Path: ...!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: John B. <slocombjb@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: Tariffs and bikes
Date: Sat, 05 Apr 2025 16:43:51 +0700
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
Lines: 105
Message-ID: <1ds1vj156uc0oaqml128umva7afgamm1qh@4ax.com>
References: <vsn7f2$1v127$1@dont-email.me> <cmtvujp4du2ueafd153951ipsg86rkf38e@4ax.com> <vsp0k4$3qc5f$2@dont-email.me> <vsp174$3nmvp$1@dont-email.me> <vsq314$u1ot$2@dont-email.me> <vsq4jk$1047i$1@dont-email.me> <vsqacl$19q77$2@dont-email.me> <dlp1vjtaddvqt4hjdktgb3p9hbes2okenl@4ax.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Injection-Date: Sat, 05 Apr 2025 11:43:55 +0200 (CEST)
Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="c55ddb509b51eb089f244d6749ad3a8b";
	logging-data="2061471"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org";	posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1/gWCMrKXJU6d3q06k1KzPQP0w/+M4G3UE="
User-Agent: ForteAgent/7.10.32.1212
Cancel-Lock: sha1:zNZty970kfUKFQe6aQEdA7v87dg=
Bytes: 5908

On Sat, 05 Apr 2025 04:19:45 -0400, Catrike Ryder
<Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:

>On Sat, 5 Apr 2025 00:08:53 -0400, Frank Krygowski
><frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
>>On 4/4/2025 10:30 PM, AMuzi wrote:
>>> On 4/4/2025 9:03 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
>>>> On 4/4/2025 12:26 PM, AMuzi wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> You can have whatever opinion you like but not your own facts. 
>>>>
>>>> Heck, I thought it was fashionable to have "alternative facts" if you 
>>>> don't like the look of normal ones! Wasn't that made clear during 
>>>> Trump version 1?
>>>>
>>>>> USA has among the most steeply sloped tax regimes on earth, such that 
>>>>> the top 1% of earners pay roughly half of all income tax.
>>>>>
>>>>> https://usafacts.org/articles/who-pays-the-most-income-tax/
>>>>
>>>> The USA also has some of the highest income and wealth disparity of 
>>>> developed nations. Granted, not as bad as many small 3rd world 
>>>> countries - but I think we should not be striving to emulate those.
>>>>
>>>> https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/issues/economic- justice/income- 
>>>> and-wealth-inequality/
>>>>
>>>> I'd say that means our tax structure is still insufficiently progressive.
>>>>
>>>> And what should we be trying to achieve anyway? ISTM our nation was 
>>>> founded on the idea of doing away with a privileged class lording it 
>>>> over those purportedly of less worth. Also the idea of everyone (well, 
>>>> as long as their complexion wasn't too dark) getting an equal shot at 
>>>> prosperity. If nothing else, those ideas, if implemented, work toward 
>>>> keeping the masses content enough that they don't literally rebel. 
>>>> Rebellions are messy, unpredictable, and bad for bike shops.
>>>>
>>>> We now have a new privileged class, one that can rake in millions per 
>>>> year and pay lower rates than struggling middle Americans, in part 
>>>> because of clever deductions. Remember Leona Helmsley? "Taxes are for 
>>>> little people."
>>>>
>>>> And of course, any money made over $170,000 per year is free of Social 
>>>> Security duties. Because hey, one's third mega- mansion is much more 
>>>> important than better food for the family making $50,000 per year. Why 
>>>> should the ultra-rich help to keep Social Security afloat?
>>>>
>>>>
>>> 
>>> The 'disparity' is a myth in that it counts only taxable earnings, 
>>> ignoring that fully half the country pays no income tax.  Many of those 
>>> receive 'negative tax' payments and in fact dos very well on relief, 
>>> much better than many working people.
>>
>>"The disparity is a myth"??  The GINI index for the U.S. is higher 
>>(worse) than for Britain, Italy, France, Austria, Canada, Australia, 
>>Ireland, Sweden, Albania, Croatia, etc. etc. etc. Yes, it's not as bad 
>>as South Africa, Mexico, Venezuela, Columbia, but it's hardly a myth.
>>
>>> 
>>> Regarding wealthy citizens, we do indeed have some inherited wealth but 
>>> almost all the top earners are self made ...
>>
>>That's irrelevant. I was not restricting my comments to inherited 
>>wealth. I'm basically saying that our current laws and tax structures 
>>favor the wealthy and especially the very wealthy. That includes 
>>corporations, for which it's not that unusual to pay next to zero 
>>federal taxes. Tax shelters are available to those with tons of money. 
>>Helmsley's "little people" have no access to that trickery.
>>
>>> Your snarky racism comment is ridiculous.
>>
>>I said a big idea for the new nation of the U.S. was that everyone 
>>should get an equal shot if their skin wasn't too dark. Did you somehow 
>>forget that black slavery existed back then? Slaves did not get an equal 
>>shot.
>>
>>Yes, I know you (especially you!) can come up with anecdotes about 
>>modern black guys who have gotten rich. But surely even you don't think 
>>it's as likely for a young black guy to succeed as it is for a young 
>>white guy.
>>
>>> There are 224 times more black millionaires in USA than the top 19 
>>> countries of Africa combined.
>>> 
>>> Go stick your racism somewhere else.
>>
>>I was not comparing black Americans to black Africans. I was comparing 
>>black Americans to white Americans. And in my original statement, I was 
>>comparing those groups in 1776.
>
>The Leftists racism nonsense is not working any more as more and more
>non-white people walk away from the Democrat Party. Perhaps they
>should stop using it.

'Re Frank's post above... in early  America George Washington, a 3rd
generation slave owner,  assumed ownership of his first 10 slaves when
he was 11 years old. At his death there were 317 slaves  at Mount
Vernon. 
-- 
Cheers,

John B.