What has gone wrong with American democracy?

[PLC1]

Land owners. The white and male were cooincidental.

White male land owners described the ruling class at the time. I thought maybe you wanted to go back to that.

 

[PLC1]

First step to improving democracy in the US: limit the money that can be spent, and publicly fund campaigns. Members of Congress should not be available for purchase.

Next step: term limits. Being a member of Congress should be a limited term of public service, not a lucrative career. Let the Congresspeople go back to private life after a term or two.

 

[dogtowner]

White male land owners described the ruling class at the time. I thought maybe you wanted to go back to that.

It described taxayers at the time.

 

[penderyn]

The robbers who make their money out of other people's work in industry can usually pretend that they did some work themseves, somewhere on the way. Landowners, however, are simple robbers. Who ever gave anyone the right to take over land?

 

[PLC1]

It described taxayers at the time.

Now, there's an idea: Make anyone not male, white, and a landowner exempt from taxes.

 

[dogtowner]

Now, there's an idea: Make anyone not male, white, and a landowner exempt from taxes.

Make only those with a vested interest in the country allowed to vote. If you have no vested interest you will vote for whoever gives you money for nothing.

 

[Walter]

vested interest in the country

Could you define that?

 

[PLC1]

Make only those with a vested interest in the country allowed to vote. If you have no vested interest you will vote for whoever gives you money for nothing.

As it is now, we all pay taxes, even the poorest among us. We may not all pay federal income taxes, or property taxes, but we all pay some sort of taxes. Nothing is inevitable.....

 

[dogtowner]

Could you define that?

Contributor as opposed to parasite.

 

[dogtowner]

As it is now, we all pay taxes, even the poorest among us. We may not all pay federal income taxes, or property taxes, but we all pay some sort of taxes. Nothing is inevitable.....

Property taxes are not federal.
Everyone pays excise taxes, largely consumption, but the big bite in income as you know.

 

[PLC1]

Property taxes are not federal.
Everyone pays excise taxes, largely consumption, but the big bite in income as you know.

The big bite for middle class people is income tax, yes. For the working poor, it's payroll taxes.

 

[palerider]

First step to improving democracy in the US: limit the money that can be spent, and publicly fund campaigns. Members of Congress should not be available for purchase.

Next step: term limits. Being a member of Congress should be a limited term of public service, not a lucrative career. Let the Congresspeople go back to private life after a term or two.

And let them go home with nothing more than the pay check they earned while in service...no life long pension....no special health care. Perhaps that would attract people who want to serve rather than people who want to make a cushy life for themselves...

 

[palerider]

The robbers who make their money out of other people's work in industry can usually pretend that they did some work themseves, somewhere on the way. Landowners, however, are simple robbers. Who ever gave anyone the right to take over land?

Typical belief of envious socialists...the fact is that most of the new rich in the US are first generation rich. See that guy driving down the road in his truck with half a dozen lawn mowers, weed eaters, and edgers in a trailer behind him....he is making money hand over fist and represents the new rich in this country. The guy who cuts my grass got to this country 6 years ago and started with a very old pick up truck that he drove across the border from mexico, a push mower, and a weed eater... he now has 7 new trucks on the road and they make him about $325,000 a year. His sons will be old enough to join the business in a real way in a few years...it will become a generational business and will make the family millionaires...and every one of them have cut and bagged grass in the hot sun, trimmed bushes, and dug holes to plant trees and shrubs...

 

[palerider]

As it is now, we all pay taxes, even the poorest among us. We may not all pay federal income taxes, or property taxes, but we all pay some sort of taxes. Nothing is inevitable.....

Maybe you are unaware of the amount of money non income tax payers get back in the form of tax "refunds" every year. There are plenty of people in this country who don't pay taxes...

 

[dogtowner]

The big bite for middle class people is income tax, yes. For the working poor, it's payroll taxes.

Meaning Social Security and Medicare. Both of which they will see equal benefit of re lo ative to those if less humble means.