"Where's the incentive to have kids?"

On the 1040.

Childless couples subsidize parents and children all the time.

" Why do lefties work so hard to DEFEND fraud. "

Did you miss the part about the last time around, the Trump administration lying about the level of fraud in a blue state?

Wouldn't a reasonable person believe that's a central tenant affecting this claim?

Tell us: do you watch the "news" outlets that are afraid to tell you the truth? Or did you know the truth, and are purposefully leaving out a very salient fact?

"We've all known it and some even have tried to address it but..."

Trump tore up that agreement. Longtime negotiators were overjoyed when it was signed: it gave the US unprecedented access to the supply chain. My guess is neither you, nor Trump knew that fact.

"...efforts to deal with it have fallen short."

Unilaterally reneging on a deal will do that.

The biggest loophole in the entire Tax code is GRATs. Grantor annuity trusts. It makes a mockery of the inheritance tax. Wealthy folks with last names like Adelson and Buffett can pass unlimited amounts to family members by setting up a GRAT, and then ... Disclaiming it! Sheldon Adelson saved $2.3 billion that way.

And the reason Congress doesn't repeal it? Because, as one wag put it, every single person affected is "a member of the political donor class".

"not activity that may generate subjects of taxation"

So...fertility clinics don't have to pay income taxes???

"We had this discussion"

Since you opted not to answer my direct question, I'll assume both ignorant AND malevolent.

Biden's pardons were AFTER Trump directly threatened folks with lawfare.

But you knew that. Heck, we all lived through it. And now you're trying to gaslight about the timeline.

"We had this discussion back when Biden pardoned 5 family members (including Hunter), Gen Milley, Fauchi and every member of the J6 committee - All for the purpose of "preventing politically motivated attacks" and "unjustified" prosecution."

AFTER Trump threatened such prosecution.

I'll ask you as well: Do the news outlets you follow believe you can't handle the truth?

Or do you know Trump threatened weaponizing the DOJ against his political enemies BEFORE Biden pardoned them, and you're gaslighting about the actual sequence of events...?

Ignorant, or Malevolent? I'll be a gentleman, and let you choose.

"Trump said he would prosecute them for their crimes"

What a riot.

Jerome Powell, victim of lawfare, saw charges against him fail due to lack of ANY wrongdoing.

When the question is What did he do?> and the answer is That's what's we're investigating...that's LAWFARE.

Trump, otoh, had 91 clear actions which neither you nor I could legally do.

"Trump was charged by Democrats on 4 different lawfare crim3s after he left office"

Nonsense. You've never been able to name A SINGLE TRUMP INDICTMENT for actions you or I could do without fear of legal repercussions.

Now you're claiming FOUR??? Name them.

"they face an equation no other entity faces, including other quasi-governmental entities."

From Truth or Fiction:
Is USPS Losing Money Because of a 2006 Pension Law? - Truth or Fiction?

The law requires the Postal Service, which receives no taxpayer subsidies, to prefund its retirees' health benefits up to the year 2056. This is a $5 billion per year cost; it is a requirement that no other entity, private or public, has to make.

"Where do the Unions get their money?"

From Union members, who all have the option to "not" have any portion of their dues go to ANY political activity.

And btw...ORGANIZING falls under that category.

"This just points to government fragility."

Two things: One, they face an equation no other entity faces, including other quasi-governmental entities.

And remind me: What's the final "S" stand for???

" A pre emptiness 14 year pardon of his son is total above the board with you?"

Before, or after Trump publicly threatened lawfare?

(checks notes ... )

After, I see.

Why did you leave out that most important part? Were you unaware because you watch news sources who won't tell you the truth? Or did you know the truth, and you were leaving out the lynchpin on purpose?

Nothing a few rescinded tax cuts for billionaires couldn't address.

Orange Caligula has made his priorities clear.

"Gee, I wonder where he got the idea of pre-emotive pardons."

Admit you only watch slanted news sites who believe you can't handle the truth, without using those specific words.

"Are you really this stupid, or are you trolling?"

Are you really pretending Biden didn't pardon them AFTER Trump threatened to weaponize the DOJ against them? Or are you trolling?

Because, you. know...it seems like you're leaving out the most important part...AGAIN. Why do you do that???

" I'm becoming more convinced it was all fake."

It's the only time in our lives where the attending physicians never had a press conference, or made a comment.

That, and why somebody lowered a flag on a crane after the first shot rang out... .

"In any case, vat is less regressive when measured against lifetime, rather than annual, income"

Translation: if we move the goal posts just right, so we can cherry-pick and create a NEW metric, our argument looks ... well ... less worse.

" a figure that reflects the trend starting after the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act."

Translation: Republicans passed a surgical tax cut on Tuesday, so beginning Wednesday they could complain about "less people paying taxes".

The phrase itself is a misnomer, of course, because a) they're not counting the LARGEST tax, and b) they score things differently than in the past. How? Republicans have historically stuffed child-rearing subsidies onto the 1040, specifically to bolster their talking point not enough people "pay taxes".

"Thank you for the credit, but that duly goes to the Ways and Means department at The Economist."

Neither of whom pretend they're talking about THE ONLY taxes that count.

That'd be you.

"until it comes to something like the VAT."

Because the VAT is a regressive tax. And you want to replace parts of the sole progressive tax, with regressive taxes.

What part of the equation baffles you?

"Or, it would mirror every other western country."

...every country that puts the burden on the middle class.

At least finish the sentence, and do it honestly. Be sure to add in the social benefits the taxes fund.

Amazing, what you can afford when you're not borrowing money to hand tax cuts to billionaires.

"Because moderates and independents are fleeing Democrat party..."

All Electoral evidence to the contrary.

"Cool. What rate should the VAT in the US be?"

The VAT is NOT a progressive tax.

Our current fiscal problem is the code isn't progressive enough.

Your suggestion would (once again) shift the tax burden onto poorer classes.

Give BrainWorm a chance.

He's barely begun his campaign of disinformation.

Those things take time.

For example, did you know tap water affects children's fertility? It doesn't...but what does that matter?

On an episode of his podcast back in 2022, RFK said, based on a study done on frogs on the affects of endocrine disruptors (chemicals that can affect reproductive functions and "biological processes like normal growth, fertility, and reproduction"), that materials found in tap water could have the "capacity" to "induce these very profound sexual changes" in children.
Medical experts have refuted this claim. Dr. Andrea Gore, professor of pharmacology and toxicology at University of Texas at Austin, told CNN that while "sex in frogs is determined by environmental factors such as temperature and chemicals," the "sex of humans is determined at the moment of conception, and cannot later be altered by endocrine-disrupting chemicals."