206 replies to this topic

[NanuqoftheNorth]

Foreign Policy-- after the European tour and apology tour, crap is going down all over--again, not his fault, it is some obscure guy in CA doing a youtube video some months ago (yeah, they will buy that). Especially, if we take the guy in at 1:30 in the morning and make him look like a criminal. (yeah, they will buy that), And especially, if we say it, with help from our media outlets, over and over, nobody will recognize that we are just killing free speech. (yeah, they will buy that)

Nosedive?
http://www.rasmussen...l_tracking_poll

Mitt Romney said Barack Obama began his presidency with an apology tour



In his speech accepting the Republican nomination for president, Mitt Romney repeated a charge he’s made before: that Obama has traveled the world apologizing for America.


Romney said Obama began his presidency "with an apology tour."

But a review of Obama’s foreign travels and remarks during his early presidency showed no evidence to support such a blunt and disparaging claim. (In later years, we found two formal apologies, but they were not at the start of his presidency and not part of a tour.)

While Obama's speeches contained some criticisms of past U.S. actions, he typically combined those passages with praise for the United States and its ideals, and he frequently mentioned how other countries had erred as well. We found not a single, full-throated apology in the bunch.

Calling those remarks "an apology tour" is a ridiculous charge. So we rate his statement Pants on Fire.
http://www.politifac...his-presidency/

[ARSEN]

So only 53% of Americans contribute to the country while other 47% take away from the country. No wonder our economy in deep poo... It's almost 1:1 ratio...

[g5jamz]

When you rob Peter to pay Paul, you can always count on Paul's vote.

[thatlookseasy]

Looks like Obama is wrapping up his usual strongholds in Texas and the deep south thanks to the overwhelming support of all the non-federal-income-taxed people

[ARSEN]

It's funny how people attack Romney for stating the obvious...

[mmmbeans]

it's funny how people blame the poor for wealth disparity.

[Jase]

The 10% bracket bush added for the lowest income earners really ratcheted up that non-payer list.

The south having a large percentage of these makes sense given the lower cost of living (and therefore lower wages) and poorer rural areas.

I once again double dog dare any politician to revoke that 10% bracket.

[mmmbeans]

ahhh it'll never happen.

[ARSEN]

I'm sorry. I did not adopt a poor person and I do not feel like paying for one and when I get married I will have to pay for 2 poor people. fug that.

[thatlookseasy]

Hey if you want to blame someone for the 48% number, blame Milton Friedman, who came up with the idea of the Earned Income Tax Credit. Or blame old people for collecting social security.

Or you can blame obama for passing all those policies which did nothing to change the number of people not paying

[Tensor]

So only 53% of Americans contribute to the country while other 47% take away from the country. No wonder our economy in deep poo... It's almost 1:1 ratio...

Stolen from NanuqoftheNorth because it needs repeating:

On the surface 48% of Americans not paying federal income tax (these individuals still pay other federal taxes, many are paying a larger percentage of their income in federal taxes than the wealthiest Americans) is discouraging for those of us that pay substantial income taxes on an annual basis.

For the record, I would like to see as many Americans as possible pay at least some federal income taxes.

The earned income tax credit, EITC, signed into law by President Gerald Ford (Republican) and enhanced by Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, provides families that are gainfully employed but unable to earn enough money, a tax creditto help provide the basics of life for their families.

This program accounts for a substantial number of individuals on the federal income tax roles. EITC was considered a better way to solve the poverty problem by many Republicans and Democrats than continuously raising the minimum wage or providing welfare.

Note: The minimum wage has fallen by 20% (after inflation) since the early 90s. The federal government has instead been subsidizing the real cost of employing workers in the private sector via the EITC.

The other significant group not paying federal income tax is the elderly, an ever growing percentage of our society.

There was a time when a large percentage of the elderly lived in poverty. This now happens less frequently because Republican and Democratic politicians decided that was unacceptable. They changed the tax codes to favor the elderly and minimized their suffering.

After accounting for EITC and retirees, approximately 17 percent of the population remains that doesn't pay federalincome tax in a given year.

Many of these people have payed in previous years or will pay income tax in subsequent years, some may not, but the vast majority of Americans do pay federal taxes and many pay proportionally more of their income in taxes than people like Mitt Romney do.

50% of American corporations (in any given year) do not pay federal taxes either, but you won't hear much about that statistic. I wonder why?

If the primary goal is to get more people to pay income taxes, as they did prior to the mid 1970s, that can be achieved with changes to the tax code, along with changes in the way this country conducts business nationally / internationally.

Just realize, we are where we are today because of bipartisan decisions by those in power decades ago to grow our financial sector and off shore much of our manufacturing base.

Because of these calculated decisions by those in power, some Americans have benefitted handsomely, while many other hard working Americans have not.

That is why 48% of Americans do not pay a federal income tax.

[Davidson Deac II]

And most of the non payers in those states are either Obama supporters or they don't vote.

[mmmbeans]

I'm sorry. I did not adopt a poor person and I do not feel like paying for one and when I get married I will have to pay for 2 poor people. fug that.

not my fault your wife is poor.

[Jase]

Note: The minimum wage has fallen by 20% (after inflation) since the early 90s. The federal government has instead been subsidizing the real cost of employing workers in the private sector via the EITC.

That's a hell of a gripping reality.

I need to find nanuq's post and supply some pie.

[Davidson Deac II]

Fwiw, Romney is mostly right, although its politically incorrect to say it. To many people in the US think they are victims, and want to blame someone else for their problem, or want someone else to solve their problems. While I do believe that the government should help those in need, people need to take responsibility for their lives more than they do.