American Politics 3.0 - Back to Brunch

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by troutman

Not only that, AZ is turning Purple to Blue eventually.

Arizona is a powder keg right now. The reaction to this could be really interesting. Violence is not out of the question.

[photon]

Article II, Section 1:

"Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors..."

It's up to each state to decide according to the Constitution. Most (all?) states have laws appointing the electors based on the results of the popular vote, but I don't think it would be unconstitutional to change it to be "always send the Republican slate of electors", it would just be completely undemocratic.

[edslunch]

With the AZ Presidential vote going blue or purple how close is the state legislature to flipping? I assume that’s a much bigger hurdle because reasons.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by RedMan12

The restrictions to small business are effecting me worse then COVID-19.

All the restrictions are affecting most people worse than covid. I literally know no one who has had it. But for those who are affected by, or treat people affected by it, and for society at large that would suffer from an uncontrolled outbreak it is a huge deal.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by RedMan12

Small corporations are already taxed out of existence.

I'm not a tax expert, but corporations only pay tax on profits, it's literally impossible to tax them out of existence, because they need to be actively making money to pay any taxes.

(It might be complex tax policy that is giving small corporations a structural disadvantage, but that's a different thing).

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by #-3

I'm not a tax expert, but corporations only pay tax on profits, it's literally impossible to tax them out of existence, because they need to be actively making money to pay any taxes.

(It might be complex tax policy that is giving small corporations a structural disadvantage, but that's a different thing).

Unless the taxation level makes the profits not worthwhile

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by RedMan12

Small corporations are already taxed out of existence.

I'm guessing though you completely take for granted that things like the roads your business uses, the medical you and your employees rely on, the security a police force provides that mean you dont have to hire a guard.

All are largely 'free' for your business, all covered by the taxes the rest of us have to pay in order to allow your business to function.

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by edslunch

With the AZ Presidential vote going blue or purple how close is the state legislature to flipping? I assume that’s a much bigger hurdle because reasons.

It's close. It used to be a fairly purple state, although the legislature has been red since the mid 60s, but is 16/14 in the state senate and 31/29 in the house. Both have gone from 2/3rds majority a decade ago to a virtual toss-up.

They use an approach where each district elects 2 house reps and each voter can vote for up to 2, so that means that even small, localized shifts in voter preference can have big swings in outcome; in a highly polarized district, one party might win both seats but be just a slight swing away from losing both.

That said, it's really hard to know which way it's going. It's been moving solidly blue during Trump's time on the ticket, but traditionally the non-presidential party usually gains down-ballot in the first midterm. This is one state where you'd think that distancing themselves from Trump would be a slam dunk policy, but the state Republicans obviously don't see it that way.

[direwolf]

Originally Posted by Cheese

AZ GOP introduces bill to toss out election votes. (Of course Marc Elias is on it)



The Republican chair of Arizona's state House Ways and Means Committee introduced a bill Wednesday that would give the Legislature authority to override the secretary of state’s certification of its electoral votes.
GOP Rep. Shawnna Bolick introduced the bill, which rewrites parts of the state's election law, such as sections on election observers and securing and auditing ballots, among other measures.
One section grants the Legislature, which is currently under GOP control, the ability to revoke the secretary of state's certification "by majority vote at any time before the presidential inauguration."

Man, these clowns have really gone off the deep end with this bulls***. At this point it's pretty clear that the GOP desires a dictatorship instead of a democracy. Perhaps states like AZ and Texas should just get it over with and secede from the nation. Then they can form their own special little authoritarian regime where they can continue to lick Trump's arse for the rest of eternity.



Sounds like there might be some push-back on this bill from at least one Arizona GOP member, so that's somewhat encouraging I guess.



https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...s-out-n1256097

Although Arizona GOP chair Kelli Ward, who is facing questions about her own reelection to the position, claimed the presidential election was stolen from Trump, other top Republicans have pushed back on such claims.

Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, a Republican, rebutted President Donald Trump’s meritless attempts to overturn the election results there in a sharply-worded statement in December 2020. He also dismissed the idea of the Legislature appointing its own electors to deliver the state's Electoral College votes to Trump.


"I voted for President Trump and worked hard to reelect him. But I cannot and will not entertain a suggestion that we violate current law to change the outcome of a certified election," he said at the time.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by #-3

I'm not a tax expert, but corporations only pay tax on profits, it's literally impossible to tax them out of existence, because they need to be actively making money to pay any taxes.

(It might be complex tax policy that is giving small corporations a structural disadvantage, but that's a different thing).

The goal, for the owners of any corporation, is to earn a profit, net of taxes.

If you raise taxes, they need to raise prices to compensate (or have reduced earnings). Keep raising taxes, and they are forced to raise prices beyond being competitive, or not make any net profit.

Either way, you've taxed them out of existence.

The best you could hope for is that you've created hyper inflation.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

The goal, for the owners of any corporation, is to earn a profit, net of taxes.

If you raise taxes, they need to raise prices to compensate (or have reduced earnings). Keep raising taxes, and they are forced to raise prices beyond being competitive, or not make any net profit.

Either way, you've taxed them out of existence.

The best you could hope for is that you've created hyper inflation.

