Independence Day

[Jimmy Higgins]

In most jurisdictions, we aren't legally given enough independence to celebrate this holiday with fireworks.

You misspelled explosives.

The labor class now pays far more tax than during the original tea party tax rebellion. Giving more of their time and service to established bureaucrats in Washington then the serfs gave to their Kings did during medieval times. Regardless of color, ethnicity, or background, we are all part of modern day slavery in and on the plantations of slavelandia USA.

We have a standing army, national standardization for testing, construction, etc-ion, massive program to provide for the basic welfare of the elderly and disabled. They didn't have that back then.

Also, federal funding is responsible for a depressingly massive amount of civil projects due to the GOP starving the states of funding.

Independence Day is a day worthy to celebrate only if you are living in your bubble matrix. And it will be even less of a holiday if the WEF gets its way with the world.

You complain about taxes, but you complain about lack of services. You want more freedom, but support the people that want to reduce freedom of choice.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

In most jurisdictions, we aren't legally given enough independence to celebrate this holiday with fireworks. The labor class now pays far more tax than during the original tea party tax rebellion. Giving more of their time and service to established bureaucrats in Washington then the serfs gave to their Kings did during medieval times. Regardless of color, ethnicity, or background, we are all part of modern day slavery in and on the plantations of slavelandia USA.

Independence Day is a day worthy to celebrate only if you are living in your bubble matrix. And it will be even less of a holiday if the WEF gets its way with the world.

Life must be miserable in that imaginary dystopia of yours.

Living standards today by any reasonable metric are much higher than in the medieval or colonial times.

I agree with you that living standards today are much better. But technology and automation is not freedom and independence from government. And they do not need to be mutually exclusive.

It should be possible to live free and also have technology.

Exactly what freedoms do you feel entitled to but you are being denied?

The freedom not to pay so many taxes. I almost feel like it is actually the US government working for my employer and I get a cut from the paycheck going to them since I'm the one who shows up everyday. I lose over 50% of my paycheck to taxes in one form or another.

The freedom to do what I want to do with my house. If I want to make an improvement, I should be allowed to do the work myself if it pleases me.

The freedom to raise my kids like I want. I should not have to be constantly worried about whether someone else thinks I am not doing a good enough job at this.

The freedom to buy drugs that I know will help my health without a prescription from a doctor.

The freedom to buy a car that doesn't constantly have a bell going off if I decide I do not want to wear a seat belt.

The freedom to ride a bike without a helmit if it pleases me


Stuff like that

• The freedom not to pay so many taxes. I almost feel like it is actually the US government working for my employer and I get a cut from the paycheck going to them since I'm the one who shows up everyday. I lose over 50% of my paycheck to taxes in one form or another.
  • 50% is probably an exaggeration. Wanna cut government spending? Get some red ink. The bad news is the elderly vote in solid numbers regarding their own self-interest, so Social Security and Medicare are going to be hard cuts. After the military, you'll note the cuts get less significant to the bottom line.
• The freedom to do what I want to do with my house. If I want to make an improvement, I should be allowed to do the work myself if it pleases me.
  • Yeah, the whole point of building codes is to prevent blight and housing that is not livable.
  • Also, if you get permits, you probably can still do the work, assuming you can demonstrate competency at the trade.
• The freedom to raise my kids like I want.
  • I have yet to have the government walk in my door and tell me how to raise my kid. Or are you talking about the desire to beat manners into them?
• The freedom to buy drugs that I know will help my health without a prescription from a doctor.
  • You really overestimate your intelligence if you think you "know" enough about medical science to choose your own regime of medications.
• The freedom to buy a car that doesn't constantly have a bell going off if I decide I do not want to wear a seat belt.
  • So we are down to the fifth freedom and we are already in the tedium of the bottom of the freedom barrel?
• The freedom to ride a bike without a helmit if it pleases me
  • Don't worry, you can wear a tank top and shorts still.

 

[Elixir]

I would like to keep at least a little bit of independence from the grifting and fraud that has become the Republican Party.
It now functions as nothing more than a grift machine for the benefit of phony, lying “conservatives”, pandering to and aggravating the kinds of grievances that preoccupy swizzles and vonces.

It has become a danger to the republic as well as a corrupting influence on what used to be a fabric of American society (among many others).

I suppose we should all be amazed that it took so long for their “leadership” to realize the Golden Opportunity they had gained by becoming the Party of the Stupid, the Ignorant and the Gullible, forming an easily duped plurality that they - the greedy and the mendacious - could lead around by the nose with ropes of lies.

