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Raising the minimum wage to at least twenty dollars per hour and a wealth tax to ease the property tax burden that pays for public education would help average Americans afford the increased cost of necessities. Increasing the amount earned to qualify for Medicaid and the Snap program would help along with subsidized daycare. I doubt this will happen under the Trump administration. Suppose Musk and Vivi would make suggestions to cut the military budget instead of domestic programs. It might not be harmful, especially if the arms manufacturers switch to valuable products like solar or wind energy. During WWII, manufacturers rapidly switched from domestic products to war products. Could our arms manufacturers retool in reverse?

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."

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HA, the military budget is where the fat is, but these guys are gonna carve away at muscle and bone. You know they are … The super-wealthy are, anyway, non-state types — their wealth is grounded in countries aall over the world, not just here. Corporate types, especially, have mouthed such “value systems” — they support whatever supports their corporations, over all else.

{Thom here is talking about structuring an economy that makes relocating manufacturing on shore in the U.S. attractive to these selfish bastards … Well, I called them selfish bastards. Mr. Hartmann did not.}

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I don't think that kind of taxation is the answer. A lot of foreigners and even foreign countries make a lot of money in the US without paying a dime in income taxes. Comes to trillions. l've told you many times that OPEC has in effect been taxing us since 1973. Based on price fixing and price gouging. At the same time, bought control of some of our most wealthy companies...like Exxon. We should recoup all that money.

Those crimes have affected all of us -- rich and poor.

We also have too many deadbeats. Many wealthy foreigners live here....I am cynical. I don't believe they pay taxes.

Meanwhile, some of the wealthiest Americans offshore virtually everything they have to avoid taxation.

I've been around the block. Too many tricks. We used to write pour over trusts funded by "key man" life insurance to skip generations from having to pay taxes. Borrowing from equity.

If we want fairness, inheritance taxes are much better. Consumption taxes reach the manufacturer -- even if in a foreign country. Can exempt low income tax payers.

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I’m not sure what you’re saying, Daniel. Tariffs won’t do it? Tariffs will do it?

Some OTHER kind of tax?

Yes, them that’s got … gets the breaks. Them that’s got calls the shots and they set the rules, too.

I’m not sure what you are suggesting, though …

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What I'm saying is there are other ways to fund the government. We want people to invest in America, not drive them away.

I want the treasury to collect what should be due.

Tariffs work in some situations, but like Thom said Trump is the proverbial bull in the china shop. He screwed midwest farmers the last time.

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Gloria, my heart goes out to your honest and genuine ideas, because I’d love to see them happen.

The real agenda for Musk and Swami is to achieve Feudalism as quickly as possible.

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They'll move to someplace like the Caymans, Isle of Wight. My favorite was Halliburton, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halliburton. At one point they were illegally trading with Iran. Moved headquarters to Dubai. Darth Vader was vice president, or president of vice.

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Mmmmm, yes. That ….. They ARE in reality stateless people, loyal to their business and their own bottom line, only.

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