Dr. Strangelove

A high earner may or may not be wealthy. It's not always the case that a person makes a lot but is wealthy. I don't know why you define them the same. A person can make $400k, $800k or $10 million per year but spend all their money on buying self portraits worth $0 dollars. That person is a high earner but because literally all their money is tied up into worthless investments - in this case self portraits - their wealth could be $0. That person is not exempt from a tax on their income just because they're a stupid investor. This is why income taxes are different than capital gains taxes which are different than proposed wealth taxes. Just because @Archy1221 thinks income=wealth doesn't mean the tax code is written as such.

I thought I answered this, but I'll be more direct: households McDonald's $400k per year are in the 97th percentile, and are thus high earners. I feel like you've created a narrative in your head that raising taxes on anybody is essentially telling them they make enough money, and therefore all the money they make after a set amount should be taken away. Nobody is suggesting this. Raising taxes on incomes above $400k only taxes amounts above that income - the first $400k they make, more than 97% of Americans - is still taxed at relatively low rates that exist today. I guess I don't understand why you think raising rates from 35% to 39.4% is somehow taking all their money. It's a willful creation of a scenario that doesn't exist on your part to justify support of a political party that's brainwashed huge swaths of people into believing that taxing the wealthy is bad.

Sooner or later he's going to have to state his opinion on if he thinks the results of the 2020 election were legitimate or not. Although this alone should tell you enough about the Republican base and the state of the party.

Exactly. Any tax increase is treated as a stepping stone to taxing away all money. Modest increases in taxes is not going to do that. It's simply returning tax rates to what they were in what, 2015? A family of 5 making a combined $400k are high income earners by any measure. That would mean they make more than 97% of households. Additionally, only income AFTER $400k is subject to additional taxes, so in your example that extra $1 is taxed at 40% instead of 35%. I hope losing out on a nickel doesn't break them. Articulate it so I can understand better? Perhaps I'm missing something.

I'm saying this is a typical slippery-slope argument unsupported by reality. In typical conservative fashion, any attempt to raise revenue is treated as a slippery-slope to communism - "if tax rates go from 35% to 39% on the highest earners, that's basically like taxing EVERYTHING" - and is also typical of how unserious Republicans are about the deficit. Withdrawing from a 401(k) is taxed accordingly, so I don't know what you're talking about. If somebody had a 401(k) robust enough that allowed them to withdraw 400k per year for the duration of their retirement, then yes that person is wealthy. If an individual retires with $1 million in their 401(k) and withdraws $50k per year, that person is only being taxed as if they're making $50k per year. Perhaps you're confusing proposed wealth taxes instead of income taxes?

I think he's confused at your suggestion that raising capital gains taxes on stock transactions over $1 million dollars or raising taxes on individuals making over $400k a year is not a good idea. Presumably because people with that income spend it all - pay sales tax - and are thus taxed enough. This ignores the basic reality that the wealthy tend to invest their money rather than spend it all on goods and services and they take advantage of tax breaks/loose enforcement to lower their tax burden further. In addition, you do seem to think that raising taxes on the wealthy turns the economy into a socialist hellhole, typical of Republican voters and is not based in reality. Raising the tax rates of incomes at $400k from 35% to 40% will not turn this country into Sweden.

It's going to be interesting to see if he forces DeSantis to become an election denier. If DeSantis disagrees, he's a RINO. If he agrees to appeal to the moronic Trump base, he's unelectable. No matter who wins the primary, the match up with Biden will be 50/50. No matter who it is.

He's currently announcing his Presidential Bid in a highly publicized event on Twitter with noted moron Elon Musk and its not working.

This guy is a RINO. The woke mob got to Ronald Reagan, they'll come for you too if you don't arm yourself with an AR-15.

An extremely Progressive Tax bracket? Careful, you're going to make this country into Denmark or the progressive hellhole of Sweden. I hear they live really long and have happy lives.

Exactly this. There are a variety of reasons that tax bracket could be living paycheck to paycheck, but I'm not going to cry if their tax rates go up a few percent. But there are other taxes that Republicans refuse to implement, like a surcharge on capital gains for stock transactions with $1 million or more. Raising capital gainss rates for long term holdings higher than 15% for income groups higher than a certain amount, etc. All would be revenue raisers, none would adversely impact 99% of Americans and all these proposals DOA in Republican circles.