The market is always going to dictate prices far more than taxation will. It's the reason prices don't go down when taxes do.

Increased volume can also make up for reduced margins. It's not like a lot of these companies are operating on such slim margins that a 2-5% tax hike is going to necessitate a price increase.

[Scorch]

Is anyone really surprised?




https://www.businessinsider.com/russ...kgb-spy-2021-1

Also


https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...e_iOSApp_Other

[Wastedyouth]

I mean, of course they are gonna say that.

Doesn't mean it's necessarily true.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

I mean, of course they are gonna say that.

Doesn't mean it's necessarily true.

Who’s “they”? A guy wrote a book, this is what it’s about.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by rubecube

The market is always going to dictate prices far more than taxation will. It's the reason prices don't go down when taxes do.

Increased volume can also make up for reduced margins. It's not like a lot of these companies are operating on such slim margins that a 2-5% tax hike is going to necessitate a price increase.

I am not going to get into a giant debate on the internet about tax increases. The post I responded to posited that corporations only pay taxes on profits, so tax increases therefore can't kill corporations. I explained a couple of the reasons why that is simply not true.

The only comment I will make on your post is in reference to the bold. Increased volume isn't a magic switch they can flick. If they could increase volume without reducing prices, they would have already.

Corporations don't pay taxes, they collect them. They are an input cost. Raising that input cost has consequences. Suggesting otherwise is silly.

(I am out. I am not going down the rabbit hole of debating corporate taxes on the internet because, well, I am mortal, and I don't know how many years I have left, and I am not going to spend them all arguing back and forth with snippets about an extremely complex issue)

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by rubecube

The market is always going to dictate prices far more than taxation will. It's the reason prices don't go down when taxes do.

Increased volume can also make up for reduced margins. It's not like a lot of these companies are operating on such slim margins that a 2-5% tax hike is going to necessitate a price increase.

Tax increases on input costs such as property tax also reduce profits. It’s nice to think a business owner can just turn up the volume to 11 to make up for reduced margins but it doesn’t work that way.

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

Who’s “they”? A guy wrote a book, this is what it’s about.

A former KGB agent wrote a book about cultivating Trump as an asset for 40 years.

Yes, clearly he wrote the book because it's completely the truth and he just needs everyone to know the truth.

A spy.

A russian spy.

I am not saying it true or false.

I am saying look at the source of this "story"

In my opinion its just another attempt/angle for Moscow to seed discord in the US.

And the media in the US eat it up and spread it to the public. Who eat it up.

The Russians are killing us with misinformation and we crave it.

Edit: PS. I do believe it, in a way. Or at least version of it. I am sure that Russia manipulated the hell out of Trump. He seems easily manipulated. But to just accept this whole story like it's a smoking gun and to take it at face value isn't something I am willing to do.

[Enoch Root]

"Let's tell them that he is an asset, so they think that we are just making it up to #### with them. That way, they will fail to realize that he is in fact our asset"

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Scorch

Is anyone really surprised?
https://www.businessinsider.com/russ...kgb-spy-2021-1

Also


https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...e_iOSApp_Other

Unger added: "Trump was the perfect target in a lot of ways: his vanity, narcissism made him a natural target to recruit. He was cultivated over a 40-year period, right up through his election."

Not to mention below average intelligence. If you know what people's weaknesses are, and you are trained in psychology, an unethical person can manipulate someone pretty effectively.

This is a little OT, but what the hay:

I actually worked for a company before that actively used psychology to manipulate employees. After about a month of working there, the new managers were invited to see a guest speaker who was a former interrogator and PHD in psychology. He described "motivation" techniques to get people to work harder and more efficiently, and some of it was downright cruel and pretty much gaslighting. It was absolutely disgusting actually.

They would tell you to ply the people working under you with praise, paid lunches, gifts, and so on, so that they think your are the best person in the world to work for. Then when they feel safe, you "light them up" (that is exactly what they called it). Find some small mistake and make a mountain out of it. Make them feel like they are just the worst employee and teetering on the edge of losing their job. That person will do anything to get back on your good side. They were actually laughing in the meeting and talking about people they were going to "light up" next. For most of the people in the meeting, it wasn't their first time and they were pretty sold on the tactic.

I remember going to work and it was not uncommon to see people crying all the time. Working OT for free. Excluding them from work events to make them work instead. Then a couple of weeks later, it would be someone else's turn. I didn't stay long as my managers were doing the same thing to me, so I would just fight with them knowing exactly what they were doing. The thing that bothers me the most, is if you go on Indeed or Glassdoor, you would think it was an awesome company. All the positive posts are from people there less than 6 months and they think they won the life lottery. All the negative posts that describe what really happens, get erased. They are also always listed as one of Canada's Top Employers, but they tell you how to answer the questions and everyone is manipulated to follow through.

When it comes to a vain narcissist with below average intelligence, I imagine the techniques are different, but I am sure the principles are very similar.

[Monahammer]

Wasn't that the jist of the Steele report anyways? I know it got sensationalized into the P tapes issue, but the real jist was that Trump was a long term developed Russian asset ensnared multiple times financially, morally, and really just straight up owned by the Russians.

To me this is just a corroboration of something that had already been reported and largely proven to be true.