Okay, that’s my piece, bring on the whataboutisms …

 

[RVonse]

I

The freedom to buy drugs that I know will help my health without a prescription from a doctor.

When do you think that freedom was taken away from you?

I do not take any prescription drugs on a regular basis but I am highly allergic to poison ivy. It is a weed that you do not know about the first day you come in contact but the next day is when the rash begins to build. Then the day after that is when things really start going out of control. At a certain point without the use of prescribed steroids I can develop a very nasty pus laden reaction. I am no doctor but this has happened so often that I know from my own experience exactly what my result will end up just from the first day, not taking or taking the steroids based on my last experience.

Why do I have to call a doctor for about 10 pills to cure a poison ivy reaction? The first day is 5 pills and then one less pill everyday afterwards. Why do I have to waste my life going to his office and pay a needless charge for a service I don't want? The last time I took steroids was around 3-4 years ago so its clearly not an addictive no mind altering drug that my body might be craving. Nor would I take steroids just for the fun of it since the drug itself is not free.

It should be my right and freedom to buy steroids for myself when I want them. And if I killed myself with the steroids that would be no different than if I killed myself buying knife and cutting something on myself that was important.

 

[RVonse]

The freedom not to pay so many taxes. I almost feel like it is actually the US government working for my employer and I get a cut from the paycheck going to them since I'm the one who shows up everyday. I lose over 50% of my paycheck to taxes in one form or another.

I strongly suspect you vastly overestimate your income tac burden.

Federal income tax alone is 25%, add FICA of 15% = 40%. Then add the fed's inflation tax of >10%.

Inflation is the stealth tax engineered by the fed and it is far far higher than the published rates of the consumer lying index. No other jurisdiction has the legal right to print money and steal from others.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

The freedom not to pay so many taxes. I almost feel like it is actually the US government working for my employer and I get a cut from the paycheck going to them since I'm the one who shows up everyday. I lose over 50% of my paycheck to taxes in one form or another.

I strongly suspect you vastly overestimate your income tac burden.

Federal income tax alone is 25%, add FICA of 15% = 40%. Then add the fed's inflation tax of >10%.

You must be doing very well for your effective tax rate to be 25%.

Inflation is the stealth tax engineered by the fed and it is far far higher than the published rates of the consumer lying index.

It is higher in some areas than others. Look at electronics. Holy fuck look at what $1000 can buy you today compared to 20 years ago! Media and entertainment has also dropped a lot in cost, availability, and utility! Health care, construction costs go up. Granted, thanks to inflation, my mortgage effectively went down.

No other jurisdiction has the legal right to print money and steal from others.

The Fed has done much better than the gold/silver days that you refuse to actually read about and understand.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I

When do you think that freedom was taken away from you?

I do not take any prescription drugs on a regular basis but I am highly allergic to poison ivy. It is a weed that you do not know about the first day you come in contact but the next day is when the rash begins to build. Then the day after that is when things really start going out of control. At a certain point without the use of prescribed steroids I can develop a very nasty pus laden reaction. I am no doctor but this has happened so often that I know from my own experience exactly what my result will end up just from the first day, not taking or taking the steroids based on my last experience.

Why do I have to call a doctor for about 10 pills to cure a poison ivy reaction? The first day is 5 pills and then one less pill everyday afterwards. Why do I have to waste my life going to his office and pay a needless charge for a service I don't want? The last time I took steroids was around 3-4 years ago so its clearly not an addictive no mind altering drug that my body might be craving. Nor would I take steroids just for the fun of it since the drug itself is not free.
It should be my right and freedom to buy steroids for myself when I want them. And if I killed myself with the steroids that would be no different than if I killed myself buying knife and cutting something on myself that was important.

Pharmacist Assistant: Hey Marge, this guy says he needs steroids.
Pharmacist: Does he have a prescription?
Pharmacist: No, but he has an anecdotal history regarding steroid use.
Pharmacist: Okay, give him whatever he needs because he thinks he knows best. Also, I'm retiring now because clearly my job is unnecessary.

Some people have this odd misunderstanding that "Because I said so" isn't as authoritative as they think it ought to be.

I'll conclude by noting that the this is all a derail anyway. The OP wasn't even about individual freedoms, but rather self-autonomy for selection of government. The rights provided to people in the 18th century were much fewer than it is today. People are oddly upset that they feel their rights aren't as broad as they'd like, but in general, these restrictions exist because of the unfortunate reality that OTHER PEOPLE also have rights, not just the individual.

 

[laughing dog]

I

The freedom not to pay so many taxes. I almost feel like it is actually the US government working for my employer and I get a cut from the paycheck going to them since I'm the one who shows up everyday. I lose over 50% of my paycheck to taxes in one form or another.

