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Post by Her3tiK on Oct 27, 2011 12:33:36 GMT -5
This probably isn't news, but now there are some numbers to back it up.
Congressional support is at 9%. And that's just one of the numbers.
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Post by N. De Plume on Oct 27, 2011 13:24:18 GMT -5
In general, I trust government more than I trust plutocratic corporations. Specifically though, we are currently going through one of those phases, not unlike the situation just over a hundred years ago, where said plutocrats have a particularly strong grip on the government. So, I guess my current trust level with regards to government has to be at approximately the same level as my trust for the corporations. Which is to say, none at all.
You know, what I think is going to be a problem is that when people say they don’t trust the government, they still will trust their personal incumbent Congresspeople. So nothing will change anyways.
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Post by nickiknack on Oct 27, 2011 22:34:53 GMT -5
I guess the GOP is doing their jobs right, given the fact that this is their plan, so they can have an excuse to gut social programs and privatize them.
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Post by Haseen on Oct 28, 2011 5:43:21 GMT -5
Congressional support is at 9%. And that's just one of the numbers. It makes me wonder, of the 9%, what's the breakdown of people who have bought their own congressman vs people who have been lobotomized. |
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Post by Hyperio on Oct 28, 2011 8:17:10 GMT -5
This probably isn't news, but now there are some numbers to back it up. Congressional support is at 9%. And that's just one of the numbers. That's bad. But they deserved it. For comparison, in Poland about 25% considered the parliament working well (24% for Sejm, 27% for Senate, in last August - before the October elections that didn't change the ruling coalition). It's low as well - they often share the problems with their American counterparts - but they don't seem to have similar stupid ideas that got the world in trouble in the first place (things like "deregulate financial sector" or "the poor deserve nothing, the rich everything"). Polish government was able also to make some decisions that hit also the rich (increased VAT tax from 22% to 23%). |
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Post by ltfred on Oct 28, 2011 16:22:00 GMT -5
TWENTY-THREE PER CENT.
What.
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Post by Hyperio on Oct 28, 2011 17:55:09 GMT -5
TWENTY-THREE PER CENT. What. In EU countries VAT is from 15% (Cyprus, Luxembourg) to 25% (Sweden, Denmark, Hungary). Since it is the only sale tax in Poland (except added excise tax for things like fuel or alcohol), the situation isn't bad (and in Poland we usually see the price on the tag after the taxes have been added, so if you want to compare the prices you need to keep that in mind). For example, the fuel here is cheapest in all EU (besides Luxembourg). Poland's main problems remain high level of unemployment and poverty - not overtaxation. |
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Post by booley on Oct 30, 2011 15:43:50 GMT -5
This probably isn't news, but now there are some numbers to back it up. Congressional support is at 9%. And that's just one of the numbers. Government is a tool. It can be by you or against you. I don't trust the current government. That doesn't mean I am against the idea of government or that it can be made to work as it's supposed to. |
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Post by ltfred on Oct 30, 2011 16:31:38 GMT -5
TWENTY-THREE PER CENT. What. In EU countries VAT is from 15% (Cyprus, Luxembourg) to 25% (Sweden, Denmark, Hungary). Since it is the only sale tax in Poland (except added excise tax for things like fuel or alcohol), the situation isn't bad (and in Poland we usually see the price on the tag after the taxes have been added, so if you want to compare the prices you need to keep that in mind). For example, the fuel here is cheapest in all EU (besides Luxembourg). No income tax? So, you just don't tax rich people at all, then. |
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Post by Hyperio on Oct 30, 2011 18:13:21 GMT -5
In EU countries VAT is from 15% (Cyprus, Luxembourg) to 25% (Sweden, Denmark, Hungary). Since it is the only sale tax in Poland (except added excise tax for things like fuel or alcohol), the situation isn't bad (and in Poland we usually see the price on the tag after the taxes have been added, so if you want to compare the prices you need to keep that in mind). For example, the fuel here is cheapest in all EU (besides Luxembourg). No income tax? So, you just don't tax rich people at all, then. Of course there is a personal and corporate income tax in Poland - it's progressive 18%/35% or linear 19% for PIT (payer's choice - the flat one doesn't have most tax cuts as far as I know), flat 19% for CIT. It's not high* (and not helping with income inequality) but it's there. There is also a tax for bank-related and stock-related revenue. I am not well versed in the income tax systems in other countries in EU but I am quite sure all of them have such taxes as well. ETA: *Poland's people's income taxes (and pseudo-taxes) are for most people here rather high - we have tax freedom day on 24th June (48% of burden). Compare it to 9th April for US (26%) or 20th July for Sweden (55%). |
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Post by Wykked Wytch on Oct 30, 2011 18:33:44 GMT -5
Half of this is due to the GOP, and the other half is because Americans have a seemingly hereditary knee-jerk reaction to taxes. It's what made colonists do the original Boston Tea Party, you know.
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Post by ltfred on Oct 30, 2011 18:47:35 GMT -5
Half of this is due to the GOP, and the other half is because Americans have a seemingly hereditary knee-jerk reaction to taxes. It's what made colonists do the original Boston Tea Party, you know. Actually, they were largely protesting taxes that were too low, not too high. The British lowered tarrifs that the East India Trading Company had to pay to import tea, while also enforcing laws against smuggling*. This meant that American importers would have to compete with foreigners on a level playing field, meaning that they'd lose and go out of buisness. * American traders tended to simply sneak in and not pay the tarrif. |
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Post by Wykked Wytch on Oct 30, 2011 18:55:35 GMT -5
Half of this is due to the GOP, and the other half is because Americans have a seemingly hereditary knee-jerk reaction to taxes. It's what made colonists do the original Boston Tea Party, you know. Actually, they were largely protesting taxes that were too low, not too high. The British lowered tarrifs that the East India Trading Company had to pay to import tea, while also enforcing laws against smuggling*. This meant that American importers would have to compete with foreigners on a level playing field, meaning that they'd lose and go out of buisness. * American traders tended to simply sneak in and not pay the tarrif. I see. But still, to most Americans, mention "tariffs" or "taxes" and it's all evil socialist government agenda crap regardless. Me: "I think that we should legalize all drugs and make them taxable!" Freeper: "TAXES HOW DARE YOU WHARBLGARBLE YOU COMMIE SOCIALIST LIBERAL! I BET YOU SUPPORT ABORTION TOO" |
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Post by Vene on Oct 30, 2011 21:29:58 GMT -5
Actually, they were largely protesting taxes that were too low, not too high. The British lowered tarrifs that the East India Trading Company had to pay to import tea, while also enforcing laws against smuggling*. This meant that American importers would have to compete with foreigners on a level playing field, meaning that they'd lose and go out of buisness. * American traders tended to simply sneak in and not pay the tarrif. I see. But still, to most Americans, mention "tariffs" or "taxes" and it's all evil socialist government agenda crap regardless. Me: "I think that we should legalize all drugs and make them taxable!" Freeper: "TAXES HOW DARE YOU WHARBLGARBLE YOU COMMIE SOCIALIST LIBERAL! I BET YOU SUPPORT ABORTION TOO" Are you seriously trying to compare the political rhetoric of the 1770s with the rhetoric of the 2000s? |
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Post by Jodie on Oct 31, 2011 0:32:32 GMT -5
So is the video saying that no one trusts the whole governemt? Or just Obama's administration?
I don't follow American politics with a microscope but I was under the impression was that Obama's administration cannot get anything done because the GOP tries to block every move he makes. So do they mistrust him or everyone in government? The video didn't really answer that question (for me anyway, but maybe I'm having brain fail).
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