My question to Republicans that are screaming "socialism"....

[scheming daemons]

In 1955, the highest tax bracket was 90%. Were we a "socialist" nation then?

In 1975, the highest tax bracket was 70%. Were we a "socialist" nation then?

In 1995, the highest tax bracket was 39.6%. Were we a "socialist" nation then?

In 2005, the highest tax bracket was 36%. Were we a "socialist" nation then?


Now... Obama is proposing to return the highest tax bracket from 36% to 39.6%. And Republicans everywhere, from Joe the Plumber type morons to William F. Buckley type pseudo-intellectuals, are screaming "Socialism! Wealth Distribution!"


WTF? Obama is proposing to return the highest bracket back to where it was from 1993 to 2001. Coincidentally, that was the time of the longest peacetime expansion of our economy in this nation's history.


What the hell are you idiots screaming about? People having to pay 3.6% more on their incomes over $250,000 are going bonkers.

Hey... if you don't all pipe down, we'll return things to how they were under comrade Eisenhower. Would you like to return to the days of 90% on your incomes over $200,000 (that's what it was then)?

No?

Then sit down and shut the fuck up.

[JBoris]

1. I guess saying "The rich people are suffering a little bit" doesn't make a good sound bite. nt

[northofdenali]

2. K&R'd AND bookmarked -

can I use this on some sites that don't filter for political affiliation? Love it. Thanks! :thumbsup:

[Jennicut]

3. Republicans refuse to embrace their past, only Reagan matters to them.

Ike and Teddy R. and other moderate Repub presidents mean nothing to them...only their hero Reagan and his worn out supply side bs.

[HughBeaumont]

9. Reagan made hatred fashionable.

He appealed to their inner Klansman. This ugly characteristic, still lingering to this day, was paraded around for the whole world to see at the McCain rallies.

[cherish44]

4. Most of them don't know what "socialism" means

They just know Rush says it's "bad".

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

5. In 1955, the highest tax bracket was 90%. Were we a "socialist" nation then?

Sure. Everyone knows that Dwight Eisenhower was a closet socialist.

:rofl:

[murielm99]

6. I would like to distribute this to some right-wingers I know.

But they will ask me for a source.

Where did you get this?

[JTFrog]

7. It's not just Republicans. This is definitely a class war.

I've seen some +250k'ers here on DU admit they have been cheating the system for years by claiming whatever status gives them the lowest taxes regardless of their actual living situations. Now they claim the new tax laws create inequitable "marriage penalties" and then brag that they will continue cheating the system to keep their advantage.

Yep, Big Tent at DU.

[flyarm]

10. would you mind posting a link to your claim..i have never seen what you are saying

and i do mean ..the tax cheating part..please post links to prove what you are saying, because i have never seen what you are claiming here at du.

thank you

Unlike some cabinet appointee's of Obama's that didn't pay their taxes, anyone else would have been dragged in front of the IRS and forced to pay their taxes and then pay severe penalties.

[Hello_Kitty]

17. I know. That was unbelievable.

And the person was trolling for sympathy here.

[HughBeaumont]

8. What's even more hilarious is that three out of four of those years had Republicans at the helm.

And Clinton was hardly an economic progressive.

Good ol' Republicans. I wonder what it must be like to be so easily led by the nose and just ingest whatever dogshit you're fed.

[yourguide]

11. This is even more interesting:

http://www.truthandpolitics.org/top-rates.php

Look at the top tax rate just prior to the great depression, doesnt this look freakishly familiar? No regulations and low low taxes.

1920 73%
1921 73%
1922 58%
1923 43.5%
1924 46%
1925 25%
1926 25%
1927 25%
1928 25%
1929 24%
1930 25%
1931 25%
1932 63%

[ejpoeta]

12. i like that people are pissing and moaning about help for THEM!!

i am not talking about the rush limbaugh's or the congressfolk. i am talking about people like my brother and my dad. the ones who will benefit from this stimulus package. yet they bitch and moan about help for themselves instead of the rich folk. i just don't understand. i guess it's like those people who send money to the tv preachers, and then don't bat and eye when dateline comes and shows them that their tv preacher is living in a mansion with ten fancy cars while the people who sent him the money live in a trailer and eat cat food.

[YOY]

13. Let me explain it to you. You see...

they are truly a bunch of know-nothing-assholes who jump when told to jump.

[avaistheone1]

14. Obama needs to rollback those Reagan tax cuts for the wealthy.

It's pretty clear Reagan's tax cuts for the wealthy have contributed in a major way to the downhill landslide of the working and middle class.

[Carni]

15. I had no idea the highest tax bracket was ever at 90%

So the wealthiest paid 90%?

Wow!

[scheming daemons]

16. 90% of income above a certain level...

Remember that.... The tax rates aren't uniform for your entire income.

You pay 15% on your first X amount... then 28% on your next X amount... etcetera...


When the top rate was 90%.... it was 90% of income above $200,000 (which was a LOT in the 50s). They didn't pay 90% on their first $200,000.

[Carni]

18. Ok Thanks for the clarification

This is really an eye opener IMO

[joeglow3]

19. Those aren't accurate comparisons

When the top tax rate was 90%, no one really paid at that level. Why? Because there were deductions up the ass. In fact, it was so bad, that they implemented the AMT in 1970. They did this solely to catch the top 150 or so income earners in the country, as they were literally paying next to no tax, due to their deductions. When the tax rates were cut, so were the massive amounts of deductions available. Thus, it is not accurate to simply compare tax rates.

Now, I agree with increasing the rates back to 40%, but a comparison to those other numbers is not accurate.

[scheming daemons]

20. The point is that altering the tax rates has NOTHING to do with socialism....

We have a graduated and progressive income tax. Mucking with the percentages at each level does not mean we are going down the road to "socialism" or toward more "freedom".


Either a progressive income tax is socialist or it is not. If it is, then we have been a socialist nation for nearly 100 years. If it isn't, then we STILL aren't going to be socialist when Obama moves the upper rate from 36 to 39.6.

[joeglow3]

21. I agree with that

Just that the tax CPA in me hates it when people try to compare just rates from completely different periods, when there is MUCH more to the story. That said, we have always had a progressive tax structure and should continue to do so.

[GeorgeGist]

22. Apparently you haven't noticed that..

captalism (ie, anti-socialism) sucks
http://www.lcurve.org/