alvvayson

joined 1 year ago
[–] alvvayson@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 3 months ago (2 children)

The top 10% of income is not upper class. The error that people make, including you, is to focus on income.

People like Elon Musk have incomes smaller than $100K.

Upper class are the people who do not need to work and who live off of capital.

We need to shift our focus on wealth equality.

Look, the economy needs capital. If we want to be less dependent on the capital of rich people, then middle class people need to take over that role.

The people making $100-300K per year are key, because they can provide an alternative source of capital if their tax burden is lowered.

The people making $50K will not be able to provide large amounts of capital.

[–] alvvayson@lemmy.dbzer0.com 18 points 3 months ago (6 children)

Yes, I fully agree.

So we need to find the right messaging.

I don't know about Germany, but here in the Netherlands most people identify as middle class.

So "stop taxing the middle class" and "let the billionaires pay more" is a message that should resonate.

I'm optimistic and I believe we will get there. The level of equality we have today would be unfathomable for somebody living before 1945.

[–] alvvayson@lemmy.dbzer0.com 35 points 3 months ago (11 children)

Which is why the tax system needs to be reformed.

The political right actually has one good point that we on the left don't always appreciate: taxes on middle class people should be lower.

Specifically, very liberal tax exemptions on things like 401Ks, including the ability to transfer wealth across generations.

Combine that with higher taxes on the wealthy, and it will be possible to shift power to the middle class.

Consider the total market cap of the S&P 500, rounded up it's about 50 trillion. Divide that among 130 million households and each household should own about $400K in stock on average.

Full equality is neither achievable nor desired by most people, so a good scheme would be to let every household hold up to $1M in wealth, tax exempt.

And then progressively tax everything above that.

[–] alvvayson@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 3 months ago (1 children)

And even if they didn't care about Gaza, do Americans really want a foreign country to have so much influence on their elections and politicians?

Americans who care about America should want to get rid of AIPAC.

[–] alvvayson@lemmy.dbzer0.com 35 points 3 months ago (1 children)

As a European, I am appalled that I didn't get to vote for Harris.

Gotta share the love man.

[–] alvvayson@lemmy.dbzer0.com 40 points 3 months ago (4 children)

Can't save the cultists, yes, but Independents do care.

And even though Indies are a minority, they are still the ones who decide the election outcome in every swing state.

So, good strategy by the Dems.

[–] alvvayson@lemmy.dbzer0.com 20 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Why doesn't the USA or Europe just accept the Jews and let the Palestinians have the land?

Jordan especially has a ton of Palestinians. More than half of Palestinians already live outside of Palestine.

Your question actually boils down to, why don't they take all the Palestinians so Israel can have the land?

And the answer is: they don't want to be complicit in ethnic cleansing.

[–] alvvayson@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 3 months ago

Totally with you here.

How did I end up on a timeline where I am vibing with Erdogan.

[–] alvvayson@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

Interesting that this map does have Palestine (presumably the West Bank and east Jerusalem) but doesn't consider Gaza part of Palestine.

That's quite a unique combination.

Edit: looking at Azerbaijan, I think they just focus on the biggest landmass and ignore exclaves.

Edit2: the fine print actually says that they ignore exclaves, except for Malaysia.

[–] alvvayson@lemmy.dbzer0.com 54 points 3 months ago (4 children)

If he goes full Dark Brandon with his immunity, perhaps in his lame duck period, then that would be epic.

I got the popcorn ready.

[–] alvvayson@lemmy.dbzer0.com 62 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Also, if you know any Iranians, they don't wear hijab in the house there.

So yes, this photo would still be possible.

(And of course I am strongly against the theocracy in Iran)

[–] alvvayson@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Yep, the fastest way to stability is to pull a (near) all-nighter and set an alarm clock for the next day.

A little bit of sleep deprivation helps to get regulated. And sleeping late in the weekends is also my way to restore.

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