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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]That the best possible investment people with money in this country could make is a robust social safety net (some form of UI, unemployment benefits, universal healthcare, subsidized childcare, housing for the homeless, and subsidized or free education and job training), paid for via higher taxes.[/quote]

You can donate your own money to those causes. Or move to Europe.[/quote]

Ahh. And let me guess where you fall on the socio-economic spectrum? Im betting somewhere along the lines that you could easily afford to invest in these things, find every tax loophole you can to avoid it, and think that the larger society in which you live isn't your responsibility to help maintain? Oh, and probably that you are smarter and more deserving of your wealth just be virtue of the fact that you have it? [/quote]

Different poster here, but it's not just by virtue of the fact that I have wealth. I worked for it. I came from a dirt poor family. Took out loans, went to Ivy League schools, worked hard to build a business. It's my money and I don't have to give it to the government. I choose my own charities. [/quote]

Dirt poor family huh? Was your family on Section 8? Food stamps? Medicaid? Who do you think pays for all of that, including WIC? The milk fairy? It’s the federal government. You presumably went to public school. Who pays for that? Your teachers were no doubt educated in public schools. You got loans to go to a private college. Who subsidized those loans? You no doubt use the Internet to build your business. Who created that? DARPA. You drive on a federally built interstate system. You put your money in FDIC-backed banks, which contributes to the faith in the banking system.

Would you have built the same life you have now if you had been born in a cave in Afghanistan? No. You were born into a country and system that - along with your hard work - allowed it. Be grateful and realize that those who came before you paid their taxes (more than you, even) and allowed this system to flourish.[/quote]

+1000
The "I built this all on my own" mentality lacks any contextual awareness.  I have had the good fortune to start, run and sell a successful small business  and I am deeply aware of how much the US system has helped me in my own education, in that of my employees, in multiple kinds of infrastructure, in low-cost loans and the list goes on.  Taxes are really low here and the US has so many policies friendly to businesses.  I had to pay so little from the gains of the sale of my business. The key areas I see lacking are around supporting health care and supporting caregivers.  Providing health insurance was the most challenging aspect of my business--I would have much rather had paid more taxes on profits to instead have some predictability on the costs of health insurance. [/quote]

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