We need to be talking about tax policy like adults would. We need to speak in the language that

[wasupaloopa]

people are use to.

Things like repeal the trump tax cut. Things like more fair tax rate schedules.

That's how voters and adults talk about taxes.

Not "tax Bill Gates." Not "wealth tax." That's like sticking your head above a fox hole and daring the enemy to shoot it off!

The left is as gullible toward Bernie and Warren as MAGA's are toward trump. I am really disappointed at the childhood level of the political debate coming from top tear candidates.

[NYMinute]

1. K&R

The wealth tax is a big loser in the GE just as much as M4A.

It only excites the far left wing but most of America dislikes it. We are Americans and many of us aspire to be billionaires one day.

[JoeOtterbein]

3. That's a pretty thought.

[guillaumeb]

8. Many of us aspire to be billionaires?

I have never met anyone who admitted to that. Perhaps we move in different social circles.

[Hoyt]

17. Hope you make it, we need more Billionaires to tax and keep the cost from falling on middle and

lower income groups for all the things we want/need.

[guillaumeb]

22. And these same billionaires purchase politicians

to insure that the 1% pay less and less.

[dansolo]

33. Worse than that, it is not sustainable

You can't denounce billioniares and make your funding dependant on them at the same time.

[JoeOtterbein]

2. Billionaires need to pay their fair share. Regardless if they like it or not.

We can't afford them unless they can come up with 90%. Like the patriots in the USA used to do.

[NYMinute]

4. Then raise their income tax

taxing money that they have already paid taxes on or have not yet earned? SMDH

[JoeOtterbein]

5. We will when we elect Bernie. Are you in? The poor and sick need our help ASAP.

[PhoenixDem]

9. BS is finished .. he will never be the nominee n/t

[Dem4Life1102]

10. I hate to break this to you

But Sanders won’t be the nominee or be elected President.

[JoeOtterbein]

11. Thanks for your kindness.

[wasupaloopa]

14. You really should thank them

[JoeOtterbein]

16. I thank all DUers! I'll need them next November!

[Dem4Life1102]

18. You're very welcome 😉

[JoeOtterbein]

19. I have to admit that I'm impressed that you used the polite answer. Notice how many on TV say...

..."thank you" in response to a "thank you". Miss Manners would have been appalled! Now I have to thank YOU for the LOL!

[Dem4Life1102]

20. Again

[Voltaire2]

34. They frequently have little 'income'

compared to their huge pile of wealth accumulating value.

So sure, make income taxes more progressive, but a wealth tax directly addresses the gross inequality 40 years of reagonomics has produced.

[Voltaire2]

35. My social security is taxed.

SYDH.

Make more than 30k? Your ss benefit is taxed.

Sales taxes are paid using dollars you already paid taxes on. SYDH.

“Taxing money you already paid taxes on” is a right wing meme. Lots of “taxed money” is taxed again. I guess just not for billionaires accumulating more billions. Poor babies.

[guillaumeb]

6. Is it my imagination, or was this post "inspired" by an earlier post of mine

that quoted from a different candidate?

[wasupaloopa]

15. I think these thoughts daily reading DU.

In my 73 years on earth 2020 will probably be the most consequential year of my life.

Yet two of our top candidates act as if we have the presidency in the bag and just what kind of candy do you want kids?

[guillaumeb]

21. If we accept that many things are basically unsolvable,

they will remain unsolvable.

Even though many of these problems have already been solved by most other industrialized countries.

[PhoenixDem]

7. Very well put

Americans, by and large, don't begrudge rich people - they look up to them.

The wealth tax and M4A will be big losers in the GE.

Joe Biden has the right ideas.

[Humanist_Activist]

23. "they look up to them" and you don't see this as a massive problem.

The billionaires are the class that exploits the working class the most. Why the fuck should we look up to them?

[PhoenixDem]

24. They don't exploit anyone

Bill Gates formed a company, its products were popular and made the company billions. He employed thousands of people. The investors wanted to buy stock in his company and the stock price went up so he is rich.


Where did he exploit anyone?

This meme or billionaires exploiting people is utterly false.

[Humanist_Activist]

25. Oh please, every billionaire has had to exploit people to get where they are...

you can't be that naive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Microsoft#Labor_practices

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/29/bill-gates-charity-work-business-practices

[redqueen]

26. Hope those links show how he built Microsoft by ripping off competitors

and screwing over the people who worked with him early on.

[Humanist_Activist]

27. Oh it does, but I'm just amazed that there are so many people I call...

wealth worshippers on this board. Behind every great hoard is probably a great crime, but for sure it wasn't acquired ethically.

[redqueen]

31. It seems to be increasingly popular

we're seeing two very popular candidates get hammered for daring to do anything to threaten the constant transfer of wealth upward.

And people wonder why so many don't vote.

[Voltaire2]

36. The stakes are huge. This could be a sea-change election.

So the possibility of a serious center-left reform era is real, and the oligarchs are going to do whatever they can to derail that prospect.

[PhoenixDem]

28. So?

I don't see exploitation there.

[Humanist_Activist]

29. Ah, so you don't see exploitation as exploitation...

Sorry, can't debate with someone removed from reality like this.

[PhoenixDem]

30. Your definition of exploitation is too broad n/t

[Humanist_Activist]

32. Anyone earning only a fraction of their value in labor as wages is exploited on some level.

This should be a given.

Question, what do you do for a living?

[betsuni]

12. Agree.

[TheFarseer]

37. I agree and disagree

I would hope our candidates would say something intelligent like we need to tax all income the same whether it's a W-2 or investments or business income or hidden in the Cayman islands. However, the Republican's never get past "THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU'RE MONEY!!!!!!!"