Path: ...!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: John B. Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech Subject: Re: Tariffs and bikes Date: Sun, 06 Apr 2025 21:26:43 +0700 Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 168 Message-ID: References: <1ds1vj156uc0oaqml128umva7afgamm1qh@4ax.com> <0if2vjpkqsmuhjm7sgvagtanfkhesnos4e@4ax.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Injection-Date: Sun, 06 Apr 2025 16:26:47 +0200 (CEST) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="2e65e9bcbbb9851a7e060fd33db7734d"; logging-data="1288983"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX18lynea6+r2/idWHj9h2pvrXjBZlFYW48A=" User-Agent: ForteAgent/7.10.32.1212 Cancel-Lock: sha1:+iZmoT4omyInVYaXhH43Ovr1wIM= Bytes: 9129 On Sun, 6 Apr 2025 09:08:35 -0500, AMuzi wrote: >On 4/5/2025 8:02 PM, John B. wrote: >> On Sat, 5 Apr 2025 10:16:40 -0500, AMuzi wrote: >> >>> On 4/5/2025 9:37 AM, John B. wrote: >>>> On Sat, 5 Apr 2025 08:35:17 -0500, AMuzi wrote: >>>> >>>>> On 4/5/2025 4:43 AM, John B. wrote: >>>>>> On Sat, 05 Apr 2025 04:19:45 -0400, Catrike Ryder >>>>>> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> On Sat, 5 Apr 2025 00:08:53 -0400, Frank Krygowski >>>>>>> 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. >>>> >>>> >>>> It is difficult to understand how telling the truth is "bashing". Or >>>> has the truth become a sin in modern America? >>>> >>>> As Winston Churchill (and others ) said, “Those that fail to learn >>>> from history are doomed to repeat it.” >>> >>> It's true. We all have read multiple contemporary accounts. >>> No reasonable person doubts that truth. >>> >>> When incessant harping on that, with no mention of his other >>> actions over a long life (and not all exemplary, for example >>> that French and Indian War incident) it may well be called >>> bashing. YVVM. >>> >>> Similarly my criticism of the modern education racket is >>> that young people can recount all of our country's sins, >>> which were real, but none of the good we have done. >> >> Not to start another helmet or gun fight but the bad things stick >> right out in front of "God and Everyone" - long series of "wars" to >> deprive the original owners of their land for example, what are the >> "good things"? >> > >Really? How about Mr Hoover's Belgian Relief (during the >Wilson administration) which extended across Europe and >saved millions of lives. > >https://www.historynet.com/the-man-of-force-who-saved-belgium/ > Sorry.Long before my time so never heard of it. #1... >And a few thousand other examples. -- Cheers, John B.