Is the Disney FastPass responsible for the Fall of Western Civilization? Should success at capitalism result in the elite to insulate themselves?

[DrPepper12]

Makes a interesting discussion. How much inequality CAN capitalism tolerate without revolution? How much SHOULD a capitalist society allow?

[lightbulb27]

One of my favorites recently is the terrible crime in the area... so bad that a local democratically run rich community hired their own security force! The police could not do much to criminals at the time (post George Floyd mess). The rich always can get what they need unless they are overwhelmed by the serfs.

Everyone else is left to deal with the results. But the problem isn't the wealth divide, it's the decay in society. To improve it, it requires money yes, but social expectations.

That is how you take over a country, turn the poor against the rich. Mao figured that out and was successful.

[WindAtMyBack]

Just another "punish the rich guy" rant.

Yea, let's punish the rich guy. Let's punish him until he is no longer rich. Let's punish him until he no longer does whatever made him rich.

The rich guy is the sugar daddy. He's the one paying for YOUR schools, paying for YOUR roads, paying for YOUR police, military, parks, flood control and a thousand other things.

Punish the rich sugar daddies because you want to pay more taxes. After all, if the rich guy isn't rich any more, he's not paying those taxes. So YOU have to take up the slack.

[AManOnTheWeb]

The top marginal tax rate under the Republican Eisenhower during one of the most prosperous times in US history was 90% and the height of anti-Communism. Not only did it not eliminate all rich people, it resulted in massive investments in the working class, our infrastructure and laid the foundation for America's success moving forward. It wasn't until Reagan slashed the taxes on the very richest that we saw the decline of the working class as the wealth trickled up to the top 0.01%.

[WindAtMyBack]

@AManOnTheWeb

I don't see how that is relevant to anything I said. The fact is that the wealthy DO pay a huge amount of tax and if you eliminate the rich they will no longer be paying those taxes.

During Eisenhower was a completely different system. Completely different tax structures, completely different times and completely different government. Plus they were just coming out of WW2 and the GI Bill was seriously kicking in.

[AManOnTheWeb]

Taxes on the rich paid for the GI bill... Which educated our workforce and returned 7 in increased tax revenue for every dollar spent on education. When we used to tax the rich, things were more equal and our country had more opportunities for success than we do now. The "completely different model" you're referring to is called Reaganomics and it's been an abject failure as evidenced by the billionaires controlling the highest proportion of wealth in our nation's history while the working class struggles.

[inked2014]

@AManOnTheWeb Yes how true, Supply Side, Trickle Down Reaganomics is where it started. The working class has declined ever since.

[WindAtMyBack]

@AManOnTheWeb

Of course taxes on the rich pay for stuff. Isn't that exactly what I said? I'm saying don't bite the hand that feeds you.

You seem to be claiming that we bit the hand in the past and things did well, therefore it's OK to bite the hand. But your entire claim that a 91% marginal rate meant they were paying more, when it doesn't mean that at all. There is a heck of a lot more to it than that.

As for Reagan, funny how we went into a MAJOR economic expansion during his rein. Virtually EVERYONE benefited from that, not just the rich. I have no idea where you guys come up with some of this stuff.

[AManOnTheWeb]

@WindAtMyBack As a percentage, the rich are paying FAR LESS and the middle/lower classes are paying FAR MORE as we were in the Eisenhower administration. It's a lot of money, because under Reaganomics we've seen the greatest transfer of wealth from the bottom and middle class to the very top.

You're advocating for neofeudalism with this "biting the hand that feeds" nonsense. The Walton family aren't exceptional people because they happen to be born in the family they were. They don't "feed" us, they exploit the system for their own wealth. Reagan was the architect of debt spending and taking out a loan to buy a Ferrari you can't afford to pay back doesn't make you a rich and successful guy. The expansion under Reagan is being paid for TODAY and it's why our country is so screwed.

