Re: Tariffs and bikes

On 4/4/2025 9:03 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

On 4/4/2025 12:26 PM, AMuzi wrote:

>
You can have whatever opinion you like but not your own facts.

 Heck, I thought it was fashionable to have "alternative facts" if you don't like the look of normal ones! Wasn't that made clear during Trump version 1?
 

USA has among the most steeply sloped tax regimes on earth, such that the top 1% of earners pay roughly half of all income tax.
>
https://usafacts.org/articles/who-pays-the-most-income-tax/

 The USA also has some of the highest income and wealth disparity of developed nations. Granted, not as bad as many small 3rd world countries - but I think we should not be striving to emulate those.
 https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/issues/economic- justice/income-and-wealth-inequality/
 I'd say that means our tax structure is still insufficiently progressive.
 And what should we be trying to achieve anyway? ISTM our nation was founded on the idea of doing away with a privileged class lording it over those purportedly of less worth. Also the idea of everyone (well, as long as their complexion wasn't too dark) getting an equal shot at prosperity. If nothing else, those ideas, if implemented, work toward keeping the masses content enough that they don't literally rebel. Rebellions are messy, unpredictable, and bad for bike shops.
 We now have a new privileged class, one that can rake in millions per year and pay lower rates than struggling middle Americans, in part because of clever deductions. Remember Leona Helmsley? "Taxes are for little people."
 And of course, any money made over $170,000 per year is free of Social Security duties. Because hey, one's third mega- mansion is much more important than better food for the family making $50,000 per year. Why should the ultra-rich help to keep Social Security afloat?
 

The 'disparity' is a myth in that it counts only taxable earnings, ignoring that fully half the country pays no income tax.  Many of those receive 'negative tax' payments and in fact dos very well on relief, much better than many working people.
Regarding wealthy citizens, we do indeed have some inherited wealth but almost all the top earners are self made including an astonishingly large number of legal immigrants especially Indian, other Asian and notably Nigerians:
https://africanmind.org/statistical-portrait-of-nigerian-americans-accomplishments-paradoxes-and-misconceptions/
who seem to have learned to stay out of Poland Ohio and so do quite well here.
Your snarky racism comment is ridiculous.
https://www.britannica.com/money/Herman-Cain
https://www.the-sun.com/news/4916213/willie-wilson-how-became-millionaire/
Mr Wilson literally plowed fields behind a mule before taking his talents elsewhere.
Some black one-percenters (not the motorcycle type one percenters):
https://247wallst.com/income/2024/08/08/meet-the-wealthiest-black-americans/
Back to our mere millionaires:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/korihale/2022/10/25/millionaire-status-is-on-the-rise-with-52-million-people-joining-the-club/
There are 224 times more black millionaires in USA than the top 19 countries of Africa combined.
Go stick your racism somewhere else.
--
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971