this post was submitted on 06 Jul 2023

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Pence mocked for saying ‘I don’t really buy the rich need to pay their fair share’ (www.independent.co.uk)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by YoBuckStopsHere to c/politics

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[–] [email protected] 54 points 1 year ago (4 children)

This is such a terrible take... For those that read the article he says that it's fine the way it is because the elite rich pay more money into taxes than the working class... Like no shit thats basic math. We're asking for them to pay an EQUAL share as we do.

If you have a dude who makes $10,000 and is taxed at 1% pays $100 into taxes
And another guy makes $100 but is taxed at 10% and pays $10 into taxes

Is that fair just cause the first dude 'paid more money?? Fuck no it's not.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think the problem is that most of us define "rich" by the accumulation of wealth, but for tax purposes it's usually defined as annualized earned income. Many billionaires pull no salary, and manage to defer capital gains so effectively pay very little tax.

[–] themeatbridge 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

They also simply don't pay taxes. Tax cheats cost the US roughly a trillion dollars every year, and almost all of it is attributed to the top 5%. If you're wealthy enough to hide your earnings, you are also wealthy enough to fight the IRS and make it too expensive to recover. It's cheaper to buy politicians who defund the IRS than it is to pay your fair share.

[–] Cheems 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Not to mention the fact that a lot of rich folks can use tax loopholes to pay even less in taxes then the average person. Which is massively fucked up

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago

But I think we focus on the wrong loopholes. The ability to accrue capital gains forever and not pay taxes on it, then die and let your heirs take advantage of a basis step-up is fucked up. Maybe if your net worth exceeds a certain amount then you should have to mark-to-market annually and pay taxes as if you sold and rebought at the market price.

[–] FlyingSquid 5 points 1 year ago

It's like saying, "it's fair that I live in a mansion and you live in a tent because I can pay for a mansion."

[–] WindyRebel 44 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Yeah. With great power comes great responsibility.

If you can afford to jet off anywhere, get great healthcare without worry, afford a house that fits more than you need (or have multiple houses) while the rest of your society can’t make ends meet even with 2-3 jobs, well, you aren’t paying enough.

I get you should be able to keep what you earn. We all want that, but some of us hoard so much more than we need and don’t give a shit if others starve.

[–] [email protected] 42 points 1 year ago (1 children)

And let's all remember, the money they "earned" was off the value of workers. It's literally the root of capitalism vs socialism. Many just think socialism is just give people what they need for free. In reality, it's workers essentially owning the company so they get all the value of their work. Investors getting money for basically putting numbers in a different column in a spreadsheet is not them honestly earning their keep. The wealthy exploit labor.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This.

Money and wealth accrued because you own some property that some other people toil in or on is not "earned". It's taken from those who earned it.

[–] itsAsin 12 points 1 year ago

i used to love watching "Shark Tank". it's pretty gross.

[–] minnow 11 points 1 year ago

"Keep what you earn" is a bullshit concept in the first place. If it was a valid ideology at all, then I should be getting paid 100% of the value that I generate for the company I work for. That's what I earned. But nobody's making that argument because it's plainly farcical. So too is the idea that we should "keep what we earn" when it comes to taxes.

[–] astro_smurf 40 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Pence isn't speaking to us. Pence is letting the rich know he isn't coming for them

[–] cogman 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Pence has to be one of the dumbest politicians, barring trump. Everyone HATES him. The right hates him for betraying their Lord. The left/center hates him for being a bigot.

Yet he's deluded enough to run for president again? He's going to get 0.00001% of the primary vote and NOBODY will pick him as their VP.

[–] DigitalTraveler42 26 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Should we be surprised that this prosperity gospel cultist said something bootlicking about his wealthier owners?

'Merika, the best politicians you can buy!

[–] YoBuckStopsHere 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You don't even have to spend that much to get them to vote one way or the other. That is the sad part.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

It's not the dollars they give, that's just the teaser. It's the board positions, the slush funds, the private parties, the jobs for friends. It's so much deeper than just giving money to a campaign, or even just a suitcase full of money.

[–] Rageagainstbelief 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That fly is probably throwing up in his hair. Thanks fly!

[–] YoBuckStopsHere 5 points 1 year ago

Yeah, the app I was testing was only posting the photos and not the links. I've fixed the links.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Perfect thumbnail. I had forgotten about the fly incident. What a moment in political meme history.