[gandalf]

Very interesting picture with FDR, Allan. Thanks.

Also, I appreciate the link, Ash.

Best regards,

[gandalf]

Very interesting picture with FDR, Allan. Thanks.

Also, I appreciate the link, Ash.

Best regards,

[gandalf]

Very interesting picture with FDR, Allan. Thanks.

Also, I appreciate the link, Ash.

Best regards,

[gandalf]

Very interesting picture with FDR, Allan. Thanks.

Also, I appreciate the link, Ash.

Best regards,

[gandalf]

Very interesting picture with FDR, Allan. Thanks.

Also, I appreciate the link, Ash.

Best regards,

[gandalf]

Until the issue of what constitutes income is resolved in a fair and consistent way, any discussions of the value of relative tax rates by income level are meaningless. Wealth is accrued at the high-end through a variety of channels, both directly and through indirect vehicles that provide access to wealth.

(Low income people have little wealth to speak of, and comparably little income, so ignore the bottom quintile.)

As for the upper four quintiles, wealth distribution has shifted dramatically away from the middle quintiles and towards the upper quintile over the past 30 years. Labor hours per household have increased and household incomes remain stagnant. Explain the relative increase in wealth in the upper quintile? Income, no?

The tax system is skewed away from the middle class and towards the wealthy through the use of sophisticated tax shelters and tax accounting mechanisms. A discussion of tax policy isn’t meaningful until it addresses tax avoidance and the definition of income (year over year accumulation of wealth).

[gandalf]

Until the issue of what constitutes income is resolved in a fair and consistent way, any discussions of the value of relative tax rates by income level are meaningless. Wealth is accrued at the high-end through a variety of channels, both directly and through indirect vehicles that provide access to wealth.

(Low income people have little wealth to speak of, and comparably little income, so ignore the bottom quintile.)

As for the upper four quintiles, wealth distribution has shifted dramatically away from the middle quintiles and towards the upper quintile over the past 30 years. Labor hours per household have increased and household incomes remain stagnant. Explain the relative increase in wealth in the upper quintile? Income, no?

The tax system is skewed away from the middle class and towards the wealthy through the use of sophisticated tax shelters and tax accounting mechanisms. A discussion of tax policy isn’t meaningful until it addresses tax avoidance and the definition of income (year over year accumulation of wealth).

[gandalf]

Until the issue of what constitutes income is resolved in a fair and consistent way, any discussions of the value of relative tax rates by income level are meaningless. Wealth is accrued at the high-end through a variety of channels, both directly and through indirect vehicles that provide access to wealth.

(Low income people have little wealth to speak of, and comparably little income, so ignore the bottom quintile.)

As for the upper four quintiles, wealth distribution has shifted dramatically away from the middle quintiles and towards the upper quintile over the past 30 years. Labor hours per household have increased and household incomes remain stagnant. Explain the relative increase in wealth in the upper quintile? Income, no?

The tax system is skewed away from the middle class and towards the wealthy through the use of sophisticated tax shelters and tax accounting mechanisms. A discussion of tax policy isn’t meaningful until it addresses tax avoidance and the definition of income (year over year accumulation of wealth).

[gandalf]

Until the issue of what constitutes income is resolved in a fair and consistent way, any discussions of the value of relative tax rates by income level are meaningless. Wealth is accrued at the high-end through a variety of channels, both directly and through indirect vehicles that provide access to wealth.

(Low income people have little wealth to speak of, and comparably little income, so ignore the bottom quintile.)

As for the upper four quintiles, wealth distribution has shifted dramatically away from the middle quintiles and towards the upper quintile over the past 30 years. Labor hours per household have increased and household incomes remain stagnant. Explain the relative increase in wealth in the upper quintile? Income, no?

The tax system is skewed away from the middle class and towards the wealthy through the use of sophisticated tax shelters and tax accounting mechanisms. A discussion of tax policy isn’t meaningful until it addresses tax avoidance and the definition of income (year over year accumulation of wealth).

[gandalf]

Until the issue of what constitutes income is resolved in a fair and consistent way, any discussions of the value of relative tax rates by income level are meaningless. Wealth is accrued at the high-end through a variety of channels, both directly and through indirect vehicles that provide access to wealth.

(Low income people have little wealth to speak of, and comparably little income, so ignore the bottom quintile.)

As for the upper four quintiles, wealth distribution has shifted dramatically away from the middle quintiles and towards the upper quintile over the past 30 years. Labor hours per household have increased and household incomes remain stagnant. Explain the relative increase in wealth in the upper quintile? Income, no?

