Posted: 8/2/2011 4:30:19 PM EDT
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Got an email from a friend:
Have never been more embarrassed then watching the blunder by our representatives. The games they are playing is crazy. Not sure why everybody is so scared of the tea party. This economy is spiraling back into a recession and could have gone into another deep recession. Or a depression. Not sure tea party fully understands the issues with the economy.
The only way to create jobs is going to be increase taxes on wealthy Americans. Along with an increase in spending by federal government to create jobs and demand. Without creation of jobs cutting spending and programs will further weaken the economy. Does not appear anybody understands what needs to take place to get the economy moving in right direction. Going to stop my ranting before I blow up. I disagree with the statement that increasing taxes, creates jobs and the federal government spending money creates jobs and economic growth. Increasing taxes on the wealthy only tightens their belt (i.e. profit) so they are less apt to spend on hiring. Federal government spending only creates a false sense of growth, when the spending stops a vacuum forms and the economic growth falters. How would you respond to a statement like this? |
If you believe that taxing a citizen that earns an income, to be able to pay a non-working person is good for the economy, I am ready to be given your hard earned money. I need more ammo! 
I work with a raging libertard that makes comments very much like your friend, usually makes me go into a Dennis Learyish tirad. |
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He's made up his mind. State your disagreement but extend him your friendship. See what happens.
See if you can find common ground based out of your mutual dislike for crony capitalism. That's my conjecture on you, pardon if it's not true. Move on from there to your dislike of Washington deals, then get back to basics and point out that the best solutions are local solutions. Let all that sink in on him. Then work around the edges. You want him to care less about rich/poor and more about Liberty/Statism. THAT is the true American fight that needs to be fought. |
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And get him to read Economics In One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt.
If that's not appealing to him, start him on some Robert A. Heinlein. |
| Un-friend them...seriously. If you have to be "work" social or whatever with them that's fine but I typically don't invite that type of person over for beer or burgers. That thought process and I don't jive. After you finish debating this topic next will start the conversation of why guns are bad and hunting is cruel...no thanks. |
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Quoted: And get him to read Economics In One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt. If that's not appealing to him, start him on some Robert A. Heinlein. IDK, "Free to Choose" by the Friedmans is probably the most concise and understandable book to show the link between economic and personal freedom. |
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At least he didn't use the term "Pay their fair share" when it comes to taxes on the wealthy, the most heavily taxed group who use the least government services.... Yeah, they're getting away with murder.... ***SIGH***
If I have to pay more taxes to get us out of this crap hole the baby-boomers have dug us into, fine. If I have to come to frips with the fact that I will most likely end up paying hundreds of thousands of dollars into social security and never get a dime of it back....fine. BUT I am only willing to do it if it GETS US OUT OF THIS HOLE, reforms the way of government SOP on budgeting, and never happens again. Am I going to pay out the nose to postpone this problem and pay for lavish Congressional pensions while this partisan bullshit is going on? HELL NO. Even the cuts that Democrats are whining about all over the place are cuts in PROJECTED INCREASE IN DEBT. Yeah, we're not paying down the current debt with these cuts, only ADDING LESS DEBT THAN WE WOULD HAVE.... WTF!?!?!? |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
And get him to read Economics In One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt. If that's not appealing to him, start him on some Robert A. Heinlein. IDK, "Free to Choose" by the Friedmans is probably the most concise and understandable book to show the link between economic and personal freedom. Poblem with concise and understandable when confronting these kinds of people is that they are anything but rational. They are emotional. Not saying your book wouldn't work, and indeed I should probably check it out, but they need to have it put to them in personal terms. That's why I'm not even sure Hazlitt will get through, but read enough Heinlein, and you'd be ready to form your own country by having your neighborhood declare it's Independence. He just puts the personal factor into obnoxiously oppressive government in a way I haven't seen other writers accomplish. And he's mostly considered A-Political by everyone I've talked to. But thanks for putting another book on my pile...  I'm so far behind...
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i'm usually a smart ass about things like this, but if you like the guy and want him to pull his head out of his ass, it'll only really come full circle if he comes to the realization himself. you telling him otherwise won't work. ask him some probing questions. stuff like "i'm not aware of a single time in history that more government taxation created jobs in the private sector, show me examples of what you're talking about so i can understand" ,etc. if he responds with government jobs created, then remind him if taxes pay for them, private sector job taxes are those needed to actually write the check, thus that notion is a self defeating prophecy. otherwise, he'll never really find examples of this. he'll only be able to regurgitate what he's heard on the news. which is bogus...
hopefully if you keep the objective dialogue going, he'll realize for himself that is crazy talk. besides that, you should give him the tax stats and charts. i do. when people start bitching about tax brackets i show them the tax brackets. then they shut up. the wealthiest 1% of this nation pay 89% of the taxes. isn't that enough for him? last year for the first time in america's history over HALF of the nation's population did not file or pay federal tax. that means one half of us are paying for the other half. literally... if that dips any further, then 1/3 of us will pay for the other 2/3s??? you think a quarter to a third of your check going to uncle sam now is bad, wait fifteen years until it is literally double. your friend probably isn't stupid, he's just not informed. help him if you can. he deserves it. also, you should cruise through jan mickelson's podcasts from 1040 radio and cherry pick some of the ones on this subject. great stuff to listen to and lots of credible sources he provides so you can check the information for yourself. good luck. if that doesn't work, tell him to pound broken glass up his ass... |