"You're no doubt a Six Million Dollar Man by now!"

Ha! I think it's far more than that.

Iirc, it was $3M just to get an aviator to then point where they could sit in a seat without being babysat.

I feel like this site might have one or two Russian bots operating.

If I were Rogers Cadenhead, I think I might be proud that my creation was so consequential that it attracted the attention of the GRU or the FSB.

"MadBomber congratulations on what I assume is the approach of your 20 years with the military."

24 actually. I did four years enlisted before I went to college and did ROTC. 20 as an officer though.

I like RT.

One of the things I do for my job is look at foreign reporting.

On 24 Feb 2022, RT was actually more honest than OANN, whose main article had something to do with Biden doing something. RT was reporting that Russia had invaded. Same with Newsmax.

"Republicans seem to want to place the tax burden on the lower- and middle-classes. Democrats seems to want to place the tax burden upon the upper-classes."

I don't think so. Maybe they do, but if so, they would be bringing the US closer to inline with the "socialist" systems in western Europe.

"I'd prefer the rates be determines by "how much does the government need to run?" and then, how do we apportion that required income across the income levels."

100%

But before you determine how much a government needs to "run," you need to define what "run" is.

I'm retiring this summer (from the military), but I'll be staying in Europe. Probably forever. I wouldn't be making this decision if I thought it was a bad choice.

"But if you frame this discussion with that, you may not see what is happening."

Don't get me wrong. Any proposal from the Republicans (and Dems too) will be met with immediate suspicion, as I think most are more concerned with one-upping those they don't agree with than they are with building a better mousetrap. Which is why the analytics, wich I would LOVE to see, never seem to materialize. From either side.

I don't spend much time on the east coast. A lot of time in Colorado, and about one week a month in Las Vegas. There is an Air Force Base here that is basically the epicenter of combat aviation. It's almost impossible to escape it's gravitational pull.

But I absolutely appreciate the offer. Same to you if you ever find yourself wandering around Europe. I can recommend some really cool places other USans could never locate on a map. Especially if you like beaches or mountains. Art museums and golf courses...I'm probably not the guy...

#21

I think you may run into a tax reciept problem at those rates.

The biggest difference between the US and the rest of the western world is the VAT. The second is tax rates.

In Sweden, anyone making more than roughly $20K (20,200 SEK) pays 32%

All countries are different, but in the US low income earners pay far more in taxes than in most of our peers.

"Hmm a Brookings Institute Economist and a fireplace repair guy both have the same idea for a VAT."

It's an easy conclusion to come to, given that this is how most of our allies do business.

"Why should this tax proposal be any different than what the republicans have been saying and doing for years (decades?)?"

I don't know that a stand-alone sales tax would work. I kinda think it wouldn't. But like I said, objectively, I would like to see some modeling data on what the outcome would be if one were implimented.

I've said this before, but I'm a fan of the VAT, particularly if you want to increase your tax reciepts. Why? Because it's impossible do avoid. And the fact that pretty much every major developed country has one speaks volumes about their effectiveness.

So far as I know, there is not country that is funded just by a sales tax. That's going off into uncharted territory, which is generally a bad idea when you have many funcitoning systems that seem to work really well.

"MadBomber, champion for inequality"

Champion? Nah. I just don't give a shit about rich people bitching about richer people.

"But what can be said about a guy who has had everything in his life given to him by a socialist system."

Socialist? How?

"Go back to peeling potatoes."

Not today Satan. I am going to have someone else peel them for me. I just flew back to the US last night, spent the day snowshoeing up on Mt. Charleston, and now I am going to get a half dozen oysters and a rack of lamb. Probably wash it back with a couple of gin martinis.

"A 30% sales tax is a supremely regressive tax, hitting those hardest who can afford it the least."

It doesn't say explicitly, or I haven't seen it, but I would expect that things like food neceesities and utilities would not be taxed, or would have a lower tax.

Like I said...there hasn't been any economic modeling on this that I'm aware of, and politicians almost universally say what they want to say about economic policy, even if it is untested garbage.

