Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
24 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Next time you run across some MAGA idiot, blow their minds with this ... (Original Post) aggiesal Saturday OP
Wont work. I tried before. drray23 Saturday #1
Trump is helping the budget by raising taxes (tariffs) without calling them taxes. Norrrm Saturday #2
Prior to 1913, our country had no income tax ... aggiesal Saturday #6
Yes... and obviously it was not working or that system would have continued. Norrrm Saturday #8
But Mierda47 thinks he's an Oligarch & believes he can make it work. ... aggiesal Saturday #9
He is suffering from DENVERPOPS Saturday #19
And corporate media continues to spread the myth Republicans are the fiscally responsible party. sop Saturday #3
And the "Law and Order" party -- L to the O to the L!! OMGWTF Saturday #11
MAGA idiots are impervious to facts JoseBalow Saturday #4
If MAGAts could be reasoned with...... lastlib Saturday #5
They are so brainwashed facts are beyond them. redstatebluegirl Saturday #7
Democrats have been cleaning up Rethuglican messes since 1933. OMGWTF Saturday #10
Fake news! Mountain Mule Saturday #12
Trump voters aren't all Magats. So there's hope with the ones who aren't full-blown, but voted for him summer_in_TX Saturday #15
I agree Mountain Mule Saturday #16
Yes, and they are ones we can win over. summer_in_TX Saturday #21
Alas, poor Aggiesal, they hath no mind to blow... Montauk6 Saturday #13
This message was self-deleted by its author krkaufman Saturday #14
They have two words for facts. Fake News. Ferrets are Cool Saturday #17
We need to point out that multibillionaires' tax cuts cost FAR more every year. SleeplessinSoCal Saturday #18
Needs to be on a billboard. yellow dahlia Saturday #20
Republicans PRETEND to be "Fiscal Conservatives" Martin Eden Sunday #22
YET the media has the Republican cult convinced that Republicans are "better for the economy." CousinIT Sunday #23
Blow their what? Aristus Monday #24

aggiesal

(9,990 posts)
6. Prior to 1913, our country had no income tax ...
Sat May 3, 2025, 02:43 PM
Saturday

The government was supported by mostly tariffs and Tariffs were mostly paid for by the consumers which meant the average person. Oligarchs paid very little towards tariffs.

When the income tax was instituted in 1913 the Oligarchs tried to claim that it was unconstitutional and tried to repeal it ever since, because now they are being taxed.

From this, the Internal Revenue Service was created to collect our income taxes.
Mierda47 is trying to implement Tariffs to pay for government services and created the EXTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (ERS), and if we raise enough from tariffs, eliminate the IRS. That is his end goal.

Now, who do you think will benefit the most from eliminating the IRS & funding the government exclusively from the ERS? Oligarchs!

So every time you hear External Revenue Service or when Mierda47 says it, think oligarchs.

Norrrm

(1,403 posts)
8. Yes... and obviously it was not working or that system would have continued.
Sat May 3, 2025, 03:10 PM
Saturday

Was working great for the oligarchs, though.

aggiesal

(9,990 posts)
9. But Mierda47 thinks he's an Oligarch & believes he can make it work. ...
Sat May 3, 2025, 03:21 PM
Saturday

The (R) party should cease to exist after this experiment, unfortunately it will bring us all down.

sop

(13,993 posts)
3. And corporate media continues to spread the myth Republicans are the fiscally responsible party.
Sat May 3, 2025, 02:21 PM
Saturday

lastlib

(25,860 posts)
5. If MAGAts could be reasoned with......
Sat May 3, 2025, 02:43 PM
Saturday

...then they wouldn't be MAGAts. Their brains are hard-wired to repel facts and logic.

Mountain Mule

(1,131 posts)
12. Fake news!
Sat May 3, 2025, 03:47 PM
Saturday

Magats are unable to accept even the smallest criticism about their dear leader. You will never be able to get cult members to turn against their own cult. Hopeless.

summer_in_TX

(3,569 posts)
15. Trump voters aren't all Magats. So there's hope with the ones who aren't full-blown, but voted for him
Sat May 3, 2025, 03:55 PM
Saturday

because the media and those they listen to convinced them Biden and Harris were not doing a good job. Plus "the price of eggs" and so forth.

Most Americans are not well-educated about the economy, so it's easy to manipulate them.

