We Are the 53% Blog
- Thread starter Bill Mattocks
- Start date
MaxiMe
Brown Belt
I'd vote them a Nobel prize.
Steve
Mostly Harmless
The self righteousness of the tea partiers, the sanctimony of the 99%'ers, and now the elitist, snobbery of the 53%'ers.
Come on, guys. Let's get over ourselves a little.
It's funny to me that many of the notes on the 53% blog are from people who don't pay taxes.
18 year olds who are in school and not working. Housewives who stay at home. I think they're missing the point a little. But whatever. Just another way for otherwise unremarkable people to feel good about themselves by looking down on others.
Come on, guys. Let's get over ourselves a little.
It's funny to me that many of the notes on the 53% blog are from people who don't pay taxes.
18 year olds who are in school and not working. Housewives who stay at home. I think they're missing the point a little. But whatever. Just another way for otherwise unremarkable people to feel good about themselves by looking down on others.
OP
- Thread Starter
- #4
The self righteousness of the tea partiers, the sanctimony of the 99%'ers, and now the elitist, snobbery of the 53%'ers.
Come on, guys. Let's get over ourselves a little.
It's funny to me that many of the notes on the 53% blog are from people who don't pay taxes.
Like this one?
http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr...625308&Signature=h4UQ11/lQ7x9lX5+f7Xb5IMzSiw=
I'm not seeing 'elitist' or 'snobbery' in many of these. I am seeing a focus on accepting responsibility for one's own actions, striving to succeed, and not blaming society for the fact that life is unfair. And some of them are in full agreement with the Occupy Wall Street folks that government is dysfunctional.
MaxiMe
Brown Belt
It's funny to me that many of the notes on the 53% blog are from people who don't pay taxes.
Umm Steve I'm not sure about those folks specifically, but unless I missed it the kids in school didn't say weather they were working or not. I know for a fact all of the HS and College age kids in my family are working and paying taxes. As for the stay at home wives(diclosure mine is) I pay her taxes and we have less income because of it (our choice).
Can you tell me what the point they are missing is?
Steve
Mostly Harmless
First, I want to be clear, it's not just this one. It's all of them. Speaking only for myself, my belief is that we need to get over it. "It" being the entire undercurrent of "I am better than you."
While there are, I'm sure, some terrific testimonials on the site, many focus more on disapproval of others and are nothing more than sanctimonious drivel. And many are from people who, technically, are NOT part of the 53% who pay federal income tax and are, by definition, part of the 47% they're scolding. Of course, this presumes they're all true.
I feel the same way when I go to an EV event and everyone gets self righteous about the ICErs who are polluting our beloved mother Earth. Give me a break. Your **** stinks, too.
Steve
Mostly Harmless
If you don't work, you don't pay federal income tax. Am I missing something? Are you saying your wife has a Federal Income Tax burden even though she doesn't have a job? That's a new one for me, and if so, I think you should look into a better accountant.
Regarding the teenagers, if they're working (and by the testimonials I read, they aren't), I'd be willing to bet a nice lunch that they're not earning enough to score them a federal income tax burden, either.
The point of the 53%'ers is that they pay income tax. If you are among the "working poor" and make little enough that you receive a full refund, you are not among those people. I am. My parents are. My wife is. My brothers are. And these people... at least many of the ones I've read, don't represent me.
Again, neither do the 99%'ers OR the Tea Partiers. This entire movement of the day thing is a caricature of civic participation. It's trendy and cliche.
You guys are welcome to your opinions. I'm not saying anyone needs to stop what they're doing. They're (you're) perfectly entitled to post your clever testimonials and wag your fingers at those OTHER people with their clever testimonials. I think it's all become silly.
Steve
Mostly Harmless
LOL. Touche.But, I AM better than you.
At least at a few things...
OP
- Thread Starter
- #10
Honestly, Steve, that's not what I read here. I identify with the resentment that many of these folks are feeling; they keep saying the same thing, in different words. "Quit saying you speak for me, you do not." I do not read it as "I am better than you." I do read it as "Quit whining about how much life sucks and take control of our own circumstances."
It really hits me where I live. The OWS folks are talking about houses being foreclosed upon; yep, been there. They talk about bankruptcy. Been there too. They talk about losing jobs and getting pay cuts. Yes, and yes. All of those things have happened to me. And yes, I, like a bunch of the people I'm reading on this blog, blame Congress, find faults with our system, and think things are broken and need to be fixed. In that, perhaps, we agree with the OWS folks. So when the OWS folks talk about these things, I get it. Then they want universal debt forgiveness for mortgages and credit cards, abolishment of credit reporting agencies, dismemberment of capitalism as having failed; and I'm not there with them. I have experienced what they are talking about; but I came to a different conclusion. And it makes me angry - as it apparently does these 53%'ers, that the OWS folks claim to speak for me. They do not. If there is any arrogance here, it is theirs. That's my take on it, anyway.
Steve
Mostly Harmless
Believe me. I agree with this sentiment and have said so many times on these boards. I do believe very strongly that we should, individually, take control of our situations and responsibility for the good and bad things that happen in our lives.
While I agree with the sentiment, that it is a direct reaction to another political movement undermines it for me. It's like, 'Oh yeah? You can't protest for me! I'll protest for YOU back!' Come on. If the point of the movement is to be accountable, stop whining and get over it, I would invite these intrepid 53%'ers to walk their talk and take their own advice.
So, we disagree. It's okay. I still like you.
Actually, we don't really disagree. I am with you on just about everything you posted. I just don't see jumping into bed with another arrogant group presuming to speak for me as an acceptable next step.
MaxiMe
Brown Belt
OK I can agree with that as well.
You guys are more eliquent (and better spellers), but I can segment an IP address in binary so nehh..
Steve
Mostly Harmless
You do fine. And my family routinely laughs at me when I get confused by numbers. I am the 110%. We're not good at math, but we try real hard!OK I can agree with that as well.
You guys are more eliquent (and better spellers), but I can segment an IP address in binary so nehh..
OP
- Thread Starter
- #14
OK I can agree with that as well.
You guys are more eliquent (and better spellers), but I can segment an IP address in binary so nehh..
I invented the Intertubes.
OP
- Thread Starter
- #16
Yeah, I gotcha. I also thought about your statement that many of those posting on this blog are not actually the 53%, because no, they're not net taxpayers. You're right, of course. I didn't even think about that; I glossed right over it because what they were saying resonated with me. It was like 'right, right, yes, yes, I feel that way too!'
And you make good point about whining. But here's the thing; I'm not planning to join any groups, nor show up for any protests or counter-protests. Not my thing. I guess I can clam up online about it too; just gets in my craw and takes a bit to work its way out.
Plus, I just keep thinking this whole OWS thing is going to turn into the SDS, Mark II. And then they'll splinter and we'll have The Weathermen, Mark II, and then they start blowing stuff up and shooting policemen, and the National Guard starts shooting protesters on college campuses again. I was alive for version 1, I don't want to see version 2.
OP
- Thread Starter
- #17
Besides, we haven't bitched about Muslims or illegal aliens in over a week. That's gotta be some kind of record.
I shall now call you Algore Goodyear
You're the 99%? Isn't that precious?
The top 1% that has been so reviled lately, pays OVER THIRTY EIGHT PERCENT of ALL Federal income taxes.
That isn't enough?
The top 1% that has been so reviled lately, pays OVER THIRTY EIGHT PERCENT of ALL Federal income taxes.
That isn't enough?
Steve
Mostly Harmless
Don, I addressed this in the Evil of being wealthy thread. Please take a look.
