Path: ...!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: AMuzi Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech Subject: Re: Tariffs and bikes Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2025 13:10:13 -0500 Organization: Yellow Jersey, Ltd. Lines: 185 Message-ID: References: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Injection-Date: Sat, 05 Apr 2025 20:10:16 +0200 (CEST) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="3b2850a5bee8894db725285b9dc03b94"; logging-data="3013880"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1/wIrdl+elHBl+E+q1M/JQe" User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird Cancel-Lock: sha1:ajHUlHLWHIuhBu4hXqv++rlP9nE= In-Reply-To: Content-Language: en-US Bytes: 9174 On 4/5/2025 11:44 AM, Frank Krygowski wrote: > On 4/5/2025 9:20 AM, AMuzi wrote: >> On 4/4/2025 11:08 PM, 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. >>> >>> >> >> It simply is not true. Full stop. Not true. > > It is not true that black Americans in 1776 suffered > disadvantages compared to white Americans? That is > absolutely senseless. > >> 'Income disparity' is a classic blatant example of >> 'garbage in, garbage out.  By utterly ignoring our lavish >> transfer/benefits systems, the appearance of poverty >> greatly exceeds poverty. >> >> As with so many topics discussed here, one would do well >> to ask what is counted and who is counting. >> > For readers who did not pursue my previous link, here's >> a shorter >> simpler version: >> >> https://www.cato.org/study/myth-american-income-inequality > > :-) Ah yes, "one would do well to ask ... who is counting." > So we should ignore the countless American and world-wide > economic institutions which all accept recognized standards > for inequality measurements, and rank America's GINI index > as being worse than all similar modern nations. Instead we > should pay attention to the outlier, the hyper-libertarian > Cato institute. > >> And regarding racism, why do legal immigrant Nigerians, >> being as dark or darker than US citizens grouped as black, >> do so well here? > > Yes, there are certainly cultural differences among various > sub-cultures. Japanese and Chinese tend to do better here by > various measurements than average white Americans. IIRC, > white Jewish Americans do better, on average, than other > whites. That does not mean that racism against American > blacks is gone, and that blacks don't suffer from its > current and historical effects. > > When I lived down south, I witnessed my black co-workers and > later my black students getting mocked behind their backs or > to their faces. I remember our two neighbors proudly going > off to hear Lester Maddox speak, telling us "He's going to > put those niggers back in their place." I can't believe > those attitudes didn't lead to disadvantages for them. > > One thing that I learned fairly recently: My father bought > his first house with help from the GI Bill. My wife and I > did the same many years later. Buying a home and having its > value appreciate, as they generally do, was an important > contributor toward increasing family wealth. But after WW2, > black servicemen had much more trouble taking advantage of > the GI Bill. That put a great damper on black family's > equity growth, and the historic effects persist. > >> Or as my favorite black millionaire from humble roots >> often notes, "Hard work wins." > > It's more likely to "win" if you have good connections, good > education, access to capital, etc. and if you're not > rejected for a job by being the wrong color. > > Regarding 'income inequality' that simple page linked is only the latest of many links on the same theme with the same data. The fact remains that USA has millions of people living quite well who do not and will not work. We the taxpayers provide them with county rent, food, medical care, walking around money, education (such as it is) and more for ========== REMAINDER OF ARTICLE TRUNCATED ==========