Mountain Mule

(1,131 posts)
16. I agree
Sat May 3, 2025, 04:07 PM
Saturday

Voters who are not mentally compromised are turning against the tangerine dictator. Thank heavens that the cult has fewer numbers than the independents and we dems combined.

summer_in_TX

(3,569 posts)
21. Yes, and they are ones we can win over.
Sat May 3, 2025, 10:30 PM
Saturday

At least, if we don’t alienate them by being rock hard in judgment and contempt.

From reading DU, I fear too many of us are unable to work through their rage. It’ll be a miracle if we can find a path forward to a better place.

Response to aggiesal (Original post)

SleeplessinSoCal

(10,054 posts)
18. We need to point out that multibillionaires' tax cuts cost FAR more every year.
Sat May 3, 2025, 04:43 PM
Saturday
Elon Musk's Wealth Absolutely Skyrocketed In 2020 And Beyond

By Amy Lamare on May 7, 2021 in Articles › Billionaire News
Billionaires never really have a "bad year", but 2020 and 2021 so far have been particularly amazing years for richest people in the world. The fortunes of the richest people in the world have absolutely surged during the pandemic. Just last month, the wealth of the 10 richest people in the world topped $1.3 trillion for the first time. And no one benefited more in 2020 than Elon Musk.

At the beginning of 2020, Elon Musk's net worth was $28 billion.

Elon Musk Net Worth
Elon's net worth rocketed to $70 billion in July 2020. At that point, roughly $55 billion was attributable to Tesla and $15 billion to SpaceX.

A month later his fortune topped $90 billion for the first time.

In November 2020 his net worth topped $100 billion for the first time.

Elon ended 2020 with a net worth of $170 billion. That's a $142 billion increase over 12 months.

Elon rocketed above Jeff Bezos to become the richest person in the world for the first time in the first week of January 2021. Elon ended the week of January 8, 2021 with a net worth of $210 billion.

So from trough to peak, 2020 – 2021, Elon's paper wealth increased by $182 billion.

Tesla stock has waned slightly since early January. As of this writing, Elon Musk is back to being the second-richest person in the world with a net worth $184 billion.

Musk relocated from California to Texas last year. In parting he slammed California's "complacency" as the largest economy in the U.S. and the fifth-largest in the world:

"If a team has been winning for too long they do tend to get a little complacent, a little entitled, and then they don't win the championship anymore. California's been winning for a long time. And I think they're taking them for granted a little bit."

In other Musk news, he's scheduled to host "Saturday Night Live" on May 8, 2021, with musical guest Miley Cyrus. Several SNL cast members were upset and confused by the announcement because of Elon's history of controversies and enormous personal wealth.

As a subtle protest, after hearing the announcement cast member Aidy Bryant shared a screenshot of a tweet by Bernie Sanders which said:

"The 50 wealthiest people in America today own more wealth than the bottom half of our people. Let me repeat that because it is almost too absurd to believe: the 50 wealthiest people in this country own more wealth than some 165 MILLION Americans. That is a moral obscenity."


https://www.celebritynetworth.com/articles/billionaire-news/elon-musk-net-worth-2020/

Martin Eden

(14,247 posts)
22. Republicans PRETEND to be "Fiscal Conservatives"
Sun May 4, 2025, 09:11 AM
Sunday

So why is that budget deficits always INCREASE when they're in power -- are they too stupid to understand the consequences of their own policies?

NO. This is deliberate.

They have long wanted to shrink government to a size that can be "drowned in a bathtub." The strategy is to starve the beast. This means starving federal government programs of funds.

They know that trying to dismantle Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid by direct legislative assault is political suicide. Instead, they drive up deficits with tax cuts for the rich and costly wars of choice, then put on their "fiscal conservative" masks and solemnly declare that hard decisions must be made about the cost of "entitlements" we can no longer afford.

These are the earned benefits working Americans already paid for with deductions from every paycheck our entire working lives. It is a strategy to transfer more wealth from you and me to the billionaires who finance the Republican Party.

We have to stand up and say NO!!!!!!!

CousinIT

(11,319 posts)
23. YET the media has the Republican cult convinced that Republicans are "better for the economy."
Sun May 4, 2025, 12:39 PM
Sunday
Latest Discussions»Editorials & Other Articles»Next time you run across ...