Democracy doomed?

Can a democracy survive if the majority of its people pay little or no taxes while benefiting directly from a higher level of government spending?

RobFox
Can a democracy survive if the majority of its people pay little or no taxes while benefiting directly from a higher level of government spending?

No

Probably not.

It's the money.

In one word...

No.

Where would the Government get it's money? Money just doesn't majically appear out of ATMs like young children think it does.

RobFox
Can a democracy survive if the majority of its people pay little or no taxes while benefiting directly from a higher level of government spending?

No.

Cut spending and then we can talk. But at this level of entitlement spending, we're doomed no matter how high taxes go.

reply to post by RobFox


I don't recall ever hearing democracy worked to begin with...

so ya... doomed

Well we don't really have a true democracy here anyway. The corporations and certain individuals seem to be the ones who choose the candidates.

Akragon
reply to post by RobFox

 

I don't recall ever hearing democracy worked to begin with...

so ya... doomed

havent had a real democracy since ancient athens...
that worked pretty well...

RobFox
Can a democracy survive if the majority of its people pay little or no taxes while benefiting directly from a higher level of government spending?

What you describe IS democracy, people voting to rob the treasury until there is nothing left. When the average IQ is 100, and they all vote, the result is what you see already.

RobFox
Can a democracy survive if the majority of its people pay little or no taxes while benefiting directly from a higher level of government spending?

We are actually a Republic for starters and there is a big difference. Not that it really matters though because at this point we are actually an Oligarchy.

Also, where did you get the idea that the majority aren't paying taxes?? From what I see the majority is being bled dry from taxes. If they have anything left to bleed that is.

As for the Gov. spending. When they need more than what they take in taxes or steal from everywhere else. They just borrow more and stick everyone else with the bill. Do you think that is really "benefiting" anyone else but them??

reply to post by RobFox


Lets start here.

The USA was create as a republic. This country WAS not a majority rule system untill political lobbying and corporate control started to come into the picture. We were usurpers and its ignorant for people to continue to talk about democracy.

I DONT WANT MAJORITY RULE THE STRENGTH OF A NATION LIES IN THE INDIVIDUAL AND RIGHT NOT THE INDIVIDUAL IS WEAK IN AMERICA.

reply to post by RobFox


Democracy is the reason why we are on the decline. It's progression but progression in the wrong direction through the use of democracy. If we stay true to the Republic, maybe things will be different, but it's far too late.

beezzer

RobFox
Can a democracy survive if the majority of its people pay little or no taxes while benefiting directly from a higher level of government spending?

No.

Cut spending and then we can talk. But at this level of entitlement spending, we're doomed no matter how high taxes go.

Yeah the military is ENTITLED to hundreds of bases in smelly countries and a black budget that is never questioned because look at that person who needs food stamps!!! And they get to buy name brand potato chips!

Rome didn't fall because of it's social programs...it was conquered by an elite class that convinced the public that only through consolidation of power in the Glorious imperial army could peace be achieved. And even that took years of killing all of the dissenters.

reply to post by RobFox


Democracy is an illusion made by those who really run the world because they found out if
you can give the ppl false hope they work much harder.

Then all you have to do is figure out a way to rob them in very small slices such as the many layered
tax system of licences, fees, permits, etc etc....

As on tire shop posted the true price of a set of tires is north of 80% tax when you count in the fact
that its hit with taxes over and over every time it changes hand from raw material til it hits the rim
of your car.

As Goethe said...."None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free."

Goethe quote

We are viewed as "Human Resources" and we all know how the globalists view resources around the world.

They use any form of deception they can to loot whatever they want.

rickymouse
Well we don't really have a true democracy here anyway. The corporations and certain individuals seem to be the ones who choose the candidates.

It has been that way since the Revolution. For all of the bravdo about "freedoms" a certain collective of already wealthy individuals convinced poor men to fight their war. The paradigm shift was simply away from power in the hands of people with ancestral land grant titles exclusively to rule by and through accumulated wealth.
In order to even vote one had to be a LAND OWNING WHITE GUY. And even then you voted for a representative who may or may not be appointed to the position although elected by popular vote because, well, the rest of this old boy network didn't like them.
Wave your flags, quack your duck calls, but read up on the founding of this country and you will see how we got to where we are.

reply to post by the owlbear


We aren't Rome nor is there a clear parallel to what is going on now. We are being drained of treasure and blood due to apathy and the effective use of media and technology by a person or persons unknown.
It appears the effort is to reduce us as a people to reduce us as a nation because we use too much stuff and they want not only more but our stuff too.

reply to post by the owlbear


Printing 70 - 85 billion a month out of thin air though has been tried before and the collapse
did not take a long time when that process was employed.

All that needs to happen is what has happened a few dozen times already when the same
monetary policy is followed.

Hyperinflation

Perhaps Warren Buffett reading the book about the Weimar Hyperinflation event is mere coincidence.

Then again...maybe not....

When Money Dies

beezzer

RobFox
Can a democracy survive if the majority of its people pay little or no taxes while benefiting directly from a higher level of government spending?

No.

Cut spending and then we can talk. But at this level of entitlement spending, we're doomed no matter how high taxes go.

This is exactly right, if we taxed the income of the top 10% at 100% it would not keep the government going.

Our biggest issues at the moment is our insane military budget where we spend as much as the
next 26 nations combined and 24 of them are our allies.

Next would be the Corporate welfare into the many many billions, particularly bank$ters, Mil Indust, and big oil.

I'd put social program costs at the bottom of the list because alot of those ppl either paid into the system
or they legitimately need help.

Calling SSI an entitlement after ppl pay into it their whole working life is disingenuous, its basically
a retirement account they paid for.

reply to post by okamitengu


Ancient Athens didn't work all that well if you study it. Pure democracy is always doomed once it climbs beyond a certain size. That's why we were intentionally designed to not have a pure democracy in the States.

Pure democracy is a tyranny of the majority where the majority can be bought and demagogued. This is what brought ancient Athens down.

And if you want to see what will bring us down, study the fall of the Roman Republic, the parallels between it and the States today are fascinating. Start about a generation prior to the rise of Caesar and go from there.

reply to post by Ex_MislTech


Right now, the top 40% pays 109%, the middle 20% pays 3%, and the bottom 40% pays -12% in income taxes. You can get those numbers from CNBC.

reply to post by ketsuko


What problems have ever been solves by taxes?

Poor people dont have the resources to fix the economy so how about we stop blaming them. Rich people have to spend money in order for the money to cirrculate economy. If we have a country of people where 300 people horde all the wealth and dont share then how the hell is anyone suppose to make any money?

Besides that you think taxing someone is going to help anyone else? All of our taxes are spent on war, drug war, and wars in the middle east.

You know how hard it is to get a decent education in the US without having full support system underneath you? Its back breaking and expensive. You need to be able to work full time and in most cases without an education full time isnt enough to support yourself. Yeah i get it student loans and the pel grant.