Anonymous wrote:The war is between productive people and lazy people. The productive people will win. Lazy people are easy to conquer.

As someone who makes part of my income from my stock portfolio, I can tell you that I don't work at all to make that money. The guy I pay to take care of my lawn works harder for his money than I do for my dividends.

I'm not in the top 1%, but I'm guessing I am in the top 10%. I don't hate the people I the top 1%, but I think, as a group, they take more than they give to society. Why should here be a tax deduction for a mortgage on a second vacation house? Why is there not a cap on the mortgage deduction? You thnk someone will not buy a $2.5 million home if he can only deduct 50% of the mortgage? You are wrong.

If you tax my capital gains at a higher rate, will I stop investing? No. And neither will anyone else. Even taxed at a higher rate, I still make more than putting it in a bank.

Do I pay a lot in taxes? Yes. Do I mind? No. This is a great country. I'm proud to contribute to its success.

I don't see how those of us who at doing well benefit by ignoring our fellow citizens who need assistance.

The idea that the poor want something for nothing is a farce. The poor don't demonize the rich. The rich demonize the poor.

It has always amazed me how the upper class has been able to convince so many poor and working class slobs to do their bidding for them. During the Civil War dirt-poor whites fought to preserve the institution of slavery when 70% of southern whites were to too poor to own slaves. During that time even young men of the planter class carried canes as an affectation and also to beat the piss out of any lower class individual who might have dared to share the same sidewalk.

L. Frank Baum used Dorothy's silver slippers as his symbolism of the power of the workingman's vote to better his lot in life. Even after the Wizard was exposed as a charlatan he promised to transport Dorothy back to Kansas via a hot-air balloon, but he could no more control his hot-air balloon than he could manage the governmental affairs of Oz and it too lifted off out of control leaving Dorothy once again to desperately fend for herself. However, in that moment of despair Dorothy realized that the the entire time she had been in Oz, she had always held the power to solve her own problems. She wore the silver slippers and she only had to click them together at the heels three times and say "Take me home to Aunt Em" and her demand was granted. Like Dorothy, the working poor in the 1890s had the power to solve their problems of monopolies, deflation, and economic depressions, but they didn't even know the power they possessed. They didn't have silver slippers, but they did have shoes and they could walk to the ballot box and vote for elected officials who would give them a square deal and lessen the strangle hold the upper class, the 1% had on the country. Unfortunately, it another decade to get that square deal and three more before Working Americans could claim a true sense of dignity in the workplace.

Don't be one of those foolish dirt-poor working class slobs with whom the planters would never have considered sharing a sidewalk. Don't be a contemporary slob who will vote for a man who has has exported American jobs overseas. Don't be a slob who has been convinced the wealthy who would not share a sidewalk or a dinner with you today is truly interested in the well being of your children.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not care about inequality between the levels of income-earners (class is the wrong world for American society). What I care about is mobility - how hard or easy is it to move up the income layers if someone wants to do so. That's what matters.

. Ding ding ding.... Winner.

Socialism and centralized government destroys this engine of prosperity. Dreams should be made as easy as possible to be realized. Liberals dreams smell like mothballs.

what socialism are you talking about?
I think the ppp was talking about quality of schools, access to healthcare and higher education and better jobs

Every residence in the USA has access to public schools. Many children have free preschool via Headstart and full day kindergarten. There are reduced class sizes and more resources [local, state, and federal]going to schools with high percentages of poverty and ESL. All public school 's provide ESL. All jurisdictions have access to community colleges and state colleges/universities. There are preferential admissions for underrepresented minorities and first in family to college etc. There also are financial aid programs.

Until after WW2 and the GI bill college was out of reach for most. ESL? Those with disabilities? IDEA but they are still worse off than ESL or poverty. It is easier to be upwardly mobile now than it ever was...

18:24, I'm sure it was an interesting dissertation

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not care about inequality between the levels of income-earners (class is the wrong world for American society). What I care about is mobility - how hard or easy is it to move up the income layers if someone wants to do so. That's what matters.

. Ding ding ding.... Winner.

Socialism and centralized government destroys this engine of prosperity. Dreams should be made as easy as possible to be realized. Liberals dreams smell like mothballs.

what socialism are you talking about?
I think the ppp was talking about quality of schools, access to healthcare and higher education and better jobs

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess if I were part of the top 1%, I'd be upset about people riLing up the other 99%. It is so ridiculous to hear Republicans complain that Democrats are engaging in class warfare. The top 1% has been at war with the rest of us for years. We are just starting to realize there are more or us than them. Vote the bums out of Congress. Give the President a Congress that will work with him.

What have they been doing?

If you have a problem with corporations getting government breaks, blame both parties. I'll be right there with you.

But what is your beef with individual high income earners? I'm in the top 1%. I employ other people, I pay high taxes, I give to charity. I'm not making my money through theft. What exactly am I doing to you that counts as warfare?

You lie. If you're making that money you don't have time for DCUM at 4:03 p.m. on a workday.

And is this the problem, PP? You hate the 1% because you have some incorrect image of who they are, all multinational CEOs or such?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess if I were part of the top 1%, I'd be upset about people riLing up the other 99%. It is so ridiculous to hear Republicans complain that Democrats are engaging in class warfare. The top 1% has been at war with the rest of us for years. We are just starting to realize there are more or us than them. Vote the bums out of Congress. Give the President a Congress that will work with him.

What have they been doing?

If you have a problem with corporations getting government breaks, blame both parties. I'll be right there with you.

But what is your beef with individual high income earners? I'm in the top 1%. I employ other people, I pay high taxes, I give to charity. I'm not making my money through theft. What exactly am I doing to you that counts as warfare?

You lie. If you're making that money you don't have time for DCUM at 4:03 p.m. on a workday.

Sorry, but I do. In 2009 you had to make around $350 a year to be in the top 1%. Don't know where it is now but I'm over that and under a million so I think I'm still in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess if I were part of the top 1%, I'd be upset about people riLing up the other 99%. It is so ridiculous to hear Republicans complain that Democrats are engaging in class warfare. The top 1% has been at war with the rest of us for years. We are just starting to realize there are more or us than them. Vote the bums out of Congress. Give the President a Congress that will work with him.

What have they been doing?

If you have a problem with corporations getting government breaks, blame both parties. I'll be right there with you.

But what is your beef with individual high income earners? I'm in the top 1%. I employ other people, I pay high taxes, I give to charity. I'm not making my money through theft. What exactly am I doing to you that counts as warfare?

You lie. If you're making that money you don't have time for DCUM at 4:03 p.m. on a workday.