Intel Corp (INTC)

[wbmw]

I didn't expect it to make sense to you, but why would I need to convince you? I'm an American and I have a point of view. The validity of my view is not measured by whether or not I convince you. You are one person just like I am and your opinion carries no more weight than mind does. At least that was the way our Country was supposed to work.

Gosh, don't bite my head off. I'm just seeing if you want to take the opportunity to articulate your vision in a way that makes sense. If you want to tell me to take a hike and that you don't need to explain anything, you're free to do so.

In my opinion, everyone should pay the same amount in taxes irrespective of income. Anything else is unfair. To claim that the rich aren't paying their "fair share" while 47% of the people pay no federal taxes at all is an absurd perversion of the word "fair". That is my opinion and I have no need to convince you.

I get part of that. There are probably even areas where we would agree, such as getting rid of government subsidies that encourage people to stay home rather than get a job. But on the other hand, I don't think anyone should be allowed to starve in this country if they are putting in >40 hours per week - or if they're retired and >65 years old after putting in decades of >40 hours per week.

There's a budget that the country has to meet, and the only way to pay for the things they are doing is through taxes. Most politicians will lie to you and say that they can lower taxes while increasing the stuff they do for you, but that's just as impossible as me claiming that I can quit my job, buy a new car, and somehow end up adding more money to my bank account.

And if you acknowledge that this is true, then you shouldn't have to feel defensive when I ask you how the math would work if every working American paid the same dollar amount, regardless of income. It should be pretty easy for you to do your own back-of-the-napkin calculation, and know for yourself whether such a policy is possible.