I strongly suspect you vastly overestimate your income tac burden.

RV did say that his tax burden was > 50%, not his income tax burden. Perhaps he is including his state taxes in his calculation?

Taxes "cut" from a pay check are income taxes and payroll taxes. No way. Not even in a high tax state (I live in one) do federal,state income taxes and employee payroll taxes hit 50% combined in the US

 

[RVonse]

I

The freedom not to pay so many taxes. I almost feel like it is actually the US government working for my employer and I get a cut from the paycheck going to them since I'm the one who shows up everyday. I lose over 50% of my paycheck to taxes in one form or another.

I strongly suspect you vastly overestimate your income tac burden.

RV did say that his tax burden was > 50%, not his income tax burden. Perhaps he is including his state taxes in his calculation?

Taxes "cut" from a pay check are income taxes and payroll taxes. No way. Not even in a high tax state (I live in one) do federal,state income taxes and employee payroll taxes hit 50% combined in the US

Remember that half of your FICA is paid by your employer. Which means that amount of tax would be added to your earnings if he did not have to give it to the federal government.

 

[ZiprHead]

The freedom not to pay so many taxes. I almost feel like it is actually the US government working for my employer and I get a cut from the paycheck going to them since I'm the one who shows up everyday. I lose over 50% of my paycheck to taxes in one form or another.

I strongly suspect you vastly overestimate your income tac burden.

Federal income tax alone is 25%,

There is no 25% tax rate. There is a 24% tax rate. That applied to taxable income of between $190,751 – $364,200. And that is a marginal tax rate. You pay the lower tax rates for the taxable income in the lower rates. Not to mention the personal and family deductions that lower your amount of taxable income.

add FICA of 15% = 40%.

The FICA rate is 7.65% for both Medicare and Social Security, and only applies to the first $160K of income.

Then add the fed's inflation tax of >10%.

As of May, the present inflation rate is 3.3%

Inflation is the stealth tax engineered by the fed and it is far far higher than the published rates of the consumer lying index. No other jurisdiction has the legal right to print money and steal from others.

Sounds like you need a lesson in fractional reserve banking.

 

[ZiprHead]

I

The freedom not to pay so many taxes. I almost feel like it is actually the US government working for my employer and I get a cut from the paycheck going to them since I'm the one who shows up everyday. I lose over 50% of my paycheck to taxes in one form or another.

I strongly suspect you vastly overestimate your income tac burden.

RV did say that his tax burden was > 50%, not his income tax burden. Perhaps he is including his state taxes in his calculation?

Taxes "cut" from a pay check are income taxes and payroll taxes. No way. Not even in a high tax state (I live in one) do federal,state income taxes and employee payroll taxes hit 50% combined in the US

Remember that half of your FICA is paid by your employer. Which means that amount of tax would be added to your earnings if he did not have to give it to the federal government.

Oh, you poor naive little lamb. Why would an employer agree to give you that money when you've already agreed to your rate of pay as it is?

 

[laughing dog]

I

The freedom not to pay so many taxes. I almost feel like it is actually the US government working for my employer and I get a cut from the paycheck going to them since I'm the one who shows up everyday. I lose over 50% of my paycheck to taxes in one form or another.

I strongly suspect you vastly overestimate your income tac burden.

RV did say that his tax burden was > 50%, not his income tax burden. Perhaps he is including his state taxes in his calculation?

Taxes "cut" from a pay check are income taxes and payroll taxes. No way. Not even in a high tax state (I live in one) do federal,state income taxes and employee payroll taxes hit 50% combined in the US

Remember that half of your FICA is paid by your employer. Which means that amount of tax would be added to your earnings if he did not have to give it to the federal government.

Irrelevant to your claim that more half of your paycheck (not imagined what you might have earned) is cut in income and payroll taxes.

However, if you wish to play that game, you realize that the numerator (taxes paid) and denominator (labor compensation) increase by the same absolute amount. So, you would need to come up with actual numbers to show that your "adjusted" paycheck has a cut of more than 50%. And, if you are intellectually honest, you would need to also include in labor compensation the value of any untaxed benefits such as any employer paid benefits (including paid days off).

I get that people don't like paying taxes because one can easily not see the connection between taxes paid and benefits received But in the USA, very few employees (if any) end up paying over 50% of the compensation in income and payroll taxes.

 

[Harry Bosch]

In most jurisdictions, we aren't legally given enough independence to celebrate this holiday with fireworks. The labor class now pays far more tax than during the original tea party tax rebellion. Giving more of their time and service to established bureaucrats in Washington then the serfs gave to their Kings did during medieval times. Regardless of color, ethnicity, or background, we are all part of modern day slavery in and on the plantations of slavelandia USA.

