one was too funny not to pass along. Besides, I always liked Tom Petty.

https://ak2.rmbl.ws/s8/2/M/u/E/M/MuEMr.caa.mp4?b=1&u=ummtf

 

[LivingTheDream]

Not much into the whole meme thing on this thread, but this one was too funny not to pass along. Besides, I always liked Tom Petty.

https://ak2.rmbl.ws/s8/2/M/u/E/M/MuEMr.caa.mp4?b=1&u=ummtf

I saw this, and even without the music it makes Joe look extremely old and confused.

 

[WAB]

Not much into the whole meme thing on this thread, but this one was too funny not to pass along. Besides, I always liked Tom Petty.

https://ak2.rmbl.ws/s8/2/M/u/E/M/MuEMr.caa.mp4?b=1&u=ummtf

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!

 

[sgt_zim]

Now I'm beginning to see the point. If the entire income tax system was scrapped to be replaced with a consumption tax I could probably support it. Unfortunately, I do not see the politicians dumping the income tax in order to tax everyone equally. That might mean that the illegal aliens would have to pay taxes like everyone else. Can't have that!

The proposed FairTax, or some facsimile of it, makes the most sense, well more than an income tax does - if for no other reason than the cost of compliance + enforcement is trivially small. That would save us all a non-trivial amount of money annually. There is no real way to game a consumption tax that wouldn't be fairly easy to discover and prosecute.

"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws." Title 26 is more than 70,000 pages long. It doesn't exist as a revenue scheme, it exists as a way for legislators to take legal bribes. The income tax provides them with not just a means to money, but a means to power. They will make up any lie in order to maintain that.

 

[Red Leg]

The ever shrinking Russian Black Sea fleet has lost two more warships over the last 48 hours. Both seem to be the result of ATAACMS strikes in port. Last night was a minesweeper, but tonight was another of their modern missile corvettes. They use them to launch cruise missiles against Ukraine. This one, the Cyclone, was apparently launched in 2018. They are becoming an extinct class of ships.

MSN

 

[Certus]

@flatwater bill agreed on your comment about Russia’s stance. And no, I don’t think agreeing with what they said is buying into propaganda any more than agreeing with the other side. Doesn’t matter whether you’re on the left or right side of a fence, the other side will always be the wrong one to whoever.

Anyone see Iran President helicopter down and he’s missing? Placing bets there was a bit of foreign interference there?

 

[John Wasmuth]

 

[Red Leg]

What a historic naval performance against an opponent without a fleet.