What is something you agree with the "other side" about?

[boomerang]

The problem I see with seeking common ground is that the Repub Party is a contradiction in and of itself. Their middle class and poor vote for politicians that do not represent their interests but that of the very wealthy who have corrupted these politicians into mere pawns because once corrupted and dependent, these uber rich have the financial power to keep or throw these pawns out of office.

I'm sorry but this is laughable and I don't want to start out on the wrong foot. If Democrats are for people's best interests, (let's make this simple) how is it that we still have the middle class and the poor? The richest people in the U.S. are made up majorly by Democrats. These rich folks of that political persuasion like the system very much. They aren't truly interested in changing anything and not only that, they never have. Our unfunded liabilities are going to sink the nation unless we get them under control. We're going to get buried by not being able to cover our interest payments along with entitlements. Math is a bitch.

Voting in one's best interest means voting for someone who wants to grow the economy with the goal of funding these social programs, paying down our debt and hopefully one day achieving a budget with manageable debt and not a budget like that that exists on paper, one that is reality. To think that giving everybody free shit is some kind of road to success is frankly, juvenile.

 

[ecogen]

I'm sorry but this is laughable and I don't want to start out on the wrong foot. If Democrats are for people's best interests, (let's make this simple) how is it that we still have the middle class and the poor? The richest people in the U.S. are made up majorly by Democrats. These rich folks of that political persuasion like the system very much. They aren't truly interested in changing anything and not only that, they never have. Our unfunded liabilities are going to sink the nation unless we get them under control. We're going to get buried by not being able to cover our interest payments along with entitlements. Math is a bitch.

Voting in one's best interest means voting for someone who wants to grow the economy with the goal of funding these social programs, paying down our debt and hopefully one day achieving a budget with manageable debt and not a budget like that that exists on paper, one that is reality. To think that giving everybody free shit is some kind of road to success is frankly, juvenile.

It's hilarious reading these threads as a European. GOP propaganda is truly something to behold.

This is why half of your country is and will remain a backwards shithole.

 

[fskimospy]

It’s weird for boomerang to be saying he wants to be fiscally responsible while enthusiastically supporting the most fiscally irresponsible major political party in the developed world.

 

[UglyCasanova]

Which is why everyone is trying to immigrate here. Half the country isn’t a backwards shithole. Being poor in America is still vastly better than being poor in much of the world. I’ve been poor, it sucks. But I don’t kid myself that I was still way better off that the bulk of humanity.

 

[ecogen]

Which is why everyone is trying to immigrate here. Half the country isn’t a backwards shithole. Being poor in America is still vastly better than being poor in much of the world. I’ve been poor, it sucks. But I don’t kid myself that I was still way better off that the bulk of humanity.

It's not better than being poor in Europe, or Canada, or Australia, or New Zealand etc. If you wanna compare yourselves to Venezuela or Zimbabwe go ahead.

 

[fskimospy]

It's hilarious reading these threads as a European. GOP propaganda is truly something to behold.

This is why half of your country is and will remain a backwards shithole.

It is kind of amazing that he’s able to claim with a straight face that the true party of the rich is the Democrats (who raised taxes on the rich) and not the Republicans (who just gave the rich more than $1 trillion in tax cuts)

 

[UglyCasanova]

It’s weird for boomerang to be saying he wants to be fiscally responsible while enthusiastically supporting the most fiscally irresponsible major political party in the developed world.

Dems are no better, don’t be dishonest. They didn’t cut spending sure, but the platform is free healthcare, free college, free stuff. Very fiscally irresponsible.

 

[ecogen]

Dems are no better, don’t be dishonest. They didn’t cut spending sure, but the platform is free healthcare, free college, free stuff. Very fiscally irresponsible.

Again, all things that are a reality for a multitude of European and other developed nations that have living standards higher than the USA.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Dems are no better, don’t be dishonest. They didn’t cut spending sure, but the platform is free healthcare, free college, free stuff. Very fiscally irresponsible.

You know where that money will be coming from.

 

[boomerang]

Definitions are tricky. I consider myself a "progressive" and I don't agree with anything on that list, except higher taxes, but then only on the wealthy.

You're a sharp guy and I'm not being flip or condescending. I would hope that you would understand the history behind the moniker 'progressive'. It's what the communists early in the last century renamed themselves when communism got a deservedly bad reputation. There is nothing progressive about the movement. It's a throwback to failed policies. It's actually regressive. If you think of yourself as progressive because you're for progress, then understand the history behind the name. There is a reason that among conservatives progressive has a very negative connotation. Maybe now you know why.

Higher taxes on the wealthy will fix nothing if one actually applies the math to the desired tax rates. I did some math some months ago and the numbers can't be that far off now. Based on the net worth of Jeff Bezos then and the population then, if we confiscated everything he had and liquidated it at full value then distributed it evenly among the population including every warm body within our borders it would amount to a one time payment of $400.

Wishing higher tax rates on the wealthy thinking it will cure some ills is either wishful thinking, ignorant thinking or punitive thinking. Liberals I believe are all for fairness and it's only fair that if tax cuts occur that they occur across the board.

 

[fskimospy]

Dems are no better, don’t be dishonest. They didn’t cut spending sure, but the platform is free healthcare, free college, free stuff. Very fiscally irresponsible.

Democrats are not just better but hugely so. To claim otherwise would be dishonest.

You mentioned health care - the bill the Democrats passed was not just fully funded, it actually reduced the deficit. Compare that to Republicans who just passed an entirely unfunded trillion+ tax cut. Hell, just compare it to the last Republican bill on health care, Medicare part D. Republicans funded that with debt too.

