Politics The Joe Biden Thread

[barfo]

Ref: population.
I did some rough calculations using the peak period for Irish immigration, 1850, vs Mexico crossing rate today.

Based on USA population for each time period, today the immigration rate is about 50% higher than the 1850 peak Irish rate.

So, back then, lots of people thought that the Irish were invaders, destroying the country, etc. etc.
Yet in the end it turned out fine and most of us are happy they came.
What evidence do you have that the current immigrants won't successfully assimilate?
The language barrier is real, but it's not as bad as you are making out, since something like 15% of Americans speak Spanish (and a higher percentage near the border, of course).

barfo

 

[Phatguysrule]

Some of you are not informed as to what is happening around the country. Watch this video. There are tons more.

Yes, I see people complaining about immigrants online. Demonstrating about immigrants in videos. I don't see what actual problems immigrants are causing. Again, I don't see immigrant panhandlers or homeless.

What problems are immigrants causing again?

 

[barfo]

Some of you are not informed as to what is happening around the country. Watch this video. There are tons more.

Not clear to me what lesson we are supposed to learn from watching that video?

That attention-whores sometimes organize protests?
There are violent assholes in NYC?
That people are emotional about immigration?

I didn't see anything that suggested a solution.

barfo

 

[oldfisherman]

So, back then, lots of people thought that the Irish were invaders, destroying the country, etc. etc.
Yet in the end it turned out fine and most of us are happy they came.
What evidence do you have that the current immigrants won't successfully assimilate?
The language barrier is real, but it's not as bad as you are making out, since something like 15% of Americans speak Spanish (and a higher percentage near the border, of course).

barfo

Back then, it turned out OK because there were many jobs the Irish could fit into.

Today, we have far fewer of those types of jobs, because, many of those jobs moved to Mexico, and other foreign countries.

We have tons of job openings, but many of them require training.

 

[oldfisherman]

Dem governor slams Biden on immigration.

 

[crandc]

Nativists said of Irish immigrants, we can't understand their English. They are loyal to pope, not America. They drink too much. They lower property values. They aren't really white.

The history of immigration is a history of former outsiders "becoming white". Irish, Greeks, Poles. Jews a bit less, assimilated and successful but still a target of racists. More recently Cubans. So you have the seeming incongruity of Cuban-Americans Nick Fuentes and Enrique Tarrio and Jewish Stephen Miller as overt white supremacists. The difference is they include themselves in "white".

 

[jonnyboy]

I mean, the constitution guarantees your right to have wealthy people cheat on their taxes, correct?

Why the hostility? Especially when it is highly unlikely to impact you directly? Taxes are the price we pay for living in a "civilized" society. Those IRS people are NOT "goons". They are working class folks (in general) just trying to do the jobs they were hired to do (just like you). I am 69 years old and have been paying taxes since I was 12 years old. I have never cheated on my taxes. I have never hired someone to find ludicrous tax loopholes in order to dodge paying my "fair" share. It is my obligation as an American citizen, regardless of my political party affiliation. It is the obligation of EVERY American citizen and business entity. Dodging taxes is not "smart", as the Orange Man claims. It is immoral, deceitful and unpatriotic. I'm tired of paying my share while others get rich cheating the system. Guys like Trump pay MORE money to dodge taxes than they actually owe in taxes. It's all a game for them. It's an ego boost. And it sucks that the Democrats have allowed the Republicans to claw some of that IRS funding back. I don't know where you get that the government has "stolen" that tax money. The real thieves are those who refused to pay it in the first place.

The constitution was written by people who fought a war to escape tyranny and taxes. Income tax wasn’t implemented until 1913 when Woodrow Wilson sold the country to private interests who still own it to this day. The mainstream “just out here fixin’ the roads” framing of the tax system is beyond childish. Our tax dollars are egregiously misappropriated and reallocated to special interests. Much of it never sees the light of day again and is never recirculated back into the economy in any meaningful way.
Also, as side note, for the bleeding hearts who think the border should be wide open or else you hate “brown people”. You may want to consider the fact that the “good guy just doin’ ma part” tax dollars you proudly fork over have been used to slaughter millions of brown people illegally and unjustifiably so politicians, lobbyists and contractors can buy bigger houses.

