And we support dictatorship...

[JimL]

Nancy contradicted the lie put forth by the J6 Committee. While it had already been thoroughly debunked by several sources, she was the one ultimately responsible for the decision of not allowing the National Guard to be present, which is what she was acknowledging.

Contradicted what lie, rogue? Besides you"are still just avoiding the fact that none of that really matters any. The Ex-president on the actual day of the attack it becomes his responsibility as Commander in Chief to protect the Capital and more importantly the entire members of Congress within. He instead sat in the White House for 3 hours, ignored the pleas of his staff and did nothing. They my friend is a dereliction of duty, a high crime and misdemeanor, and as far as I'm concerned an act of treason. At any rate he has no right to ever be in the White House again. And I think you all know that.

[JimL]

HA wise man picks his battles, and Ukraine isn't one of them.

That's because you are so obviously a supporter of Authoritarianism, Putin, and Russia and have no respect for international law, wars of aggression against our free and democratic friends and allies, and quite frankly, by the reading many of your posts, I'm suspicious as to whether you are even an American.

[Ronson]

That's because you are so obviously a supporter of Authoritarianism, Putin, and Russia and have no respect for international law, wars of aggression against our free and democratic friends and allies, and quite frankly, by the reading many of your posts, I'm suspicious as to whether you are even an American.

Your record is scratched.

[JimL]

I think Trump is looking more at the big picture. If the US is going to thrive and survive as it has in recent decades, the middle class needs to rebound. Biden's policies are gutting the middle class, along with mid-and-small businesses, and is enlarging the rich and poor demographics. Biden is the one who hired 86,000 IRS agents to audit waitresses and other meager wage earners. He didn't need that many to audit the top 1%

The fake news spreader strikes again. You know better. Trump gave a $2 trillion dollar tax break 84% of which went to the most wealthy. Biden policy was n the other hand is to raise taxes on the wealthy but not raise taxes on anyone making $400,000 or less. And I'm sure that you also know that the very reason for hiring more IRS agents was for the very purpose of going after the wealthy tax frauds and the loophole seeking lawyers who are more difficult to audit and recover from. I'm fairly certain that you are well aware of that "fact" and are deliberately spinning these falsehoods on your own for some reason. The question is, what could be your reasons

[Diogenes]

The fake news spreader strikes again.

Middle-class earners are the most targeted group for IRS audits — how to prepare if an auditor comes knocking

In fact, 63% of new audits as of Summer 2023 targeted taxpayers with income of less than $200,000, according to figures compiled by The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board, which then dubbed the $200,000 man the “IRS’s most wanted.”

[JimL]

Leftists have routinely show they don't care about the national debt.

Wrong, actually it is the right who feign to care, but like you they only play that role when a democrat is in the White House.
When Trump was President and under no emergency, and passed no policies to the betterment of the American people he added an historically high $8 trillion to the National debt and not a peep did you hear from republican legislatures or their you people, their loyal constituency.

As Trump pointed out in 2016, Dems had the chance to change the tax code for their wealthy friends but did nothing.
Furthermore, the problem with extremely high taxation is that it eventually leads to capital flight. If you're going to cite a statistic, I'd like the citation.

More bs. Who was President in 2016? Oh, that's right, it was Trump, who went on to sign into law the $2 trillion dollar tax cut to his wealthy friends.

"Equity divide" is just talking points. There will always be income inequality.

Of course, but there is a difference between equity and equality, fairness and greed. When CEO pay keeps going through the roof and the laborers get a pittance of the profits that they producer, then that is unfair and inequitable.

I have no problem with student loan reform like getting rid of capitalization and interest should be as minimal as possible to just service administration costs.

Well, for one thing it's a bit late for that isn't it. That isn't the point of the policy, it's about getting those who are already struggling to overcome the smothering debt they are under so that they can afford to buy a house, afford a car, contribute to the economy, which is everybody's interests. But, they could do both, and whatever else need be done to reduce the costs of higher education.

I'm not a fan of either Republican or Democrat economic policies.

Well you are certainly more of a fan of republican economic policies. But you're not much of a fan of America in general anyway, including its foreign policy.

[Ronson]

The fake news spreader strikes again. You know better. Trump gave a $2 trillion dollar tax break 84% of which went to the most wealthy.

Got a link?

Biden policy was n the other hand is to raise taxes on the wealthy but not raise taxes on anyone making $400,000 or less. And I'm sure that you also know that the very reason for hiring more IRS agents was for the very purpose of going after the wealthy...

... tax frauds and the loophole seeking lawyers who are more difficult to audit and recover from. I'm fairly certain that you are well aware of that "fact" and are deliberately spinning these falsehoods on your own for some reason. The question is, what could be your reasons

How many billionaires do you think we have in this country? 86,000?

[Diogenes]

Wrong, actually it is the right who feign to care, but like you they only play that role when a democrat is in the White House.
When Trump was President and under no emergency, and passed no policies to the betterment of the American people he added an historically high $8 trillion to the National debt and not a peep did you hear from republican legislatures or their you people, their loyal constituency.

Neither party actual cares about the debt, but Dems don't even try to hide it. Trump had this thing called the war in Afghanistan and the Covid payments.

More bs. Who was President in 2016? Oh, that's right, it was Trump, who went on to sign into law the $2 trillion dollar tax cut to his wealthy friends.

Rogue has already addressed this.

Of course, but there is a difference between equity and equality, fairness and greed. When CEO pay keeps going through the roof and the laborers get a pittance of the profits that they producer, then that is unfair and inequitable.