If you want fiscal responsibility the only choice is to vote for the Democrats.

 

[Brainonska511]

It’s weird for boomerang to be saying he wants to be fiscally responsible while enthusiastically supporting the most fiscally irresponsible major political party in the developed world.

Honestly, it's not weird for boomerang to be saying those things. He clearly lost his critical thinking skills a long time ago.

 

[boomerang]

This is why half of your country is and will remain a backwards shithole.

So, Trump doesn't want our tax dollars going to defend you anymore, eh? You mad, I can tell.

 

[ecogen]

So, Trump doesn't want our tax dollars going to defend you anymore, eh? You mad, I can tell.

You're free to pull out whenever. Let me give you a little tip: You won't. Because the number one beneficiary of those bases isn't us, it's you. And your government knows that, even if rubes like you don't.

 

[boomerang]

I asked earlier what the Democrat party platform is for the mid-terms. Did I miss the answer?

 

[woolfe9998]

You're a sharp guy and I'm not being flip or condescending. I would hope that you would understand the history behind the moniker 'progressive'. It's what the communists early in the last century renamed themselves when communism got a deservedly bad reputation. There is nothing progressive about the movement. It's a throwback to failed policies. It's actually regressive. If you think of yourself as progressive because you're for progress, then understand the history behind the name. There is a reason that among conservatives progressive has a very negative connotation. Maybe now you know why.

Higher taxes on the wealthy will fix nothing if one actually applies the math to the desired tax rates. I did some math some months ago and the numbers can't be that far off now. Based on the net worth of Jeff Bezos then and the population then, if we confiscated everything he had and liquidated it at full value then distributed it evenly among the population including every warm body within our borders it would amount to a one time payment of $400.

Wishing higher tax rates on the wealthy thinking it will cure some ills is either wishful thinking, ignorant thinking or punitive thinking. Liberals I believe are all for fairness and it's only fair that if tax cuts occur that they occur across the board.

I don't want higher taxes on the wealthy just because. I want higher taxes on the wealthy because I think we need socialized medicine and I'd rather the wealthy foot most of that bill. I also want to expand social safety nets, and I'd like to see the government invest more in science and technology, and in infrastructure. And I'd like to get rid of the deficit, or at least reduce it to a low amount (under $100 billion).

Your use of a single example to somehow prove that tax revenue gains would be minimal if we increased taxes on, say, everyone making over $250K a year, is laughable.

My support of socialized medicine alone puts me at least halfway into the "progressive" camp. Yet I don't agree with virtually anything on your list. Nor do any of the liberals I know IRL. Many of those things you can't support as being "progressive" with anything but anecdotes, which don't prove a thing.

 

[K1052]

Dems are no better, don’t be dishonest. They didn’t cut spending sure, but the platform is free healthcare, free college, free stuff. Very fiscally irresponsible.

Fiscal conservatism is dead because Republicans publicly strangled it every time they came into power (tax cuts and military spending) and expect us to believe that they didn't. That's over now.

Also, as noted by others, socialized healthcare and free college are realities for other wealthy western nations. We've simply decided not to pursue them largely to the benefit of corporate profits.

 

[boomerang]

You're free to pull out whenever. Let me give you a little tip: You won't. Because the number one beneficiary of those bases isn't us, it's you. And your government knows that, even if rubes like you don't.

Glad to see I nailed it on the first try. I was right, you mad. Sorry about your little tip. We've got huge plum sized tips over here.

 

[Brainonska511]

I asked earlier what the Democrat party platform is for the mid-terms. Did I miss the answer?

If only there were legitimate places you could look this information up. We don't need to spoon-feed it to you.

Additionally, due to the nature of the midterm, there doesn't need to be a unified, national platform for the Democratic Party - each candidate is more likely to tailor their messages and positions to their district's or state's needs.

 

[ecogen]

Glad to see I nailed it on the first try. I was right, you mad. Sorry about your little tip. We've got huge plum sized tips over here.

Ok buddy, you'll let me know when Mr. "America First" Donald J. Trump decides to pull out right? When that happens you can gloat all you want, but I won't be holding my breath.

Until then, you'll have to accept that even past Republican presidents haven't even gone close to doing what you're saying. So thus far reality seems to be siding with me.

 

[UglyCasanova]

Fiscal conservatism is dead because Republicans publicly strangled it every time they came into power (tax cuts and military spending) and expect us to believe that they didn't. That's over now.

Also, as noted by others, socialized healthcare and free college are realities for other wealthy western nations. We've simply decided not to pursue them largely to the benefit of corporate profits.

Our corporate tax rates were amongst the highest in the world. We lowered them, but they are still a scratch above the global average.

 

[K1052]

Our corporate tax rates were amongst the highest in the world. We lowered them, but they are still a scratch above the global average.

How many companies do you think were paying the statutory rate?

 

[fskimospy]

Our corporate tax rates were amongst the highest in the world. We lowered them, but they are still a scratch above the global average.

Our rates were high but the amount corporations actually paid was right around the average.

A smart tax bill would have lowered rates and eliminated deductions. We did not get a smart tax bill.

 

[Jhhnn]

Dems are no better, don’t be dishonest. They didn’t cut spending sure, but the platform is free healthcare, free college, free stuff. Very fiscally irresponsible.

Not free but rather universal, financed with tax dollars.

And, hey, how about that GOP tax cut? Free money for people who don't even need it! The only thing they did to earn it was to buy the GOP...

 

[UglyCasanova]

How many companies do you think were paying the statutory rate?

Even still it’s higher than most industrialized countries

https://www.npr.org/2017/08/07/5417...e-the-highest-corporate-tax-rate-in-the-world