 

[jonnyboy]

So are you saying you want the IRS to be a profit center? You want IRS agents trying to meet a quota to justify their existence?

No I want them to get real jobs in the private sector and everyone to pay the same, low tax rate.

 

[jonnyboy]

The $80B for new personnel (now cut to $60B) has mostly not been spent yet. And much of it is not for 'goons', but rather for data scientists, computer modernization, customer service personnel, etc.

Nice, do they answer the phone when you call now?
Redundant question. They don’t.

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

The constitution was written by people who fought a war to escape tyranny and taxes. Income tax wasn’t implemented until 1913 when Woodrow Wilson sold the country to private interests who still own it to this day. The mainstream “just out here fixin’ the roads” framing of the tax system is beyond childish. Our tax dollars are egregiously misappropriated and reallocated to special interests. Much of it never sees the light of day again and is never recirculated back into the economy in any meaningful way.
Also, as side note, for the bleeding hearts who think the border should be wide open or else you hate “brown people”. You may want to consider the fact your “good guy just doin’ ma part” tax dollars you proudly fork over have been used to slaughter millions of brown people illegally and unjustifiably so politicians, lobbyists and contractors can buy bigger houses.

Kind of a scatter gun response.....especially when I never mentioned the border issues. But if I understand what you're trying to say in your next response, those IRS folks should get "real jobs", as you think they aren't paying their taxes from their current jobs. And we that we (American citizens) all will happily hand over our taxes if they are all the same low rate. What part of "people are cheating on their taxes" don't you understand? Because the IRS was underfunded and staffed, billions, if not trillions in were not collected, nor were those tax obligations voluntarily sent in. Debate "fairness" all you want, cheating is cheating, and what's fair to me is that those who dodge their taxes should be held accountable. So it's time to go after those "special interests" you point out.

And very few of those who framed the Constitution actually fought in the war. And at the end, they chose a Democratic Republic because they knew if they created an actual Republic (minority rule where the rights of the majority are protected) over a Democracy (majority rule where the rights of the minority are protected) because they knew if they didn't, the majority ("common folk") who had actually shed blood and had real skin in the game would eventually rebel against the ruling minority. So the framers created a system that would give majority control while protecting their own interests. What we need is actual tax REFORM. and we all know that ain't gonna happen. So let's make an actual achievable goal of going after the tax cheats. You rail at the elites but complain whenever anyone tries to hold their feet to the fire.........

 

[jonnyboy]

. So let's make an actual achievable goal of going after the tax cheats. You rail at the elites but complain whenever anyone tries to hold their feet to the fire.........

Its just a flex, a symbolic move to make it appear as if they’re holding elites feet to the flames while expanding government power and skimming a few more billion off the top. The clowns writing this big spending legislation ARE the elite. They aren’t holding any feet to any flame but yours and mine.

 

[Phatguysrule]

No I want them to get real jobs in the private sector and everyone to pay the same, low tax rate.

How would you make sure everyone is paying the same low rate without the IRS? With nobody to verify and enforce the law, why wouldn't people pay lower than the required rate?

 

[Phatguysrule]

Nativists said of Irish immigrants, we can't understand their English. They are loyal to pope, not America. They drink too much. They lower property values. They aren't really white.

The history of immigration is a history of former outsiders "becoming white". Irish, Greeks, Poles. Jews a bit less, assimilated and successful but still a target of racists. More recently Cubans. So you have the seeming incongruity of Cuban-Americans Nick Fuentes and Enrique Tarrio and Jewish Stephen Miller as overt white supremacists. The difference is they include themselves in "white".

Not to mention Kenyans.

 

[barfo]

Its just a flex, a symbolic move to make it appear as if they’re holding elites feet to the flames while expanding government power and skimming a few more billion off the top. The clowns writing this big spending legislation ARE the elite. They aren’t holding any feet to any flame but yours and mine.

So if the IRS audits you, they will recover a lot of money? Is that what you mean? How are your feet being held?

barfo

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Our tax dollars are egregiously misappropriated and reallocated to special interests. Much of it never sees the light of day again and is never recirculated back into the economy in any meaningful way.

