I am speculating here, but it wouldn't surprise me if one of the root causes is the quality of food we allow to be sold in the US. Sugar, salt, and other preservatives or flavor enhancers are in everything, and it impacts the nutrition you absorb and the health of your gut, which in turn impacts the chemical balances in your brain and proper brain function. Which impact mood and productivity.

I wouldn't be surprised if lack of quality sleep is another big contributor as people falsely believe the short term benefits of little sleep outweigh the long term negatives. Its false because you are more productive when well rested. Good sleep also balances the chemicals in the brain and stabilizes moods and health and promotes better productivity.

I think drug abuse, alcohol and suicide are related to the national predicament.

Yes, but nutrition and sleep play a much larger role in those ailments then society realizes.

Anarchistbear said:

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I think drug abuse, alcohol and suicide are related to the national predicament.

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They have been for quite a while. It's great that this is getting national exposure.
A problem is that an article like this comes out, makes a short-term splash and then MAY be easily "forgotten".

dajo9 said:

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It's real. . . and it's fantastic

Elizabeth Warren introduced her Medicare 4 All plan funding last week and she pulled it off with ZERO new taxes on the middle class.

<snip>

Every Democrat should support this plan.

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Given where Warren's polling numbers have gone since the introduction of this plan, the almost universal panning of her plan to pay for it, and her subsequent backtrack to a transition plan backtrack mere weeks after the universal panning, this may be one of the most classic posts in Cyberbear history.

Blueblood's plan to move to the MWC was more well-thought out.

Professor Turgeson Bear said:

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dajo9 said:

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It's real. . . and it's fantastic

Elizabeth Warren introduced her Medicare 4 All plan funding last week and she pulled it off with ZERO new taxes on the middle class.

<snip>

Every Democrat should support this plan.

---

Given where Warren's polling numbers have gone since the introduction of this plan, the almost universal panning of her plan to pay for it, and her subsequent backtrack to a transition plan backtrack mere weeks after the universal panning, this may be one of the most classic posts in Cyberbear history.

Blueblood's plan to move to the MWC was more well-thought out.

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Yes, progress is hard. I would think a Sanders supporter would understand that.

dajo9 said:

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Professor Turgeson Bear said:

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dajo9 said:

---

It's real. . . and it's fantastic

Elizabeth Warren introduced her Medicare 4 All plan funding last week and she pulled it off with ZERO new taxes on the middle class.

<snip>

Every Democrat should support this plan.

---

Given where Warren's polling numbers have gone since the introduction of this plan, the almost universal panning of her plan to pay for it, and her subsequent backtrack to a transition plan backtrack mere weeks after the universal panning, this may be one of the most classic posts in Cyberbear history.

Blueblood's plan to move to the MWC was more well-thought out.

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Yes, progress is hard. I would think a Sanders supporter would understand that.

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You haven't really told me anything.

I support Warren's plan. I think you should too.

Even middle class liberals who consider themselves to have some woke cred aren't going to be on board with a universal health care plan if it imposes even more taxes on the middle class, with no guarantee the U.S. government will execute a universal plan to the mass' satisfaction.

lol a wealth tax has been tried and has failed in every country where it's been implemented.

GBear4Life we hardly knew ye.


R.I.P.
3/22/19-7/20/20

hanky1 said:

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lol a wealth tax has been tried and has failed in every country where it's been implemented.

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Most countries don't have the capital markets America has. You want to invest in the NYSE? Here's a wealth tax if you have over $50 million.

dajo9 said:

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hanky1 said:

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lol a wealth tax has been tried and has failed in every country where it's been implemented.

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Most countries don't have the capital markets America has. You want to invest in the NYSE? Here's a wealth tax if you have over $50 million.

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Anybody can invest in the NYSE. There is no mechanism to discriminate between a foreigner and non-foreigner. Even if there were, it would be financial suicide. There is literally nothing preventing anyone from just relocating to avoid a wealth tax. Just look at the countries that tried this in the EU.

hanky1 said:

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dajo9 said:

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hanky1 said:

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lol a wealth tax has been tried and has failed in every country where it's been implemented.

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Most countries don't have the capital markets America has. You want to invest in the NYSE? Here's a wealth tax if you have over $50 million.

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Anybody can invest in the NYSE. There is no mechanism to discriminate between a foreigner and non-foreigner. Even if there were, it would be financial suicide. There is literally nothing preventing anyone from just relocating to avoid a wealth tax. Just look at the countries that tried this in the EU.

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I think U.S. citizens need a social security number to invest in the NYSE.
Know Your Customer (KYC) guidelines make this pretty easy. People can leave. They can pay the proposed 40% exit tax and go. Then not have access to America's capital markets. The EU can easily coordinate with America. This is easy stuff to implement if the big players lead.

dajo9 said:

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hanky1 said:

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lol a wealth tax has been tried and has failed in every country where it's been implemented.

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Most countries don't have the capital markets America has. You want to invest in the NYSE? Here's a wealth tax if you have over $50 million.

