In the 1950s and 1960s, when the top tax rate was 70-92%,

[proud2BlibKansan]

we laid the interstate system, built the internet, put a man on the moon, defeated Communism, our education system was the envy of the world, our middle class was thriving, our economy unparalleled.

You want that back?
Raise taxes on the rich.


(Found on Facebook)

[liberal N proud]

1. K&R

[Cirque du So-What]

2. I guess Facebook is good for something after all

I'll have to break my personal boycott & create an account just so I can post that statement.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. The networking opportunities are excellent

I finally gave in when I realized that.

[Denninmi]

4. Um, I don't think "built the internet" happened in the 60s.

Computer networks were extremely rudimentary then, certainly nothing that would qualify as an internet in the sense we have now. The concepts were there, but I don't think a defense department sponsored network of a half dozen computers at research labs at universities really qualifies as an internet in our sense.

Just think you might want to change that, since anything which can be challenged by the righties/fundies will be.

[PeaceNikki]

7. That is, in fact, correct

http://www.netvalley.com/archives/mirrors/davemarsh-timeline-1.htm

[izquierdista]

9. At 300 baud

If you think that nothing has advanced since, you must still be on dial-up.

[PeaceNikki]

10. I never said "nothing has advanced", things "advance" every day. It was the birth of it.

The assertion that it was 'born' during these times is 100% accurate. Packet switching and ARPANET where the infancy of what we use today.

[Kablooie]

8. Invented and established the Internet m.might be more accurate.

The ARPANET was clearly the origin of today's Internet.

[nineteen50]

5. Transfer of debt

The public sector has taken on the debt created by the
financial sectors crashing the economy and now it is time for
the financial sector to repay its debt with a substantial
financial transactions tax.

[Kablooie]

6. Also our industrial production was unparalleled.

Seems to me if you have tons of cash it de-incentivizes you to work hard and produce more.

When you don't have it all is when you push harder, which in corporate terms means to create jobs.

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. Exactly

:thumbsup:

[pampango]

12. Great post and so true. Thanks proud2BlibKansan. n/t

[Spider Jerusalem]

13. in the 1950's and '60's the US was still paying off the costs of WWII

Europe was still recovering from the war, Japan hadn't become a major industrial power, China and India were still rural countries of peasants on farms, and the USA was able to satisfy all of its energy needs with domestic oil supplies. Now? Germany is the world's largest exporter of manufactured goods, China is running a close second, China and India have both been expanding their economies at a rate of 5-10% a year, the US stopped being able to supply its own energy demands over 40 years ago and has to compete on world markets now...just raising taxes won't bring back the halcyon postwar days when America bestrode the world like a colossus, I'm afraid.

[AverageJoe90]

14. Back then......

...our society was beginning to rise out of the bounds of the remnants of social tyranny which had once been imposed on us by the status quo(which had been slowly chipped away since about the turn of the century, I believe): it was the era of Rock n' Roll, Motown, muscle cars, Civil Rights, and the hippie/Bohemian movement. But sadly, that all began to end in the '80s when Reagan and co. won the election against Carter.

[PETRUS]

15. I'm for restoring the progressive tax code, but

I worry that we too often overlook other aspects of public policy that redistribute wealth upwards BEFORE taxes are assessed:

Monetary policy
Currency valuation
Labor law (i.e. weakening of)
Financial deregulation
Trade agreements

There is serious money involved in that (incomplete) list, and it's harder for people to accuse you of "punishing success" or some other nonsense.

That said, yeah, abso-f'ing-lutely raise the marginal tax rates. And raise the capital gains tax. And tax speculation and large accumulations of wealth, too. And if we're serious about "equality of opportunity" then don't bellyache about inheritance taxes, either.