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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#46651: Jan 8th 2013 at 9:36:12 PM

abolishing the IRS, definitely.

Susan Rice was a possible nominee for Secretary of Defense, but the Republicans attacker her suitability based on her performance in the Benghazi incident, Kostya.

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#46652: Jan 8th 2013 at 9:39:06 PM

Thank you.

So why would you abolish income tax? The government might as well not exist if you do that.

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#46653: Jan 8th 2013 at 9:41:46 PM

The comment by the rep in question seems to be a build up to doing tax reform. Apparently all this bullshit is to "get attention". So they're measuring success by something other than getting these things voted on.

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#46654: Jan 8th 2013 at 9:42:54 PM

What tax reform would that be other than wiping out taxes entirely? That's what it sounds like to me.

edited 8th Jan '13 9:43:15 PM by Kostya

Topazan from San Diego Since: Jan, 2010
#46655: Jan 8th 2013 at 9:45:55 PM

On the other side of the political spectrum, Rep. Rob Woodall, a Georgia Republican, introduced a measure Thursday to eliminate the IRS, do away with income taxes and create instead a national consumption tax.
He's not talking about eliminating taxes, he's talking about replacing federal income tax with a sales (consumption) tax.

It's argued that it would be simpler and easier to enforce.

It should be noted that federal income tax was only introduced in the early 20th.

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#46656: Jan 8th 2013 at 9:52:31 PM

Sales taxes are already onerous on the poor, so that's a shit solution to anything at all.

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#46657: Jan 8th 2013 at 9:52:44 PM

Representative Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) on Tuesday dubbed the 67 House Republicans who voted against legislation to help meet flood damage claims from Hurricane Sandy "the bath salts caucus." He also accuses them of holding America hostage.

I have a feeling we will be hearing a lot more from Mr. Greyson in the next 2 years.

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Topazan from San Diego Since: Jan, 2010
#46658: Jan 8th 2013 at 10:00:09 PM

Sales taxes are already onerous on the poor, so that's a shit solution to anything at all.
I don't really support the "Fair Tax" movement (which is the group usually pushing this), but part of the proposal is that everyone would receive a certain amount of money as a "prebate" in order to make it progressive. The prebate would be enough to cover a certain amount of purchases per month/year/whatever, so you aren't really paying any taxes until you go over that.

edited 8th Jan '13 10:01:14 PM by Topazan

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#46659: Jan 8th 2013 at 10:10:00 PM

Income taxes would be a lot simpler if we just got rid of deductions-you know, those things we do in order to make sure that certain behavior that is beneficial to society is rewarded.

Taxes are complicated, let me tell you. But, not because of arcane mumbo jumbo, but just because there's a lot of semi-intelligent reasons for the tax code to be complicated.

There's also lots of bad reasons though.

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#46660: Jan 8th 2013 at 10:29:04 PM

Senator Elizabeth Warren Is Outraged That AIG Is Considering Suing The US Government

I've made a timeline of AIG's decisions from 2008-2013

  • AIG reports massive losses due to there terrible business decisions.

  • AIG gets a bailout of over 1 trillion dollars.

  • AIG immediately spends a portion of that bailout giving themselves bonuses.

  • AIG is now suing the government over the bailout.

edited 8th Jan '13 10:42:24 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#46661: Jan 8th 2013 at 10:32:18 PM

Okay, I saw a bit about this today. Apparently it's one guy who used to work for AIG that's getting together some buddies to sue the government, and tomorrow he's meeting with current heads of AIG to discuss suing the government. So while it's stupid, AIG hasn't actually committed to anything as of this moment, I don't think.

Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#46662: Jan 8th 2013 at 11:27:01 PM

Taxes are complicated, let me tell you. But, not because of arcane mumbo jumbo, but just because there's a lot of semi-intelligent reasons for the tax code to be complicated.

Some of it's just needless obstruction. When they discover overpayment on taxes from a missed deduction or something, they're required to tell you so you can claim it...but they'll wait three years to do it so your timeframe to claim it expires and they can deny refunding you.

edited 8th Jan '13 11:27:39 PM by Pykrete

RavenWilder Since: Apr, 2009
#46663: Jan 8th 2013 at 11:58:48 PM

Really? When I overpaid on my taxes, they gave me a refund within a few months.

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#46664: Jan 9th 2013 at 12:03:24 AM

Senator Graham urges delay on John Brennan nomination.