According to Joe Biden, those that make more than 400k. McCarthy rejects anything that raises revenue. As of now, McCarthy doesn't have the votes to pass anything because of the Qaucus on the Right. Even if he got Joe Biden to concede on every point, Republicans simply don't have the votes. Anything that keeps the government functioning is simply a concession that is unacceptable to them.

A majority of Americans also favor closing tax loopholes and raising taxes on the wealthy. Guess which Political Party wanted to close tax loopholes, impose taxes on the ultra wealthy AND conceded to spending cuts to McCarthy? (Which he rejected because Republicans aren't serious about the debt whatsoever)

I certainly don't think Florida is a swing state anymore. Much like Ohio, Iowa or Colorado. These states aren't really competitive anymore. The issue with DeSantis is if his cultural grievance schtick is actually viable outside of Florida, with an electorate much older than average. And if he is able to run a campaign that reaches out to anybody who's brain hasn't been melted by Fox News.

Jokes aside, I'm genuinely interested in who Republicans will nominate in their primary. Donald Trump and his many indictments, civil lawsuits, and message of Democracy=bad vs Ron DeSantis who has the charisma of a pickle sandwich? The horde of Trumpers will probably carry Trump, but this should be interesting going forward.

Announcing on Twitter with notorious moderate Elon Musk. This is the sign of a completely serious political party. Announcing on a woke televised station like ABC or CBS is what CRT indoctrinated libs do.

Or certain voters really don't want to think they're voting for the bad guys and rationalize their support for them.

This is like semi-finals at the Olympics fast. Although I don't think Nebraska lands this one.

"But yeah I was chanting 'Lock her up' back in 2016."

Tag me next time, coward.

Is this an insult right wingers are using now? I don't now what this means. If you're referring to the devastation liberals feel after the bombshell Durham Report completely vindicated Trump, you are absolutely correct! I feel major sads in any report that right wingers latch onto to embolden their support of incredible candidates like Donald J. Trump. I feel really owned that the right wing machine is bolstering around a guy who said live on CNN that he's responsible for the Dobbs decision and that women let you grab them by the pu&&y just a week ago. He should run for President again! He should insert himself into politics as much as possible. He should force every Senate candidate - as a show of loyalty - to pledge that Trump actually won in 2020 and all investigations into him were hoaxes! I'd feel major collusion sads. Like I can't express enough how much I don't want this to happen. My collusion sads are off the charts right now.

This is hilarious. I'm sorry you voted for a guy Russia wanted to elect, a now criminal who grifted the Republican Party into the abyss and has successfully convinced your entire voting base that Democracy is bad, making your party unelectable. I get it, the Durham Report didn't find that any laws were broken by the FBI, that the Justice Department aggressively pursued their case leading to 37 criminal indictments, that nearly everybody in your former Presidents orbit has been convicted of numerous crimes, and that you and @DefenderAO were gullible enough to fall for it all. It was obvious from the beginning what Trump was and now your party is an international laughingstock and a historical embarrassment. I do appreciate the electoral wins you've given us, so thank you for that.

"The entire point was to conclude that the FBI, Justice Department, broke no laws even though Republicans hoped to find illegal wrongdoing. Nevertheless, it felt pretty mean to investigate Trump even though it led to 37 criminal indictments of people in Trumps orbit. Like super mean. Donald Trump is a pretty well known, squeaky clean straightshooter. Investigating him was wrong."

"After a very long time of trying to find wrongdoing we were unable to find anything that was wrong. But it's my opinion that crimes were committed even though I have absolutely no proof" What amazes me is that this is separate from the Congressional inquiry where they also admitted to finding nothing. Of course, why wouldn't they engage in political theater? Republican voters aren't going to change their votes - they're going to find something to justify their worldview. If it's not the Durham report it's going to be CRT in schools. If it's not Hunter Biden personally eating Republican babies, it's drug laced immigrants crossing the border leading to surging crime rates.

Conservatives trying to claw out meaning from the Durham report to fit their narrative is pretty funny. It's like when Congressional Republicans lost all their witnesses to the bombshell that Biden is totally corrupt while in office. The lows they go to and how the Republican electorate rewards them no matter what is hilarious. Hopefully they lose their election.