[DrPepper12]

You have a misguided grasp of what laissez-faire capitalism actually is & does. Knowledge of tax policy is even worse.

[Anonymous]

No but people put up with it rather than boycott. Corporations need your money but in 99.9999% of cases you do not need to give your money to any corporation.

Think about it, if enough people decided they aren't going to Disney land to wait in hour long ques only to watch some wealthy elite's kid walk to the front of the line Disney land would soon change their policy.

[exitseven]

Yes, rich liberals get to live in gated communities and never take public transportation. They never worry about the price of gas or groceries. They put up a No Place For Hate sign on their front lawn but call the cops if they saw an illegal alien walking in front of their house unless they were there to mow the lawn.

The rest of us have to deal with the consequences of their decisions.

[DrPepper12]

Wealthy Conservatives don't partake of similar perks of wealth? Be honest at least.

[exitseven]

True, but they have Trump signs on ther lawns

[DrPepper12]

Viva la difference!!

[exitseven]

@drpepper122 There are moonbats in my neighborhood that have "No Place For Hate" signs on their front lawn. I watch them walk their dogs and when they go past my house they always give it a dirty look. They evidently did not appreciate my Trump 2024 sign on the front lawn.

[Still-alive]

I'm sure it is emblematic of the bigger problem that you have to be super rich to live comfortably anymore. the American dream is pretty much just a dream now and unreachable by so many and is only growing.

[blueonblack22]

Yeah I’m sure that Disney FastPass is responsible for the “fall” of western civilization. Sure.

[DrPepper12]

Did you even read? JFC

[Dongie]

Not a proper term there, teacher.

[blueonblack22]

Well maybe you should think of a better article headline next time.

I noticed over the years leftists play this game of coming with up with “shock value” headlines and ads backward slogans i. e: “defund the police”, “believe all women”, etc. Then when they get confronted on such asinine notions their response is always something like “oh we really didn’t mean that” or some bs. It’s about “performics” right?

However to be fair their is minority of far right conservatives who are guilty of the same crap. It’s not as common not as numerous as what the left has done (in aggregate) but I have to admit that crap does exist on the right. For example I wasn’t gung ho about Trump’s “Gulf of America” idea (although he is definitely kicking ass on a bunch of other issues). Still when it comes to that one I thought that was stupid distraction.

But anyway no matter where you stand headlines and first impressions do MATTER. Don’t come out with some ridiculous headline then be like “well you don’t you understand the context”.

[Dongie]

🎆⚡️☄️

[DrPepper12]

Jesus! It's a cultural point of reference that's known to many on an intl site!! No obfuscation intended! Just good journalism!!

[Dongie]

Man, stop using my Lords name on vain!

[Dongie]

Well, I'll tell you. This is America where men are free. Nobody has ownership of an individual so there will be no telling anyone where to go.

[DrPepper12]

Is that wise? Sustainable?

[Dongie]

It's worked for over 2 hundred years. Our biggest threat comes from democrats.

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

@dongie
Depends on how we define what "it has worked" signifies here, I mean we could say that a society ran by kings, lords and the catholic church "worked" for over a millennium. Until it didn't work anymore because, for a lot of probably complicated reasons, times and people were changing.

People of the USA are no exception. While it's impossible to predict what they want and what, as an ensemble, they will do about it, I'd say they are not as united as they were. That's my impression.

[Dargil]

No. Democrats/Socialists/ Communists are. Islam is the two-punch.

[seeyounexttuesday]

Why would you strive to do better in life for no benefit?

[DrPepper12]

No argument. How much "benefit" is unwise or unsustainable?

[seeyounexttuesday]

All of it is wise. The best part about a free market is you’re also free to not participate. You can live in a shack in the woods or a mansion in manhattan.

[DrPepper12]

If you actually believe that your just lost. Your mind/body is your labor and needs to be commodities & sold to survive.

Anyone can succeed? Ok bruh.

[seeyounexttuesday]

Just because you haven’t succeeded doesn’t mean others can’t.