480 Comments
May 25, 2023·edited May 25, 2023

We the people have been held hostage for decades by a byzantine tax system. Like anyone, I don't like paying higher taxes, but I'd gladly do so in exchange for not worrying about so many things that people in more advanced countries never worry about. Prime examples: the cost of healthcare, retirement, college education, housing, and on and on and on.

Recommend a book, "The Nordic Theory of Everything," by Finnish journalist Anu Partaken, which I'm reading to prepare for a family trip to Denmark and Norway. She relocated to the U.S. when she fell in love with an American. Her description of the overwhelming stress she experienced here makes one realize just what we live with every day. A telling, funny anecdote: she says ordering coffee at a Starbucks is more complicated than filling out her Finnish tax return.

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"This link works." I love it! The power of a few well-chosen words.

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One more day of school for my elementary school. We had a lockdown drill. All I could think about in those minutes was about Robb elementary. How the moms this week were able to see videos of the carnage of their children! As my 4th graders giggled in the dark and hit elbows in a rhythm on the cabinets. They never thought this could be very dangerous behavior in a real life situation. They were reprimanded and lost dojo points. But they are kids playing games in what is suppose to be a safe place! I was triggered by the very thought of how do I save my students and myself if this were real. I guess it’s a mixed blessing they didn’t think about that and were just being kids. While I’m worrying. What we really need is to get things back to schools being safe spaces where students and teachers can go about our day without being forced to be worried and prepared for the worst! I hope my students never see one of those bad days!

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Desantis picked the wrong dance partner for his presidential announcement waltz.

But, at this point, Musk and Desantis really do deserve each other.

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Unreal, except that it is. I tried a little thought experiment reading this. I pretended I was reading this as my grandfather, born in 1902, who served in WWII, practiced as a country doctor, and probably voted Republican when that was still an American thing to do.

Reading this as a time capsule from the future, say back in the 1970’s… what an absolute dystopian, depressing, and unthinkable narrative has taken hold of the Grand Old Party, and parts of this country in general. I hope we can hold on to our better natures, the ones previous generations of Americans sacrificed so much for - opportunity, equality, security, domestic tranquility, free speech, truth, and freedom from kings and corruption.

And nice bomb on twitter, guys.

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I am glad Homeland Security stepped up, and that Joe stays Presidential.

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We are not in debt. We are in stupidity.

We have $140 Trillion in net household wealth.

That number has grown about $70 Trillion in the past 10 years.

The federal debt has grown about $12 Trillion in that time. See any comparable there?

These are bedrock, easily checkable, throughly vetted numbers. Numbers matter.

These are kitchen table numbers, bar stool numbers, headline numbers. No one uses them.

see <http://uswealthclock.com> my US Wealth Clock ( source US Fed, Treasury )

Except! NY Times! May 14! <https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/14/business/economy/wealth-generations.html> ‘The Greatest Wealth Transfer in History Is Here, With Familiar (Rich) Winners’ - great visual too! No mention of debt... hmm. . .

$84 Trillion will be passed down to heirs in the next 22 years. Our debt is about $31 Trillion. Hmmm ... nah.

We are about to default, I read. Imagine going in to a bankruptcy court and saying, ‘Judge, I have $140 in my left pocket, and an IOU for $31 in my left pocket. I must default.’ The judgement would be swift, in the pants.

Regular people, the 90%, should be able to tax the wealthiest, tax inheritance, and know that a reasonably funded IRS is going to audit high incomes, not them. Instead we have the world’s first Moneyarchy.

And don’t forget: Renters pay wealth tax. Renters pay *all* of the property tax owed by their landlords on their unit -- but they don’t get the deduction. They should. Retroactively. Homeowners pay wealth tax.

Who doesn’t pay wealth tax? The wealthiest.

I’ve written this before, I’ve sent cards, letters, emails, called. I sent a telegram -- a legacy *telegram* -- to MSNBC. Nada, nothing, crickets.

I’ll keep trying until I hear it from our excellent President, from progressive leadership, and see the headlines.

thanks for your wonderful stalwart daily work!

best luck to US -- b.rad

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Biden needs to tell McCarthy that he plans to wrap the default around the necks of the House GOP and then strangle them with it come 2024. McCarthy's so inept I am amazed he qualifies for residency in Okiefornia, which does have some standards (though you have to look hard to find them).