I'm sort of in agreement with CENSORED. I think a national sales tax (or better, a VAT) is a good idea. Most of the western world thinks it's a good idea. But it would be a VAT combined with some form of an income tax. But it depends on what's important to the voters and the taxpayers.

"Not necessarily richer but would likely decrease the tax rate they pay which is already pretty low."

The effective tax rate for the top 1% is something like 26%. One of the narratives often presented on this site is the one where the rich don't pay any taxes because they find ways to deduct what they owe. This would prevent that. Or at least it appears that it would prevent that.

That said, I don't know how a company would deduct business expenses due at the time of purchase if there were not some other tax stream they could deduct from.

"This is an excellent idea! We should definitely increase taxes on poor people while making rich people richer."

How would this make rich people richer?

I view this similar to a VAT, and if your a citizen of a VAT country, there is no avoiding it. There are no loopholes. It's a tax paid at the time of purchase, so if you want the thing you're buying, you'll have to pay for it.

#13

That's different than this.

Under these laws, if someone living in CA were to move to a different state and three years from now win the lottery, CA would come after them for taxes on any income over $50M.

And I think you must be being facetious. Most taxing paying Californians probably spend more than a day or two out of the state every year.

"We're spending all this money to liberate Ukraine from the Russians"

Are we, though?

Ukraine is receiving obsolete (by US standards) surplus kit. That equipment requires upkeep, which costs money. Giving it to UKR is really a way of eliminating those costs.

I think to calculate the actual costs (or reductions in costs), would be difficult, but I bet it's a lot cheaper than the $305B Biden vote buying effort with the student loan forgiveness thing.

Plus, sending weapons actually contributes to a good cause.

Why would Sweden or Finland joining NATO result in Turkey being dragged into a war?

If Turkey is dragged in, it's because Putin attacked a NATO country. Which really means you don't think Erdogan wants Finland or Sweden to join because you think they are going to be attacked by the Soviets, and he would rather avoid that fight.

Is that what you are saying, pup?

I think it is an interesting concept. It seems similar to a VAT, which the US has never had.

What's missing is the analytic rigor to try and paint a picture of what the economic impacts would be. I think if the tax were levied on general consumer goods there might not be much of a change. If it were levied on houses, land, dear goods, and other higher cost items I think the changes could be significant. Some bad, some good.

"Look, pissant, just listen to your betters and keep pretending you fathered children like your wife is."

Advising people to listen to their betters is good advise for anyone.

You should try it.

"Only if you don't want to sound like an ignorant ----."

Me sound like an ignorant ----?

Let's re-attack this conversation once you've completed an econ course, m'kay?

Or just keep doing what you're doing and I'll keep reminding you how you should be a bit more appreciative of your betters.

(like your mom, I have a couple of spoiled kids of my own)

"We just don't have these tanks available in excess in our US stocks, which is why it is going to take months to transfer these M1A2 Abrams to Ukraine," Singh told the Post."

We actually do.

The US has ~4000 tanks in storage.

"It's clear Ukraine can't compete without outside assistance."

In 1942, it was the Soviets who couldn't compete against their adversary.

We helped them then too.

"Would drives be used for offensive air operations while manned aircraft be used for defensive? Patrolling airspace over controlled territory hunting helicopters, providing close air support ect?".

The Russians have very long-range surface to air missile systems that keep UKR jets from operating freely near the front lines. There are mitigation techniques you can use, but it's very dangerous.

And the types of missiles being employed by the Ukrainians are not suitable against cruise missiles. Fortunately, the UKR SAM operators are pretty good. Good enough to keep the Soviets at bay.

"You have no idea where I live, you drooling bastard."

Does it matter?

There is ignorant trash everywhere. Your problem is finding someone to pay your bills.

"Wake me when my cost of living is the same as that in these poorer countries I'm supposed to compare us favorably to."

It depends on how you want to live. If I were to build and furnish a house in Honduras similar to the ones I owned in the US, it would cost far, far more money.

If you wanted to live at the standard of living of the average Honduran, then yes, cost of living would be lower. But it would likely mean going without some of the amenities you are used to.