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From: AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: Tariffs and bikes
Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2025 08:35:17 -0500
Organization: Yellow Jersey, Ltd.
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On 4/5/2025 4:43 AM, John B. wrote:
> 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.

True although most were acquired at his marriage.

Odd though that people do harp on him, and on Thomas 
Jefferson as well, while exempting John Adams and Benjamin 
Franklin from that line of conversation.

And the same people have no time or attention for today's 
open slave markets across the Gulf region, into Sudan and 
now, with the sudden absence of French special forces, 
across the Sahel as the jihadis take over.

Not to mention massive scale vivisection of political 
prisoners by the CCP for their international organ selling 
programs.  Oh no, not at all important when bashing Mr 
Washington is so entertaining.

-- 
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971