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Tax capital gains at the same rate as everything else. Eliminate the ability to reset the basis on capital gains at inheritance. In general the wealth tax is a loser, doesn't collect much because it is easily avoided, and much of it would be unconstitutional here. It always was an election slogan.

A couple countries in Europe have just started to experiment with a wealth tax on stock only. It is worth watching, but it doesn't sound like a great idea.

What I would look at much more seriously is a tax on unrealized capital gains of the uber wealthy. That is a big issue with wealth inequality. I have said it before. If you inherit $20M, split it into $10M you use and $10M you invest and never touch, in 30 years you have $100M (at a ho hum 8% interest). You have never paid tax. You die and your kids don't pay tax. They use $50M and invest $50M. In 30 years they die with $500M, and never pay tax. This is how family wealth accumulates. There should be a requirement that once your wealth hits a certain number, unrealized capital gains are taxed. Maybe not annually, but something like every 5 years. And again, these rules are set up to benefit the uber wealthy. The rest of us who mostly save through 401K's are required to take minimum distributions on our 401K's thus creating a taxable event. There is no reason not to create a taxable event for the wealthy as well.

All of the taxes on capital gains would put a significant dent in wealth inequality. They actually are not doing anything but treating the wealthy the same way the rest of us are treated. They'd all easily be constitutional. They would not require an entirely new tax system. They would be much harder to avoid. A wealth tax just is easier to sound bite.

OaktownBear said:

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dajo9 said:

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hanky1 said:

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lol a wealth tax has been tried and has failed in every country where it's been implemented.

---

Most countries don't have the capital markets America has. You want to invest in the NYSE? Here's a wealth tax if you have over $50 million.

---

Tax capital gains at the same rate as everything else. Eliminate the ability to reset the basis on capital gains at inheritance. In general the wealth tax is a loser, doesn't collect much because it is easily avoided, and much of it would be unconstitutional here. It always was an election slogan.

A couple countries in Europe have just started to experiment with a wealth tax on stock only. It is worth watching, but it doesn't sound like a great idea.

What I would look at much more seriously is a tax on unrealized capital gains of the uber wealthy. That is a big issue with wealth inequality. I have said it before. If you inherit $20M, split it into $10M you use and $10M you invest and never touch, in 30 years you have $100M (at a ho hum 8% interest). You have never paid tax. You die and your kids don't pay tax. They use $50M and invest $50M. In 30 years they die with $500M, and never pay tax. This is how family wealth accumulates. There should be a requirement that once your wealth hits a certain number, unrealized capital gains are taxed. Maybe not annually, but something like every 5 years. And again, these rules are set up to benefit the uber wealthy. The rest of us who mostly save through 401K's are required to take minimum distributions on our 401K's thus creating a taxable event. There is no reason not to create a taxable event for the wealthy as well.

All of the taxes on capital gains would put a significant dent in wealth inequality. They actually are not doing anything but treating the wealthy the same way the rest of us are treated. They'd all easily be constitutional. They would not require an entirely new tax system. They would be much harder to avoid. A wealth tax just is easier to sound bite.

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I support all you the tax increases you are talking about.

OaktownBear said:

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dajo9 said:

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hanky1 said:

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lol a wealth tax has been tried and has failed in every country where it's been implemented.

---

Most countries don't have the capital markets America has. You want to invest in the NYSE? Here's a wealth tax if you have over $50 million.

---

Tax capital gains at the same rate as everything else. Eliminate the ability to reset the basis on capital gains at inheritance. In general the wealth tax is a loser, doesn't collect much because it is easily avoided, and much of it would be unconstitutional here. It always was an election slogan.

A couple countries in Europe have just started to experiment with a wealth tax on stock only. It is worth watching, but it doesn't sound like a great idea.

What I would look at much more seriously is a tax on unrealized capital gains of the uber wealthy. That is a big issue with wealth inequality. I have said it before. If you inherit $20M, split it into $10M you use and $10M you invest and never touch, in 30 years you have $100M (at a ho hum 8% interest). You have never paid tax. You die and your kids don't pay tax. They use $50M and invest $50M. In 30 years they die with $500M, and never pay tax. This is how family wealth accumulates. There should be a requirement that once your wealth hits a certain number, unrealized capital gains are taxed. Maybe not annually, but something like every 5 years. And again, these rules are set up to benefit the uber wealthy. The rest of us who mostly save through 401K's are required to take minimum distributions on our 401K's thus creating a taxable event. There is no reason not to create a taxable event for the wealthy as well.

All of the taxes on capital gains would put a significant dent in wealth inequality. They actually are not doing anything but treating the wealthy the same way the rest of us are treated. They'd all easily be constitutional. They would not require an entirely new tax system. They would be much harder to avoid. A wealth tax just is easier to sound bite.

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This is actually a good idea - treat capital gains past a certain income (say $10 mn) as ordinary income. The wealth tax is a loser.