The tax system is skewed away from the middle class and towards the wealthy through the use of sophisticated tax shelters and tax accounting mechanisms. A discussion of tax policy isn’t meaningful until it addresses tax avoidance and the definition of income (year over year accumulation of wealth).

[gandalf]

Yeah, Allan. Right on. What the hell is up with our ‘relationship’ with the Saudis? Bin Laden is a Saudi. The hijackers were Saudis. What the hell are we doing with Saudi Arabia? Yemen too.

You’ve got ten times the experience I have, in the field military and really broad and insightful understanding of the world and its history.

Perhaps our approach in ME should have FOCUSED on Saudi Arabia before Iraq. What do you think? That would have been my instinct. Wonder what are options could have been.

Also, really appreciate the quality of dialogue on this thread, it’s good. A few anklebiters but in general high signal-to-noise. Therapeutic, as these issues are really frustrating and as an average Joe (that would be me), I have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the outcome.

Yeah, that’s pretty funny when you think about it. So yammering away on a keyboard, at least I’m doing the citizen thing and engaging. Better than nothing.

[gandalf]

Yeah, Allan. Right on. What the hell is up with our ‘relationship’ with the Saudis? Bin Laden is a Saudi. The hijackers were Saudis. What the hell are we doing with Saudi Arabia? Yemen too.

You’ve got ten times the experience I have, in the field military and really broad and insightful understanding of the world and its history.

Perhaps our approach in ME should have FOCUSED on Saudi Arabia before Iraq. What do you think? That would have been my instinct. Wonder what are options could have been.

Also, really appreciate the quality of dialogue on this thread, it’s good. A few anklebiters but in general high signal-to-noise. Therapeutic, as these issues are really frustrating and as an average Joe (that would be me), I have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the outcome.

Yeah, that’s pretty funny when you think about it. So yammering away on a keyboard, at least I’m doing the citizen thing and engaging. Better than nothing.

[gandalf]

Yeah, Allan. Right on. What the hell is up with our ‘relationship’ with the Saudis? Bin Laden is a Saudi. The hijackers were Saudis. What the hell are we doing with Saudi Arabia? Yemen too.

You’ve got ten times the experience I have, in the field military and really broad and insightful understanding of the world and its history.

Perhaps our approach in ME should have FOCUSED on Saudi Arabia before Iraq. What do you think? That would have been my instinct. Wonder what are options could have been.

Also, really appreciate the quality of dialogue on this thread, it’s good. A few anklebiters but in general high signal-to-noise. Therapeutic, as these issues are really frustrating and as an average Joe (that would be me), I have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the outcome.

Yeah, that’s pretty funny when you think about it. So yammering away on a keyboard, at least I’m doing the citizen thing and engaging. Better than nothing.

[gandalf]

Yeah, Allan. Right on. What the hell is up with our ‘relationship’ with the Saudis? Bin Laden is a Saudi. The hijackers were Saudis. What the hell are we doing with Saudi Arabia? Yemen too.

You’ve got ten times the experience I have, in the field military and really broad and insightful understanding of the world and its history.

Perhaps our approach in ME should have FOCUSED on Saudi Arabia before Iraq. What do you think? That would have been my instinct. Wonder what are options could have been.

Also, really appreciate the quality of dialogue on this thread, it’s good. A few anklebiters but in general high signal-to-noise. Therapeutic, as these issues are really frustrating and as an average Joe (that would be me), I have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the outcome.

Yeah, that’s pretty funny when you think about it. So yammering away on a keyboard, at least I’m doing the citizen thing and engaging. Better than nothing.

[gandalf]

Yeah, Allan. Right on. What the hell is up with our ‘relationship’ with the Saudis? Bin Laden is a Saudi. The hijackers were Saudis. What the hell are we doing with Saudi Arabia? Yemen too.

You’ve got ten times the experience I have, in the field military and really broad and insightful understanding of the world and its history.

Perhaps our approach in ME should have FOCUSED on Saudi Arabia before Iraq. What do you think? That would have been my instinct. Wonder what are options could have been.

Also, really appreciate the quality of dialogue on this thread, it’s good. A few anklebiters but in general high signal-to-noise. Therapeutic, as these issues are really frustrating and as an average Joe (that would be me), I have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the outcome.

Yeah, that’s pretty funny when you think about it. So yammering away on a keyboard, at least I’m doing the citizen thing and engaging. Better than nothing.

[Author]

Posts