Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83 v7 ucbtopaz-1.5; site ucbtopaz.CC.Berkeley.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!ucbvax!ucbtopaz!bitmap From: bitmap@ucbtopaz.CC.Berkeley.ARPA Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: re: Who SAYS it's yours? Message-ID: <404@ucbtopaz.CC.Berkeley.ARPA> Date: Fri, 2-Mar-84 01:17:23 EST Article-I.D.: ucbtopaz.404 Posted: Fri Mar 2 01:17:23 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 26-Feb-84 00:26:15 EST Organization: Univ. of Calif., Berkeley CA USA Lines: 37 >The net effect, according to Citizens for Tax Justice, >...is that the Reagan "tax cut" increased taxes 30.2% (an average >of $134/year) for people with incomes under $10,000... Would you please elaborate, Mike? The federal income tax went down for all brackets, according to my understanding, so how is this "net effect" calculated? Is it the result of higher state taxes? Higher Social Security taxes (that law was passed before Reagan took office, I believe)? Even if you count these things, how are they the result of the Reagan tax cut? Is your claim that there has been a reverse transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich based only on increases in military spending? Sure, I'll agree that those with high incomes (as opposed to those rich who pay few taxes) are better off paying lower income taxes -- I won't agree that this constitutes a transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich. Is that what you've been trying to claim? >That got me thinking about what determines what belongs to whom. >To me, all that determines that is state policy. In other words, >there is no private property unless the state decides that there is >private property. This seems logical, but it doesn't seem to say a lot. In essence, if the state is strong enough, it can decide whether there is private property, freedom, or if you'll live until tomorrow. This does not negate the idea of private property. >So the "this is mine and the state is extorting it from me" >attitude makes me laugh. Try and hold on to it if the state >weren't around to protect you from rioting workers. Do you feel that all that you own really should belong to the state? Are you against the concept of private property? If so, do you ever lock your car? How about locking your apartment/house? Sam Hall, UCB