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RE: Tea Party candidate taken behind the woodshed by an old man asking a simple question
June 20, 2014 at 1:22 pm
(June 20, 2014 at 11:25 am)DeistPaladin Wrote: How do you feel about:
* Cutting defense spending at least by half?
* Ending all corporate welfare, including oil subsidies?
* Ending indirect subsidies for religion by taxing churches?
* Ending the war on drugs?
* Raising taxes on the top 1% to the pre-Reagan levels?
* Ending indirect subsidies for corporate labor costs by taxing any corporation whose full-time employees must rely on food stamps to survive so the government can recoup the cost of said food stamps plus administrative costs? (Alternatively, raise the minimum wage so that all full time employees will rise above the eligibility line)? I know you didn't ask me, but here are my "feelings":
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
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Tea Party candidate taken behind the woodshed by an old man asking a simple question
June 20, 2014 at 1:27 pm
(June 20, 2014 at 12:09 pm)Heywood Wrote: In FY2013 the government collected 2.7 trillion dollars. That should be more than enough for the government to maintain a decent society.
I don't disagree, but it's hard to maintain a decent society when we piss away mind-bogglingly large amounts on, for instance, many of the things listed in DP's earlier post: our obscenely large and wasteful "defense" budget (I assume there is no reason to explain the need for the quotation marks); corporate and farm subsidies; the drug war -- and the list goes on and on.
I'm not suggesting that you are in favor of this waste. I am saying that there are few, if any, members of Congress who have the sense and courage to open a serious public discussion regarding our true needs and priorities and to take the political hit that would result. Do you really believe that the Tea Party folks, once in power, are going to bite the hands that feed their re-election campaigns and slash programs that benefit the people in their states and districts, no matter how useless or counter-productive those programs may be? I don't believe it for a second. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I think they'll drink the Kool-Aid like everyone else in D.C. In the end, I suspect they'll protect their own sacred cows at all costs and will stand primarily for cutting programs they associate with liberalism, especially the ones meant to aid the most vulnerable. I hardly see that as a step in the direction of decency.
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RE: Tea Party candidate taken behind the woodshed by an old man asking a simple question
June 20, 2014 at 11:32 pm
Twelve hours later, Heywood still can't actually answer the question.
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RE: Tea Party candidate taken behind the woodshed by an old man asking a simple question
June 21, 2014 at 12:21 am
(This post was last modified: June 21, 2014 at 12:26 am by Heywood.)
(June 20, 2014 at 1:04 pm)DeistPaladin Wrote: (June 20, 2014 at 11:38 am)Heywood Wrote: Not taxing something is not a subsidy.
On the contrary, when you exempt one person from paying dues, the others who do pay dues are giving the exempted person an indirect subsidy.
That's what I meant by "indirect".
My business (which produces real products) pays property taxes each year. Churches (or businesses that sell fake products to the credulous) pay no property taxes. Why should my business indirectly subsidize theirs?
Quote:This forum receives donations just like a church.
I'm sure it's neither a non-profit organization nor does it own property that could otherwise be taxed.
Speaking of subsidies, some corporations are paying starvation wages and their full time employees make up the difference by getting food stamps from the government. If it were not for food stamps, these corporations couldn't get away with paying so low. Workers will not work full time just to starve anyway. There is a "natural minimum wage" in that respect. However, food stamps allows Wal-Mart et al to pay less than that minimum. Hence, my tax dollars subsidize their labor costs.
You glossed over all the other points. Are you in favor of cutting defense in half or ending corporate subsidies? Can we tax the top 1% at the pre-Reagan levels? Can we end the war on drugs now? Or do you just want to cut programs that liberals favor?
End the war on drugs? Yes lets end it.
Cut defense? Cut everything including defense.
Increase the tax on the top 1%? Sure.....but not so that the government can spend more.
If Churches are required to pay property tax, then all non profit organizations which own property should be required to pay property tax. Further if Churches are required to pay property tax then they should be able to endorse candidates.
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RE: Tea Party candidate taken behind the woodshed by an old man asking a simple question
June 21, 2014 at 1:18 am
(This post was last modified: June 21, 2014 at 1:24 am by DeistPaladin.)
