MAGA dudes would like America to be “Great Again” but would like you not to Google what the top marginal tax rate was in the pre-civil rights era they are taking us back to (hint: it was 90%)

this is a common myth. effective tax rate for americas wealthiest men has never been at those levels.

They said it perfectly. The top marginal rate was 90%. The effective rate was much lower, but it effectively capped cash salaries, largely for executives.

cash salaries arent important to executives or rich people. they are important to peons which is why they flap their gums about it so much.

Every country in the world stole land from people that lived there before the current inhabitants. Every single one.

the slaves probably helped a little but even with all the slaves in the world, a country that is corrupt and uninspired couldnt achieve half of what we have. the american work ethic is recognized by the whole world even today.

Agreed. If it was just stolen land and slave labor that propelled America to a global superpower, then why didn't it work out for India? Or Africa? Both of those places LOVE slavery and both murdered their way into existence (Africa still does) but yet they are not wonderful, advanced countries that embrace the rights of people.

and we should all observe soberly the fact that slavery is evil and fundamentally un-American. thats why we excised it from our country.

It was prosperous, the original American dream is not the American dream people think of when they hear that today. Hollywood has sold a lie to everyone for almost a century.

The prosperity was inherent in the real American Dream which was based in Faith, Freedom, Self-sufficiency, Independence, Ownership, and No taxation without representation.

Today you don't have any of these in most respects because they have been withheld by the previous generation (boomers), who clings to power as they die of old age.

Lets do a short recap on the taxes for an average person: Federal 21.7 State 7.5-10 Medicare 2.9 Social Security 15.3 (you count employer side too because its money they can't pay you suppressing wages). Sales Tax ~10 Property 1% of the value of what you own Inheritance (50% above 1m)

Aggregate: 59.9% of everything you can make, and this isn't counting the triple dip on fuel taxes.

Then there is half of what you inherit, and 1% of the value of what you already own every year.

To put this in perspective, the boston tea party increase that sparked our history in 1776 was over a tax rate of 25%. The boot on neck, has been clever in withholding education and disrupting communication.

Parasites are the reason we are doing so poorly today, and why people can't find sufficient recompense to support life goals such as raising children. In 8 years, the birthrate will fall below the death rate.

And who are those parasites?

> Social Security 15.3 (you count employer side too because its money they can't pay you suppressing wages)

Nit: this is disingenuous. If an employer didn’t have to pay that part of the tax, they wouldn’t pass it on to you. They’d pocket it.