/thread

Furthermore, I'm pretty sure that nobody on here supports anyone skipping out on their taxes. How is it ironic? Everyone that skips out on their taxes is a criminal, just some have learned how to take advantage of a porous and corrupt system.

am I missing something here how do rich people not pay taxes

So, this has to do with Lauryn Hill somehow.

You know, FOX news or something. Big corporations etc. And therefore: Lauryn Hill.

Actually, the rich pay a higher percentage of the taxes every year. While the poor, typically get more back then they pay in. Which is absolutely crazy to me.

very nice eminem reference. well played.

ROFL ROFL ROFL

Most would not have known or cared about her not paying taxes had it not been for her publicly making numerous statements as to why she shouldn't have to each time her excuses become more and more ridiculous. The fact she has resorted to using the slavery card is pathetic. Everyone should have to pay their fair share of taxes and the fact that many rich have found a way around it is true, but they are private about it, even when caught. They don't make it public like she is.

I don't think that's it at all.

The reason the rich get richer is because they use tax loop holes and strategy to avoid paying taxes. They hire tax attorneys to investigate this shit. It's all legal.

Lauryn Hill just said **** it I ain't paying. Or she didn't an accountant that was smart enough to figure this shit out.

Same thing happened to Willie Nelson and Mike Tyson.

The problem I have with her statement is that she's playing the race card whenever convenient.

There are two types of people.

Those who plan and those who fail to plan.

She's reactive not proactive.

PREFACE: I do not agree with Lauryn Hill's reparations excuse for not paying taxes, HOWEVER...

I think the average (white) citizens of our society sometimes lack perspective when it comes to the history of African Americans in our country.

1787: the Constitution of the United States is drafted. The 3/5 Compromise declares that black slaves are considered 3/5 of a person to help bolster voting bloc in southern US.

1870: 15th amendment passes giving blacks citizenship/right to vote.

*This means that less than 150 (only 5 generations ago) years ago blacks WERE NOT EVEN CONSIDERED PEOPLE BY OUR CONSTITUTION (they were 3/5 of a person - which is insanely dehumanizing, dudes).

1880s - 1960s: Much of the United States is hell-bent on keeping blacks out of mainstream society. Jim Crow laws are adopted, Plessy v Ferguson (separate but equal) rules, Ku Klux Klan forms up, etc.

WE ARE ONLY TWO GENERATIONS REMOVED THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT (many of us were raised by parents who were raised in a systematically [and socially accepted] racist world).

If you don't believe that blacks have been systematically disadvantaged throughout the VAST majority of our nation's history then you do not know your history.

It takes time to overcome all of those things. Racism is still alive and well in our country (as has been repeatedly proven on this board). We have come a long way as a society, but there are still a lot of demons from our nation's past that need to be exorcised.

Yeah, there were slaves. Yeah, that sucked. Yeah, there are racists. Yeah, that sucks.

What does this have to do with Lauren Hill not paying taxes?

Seize her house and ship her back to her homeland. Seems like the only fair thing to do.

It doesn't have that much to do with it, I guess...

I just wanted to halt the ChiefsPlanetBigotTrain before it really started to pick up steam again..

The tax burden in this country is overwhelmingly supported by the richest 10%. It's not even a close question as that 10% provides about 70% of our tax income. Hell, the top 1% alone covers a little over 1/3 of America's revenue stream. And that's actually a greater percentage than they paid 20 years ago.

Meanwhile, approximately 47% of America's lowest income earners don't pay taxes at all.

You may think that the rich should have to pay a greater share of their income - fine, whatever. But the bottom line is that the rich essentially subsidize 2/3 of this government. The middle class handles about 30% of it and 1/2 the country doesn't do jack shit to carry their burden.

Ignorance like yours is why we can't have a serious discussion about anything in this country.