Dear far leftists - the American people did not fail you. You failed them.

Starts at AOC. Bernie. Kamala borderline far left. The "squad". Etc. Not people like Fetterman, Ritchie Torres.

 

"Ah, the ‘U.S. Far Left’! Where they dream of a utopia with "free everything" funded by… well, magic? But let’s not forget the latest feature of this ideal world: the cringe-worthy alliances. Who knew that progressives who champion "rights for all" would find common ground with groups that conveniently skip over women’s, LGBTQ, and, ironically, even some human rights?

Can someone explain how the “anti-imperialist” crew thinks condemning Israel while staying silent on Hamas or Hezbollah somehow promotes peace? Last we checked, selective empathy isn’t solidarity. But hey, why bother with nuance when you can just wave a “Free Palestine” sign and call it “activism.” Pro tip: maybe actually take a look at who also shows up to those rallies. Spoiler alert: it’s not exactly the human rights fan club!

Also, let’s talk economics. Medicare for All, Green New Deal, free college, free unicorn rides—who’s paying? Wait, let me guess: it’ll be those billionaires again? Never mind that even confiscating all billionaire wealth once doesn’t come close. But in Far-Left World™, “tax the rich” is the solution for everything, as if that money just magically refills.

Far-left America: where fiscal reality is ignored, double standards on “justice” are the norm, and alliances make zero sense. But hey, why stop when you can virtue signal on repeat and call it progress? #SocialJusticeOrHypocrisy"

 

LOL I would love that.

Here are the facts:

• Top 1% of Taxpayers: Paid 45.8% of all federal individual income taxes.

• Top 5% of Taxpayers: Paid 62.7% of all federal individual income taxes.

• Top 10% of Taxpayers: Paid 74.1% of all federal individual income taxes.

• Bottom 50% of Taxpayers: Paid 2.3% of all federal individual income taxes.

• Top 1%: Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $682,577 and above.

• Top 5%: AGI of $252,840 and above.

• Top 10%: AGI of $169,800 and above.

• Top 50%: AGI of $46,637 and above.

So the top 1 %, which includes me, pay almost half of all income tax.

 

Based on the Tax Foundation's analysis of 2021 IRS data, the average federal income tax rates for various income groups are as follows:

• Top 1% of Taxpayers: 25.9%
• Top 5% of Taxpayers: 22.0%
• Top 10% of Taxpayers: 19.1%
• Bottom 50% of Taxpayers: 3.3%

These figures illustrate the progressive nature of the U.S. federal income tax system, where higher-income individuals pay a larger percentage of their income in taxes compared to lower-income individuals.


https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/federal/latest-federal-income-tax-data-2024/

 

I'm ok with paying higher taxes than someone who has a low income.

What I don't like is the narrative of "the rich don't pay their fair share" - this may be true in individual cases due to extreme tax avoidance strategies by some billionaires, but overall, the data shows that higher income earners do pay a lot more, both in absolute figures and as a percentage of their income.

Again, that's ok with me. In fact, I would be ok with paying a bit more to help ensure a slightly higher floor for the poorest of the poor.

By the way, for comparison, in Germany, especially when you look at all the other mandatory contributions (pension, health insurance, public broadcasting scheme, etc. etc.), if you have a high income, your take-home pay is clearly under 50 % of what you originally made. So it's a lot more "socialist" than in the US. Germany has completely screwed up its system, where for lower income earners, it doesn't make sense to work - at all. They make more money by just being subsidized by the government than by taking any job. This is clearly unsustainable. And, unsurprisingly, the German economy is in deep, deep ****, compared to the US.

The gap between the top 1 % and the bottom 10 % is much more massive in the US compared to Germany and most European countries.

I guess given my background, I would be fine with something in between what you currently see in the US and the (from my point of view) "too socialist" system in Europe.

It breaks my heart to see the homeless people and the real poverty at the lowest income levels in the US.

For me, the biggest drivers would be better education (without indoctrination) for children, and fostering a culture of education as the basis for a better life. So although I am generally against subsidies, philosophically, the younger the intended recipient, the more I feel favourable towards it. Anything to help children.

Oh, and better access to healthcare for the poorest.

 

I wonder how @glynch feels about that.