[bavent]

Excessive money printing that also happened under an R admin? Freedom reducing laws like laws that limit the freedom to access a safe abortion? Or laws that limit the freedom to vote? What freedoms specifically?

Increased taxes for who? Taxes were massively cut for wealthy people a couple years ago and the only proposal to raise them that got any traction recently didn’t even raise them back to the previous level - still a net cut.

Also, Covid is a big deal for the families of the 600k dead from it directly and the unknown number indirectly due to inability to access medical services. Just because it didn’t affect you personally doesn’t mean it’s not a real problem.

I took it seriously as well, realized it probably wouldn’t kill me, but still followed precautions so as to avoid hurting others who would most likely have died or gotten seriously ill. I feel like that’s a pretty minimum requirement for a functioning society - compassion for others, who are not in your exact situation.

[lancemurdock]

All fair points on the money printing parts. I am well aware Trump printed trillions as well. I wasn't a fan then and not now.

state laws != federal laws. I am pro-choice but I think allowing states to make decisions for their own is good and the system is working as intended. I want states to have more freedom to legislate what their constituents want than a giant federal government making decisions for the whole nation.

The taxes proposed in the infrastructure bill are egregious. For the first time in my entire life I will make a decent amount of money this year and will bump right into top bracket. Giving the government over 50% is insane.

I never said covid wasn't a big deal, or that is wasn't a problem. Again, I said I took it seriously. But to have any sort of lockdowns/mandates at this point are not cool. Or make me choose between a job or some unnecessary medical treatment. the goal posts on vaccine metrics or herd immunity are constantly moved. No one talks about natural immunity. Biden has used excessively divisive language emboldening people who are pro vaccine to accost those who haven't received the vaccine.

[bavent]

You will get taxed 50% on the amount you make over X is what you mean, not that your total tax rate will be 50% - if that were actually the case. The top bracket is $400k for an individual and the Build Back Better or whatever it’s called act proposes to raise that tax rate to 39.6% I believe. I’m curious where you’re getting 50% from.

Vaccine mandates are a pretty normal requirement at a lot of places. I worked in healthcare - flu shots were mandatory with very rare exceptions. When I was a kid I had to have MMR, polio, whooping cough, etc, vaccines to be able to enroll in school. This sudden “but muh freedom” crap doesn’t really hold up to scrutiny when the same party saying vaccines should be optional because it is a personal medical choice is the same group saying other medical procedures (that are potentially necessary) should be banned (abortion, in case that wasn’t clear) - even though they are also personal medical choices and nobody is trying to even mandate them.

[shiftpgdn]

I think he may be combining state and local tax in the 50%. Which is fair.

[bavent]

Ah good point. I forgot about states with income taxes. But I still think the “50% of my income” number is wrong - he either doesn’t understand how tax brackets work is being willfully misleading to make his argument look better.

[skulk]

> Or make me choose between a job or some unnecessary medical treatment. the goal posts on vaccine metrics or herd immunity are constantly moved

You know what goalpost doesn't move? Not having ICUs at full capacity with people who could have just taken two shots 6 months ago.