Independence Day is a day worthy to celebrate only if you are living in your bubble matrix. And it will be even less of a holiday if the WEF gets its way with the world.

Life must be miserable in that imaginary dystopia of yours.

Living standards today by any reasonable metric are much higher than in the medieval or colonial times.

I agree with you that living standards today are much better. But technology and automation is not freedom and independence from government. And they do not need to be mutually exclusive.

It should be possible to live free and also have technology.

Exactly what freedoms do you feel entitled to but you are being denied?

The freedom not to pay so many taxes. I almost feel like it is actually the US government working for my employer and I get a cut from the paycheck going to them since I'm the one who shows up everyday. I lose over 50% of my paycheck to taxes in one form or another.

I strongly suspect you vastly overestimate your income tac burden.

The freedom to do what I want to do with my house. If I want to make an improvement, I should be allowed to do the work myself if it pleases me.

Where do you live where you are prohibited from improving your housethrough your own labor?

This is a good thing! First off, if someone lives voluntarily in a HMO, there are certain restrictions or requirements that you can do to your property. The purpose is generally so that the value of all homes in the area remain high. Secondly, there are certain improvements to a house that require a local regulator to approve (to ensure compliance with local codes). Personally, I wouldn't want to buy a house from a guy who added a room that was unsafe.

 

[laughing dog]

In most jurisdictions, we aren't legally given enough independence to celebrate this holiday with fireworks. The labor class now pays far more tax than during the original tea party tax rebellion. Giving more of their time and service to established bureaucrats in Washington then the serfs gave to their Kings did during medieval times. Regardless of color, ethnicity, or background, we are all part of modern day slavery in and on the plantations of slavelandia USA.

Independence Day is a day worthy to celebrate only if you are living in your bubble matrix. And it will be even less of a holiday if the WEF gets its way with the world.

Life must be miserable in that imaginary dystopia of yours.

Living standards today by any reasonable metric are much higher than in the medieval or colonial times.

I agree with you that living standards today are much better. But technology and automation is not freedom and independence from government. And they do not need to be mutually exclusive.

It should be possible to live free and also have technology.

Exactly what freedoms do you feel entitled to but you are being denied?

The freedom not to pay so many taxes. I almost feel like it is actually the US government working for my employer and I get a cut from the paycheck going to them since I'm the one who shows up everyday. I lose over 50% of my paycheck to taxes in one form or another.

I strongly suspect you vastly overestimate your income tac burden.

The freedom to do what I want to do with my house. If I want to make an improvement, I should be allowed to do the work myself if it pleases me.

Where do you live where you are prohibited from improving your housethrough your own labor?

This is a good thing! First off, if someone lives voluntarily in a HMO, there are certain restrictions or requirements that you can do to your property. The purpose is generally so that the value of all homes in the area remain high. Secondly, there are certain improvements to a house that require a local regulator to approve (to ensure compliance with local codes). Personally, I wouldn't want to buy a house from a guy who added a room that was unsafe.

I agree. But a HMO is private institution that one voluntary joins upon purchase.

And having work inspected to meet code does not prevent one from doing the work.

 

[Harry Bosch]

In most jurisdictions, we aren't legally given enough independence to celebrate this holiday with fireworks. The labor class now pays far more tax than during the original tea party tax rebellion. Giving more of their time and service to established bureaucrats in Washington then the serfs gave to their Kings did during medieval times. Regardless of color, ethnicity, or background, we are all part of modern day slavery in and on the plantations of slavelandia USA.

Independence Day is a day worthy to celebrate only if you are living in your bubble matrix. And it will be even less of a holiday if the WEF gets its way with the world.

Life must be miserable in that imaginary dystopia of yours.

Living standards today by any reasonable metric are much higher than in the medieval or colonial times.

I agree with you that living standards today are much better. But technology and automation is not freedom and independence from government. And they do not need to be mutually exclusive.

It should be possible to live free and also have technology.

Exactly what freedoms do you feel entitled to but you are being denied?

The freedom not to pay so many taxes. I almost feel like it is actually the US government working for my employer and I get a cut from the paycheck going to them since I'm the one who shows up everyday. I lose over 50% of my paycheck to taxes in one form or another.

I strongly suspect you vastly overestimate your income tac burden.

The freedom to do what I want to do with my house. If I want to make an improvement, I should be allowed to do the work myself if it pleases me.

Where do you live where you are prohibited from improving your housethrough your own labor?

