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Ted Cruz

7 (6.5%)

Rick Santorum

16 (14.8%)

Michelle Bachmann

13 (12%)

Chris Christie

23 (21.3%)

Rand Paul

49 (45.4%)

Total Members Voted: 107

[XXSockXX]

While the government did produce everything in the eastern bloc (don't know how Venezuela does it exactly), they had 5 year plans for how much of what they would produce, which often resulted in shortages or sometimes in overproduction. I'm sure they would have given it a more positive spin: "Glorious socialist republic's production of feces exceeds 5 year plan specification".

[mainiac]

It could be that calculating needed supplies for a population is hard? Perhaps toilet paper should be more closely examined as a market index for economic research? Hell if I know.

Capitalist economies have to predict toilet paper usage too, only it's harder because production is split among competing brands.  I would suggest that the reason there were shortages of toilet paper were the same reason there were shortages of most goods before the 70s or towards the ends.  Early on the Soviet economy was putting a higher percentage of GDP to industrial investment, leaving less for other sectors.  Towards the end they were spending an absurd amount on the military (1/3 of GDP at one point) and shortages resulted from that.  Remember, the Soviets started a lot poorer then the US and were playing catchup throughout the Cold War, compounded by a declining population ratio.  That they gained ground for a while required massive expenditures.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Today, on Right Wing Watch:

South Carolina Senate candidate Lee Bright wants you all to know that FEMA is a scam and that the IRS are going to be Obama's Brownshirts.

Want to hear Bryan Fischer talk about transgendered people and science? Of course you do.

[Max White]

Want to hear Bryan Fischer talk about transgendered people and science? Of course you do.

Demons have to submit to a command that is uttered in the name of Jesus!

So that is how that bastard James Maxwell did it!

[Culise]

Today, on Right Wing Watch:

South Carolina Senate candidate Lee Bright wants you all to know that FEMA is a scam and that the IRS are going to be Obama's Brownshirts.

IRS brownshirts...that's...how would that even work?

First they came for our capital gains and dividends, and I said nothing, because I didn't own stock.
Then they came for our interest taxes, and I said nothing, because I lived paycheck to paycheck.
Then they came for our itemized deductions, and I said nothing, because I just checked the standard deductible every year anyways.
Then they came for our Earned Income Credits, and there was no one left to make sense of what they were saying.

[Flying Dice]

Today, on Right Wing Watch:

South Carolina Senate candidate Lee Bright wants you all to know that FEMA is a scam and that the IRS are going to be Obama's Brownshirts.

IRS brownshirts...that's...how would that even work?

First they came for our capital gains and dividends, and I said nothing, because I didn't own stock.
Then they came for our interest taxes, and I said nothing, because I lived paycheck to paycheck.
Then they came for our itemized deductions, and I said nothing, because I just checked the standard deductible every year anyways.
Then they came for our Earned Income Credits, and there was no one left to make sense of what they were saying.

You forgot the bit where they came for our flat rate income tax.

...

We are in conservative fantasy America, after all.

[Max White]

I'm pretty sure that in conservative fantasy America, instead of having a tax rate based on your income at all, they just have an annual fee that everybody has to pay regardless of their ability to pay it.

[Lagslayer]

Careful, now. The Aussie government might see that post and get ideas.

[Max White]

Na, our government would never do that! They would rather privatize the tax department, ensuring the wealthy never have to pay...

I know, it sounds crazy, but it is actually happening.

[Descan]

... How... How does that even work?

"You know that system we have in place, to appropriate funds to pay for all our public works? Let's make that a private company."

Like, how would you even make that profitable? I'm pretty sure appropriating tax payer money as "profit" is... Like, corruption. Not just a KIND of corruption, but the most basic definition of corruption. "Keeping public money as profit", pretty basic, foundational corruption.

[Dutchling]

I'm pretty sure that in conservative fantasy America, instead of having a tax rate based on your income at all, they just have an annual fee that everybody has to pay regardless of their ability to pay it.

That wouldn't be fair to the rich people. They ought to pay less taxes so more money can trickle down, you filthy communist >.>

[Helgoland]

Descan: AFAIK, Italy used to have this. Cue the mafia...

[Lord Shonus]

I'm pretty sure that in conservative fantasy America, instead of having a tax rate based on your income at all, they just have an annual fee that everybody has to pay regardless of their ability to pay it.

Conservative fantasy America wants to go back to no income or sales taxes whatsoever, the way things were before 1916. Of course, they also don't want the high tariffs that made such a thing workable even with the comparatively low government spending of the time., as that would hurt their outsourcing profits.

[Max White]

... How... How does that even work?

"You know that system we have in place, to appropriate funds to pay for all our public works? Let's make that a private company."

Like, how would you even make that profitable? I'm pretty sure appropriating tax payer money as "profit" is... Like, corruption. Not just a KIND of corruption, but the most basic definition of corruption. "Keeping public money as profit", pretty basic, foundational corruption.

Well right now when you pay your taxes there is a bundle of paperwork to hand over, to make sure it is all legitimate. Then the tax department needs to check over all that paperwork, and that takes a lot of man power... So instead in the new system you find a private tax firm, give them what ever paperwork they ask for, and then they confirm to the tax department that you paid the right amount.

Horrifically corruptible? No silly, didn't you know the free market fixes everything! Tax paying organisations will clearly seek out the firms most well known for going by the books and not granting undue tax breaks.

[GreatJustice]

The Romans had a system sort of like that at one point, where people would bid on collecting taxes from the distant provinces. What tended to happen was that the tax collectors would basically loot and pillage so that they'd make a tidy profit, in the process pissing off every Roman client kingdom, ally, and subject.