The job of a CEO and the job of a janitor are not the same. The CEO is much more skilled. To say though, I'm not a fan of golden parachutes.

Well, for one thing it's a bit late for that isn't it. That isn't the point of the policy, it's about getting those who are already struggling to overcome the smothering debt they are under so that they can afford to buy a house, afford a car, contribute to the economy, which is everybody's interests. But, they could do both, and whatever else need be done to reduce the costs of higher education.

First of all, new cars are generally more expensive because of govt regulations. When it takes 627 days just to get permits, housing demand can't be addressed. Also what doesn't help is the de facto open boarder. Companies buying houses or foreigners doing so also doesn't help.

Well you are certainly more of a fan of republican economic policies.

The main thing about "republican economic policies" that I'm a "fan" of is the idea of 1) balancing the budget and 2) wasteful govt spending. This is just common sense positions. I don't have an issue with govt spending per se but not bridges to no where or pork. I don't mind progressive taxes but taxing "net worth" is idiotic because it taxes something that's speculative and not even income. Net worth doesn't exist. I don't have a problem with regulation per se, but it can be taken to an extreme. I'm also not a fan of Keynes or MMT, but that's getting into weeds.

But you're not much of a fan of America in general anyway, including its foreign policy.

I'm not a fan of the right's or the left's foreign or domestic policy. I'd likely agree that I'm not a "fanatic" of America in general, but it's better than any other country. I certainly don't put too much stock in certain criticism of America as America is too busy being a hegemonic power and thus divides expenditures between domestic attentions and "securing the free world". No other Western country has the economy to do so and they ALL live under the US military umbrella. Star lives in the Shire that's so unimportant that the Smithsonian, an A-level geography textbook, Ikea, Flat Earthers, and the very government of New Zealand don't bother putting it on map graphics. There's even a Wiki page and a subreddit about New Zealand's omission. HA lives in a country that doesn't even have a battlefield ready division. Roy and eider are from a washed up empire but at least the UK tries. If other countries want to focus on social spending, that's fine, but to critique the US' domestic spending is hypocritical since they enjoy the benefit of US military spending.

Dems of course just waste money like there's no tomorrow and thing it's okay because they think they can print money without consequence. They also have a habit of getting bogged down in military interventions like the one that didn't go too well in Libya. Both Dems and Republicans voted for the "War on Terror". I don't take too much stock of Dems crying about Russia when you have people like Obama who not only dismissed concerns about Russia, but literally handed the Russians American uranium mining interests. You seem to be forgetting about the "Russian reset". I'm also not a fan of the Leftist West burning down the international monetary system just to get one on Russia. Americans on both sides tend to have an attention span of 1 year.

As for the "culture wars", the Left is the antagonist, the right is just the loud child. It does get exhausting though. The Right is largely just contrarians who seem to have no real interest in governance and the only point to vote R is to serve as a speed bump for the Left.

[JimL]

Middle-class earners are the most targeted group for IRS audits — how to prepare if an auditor comes knocking

In fact, 63% of new audits as of Summer 2023 targeted taxpayers with income of less than $200,000, according to figures compiled by The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board, which then dubbed the $200,000 man the “IRS’s most wanted.”

Old news! Those changes have barely begun. They haven't come close to there hiring goals or the training of new agents. Most of the funding they've spent has gone to improving service, agent phone assisted services, opening of offices and free tax prep. services etc.etc. And please forgive me if I don't take "the figures compiled" by Rupert Murdochs Wall Street Journal editorial board.

[Diogenes]

Old news!

Sun, Apr 14, 2024

And please forgive me if I don't take "the figures compiled" by Rupert Murdochs Wall Street Journal editorial board.

The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a non-partisan data research center out of Syracuse University, reports that those making up to $200,000 annually were the most audited by IRS (67%).

[JimL]

Sun, Apr 14, 2024

The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a non-partisan data research center out of Syracuse University, reports that those making up to $200,000 annually were the most audited by IRS (67%).

Old news! The point is they haven't hired and trained the IRS agents yet that the funding is meant for.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Tis passing strange that early unions were organised by, and drew their leadership from, (mostly) Primitive Methodists in England. The connection between Methodism and Socialism isn't clear.

You appear to be channelling the late Socialist British MP, Tony Benn, himself a teetotal Methodist, who noted that Socialism in Britain owed more to Methodism than it did to Marx.

The historian Alun Howkins, again sadly deceased, whose specialism was rural society and radicalism among farm labourers in the nineteenth century made a similar point about how Methodism trained future rural trades union activists. Bible classes taught literacy, lay preaching encouraged public speaking, and organising and fundraising to build chapels was later adapted to assist with union activities.

Keir Hardie, one of the founding members of the Independent Labour Party, later the Labour Party and one of its first MPs had also been a Methodist lay-preacher.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Then the tide turned and the unions themselves got in bed with the Mafia.

Not all unions in the USA became corrupt.

However, those that did appear to have taken their cue from some national and local politicians, mayors, and police chiefs

This is a cartoon showing back handers being accepted from organised crime during Prohibition.

[Cow Poke]

Not all unions in the USA became corrupt.

However, those that did appear to have taken their cue from some national and local politicians, mayors, and police chiefs

This is a cartoon showing back handers being accepted from organised crime during Prohibition.

Good morning! (over here)
Thank you ever so much for telling me stuff I already know about my Country.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Good morning! (over here)
Thank you ever so much for telling me stuff I already know about my Country.

it must be quite early morning where you are. However, good afternoon from over here!

The tragedy is that Prohibition helped organised crime become embedded in wider society and influence/bribe/blackmail various officials.

Lord Acton's aphorism holds true as ever..