Rick Perry: More tea-party values might have helped Romney

edited 9th Jan '13 12:19:03 AM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#46665: Jan 9th 2013 at 12:42:15 AM

In a "Times of Israel" poll, 67% of Israelis said they would support a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders.

There's even a movement called Real Democracy that calls for Israelis to trade votes with the Palestinians, because the latter remains unable to vote on their fate.

edited 9th Jan '13 12:50:01 AM by Serocco

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#46666: Jan 9th 2013 at 1:29:19 AM

[up]

That's interesting.

And it has nothing to due with US Politics. At all.

Cuomo pushing hard for one of nation's toughest gun laws

Christie 'State of State' speech focuses on Sandy - almost nothing else

edited 9th Jan '13 2:08:52 AM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#46667: Jan 9th 2013 at 1:48:09 AM

In 2009, the Temeni government announced that it had conducted a series of strikes against an al Qaeda training camp in the village of al Majala in Yemen's southern Abyan province, killing a number of al Qaeda militants.

When a journalist named Abdulelah Haider Shaye chose to investigate on that, he discovered the remnants of Tomahawk cruise missiles and cluster bombs, some of them bearing the label "Made in the USA." He distributed the photos to international media outlets. Among the victims of the strike were women, children and the elderly. To be exact, 14 women and 21 children were killed.

Shaye was arrested and imprisoned in 2011 by the Yemeni government. Ali Saleh, the dictator of Yemen at the time, was looking to pardon Shaye. He received a phone call from Obama, who convinced Saleh to keep the journalist imprisoned.

edited 9th Jan '13 1:51:33 AM by Serocco

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#46668: Jan 9th 2013 at 2:44:58 AM

[up]

In 2009, the Temeni government announced that it had conducted a series of strikes against an al Qaeda training camp in the village of al Majala in Yemen's southern Abyan province, killing a number of al Qaeda militants.

When a journalist named Abdulelah Haider Shaye chose to investigate on that, he discovered the remnants of Tomahawk cruise missiles and cluster bombs, some of them bearing the label "Made in the USA."

They asked the Yanks to do it for them — and it looks like someone else is Cluster Bombing...

Keep Rolling On
Sledgesaul Since: Oct, 2011
#46669: Jan 9th 2013 at 5:39:39 AM

By the way, John Brennan was the man who pioneered the Disposition Matrix.

MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#46670: Jan 9th 2013 at 6:28:46 AM

I didn't know there was a country called "Temen". tongue

What's crazier reestablishing the Gold Standard or abolishing the IRS?
At least reestablishing the Gold Standard would likely be a stablizing factor on currency values, IMO. As late 20th century economic experts have noted, there was ultimately no reason to abandon that system as it was not a major factor (or perhaps even a factor at all) in the Great Depression and the resulting worldwide economic crisis of the '30s.

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#46671: Jan 9th 2013 at 7:42:08 AM

@Marq: That's, frankly, bullshit. The gold standard is paralyzing to any government that wants to employ monetary policy to deal with crises; we've seen the disaster that the equivalent (being tied to a common currency that you can't devalue) has caused in Europe. As Krugman notes, the gold standard was ugly, ugly for stability.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
DrTentacles Cephalopod Lothario from Land of the Deep Ones Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
Cephalopod Lothario
#46672: Jan 9th 2013 at 7:45:30 AM

It keeps us from being able to adjust our currency, and basically kills deficit spending, you know, the sort of spending that keeps America afloat. If a government isn't doing deficit spending, it's not doing it's job.

MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#46673: Jan 9th 2013 at 8:00:15 AM

That may be, but look up the full pros and cons list. At the very least, I think a modified version of the old Gold Standard system could theoretically address most of the cons; the problems is figuring out how.

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
Achaemenid HGW XX/7 from Ruschestraße 103, Haus 1 Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
HGW XX/7
#46674: Jan 9th 2013 at 8:06:06 AM

British Man Sneers at Fox News. Lasts until around 12m 30s-ish.

I found this video very amusing. Thought I'd post it here.

edited 9th Jan '13 8:17:08 AM by Achaemenid

Schild und Schwert der Partei
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#46675: Jan 9th 2013 at 8:16:53 AM

@Marq FJA: Looking at that article, the "advantages" of the gold standard are either illusory or actual disadvantages when looked at closely. I don't see how you find them to be any sort of a compelling endorsement of the practice.

Interestingly, Krugman responds today to the gold standard pushers.

edited 9th Jan '13 8:27:41 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"

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