Top 50 points against capitalism

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Anonymous October 21, 2011 6:16 pm (Pacific time)

The worst thing about Occupy Wall Street is that it's ruining a good cause: hating Wall Street. Just when opposing Wall Street was gaining momentum, these brain-dead zombies are forcing us to choose between thieving bankers and them.

So, you hate Democrats and liberals. The article was the top 50 points against capitalism. Try responding to any of those points and your  post will be published.

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Anonymous October 21, 2011 9:30 am (Pacific time)

I wonder if the OWS people feel it's time to protest outside the Whitehouse and AG Eric Holder's domicile? "Ties to Major Obama Bundlers... Car Company Gets U.S. Loan, Builds Cars In Finland. With the approval of the Obama administration, an electric car company that received a $529 million federal government loan guarantee is assembling its first line of cars in Finland, saying it could not find a facility in the United States capable of doing the work. Vice President Joseph Biden heralded the Energy Department's $529 million loan to the start-up electric car company called Fisker as a bright new path to thousands of American manufacturing jobs. But two years after the loan was announced, the job of assembling the flashy electric Fisker Karma sports car has been outsourced to Finland." http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/car-company-us-loan-builds-cars-finland/story?id=14770875

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Anonymous October 20, 2011 12:02 pm (Pacific time)

You don't get it. In America 2/3's of jobs are based in small to medium sized businesses. As far as what the super rich pay, you got that 15% from the capital gain tax. All the money prior to investment was taxed at scheduled income tax rates. The cry of class warfare does have a legitimate concern for me, but what is most important is the over-regulation the current regime has introduced which is causing a significant percent age of business owners to sit on their cash reserves. We will be doing this until the next national election. If Obama is re-elected, we will continue to reduce our exposure to this onerous over-regulations. If the conservatives take over both the House and Senate, even if Obama is elected, then that will most likely be a positive and more investment will begin. Look at Greece and other European countries to see what has been happening to them regarding government intrusion. Here in the states, we can look at California and New York to see what has happened with both high taxes and onerous regulations. The democrats in DC continue to attempt more overspending, and just yesterday a congresswoman put forth a bill to provide "free diapers" to poor people. Yeah, sure when the super rich make a lot of money some get upset with the inequity, but the priority is having private sector jobs created. It's not like the super rich do not spend money buying stuff and creating a demand. One again, the 15% is not income tax. Nearly 50% of Americans do not pay any income tax. By the way it is convicted felon George Soros who leads the world in "money manipulation." He also is a primary funder of various groups of the OWS, which will fade as winter sets in.

Of course the rich don't have income, not in the same way as most people. Did Warren Buffet become a billionaire by "working"? Of course not. He works, as a white collare person, but not as the vast majority of people work.

BTW: Your enemy is not the government, it's the wealthy who own the government. Doesn't matter which party is in power, you're still going to get screwed. The goals of the OWS movement are, so far, inchoate, but they know intuitively that things are monstrously wrong. 

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Ex-Boss October 20, 2011 9:07 am (Pacific time)

Understanding all sides of a situation allows for better problem discussion, even possible resolution:
Subject: Letter from the Boss - A real letter from a real company

To All My Valued Employees,

There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job.

What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country. Of course, as your employer, I am forbidden to tell you whom to vote for - it is against the law to discriminate based on political affiliation, race, creed, religion, etc.

Please vote who you think will serve your interests the best. However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interest. First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a back story.

This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You've seen my big home at last years Christmas party. I'm sure all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life. However, what you don't see is the back story.

I started this company 12 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living space was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company which, by the way, would eventually employ you.

My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.

Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the Goodwill store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's.

My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.

So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9 a.m., mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5 p.m., I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have the weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, ****, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to me like a one day old baby.

You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations. You never realized the back story and the sacrifices I've made. Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions, sacrificed and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn't.

The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for. Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:

I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man just to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus" check was? Zero. Nada. Zilch.

The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Is it me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, is it the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check?

Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country. The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy. Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now.

When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the mud of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine.

Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep. So where am I going with all this? It's quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I fire you. I fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV payment and for your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more. Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire.

You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.

While tax cuts to 95% of America sounds great on paper, don't forget the back story: If there is no job, there is no income to tax. A tax cut on zero dollars is zero. So, when you make decision to vote, ask yourself, who understands the economics of business ownership and who doesn't? Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions and you should know who might be the one capable of saving your job. While the media wants to tell you "It's the economy Stupid" I'm telling you it isn't.

If you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the Constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me in South Caribbean sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about.

Signed, Your boss,

You don’t get it, do you.

In 2008 the average income of the top twenty-five hedge fund managers (not the top guy, just the average of the top guys) was 12,000 times that of the average American…Overall, the top twenty-five hedge fund managers made $25.3 billion in 2009—averaging a little more than $1 billion each, more than double the $464 million average of the previous year. This meant that the average income of the top twenty-five hedge fund managers in 2009 had risen to the point that it was now 24,000 times that of the average American.

They pay 15% on that income. IF you were really smart, you would have gone into money manipulation and screw everyone else. 

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