2020 US Elections | Biden certified as President | Dems control Congress

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I thought the reparations answer was pretty great until the end where the presenter mentioned what Bernie said in 2016.

People actually need to say what they mean when talking about reparations. As Bernie said Warren idea of reparations is just state funded programs(Which seems pretty insulting). At the moment it's a completely meaningless term thats only use is getting a applause in a tv studio.
 
I like some of what Vang says. Like UBI.
But the fact he is against raising taxes on the top earners disqualifies him. Obviously because he is a businessman he is against it.
Not only do we need to raise taxes on the top earners but we need to reduce taxes on the middle class.
 
Watched the town hall on YouTube but annoyingly all of the uploads randomly just cut audio and freeze the picture for a solid minute or two at like the same 5 different spots throughout. Such as when he tries to explain what his version of democratic socialism is.
 
Red Dreams said:
I like some of what Vang says. Like UBI.
But the fact he is against raising taxes on the top earners disqualifies him. Obviously because he is a businessman he is against it.
Not only do we need to raise taxes on the top earners but we need to reduce taxes on the middle class.
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Does his VAT proposal not imply that though? The data giants are going to be paying for it, should he get his way.
 
The Corporate push to intentionally misunderstand Medicare For All proposals was pushed by Blitzer.
Bernie said there would not be any 'plans'. A Medicare card would cover all needed medical expenses unless it is cosmetic.

Its simple.

This is what that needs to be highlighted throughout the campaign and he will do it.
 
Red Dreams said:
The Data Giants alone are not the beneficiaries of the looting that was done.

There does not just need to be a tax structure that is redone that is fair to wage earners, but also a claw back of what was taken.
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I mentioned the data giants as but one example, but they are significant still. I also don’t disagree with taking back the people’s funds but we just have to consider how one can only have so much time and resources to implement very progressive agendas, that of which Yang and Bernie already have plenty. We’d do well to just to have a simpler and modernized tax system like VAT alone. Make the people happy with a couple of major improvements and we can keep pushing in progressive candidates who will implement the rest of the agenda piece by piece.
 
Florida Man said:
I mentioned the data giants as but one example, but they are significant still. I also don’t disagree with taking back the people’s funds but we just have to consider how one can only have so much time and resources to implement very progressive agendas, that of which Yang and Bernie already have plenty. We’d do well to just to have a simpler and modernized tax system like VAT alone. Make the people happy with a couple of major improvements and we can keep pushing in progressive candidates who will implement the rest of the agenda piece by piece.
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The problem is a VAT tax is by default extremely regressive. Since its based solely on consumption it hits the poor and working class the hardest. So to make it fair there would have to be a ton of adjustments - exempting vegetables, fruit and basic food from the VAT. Adding an additional luxury tax on top of VAT for luxury goods and especially Veblen-goods and then you'd need to modify it for all sorts of amoral financial services such as HFT. Then you would run into the problem where dozens of industries and hundreds of corporate lobbyists would be lobbying to get their firm/goods/services/sector exempt from the VAT and with the current establishment there are bound to be some serious problems there (like how real estate was exempt from certain conditions).

It might seem simpler de jure but de facto a VAT is going to a legislative mess that I believe would be too susceptible to lobbyist influence. AOC's 70% on annual income over 10MM and Warren's 1-2% tax on over 50MM net worth are much simpler and more elegant taxing plans. Yang is still bending over for the mega rich too much.
 
oneniltothearsenal said:
The problem is a VAT tax is by default extremely regressive. Since its based solely on consumption it hits the poor and working class the hardest. So to make it fair there would have to be a ton of adjustments - exempting vegetables, fruit and basic food from the VAT. Adding an additional luxury tax on top of VAT for luxury goods and especially Veblen-goods and then you'd need to modify it for all sorts of amoral financial services such as HFT. Then you would run into the problem where dozens of industries and hundreds of corporate lobbyists would be lobbying to get their firm/goods/services/sector exempt from the VAT and with the current establishment there are bound to be some serious problems there (like how real estate was exempt from certain conditions).

It might seem simpler de jure but de facto a VAT is going to a legislative mess that I believe would be too susceptible to lobbyist influence. AOC's 70% on annual income over 10MM and Warren's 1-2% tax on over 50MM net worth are much simpler and more elegant taxing plans. Yang is still bending over for the mega rich too much.
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Personal Interests.
 
oneniltothearsenal said:
The problem is a VAT tax is by default extremely regressive. Since its based solely on consumption it hits the poor and working class the hardest. So to make it fair there would have to be a ton of adjustments - exempting vegetables, fruit and basic food from the VAT. Adding an additional luxury tax on top of VAT for luxury goods and especially Veblen-goods and then you'd need to modify it for all sorts of amoral financial services such as HFT. Then you would run into the problem where dozens of industries and hundreds of corporate lobbyists would be lobbying to get their firm/goods/services/sector exempt from the VAT and with the current establishment there are bound to be some serious problems there (like how real estate was exempt from certain conditions).

It might seem simpler de jure but de facto a VAT is going to a legislative mess that I believe would be too susceptible to lobbyist influence. AOC's 70% on annual income over 10MM and Warren's 1-2% tax on over 50MM net worth are much simpler and more elegant taxing plans. Yang is still bending over for the mega rich too much.
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Interesting stuff man. I'm honestly not that schooled in VAT but good to know. Hopefully, he'll go into more depth during the debates should he make it to that stage.
 
As someone who hates politicians being twats but hates complete idiots being twats as well (Trump), who should I be getting behind for this one?
 
FromTheBench said:
Texas in play?

That'd be interesting.
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Depends on the politics dynamics leading into next year. If Trump is on the ropes and someone like Beto or Sanders are surging then its definitely in play imo. Losing TX would be calamitous for the GOP since it would completely cut off their path to 270.
 
A "town hall" in New Hampshire. First videos I've seen where Yang explicitly talks about a wide range of policies that aren't necessarily about UBI. Hits it out of the park yet again if you ask me.

Part I


Part II


@Eboue what do you think of him? He has pointed out the same problems that you have regarding the Democratic Party and how it's lost its touch with the working class.
 
Florida Man said:
A "town hall" in New Hampshire. First videos I've seen where Yang explicitly talks about a wide range of policies that aren't necessarily about UBI. Hits it out of the park yet again if you ask me.

Part I


Part II


@Eboue what do you think of him? He has pointed out the same problems that you have regarding the Democratic Party and how it's lost its touch with the working class.
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He's pretty much spot on and talks the way a POTUS candidate should talk - big on ideas and devoid of the identity politics and class warfare that others use to play groups off of one another in order to gain votes. He should gain a lot of traction going forward and more or less mainstream the idea of UBI and contribute to the medicare for all and green new deal debates.
 
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