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May 25, 2023·edited May 25, 2023

Thank you, Professor, for highlighting President Biden’s remembrance of the anniversary of the tragic mass school shooting of 21 “souls” at the school in Uvalde . One thing I remember is the confusion or ineptitude of law enforcement waiting outside the door of the classroom while the murderer continued his heinous crime. “Since the Uvalde murders, Biden said, the U.S. has experienced 650 mass shootings and well over 40,000 deaths from gun violence. Guns are the top killers of children in the U.S. Biden called for a ban on AR-15-type firearms and high-capacity magazines, and for the establishment of universal background checks, national red-flag laws, required safe storage of firearms, and an end to the immunity from liability that gun manufacturers enjoy. He noted that these commonsense measures are popular.” The continued political controversy and blocking of gun safety laws and the shameful statistics of USA Gun murders, plus the Supreme court’s role in shooting down gun laws are a national tragedy and a national shame. We know the answer to this question: We are the nation, why are our voices supporting gun control laws silenced?

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"While Jean-Pierre didn’t say it, the Republicans’ insistence that spending is out of control does not reflect reality."

WHY didn't she say it, and why don't Democrats hammer that truth in daily with the facts and charts and figures?

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Awww, poor Ronnie de Fascist's launch was as awkward and ineffectual as he is. But he'll continue to shape Florida into a totalitarian state and provide the blueprint for other red state horror shows. It scares me that I'm rooting for TFG to crush him like a cockroach, when the violence that Dept. of Homeland Security warns about, detailed in HCR's post, is most likely to come from TFG supporters.

Given that escalating threat of violence, it's sad and frightening to see even a few gun control naysayers in this largely enlightened forum. The first step is so clear - No private citizen should be allowed to own military combat weapons. But it's all those extremist crazies DHS is warning about who "legally" own arsenals of them.

The rest of the world reels in horror at the insanity of it.

One school shooting in Scotland in 1996 let to the outlawing of private ownership of most handguns throughout the UK, accomplished partly by a gun buyback program. Since the Firearms Acts were implemented, no mass shootings.

Michael Bales said something somewhere here about the overwhelming stress of living in the US compared to other countries. Living half in Scotland, I can say unequivocally that the feeling of safety and security you get in a country with strict gun control is about as huge a relief as being released from prison. As is living in a country that recognizes women's bodily autonomy.

And I don't want the kids anywhere near the US and TFG's gun nuts during this election cycle.

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Note to DeSantis Twitter crashers: thank you ☺️

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May 25, 2023·edited May 25, 2023

I find it suggestive that McCarthy has Representative Graves negotiating with President Biden’s representatives. ‘Poor Yorick, I knew him well.’

I imagine McCarthy as the villain in a traditional Japanese Kabuki performance. As was said in The Mikado: “I have a little list. He never will be missed.”

I’m betting on Cool Hand Joe.

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The Elon/DeSantis debacle had me roaring with laughter especially when Biden offered his clever Twitter statement about his link worked. But then, I watched Joe and Jill honoring those who died in Uvalde’s Robb Elementary. Reality set in and I was tearful. I took a 3,5 mile hike with my dog. Had to get out of the house and absorb nature.

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Just a brief comment of grief! You and I can not possibly imagine the terrible terrible stress of the Uvalde mothers and fathers at the image of their sweet little child lying DEAD and OBLITERATED!!! I can’t really imagine it but we have to focus on what each of us can do to change the future trauma of expanded gun culture: Voter registration and voter turnout in Nov 2024 of every 18 to 25 you know plus a real contribution to an outstanding group of Harvard students that Forbes has voted as the most effective youth organization committed to accomplish massive youth voter registration and turnout--please go to www.turnout.us/ and contribute today? And pass this information to your friends and family! Thank you! We must make a big difference in Nov24--WE MUST! www.turnup.us/

Thank you please think of those Uvalde kids and those mothers and fathers!!!

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When did lies become the watered down “disinformation?” It’s someone not telling the truth. Let’s call a lie for what it is--a lie!

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