Ever heard of the American dream?

With Obama there is no American dream, the greatest thing about this country is going to be taken away.

Who said you ever could dream? It's upto the government to provide dreams for you, should they will it.

That would be the Constitution and they started taking that away a long time ago.   But they've expedited the process recently.

Nah what changed is the people.  There has been a run away from personal responsibility for the longest time... starting with the censorship of stuff because people can't be bothered to parent there children.  (Well probably not there... it's where i first noticed it.)

In the modern age most everybody wants the government to coddle them and protect them from their mistakes and do stuff for them they don't want to do.

Helping the poor now is for the government to do.  Rather then those who aren't poor... because it's "easier" and often times doesn't effect them since rather then a flat proportioned tax raise so everybody is helping out only certain groups are forced to help.

Nevermind it works better when done by citizens.

It's why I think we don't nessisarily need a flat tax... but we need an unchangeable tax.  If you tax one group 10% and another 20%... and you need more money.... you have to tax one group 11% and the other 22%.

Not like... 10% and 25%.

Every politician seems to say "These people don't pay enough... they should pay this.... until we need more money!"

The American Dream you don't get it when you're repeatedly being passed over for promotions by your bosses anyway.

And who do you think helped establish this trend?

As for your tax edit, screw the income tax.  We don't need it.  It pays off the interest on the federal debt to the Federal Reserve.

I'm not well versed in this matter.
I'm just throwing it out here hoping someone can clear up my misconceptions.

Being of a different subculture I know a lot of people in that subculture.
And sometimes I ask them what they went through to be able to stand where they are now.
I know several people who came here to the US with just the shirt on their backs, stories about how people only had $20 when he got here, how lonely they felt to be alone in a foreign land, how they lived in someone's basement's for shelter, etc, etc.. They worked illegally for less than minimum wage and somehow managed to earn a living. And now almost all of them owns a house and has a family. And keep in mind, from where I'm from, education is not free(there are some public schools in the bigger cities) nor is it easy to obtain an education( not enough books, Have to earn a living to help the family at a young age).

Personally I don't think it's the system here in the US that's keeping the poor poor, I just don't think they try hard enough (of course there are exceptions to the rule).. Of course I'm putting my thoughts out here because I think I might be missing something and there is more to why the poor here stay poor.

Kaz, that would only be true if it doesn't push you down to a lower tax bracket, by lowering your taxable income and thereby reducing your overall taxes. If your taxable income goes from one tier to a lower tier then you pay the lower amount.

As for why there is poor there will always be those who are poor, its an aspect of a stratified society, that some are always less well off, however Charitable organizations and the act of chartiable giving lack the necessary scale to properly assist those at the lowest end.

The idea that the "American dream" as the phrase is used today to denote one's ability to achieve prosperity, is being taken away is ridiculous, the "dream" is availible to anyone with the intelligence, the drive or just the luck of timing to achieve. Some have an esier road to such properity than others and some are born in times when achieving that properity is easier for a larger group of people than in other times. People who are rich don't become poor just because they have to pay their taxes.


Also Kaz, instead of bumping one group from 10-11% and the other from 20-22%, bumping the second group from 20-25% will probably be more worthwhile to you rather than messing with the group paying 10%. 5% more of Bill Gate's and Warren Buffett's money is a whole lot more than 1% more of a hundred million average Johns and Janes.

And why is said person getting passed over for promotions? If the person is lacking in skill, and drive, then they absolutely should be passed over.

If they are getting passed over because of race, color, or creed, then it's bad business, and the HR or manager should be fired.

Avinash - why do charities lack the proper scale to properly assist those at the lowest end? I'd really like you to tell my local faith-based food pantry how their $500 a month that feeds over 1,000 families in my county can't scale to help others.

I'm guessing you don't do your own taxes... since you don't know how your taxes work.  You don't pay one uniform tax rate when you pay your taxes.

The rich guy pays the same tax rate on his first $7,000 as a poor person.... etc.

Once again... look at the IRS tax brackets.

Note... how if you make over $7,825 you pay 10% on that first 7,825 dollars and then 15% on the amount over it... etc.

There is no benefits to giving to charity other then doing good.

Also.  What's "more worthwhile" is irrelevent.  What's right it.  If you say the rich should pay more to run the government because the rich benefit more from something... or because they have more money.  You should decide their share in regards to the other people and keep it at it.

Otherwise your nothing but a hypocrit who doesn't give a damn about fairness and only want to take money from the rich to pay for programs because you know they're easy targets.