This is a good thing! First off, if someone lives voluntarily in a HMO, there are certain restrictions or requirements that you can do to your property. The purpose is generally so that the value of all homes in the area remain high. Secondly, there are certain improvements to a house that require a local regulator to approve (to ensure compliance with local codes). Personally, I wouldn't want to buy a house from a guy who added a room that was unsafe.

I agree. But a HMO is private institution that one voluntary joins upon purchase.

And having work inspected to meet code does not prevent one from doing the work.

Well, building to code takes more time and generally costs more. It costs more because building to code means higher quality "build" and improvements that last longer. BTW: often do it yourselfers hate this, but selling a home that meets code offers substantial value increase. IOW, if people routinely didn't build to code, buyers would be far more suspicious.

 

[Elixir]

having work inspected to meet code does not prevent one from doing the work.

It’s a cost. A minor one but an incremental cost nonetheless.
Ergo it is worth complaining about. (For some people) Personally I think it’s a good thing.

I had a roof replaced on a 1917 structure a couple years ago, in a county other than the one in which I reside. Taking the lowest bid from three Companies with solid recommendations, I never even thought about the permit fees, inspections and safety certification. The roofing Company took care of it all within the bid - and they were out of yet another County. (Sold the house at asking in literally a few hours, and the roof/ guarantee was a big reason!)
So yeah, I think it’s well worth the cost of permits and inspection, as it accrues to the property value. (So you can pay higher property taxes )

 

[ZiprHead]

This is a good thing! First off, if someone lives voluntarily in a HMO, there are certain restrictions or requirements that you can do to your property. The purpose is generally so that the value of all homes in the area remain high. Secondly, there are certain improvements to a house that require a local regulator to approve (to ensure compliance with local codes). Personally, I wouldn't want to buy a house from a guy who added a room that was unsafe.

I think you mean HOA but the rest is correct.

 

[bilby]

The freedom not to pay so many taxes.

You actually have that freedom.

You can vote for political candidates who have tax cuts as their platform; And if you dislike some or all of the platforms of the candidates available, you can become a candidate yourself.

All you need do is persuade a majority of others that your platform is superior, so that they elect you, and then persuade your legislative colleagues in turn to support your proposals.

Which, admittedly, is a LOT of hard work. But nobody promised you anything, for doing nothing.

For nothing, you can whine and whinge to your heart's content - it's your inalienable right to do so (although nobody is required to listen).

You may feel that this is not much of a freedom; If so, try moving to China or Russia, and doing the same.

The right to complain about how much the government sucks (without being worked to death in a labour camp for your temerity) is one that many places don't have today, and most places didn't have for most of recorded history.

Your complaints about how little freedom you have (and your ability to make them without reasonable fear for your life) are a striking demonstration of how much freedom you have, and barely even notice.

 

[RVonse]

The freedom not to pay so many taxes.

You actually have that freedom.

You can vote for political candidates who have tax cuts as their platform; And if you dislike some or all of the platforms of the candidates available, you can become a candidate yourself.

That only means I have the freedom to vote for someone who might help cut taxes. It certainly does not mean I have the freedom not to pay taxes.

And I am not complaining or whining about this either. I just don't feel like a big celebration of Independence Day is at all justified at this point since Americans in general really have no independence or liberty to celebrate. One way or another, we devote at least one half of our life for government in one form or another. We have to do what big brother wants us to do and he is watching all the time and collecting all our data. And that is all I have said here. I did not write the OP for this thread.

 

[RVonse]

having work inspected to meet code does not prevent one from doing the work.

It’s a cost. A minor one but an incremental cost nonetheless.
Ergo it is worth complaining about. (For some people) Personally I think it’s a good thing.

I had a roof replaced on a 1917 structure a couple years ago, in a county other than the one in which I reside. Taking the lowest bid from three Companies with solid recommendations, I never even thought about the permit fees, inspections and safety certification. The roofing Company took care of it all within the bid - and they were out of yet another County. (Sold the house at asking in literally a few hours, and the roof/ guarantee was a big reason!)
So yeah, I think it’s well worth the cost of permits and inspection, as it accrues to the property value. (So you can pay higher property taxes )

That is all true. I would even generally agree paying higher property taxes in the long run is the blessing in disguise for the long term asset appreciation. Those properties in good school districts always fare better.

So I did not say it was smart but I do still feel I should have the right not pull a permit or hire a professional if I want. Because I supposedly own the property and if I want it to be worth less then it is my property to do as what I please. I should have that right if I supposedly have freedom and independence that everyone advertises we have on the 4th of July. It should not be the governments job to tell me how I have to fix something in my own house.