So your objection to taxation is not in principle, it's just that in fact (you claim) it's ruined by corruption? But in an ideal world you'd be in favor of taxation to pay for infrastructure, and excellent public schools, and healthcare?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Not to mention Kenyans.

I was born in Kenya, true story. I actually DO have a Kenyan birth certificate.

 

[RR7]

I was born in Kenya, true story. I actually DO have a Kenyan birth certificate.

Barack?

 

[Phatguysrule]

I was born in Kenya, true story. I actually DO have a Kenyan birth certificate.

Lol

 

[jonnyboy]

So your objection to taxation is not in principle, it's just that in fact (you claim) it's ruined by corruption? But in an ideal world you'd be in favor of taxation to pay for infrastructure, and excellent public schools, and healthcare?

My objection to over-taxation is in principle. But generally speaking, yes, i’d say thats a fair interpretation of my stance.

 

[Phatguysrule]

My objection to over-taxation is in principle. But generally speaking, yes, i’d say thats a fair interpretation of my stance.

But how do you make sure everyone pays the right amount with no oversight? Who oversees and enforces it?

 

[barfo]

My objection to over-taxation is in principle. But generally speaking, yes, i’d say thats a fair interpretation of my stance.

And further, your stance is that Bill Gates should pay the same rate as you, so you are in favor of reducing your and almost everyone else's taxes by a smaller amount in order to give him that very large benefit.

You must really be a big Bill Gates fanboy, huh?

barfo

 

[barfo]

I was born in Kenya, true story. I actually DO have a Kenyan birth certificate.

I have people in Kenya looking into this very strongly, and they cannot believe what they're finding.

barfo

 

[Rastapopoulos]

My objection to over-taxation is in principle. But generally speaking, yes, i’d say thats a fair interpretation of my stance.

When George wrote this, the top tax bracket in the UK was literally 95% ("It's one for you 19 for me"). I might concede that THAT may have been overtaxation. But not by much.

 

[crandc]

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced planned new rules to limit bank overdraft fees. Around $8 billion annually goes from consumers to big banks.

Banks have announced multimillion dollar publicity, lobbying and legal campaign against Biden administration to be able to keep the fees.

 

[jonnyboy]

And further, your stance is that Bill Gates should pay the same rate as you, so you are in favor of reducing your and almost everyone else's taxes by a smaller amount in order to give him that very large benefit.

You must really be a big Bill Gates fanboy, huh?

barfo

Gates probably pays zero taxes because he passes all his scams off as philanthropy. But in theory, yes. Even a dirtbag like Billy Boy would have to cough up the going rate.

 

[jonnyboy]

When George wrote this, the top tax bracket in the UK was literally 95% ("It's one for you 19 for me"). I might concede that THAT may have been overtaxation. But not by much.

I would almost guarantee the Royal Klan falls into that upper bracket. Good thing they are entirely tax exempt, whew!

 

[jonnyboy]

But how do you make sure everyone pays the right amount with no oversight? Who oversees and enforces it?

Im not picketing for zero oversight or accounting. I just think it could be accomplished without the workforce and budget resembling the GDP of a small nation.

 

[Voodoo]

Im not picketing for zero oversight or accounting. I just think it could be accomplished without the workforce and budget resembling the GDP of a small nation.

Unfortunately that’s exactly what the elites want you to think. There’s ample evidence that proves this notion, which is why Republican mega donors fight tooth and nail to fight IRS funding.

If these folks were simply just against government waste, they’d focus on military spending. But they aren’t, they are against being taxed what they owe. So the focus Fox News anchors on the $80B the IRS is being funded with, rather than just a single weapons program costs such as the $1.7T that the F-35.

The DOD is the only branch of the government that cannot be audited, and yet anti waste crusaders never seem to be interested in that big giant elephant in the room. If you want to talk about waste, there it is.

 

[Phatguysrule]

Im not picketing for zero oversight or accounting. I just think it could be accomplished without the workforce and budget resembling the GDP of a small nation.

How much of a budget do you consider reasonable for oversight of 350 million people, tens of millions of businesses, and trillions of transactions accounting for $23 trillion per year?

 

[Voodoo]

How much of a budget do you consider reasonable for oversight of 350 million people, tens of millions of businesses, and trillions of transactions accounting for $23 trillion per year?