Apple Executives Cash in Over 1 Million Shares of Apple Stock

[daxomni]

Are you aware of the difference between an INCOME tax and a SALES tax? Sales taxes have progressive qualities because the poor will pay proportionally less, without intentionally targeting one economic class.

You've actually got that completely backward. Sales taxes are regressive taxes. Their selective application is a secondary component intended to soften their inherently disproportionate impact, but the tax itself is still regressive in nature. Income taxes, such as they currently exist here in the US, are progressive because the tax rate itself is largely dependent upon the health and the wealth of the taxpayer.

One cannot underestimate, however, the importance of everyone paying *something* lest we become a polarized nation of producers and parasites. The parasites will vote for bread and circuses, paid-for by the greedy rich, and the producers will use their power to circumvent tax law to protect their wealth... Welcome to 2010.

More like welcome to 1980. I'm not sure if you remember, but we're still in the era of Trickle-down Voodoo Reaganomics that have long since come to represent standard American policy. After the Great Communicator and his opportunistic followers rewrote our national priorities we no longer make anything or export anything of substantial consequence, all while importing far more than we could ever hope to pay back. That's not something that can be undone quickly. I'm guessing it would probably take another fifty years or more to turn this ship around and nobody who is currently at the helm shows much promise of steering us past the financial icebergs in our path. Trust me, the consumer real estate implosion is just one of several more financial meltdowns yet to come. If you're already an adult you'll probably be fine, but your kids are likely to face hardships far beyond what we're used to.

By that I mean that you grew up in piss poor poverty and have reached a level of financial stability solely through your own means, without any help from mommy, daddy or government assistance.

No help from the government eh? How do you explain your mom's welfare check? Who do you think helped protect the market in which you eventually made your money during the two centuries it existed prior to your glorious birth?

 

[Little Endian]

You've actually got that completely backward. Sales taxes are regressive taxes. Their selective application is a secondary component intended to soften their inherently disproportionate impact, but the tax itself is still regressive in nature. Income taxes, such as they currently exist here in the US, are progressive because the tax rate itself is largely dependent upon the health and the wealth of the taxpayer.


More like welcome to 1980. I'm not sure if you remember, but we're still in the era of Trickle-down Voodoo Reaganomics that have long since come to represent standard American policy. After the Great Communicator and his opportunistic followers rewrote our national priorities we no longer make anything or export anything of substantial consequence, all while importing far more than we could ever hope to pay back. That's not something that can be undone quickly. I'm guessing it would probably take another fifty years or more to turn this ship around and nobody who is currently at the helm shows much promise of steering us past the financial icebergs in our path. Trust me, the consumer real estate implosion is just one of several more financial meltdowns yet to come. If you're already an adult you'll probably be fine, but your kids are likely to face hardships far beyond what we're used to.


No help from the government eh? How do you explain your mom's welfare check? Who do you think helped protect the market in which you eventually made your money during the two centuries it existed prior to your glorious birth?

The previous post was meant as a pun to merely flush out a troll. Just for FYI I do lean toward being a Social Democrat. That is why I made the comment: "Or.... if you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, I expect you to be at least 100 fold wealthier than your parents and at the same time being able to prove that you offer practical and realistic upward mobility to the people that may be under your employ or within your organization."

I have no problem with a socialist welfare state, the wealthy should be taxed heavily given that it is efficiently managed by the state. If that is not a practical option then I adhere to the Andrew Carnegie argument. Namely that it is the providence of the most fortunate to care for those most in need. It does sound paternalistic and I would rather it not be that way, but sadly that is the way it will be until your average American can pull him or herself up by their own bootstraps. If that takes government intervention then so be it.