In a lot of cases, yes it is.Okay, so those 16 million children going hungry each day in America, their problem isn’t a lack of food, it’s a lack of pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Got it.
Because the free market capitalism has lead to the greatest, most prosperous society in the history of this planet.
Well done. Respectful and genuine but not rationalizing what the pope said or meant.
So with corporations posting record earnings and profits; where are all of these jobs you speak of, why hasn’t any link ever been shown between coddling the rich and job creation, and why hasn’t there been any movement of wealth except even greater consolidation of it in the top 50%? The economic golden age under Clinton proved that you can tax the rich at higher rates and still create an astounding number of new jobs with greater wealth distribution to boot. That has never been shown to be the case with tax cuts for the rich and corporate welfare.
That is a tough sell when describing a society which defines prosperity largely by how much debt a person can incur before drowning in red ink rather than how much money they earn.
That highlighted in Blue above I took to be a personal counsel to Catholics to be unselfish and not spoiled by our personal prosperity to such an extent that we neglect to help those who need us.
I agree totally. Especially about that last part. To suggest that taxing the small percentage of very wealthy will impoverish them, does not pass the smell test to me…No, one billionaire cannot do it alone, but together, their loose change could mean real change in the lives of the less fortunate.*Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, **“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” ***And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:13-21
The Holy Father’s message is simply to think of others and put their good ahead of our own. That’s not so hard to do, but we seem to find ways to complicate it anyway.
How about everybody chip in instead of nearly half the populace paying nothing?I agree totally. Especially about that last part. To suggest that taxing the small percentage of very wealthy will impoverish them, does not pass the smell test to me…No, one billionaire cannot do it alone, but together, their loose change could mean real change in the lives of the less fortunate.
Nowhere in the Bible do I find great discourses on whether government should help the poor versus charities or personal giving…if it was that important, surely, of all the hundreds of biblical exhortations to help the poor - somebody would have devoted a few words to these issues?
Sure, when the top 50% releases its stranglehold on 98% of taxable wealth, provides jobs, and living wages. Have to have something taxable to be taxed.
So what if the Pope did say “trickle-down”? Politics and ideology are dispensable - faith, on the other hand is not.
JFK believed tax cuts could serve economic prosperity, and proved it.
So how would you reform the tax system? Base it on consumption? Eliminate deductions? Reduce the standard deduction and eliminate exemptions?
It appears many are all for Social Justice-as long as somebody else pays for it.Sure, when the top 50% releases its stranglehold on 98% of taxable wealth, provides jobs, and living wages. Have to have something taxable to be taxed.
Just how do those of us in the top 50% have a stranglehold on the wealth?Sure, when the top 50% releases its stranglehold on 98% of taxable wealth, provides jobs, and living wages. Have to have something taxable to be taxed.
A wise old man once counseled me that much is expected from the one who is given much. Why is it such a wonder that the person who has more should be expected to contribute more?
I don’t have any suggestions.Just pointing out that the idea the rich don’t pay their fair share is rather specious considering 47% pay nothing at all
Maybe 47% don’t make enough to live, pay mortgages and doctors’ bills, buy gas, stay warm and still pay taxes…? You can’t pay what you don’t have, so speaking in generalizations really don’t help the discussion. Perhaps we can clarify matters by talking in numbers…what (in dollars and cents or percentages) remains of their income when the 47% have met their basic needs? What remains for the rich after they have similarly met their basic expenses? Without those numbers, fairness cannot be discussed in a concrete way.
They already do.
And they’re still rich? Then tell me why we’re worried about them again?