(June 21, 2014 at 12:21 am)Heywood Wrote: If Churches are required to pay property tax, then all non profit organizations which own property should be required to pay property tax. Explain your logic.
Quote:Further if Churches are required to pay property tax then they should be able to endorse candidates.
I'll agree to those terms. They already do anyway.
(June 20, 2014 at 1:22 pm)Tiberius Wrote: I know you didn't ask me, but here are my "feelings":
I gave you kudos because, while I don't agree with every answer you provided, you did quickly, succinctly and honestly answer *all* of my questions ...unlike a certain forum member that the questions were addressed to.
Atheist Forums Hall of Shame:
"The trinity can be equated to having your cake and eating it too."
... -Lucent, trying to defend the Trinity concept
"(Yahweh's) actions are good because (Yahweh) is the ultimate standard of goodness. That’s not begging the question"
... -Statler Waldorf, Christian apologist
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RE: Tea Party candidate taken behind the woodshed by an old man asking a simple question
June 21, 2014 at 1:37 am
(This post was last modified: June 21, 2014 at 1:43 am by The Grand Nudger.)
Food stamps and wic are, technically, farm subsidies, btw Cross. They are also effective farm subsidies..in addition to being technically included in the bill. That's why you can have this much of that product, but not an ounce of this, etc. Basically the gov buying commodities and then distributing them amongst the populace masquerading as assistance for the poor..when it is in fact, assistance for the massively rich ag sector. Even more specifically, it is corporate assistance for those entities which posess equipment capable of breaking down raw agricultural commodities into it;s constituent parts and then reassembling them as processed "food".
-This is why chicken nuggets and french fries are so popular among the wic/fs subset. They are a great use of the machinery and raw materials for the producer, and due to stealth subsidy they are also the best mass-per-dollar wic/fs can buy. It's a beautiful little closed loop eh?
-takes a bow-
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Tea Party candidate taken behind the woodshed by an old man asking a simple question
June 21, 2014 at 1:52 am
(June 21, 2014 at 1:18 am)DeistPaladin Wrote: I gave you kudos because, while I don't agree with every answer you provided, you did quickly, succinctly and honestly answer *all* of my questions ...unlike a certain forum member that the questions were addressed to.
Your questions weren't germane to the thread. I largely ignored them for that reason, and because I was thinking about doing a thread where they would be answered.
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RE: Tea Party candidate taken behind the woodshed by an old man asking a simple question
June 21, 2014 at 3:25 am
(This post was last modified: June 21, 2014 at 3:26 am by Ryantology.)
(June 21, 2014 at 1:52 am)Heywood Wrote: (June 21, 2014 at 1:18 am)DeistPaladin Wrote: I gave you kudos because, while I don't agree with every answer you provided, you did quickly, succinctly and honestly answer *all* of my questions ...unlike a certain forum member that the questions were addressed to.
Your questions weren't germane to the thread. I largely ignored them for that reason, and because I was thinking about doing a thread where they would be answered.
The OP believes that DP's questions are absolutely germane to the secondary point of this thread. The OP further wonders why you never bothered explaining how you can have any sort of basic infrastructure that is functional for everyone without government funding it.
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RE: Tea Party candidate taken behind the woodshed by an old man asking a simple question
June 21, 2014 at 3:29 am
(June 21, 2014 at 3:25 am)Ryantology (╯°◊°)╯︵ ══╬ Wrote: The OP further wonders why you never bothered explaining how you can have any sort of basic infrastructure that is functional for everyone without government funding it. MOAR CHURCHES!
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Tea Party candidate taken behind the woodshed by an old man asking a simple question
June 21, 2014 at 3:34 am
(June 21, 2014 at 3:25 am)Ryantology (╯°◊°)╯︵ ══╬ Wrote: (June 21, 2014 at 1:52 am)Heywood Wrote: Your questions weren't germane to the thread. I largely ignored them for that reason, and because I was thinking about doing a thread where they would be answered.
The OP believes that DP's questions are absolutely germane to the secondary point of this thread. The OP further wonders why you never bothered explaining how you can have any sort of basic infrastructure that is functional for everyone without government funding it.
Tea partiers advocate responsible spending(don't perpetually borrow money) and reforming how taxes are collected. They do not advocate eliminating spending or eliminating taxes.
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