Oligarchy-Monopoly

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UNI88
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Re: Oligarchy-Monopoly

Post by UNI88 »

BDKJMU wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2026 3:32 pm
kalm wrote: Sun Mar 15, 2026 10:49 am
Indeed. This seems like a highly reputable organization. In the end, the top 40 pay 24% vs the average, 30%. And don’t forget corporate rates. Tesla effectively paid zero in 2024 on profits of $2.3 billion.
2021
Top 1% 26.3% of AGI, paid 45.8% of income taxes.
Top 5% 42% of AGI, paid 65.6% of income taxes.
Top 10% 52.6% of AGI, paid 75.8% of income taxes.
Top 25% 72.1% of AGI, paid 89.2% of income taxes.
Top 50% 89.6% of AGI, paid 97.7% of income taxes.

Bottom 50% 10.4% of AGI, paid 2.3% of income taxes.
https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/fede ... data-2024/
Appears the top half (I’m sure includes all of us) are overpaying and need to pay less. The bottom 50% are freeloading and need to pay more.
How much do you think that would shift with a flat tax?

The wealthy will still pay more with a flat tax because they make more.
Being wrong about a topic is called post partisanism - kalm

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Re: Oligarchy-Monopoly

Post by BDKJMU »

UNI88 wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2026 3:39 pm
BDKJMU wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2026 3:32 pm
2021
Top 1% 26.3% of AGI, paid 45.8% of income taxes.
Top 5% 42% of AGI, paid 65.6% of income taxes.
Top 10% 52.6% of AGI, paid 75.8% of income taxes.
Top 25% 72.1% of AGI, paid 89.2% of income taxes.
Top 50% 89.6% of AGI, paid 97.7% of income taxes.

Bottom 50% 10.4% of AGI, paid 2.3% of income taxes.
https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/fede ... data-2024/
Appears the top half (I’m sure includes all of us) are overpaying and need to pay less. The bottom 50% are freeloading and need to pay more.
How much do you think that would shift with a flat tax?

The wealthy will still pay more with a flat tax because they make more.
I‘m all for a flat tax.
Of course. Pick your standard deduction (1x single, 2x married)
Pick your per child deduction
Pick your rate.
No other deductions.
Taxes done on a postcard.
The savings in compliance costs alone would be in the hundreds of billions. So a few hundred k accountants and IRS employees lose their jobs.
Last edited by BDKJMU on Wed Mar 18, 2026 9:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Oligarchy-Monopoly

Post by kalm »

BDKJMU wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2026 3:32 pm
kalm wrote: Sun Mar 15, 2026 10:49 am

Indeed. This seems like a highly reputable organization. In the end, the top 40 pay 24% vs the average, 30%. And don’t forget corporate rates. Tesla effectively paid zero in 2024 on profits of $2.3 billion.
2021
Top 1% 26.3% of AGI, paid 45.8% of income taxes.
Top 5% 42% of AGI, paid 65.6% of income taxes.
Top 10% 52.6% of AGI, paid 75.8% of income taxes.
Top 25% 72.1% of AGI, paid 89.2% of income taxes.
Top 50% 89.6% of AGI, paid 97.7% of income taxes.

Bottom 50% 10.4% of AGI, paid 2.3% of income taxes.
https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/fede ... data-2024/
Appears the top half (I’m sure includes all of us) are overpaying and need to pay less. The bottom 50% are freeloading and need to pay more.
The top half (including you and I) benefit from the low wages of the bottom half thus requiring more government services and a larger safety net.

The world needs ditch diggers too. :coffee:
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Re: Oligarchy-Monopoly

Post by GannonFan »

Caribbean Hen wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2026 8:58 am
kalm wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2026 8:24 am

So the stock market won’t be fueled with less or no billionaires?

40% of all Americans have no investments for retirement. Only 28% of the working poor (those making less than $50k do. Those are large chunks of the population. How does having more billionaires help them?
There will be poor always

pathetically struggling

look at the good things you got
Btw, let's not let this JC Superstar quote go by unnoticed. That's in my top 3 of most favorite musicals of all time. Well done. :thumb:
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Re: Oligarchy-Monopoly

Post by Caribbean Hen »

GannonFan wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2026 6:22 am
Caribbean Hen wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2026 8:58 am

There will be poor always

pathetically struggling

look at the good things you got
Btw, let's not let this JC Superstar quote go by unnoticed. That's in my top 3 of most favorite musicals of all time. Well done. :thumb:
Wow. You caught me

I love JC Superstar as well
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Re: Oligarchy-Monopoly

Post by kalm »

Absolutely. The Two Santa Claus theory explained.


And what do they use that spending for? Tax cuts for the rich, subsidies for big corporate donors, and wars in the Middle East.

If you voted Republicans into power again in the belief they would reduce the deficit and not go to war, sorry, but you were lied to and you fell for it, despite being able to learn from the past to avoid that.

Yes, you voted for all of this. You may not understand that you did, but you did. This is all just the newest variation of what we see every time the GOP gets handed the reigns of the economy.

Democrats need to stop playing this game and instead use deficit spending to make our lives better by focusing on our basic needs and our costs of living. Spend less on the military and more on healthcare and a basic income floor.

Also, to hell with the two party system. We need more choices. We need other parties to win via proportional representation.
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