Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Hanslanda]

... I'm going to run for president when I turn 35. I mean, Trump got elected. I have a decent chance of being president if I market myself on social media virally.

If you win, can I be your Press Secretary?

Yeah. You don't even know. If I got elected I would be desperately messaging more politically savvy forumites for advice.

[Greiger]

Make sure you go through the primaries first before you start saying anything about actually fixing the country.   Once you become the nominee find some way to mention on your campaign trail something about working on getting rid of first past the post.   That will make the entire moderatee base make a hard swing towards you, and what's the party that sponsored you going to do, stop backing you and let the other side win by default?

[smjjames]

Unless maybe you end up in a situation similar to Trump in 2016.

[Hanslanda]

Unless maybe you end up in a situation similar to Trump in 2016.

I was planning on being an offensively foul-mouthed down to earth candidate. I mean, I work in a grocery store. I'm literally the most 'down to earth' political candidate ever. I'd spend most of the debates pointing out that I was a single-time-married worker going against corrupt, career liars. I mean, politicians more concerned with profit than than the people.

[hector13]

Trump: sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh were a hoax, people who brought them forward are evil people. Impeachment talk is an insult to American people.

The president of the United States, everyone.

[smjjames]

Unless maybe you end up in a situation similar to Trump in 2016.

I was planning on being an offensively foul-mouthed down to earth candidate. I mean, I work in a grocery store. I'm literally the most 'down to earth' political candidate ever. I'd spend most of the debates pointing out that I was a single-time-married worker going against corrupt, career liars. I mean, politicians more concerned with profit than than the people.

I was thinking more the political situation and climate where Trump could threaten the Reoublicans with going rogue and the Republicans obliged to support him.

[Hanslanda]

Unless maybe you end up in a situation similar to Trump in 2016.

I was planning on being an offensively foul-mouthed down to earth candidate. I mean, I work in a grocery store. I'm literally the most 'down to earth' political candidate ever. I'd spend most of the debates pointing out that I was a single-time-married worker going against corrupt, career liars. I mean, politicians more concerned with profit than than the people.

I was thinking more the political situation and climate where Trump could threaten the Reoublicans with going rogue and the Republicans obliged to support him.

Yeah. I was too. I could just threaten being another populist Republican candidate to the Dems and offer them mild socialism, moderate gun control, and taxing churches.

Because seriously, why are churches not taxed?

[Dunamisdeos]

It's the simplest and surest way to ensure separation of church and state is the one I usually hear. If the guvmint ain't taxin' you, they can't influence you.

Also, the BAZOOKA PARTY will throw it's explosive weight behind yours should the HANSLANDA PARTY prove victorious. Your favorite swears will be emblazoned on our shoulder-propelled rocket ammunition at all rallies.

[Hanslanda]

Fuckin Crooks run your gubmint.

[Lord Shonus]

Because seriously, why are churches not taxed?

Taxes have historically been used to suppress the "wrong" religion. A blanket prohibition against taxing the religious functions of any religion or denomination ensures that you can't stealth-discriminate and tax mosques (for example) more than churches.

[Hanslanda]

Because seriously, why are churches not taxed?

Taxes have historically been used to suppress the "wrong" religion. A blanket prohibition against taxing the religious functions of any religion or denomination ensures that you can't stealth-discriminate and tax mosques (for example) more than churches.

Or churches could pay taxes toward all that 'helping the poor and downtrodden' thing that literally every religion promised but never delivered on.

All of them. Equally.

[Lord Shonus]

I don't think you're getting the issue. It isn't "if my church pays taxes, it might go to things we don't approve of!", but rather, "if my church pays taxes, the dominant groups might set the taxes so high thhat my church ceases to exist!". Historically, there have been many situations of the "Catholics pay no tax, Protestants pay 15% tax, Jews pay 90% tax" variety, explicitly intended to force people into the "correct" religion. Even if such a variation is proscribed by law, it would be extremely easy to come up with some sort of seemingly-fair measure that amounts to a massive tax increase on the "wrong" religion - an area that wants to keep Catholics out might base the tax on the number of statues (which the sterner Protestant denominations prohibit) in the church, for example.


"No tax on any church" eliminates the problem entirely.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

The funny thing is that at this point, even a token tax on most churches would be the final shattering blow, dependent as they are on coercing grannies out of their social security checks just to pay maintenance.

[Frumple]

Or churches could pay taxes toward all that 'helping the poor and downtrodden' thing that literally every religion promised but never delivered on.

All of them. Equally.

Eh... some significant portion of church based tax exemptions are already dependent on the organization maintaining charity efforts. The major problem with it is we're kinda' fucky about what we allow to qualify as charity. So it'd possibly take a bit more on that front.

... course, if you're talking just removing all religious tax exemptions outright and having them pay out like a for-profit or somethin', then you'd probably have an easier time on that front. All churches must be taxed the same would quash most abuse wiggle-room, too, save as a general "fuck the poor" thing

[smjjames]

I don't think you're getting the issue. It isn't "if my church pays taxes, it might go to things we don't approve of!", but rather, "if my church pays taxes, the dominant groups might set the taxes so high thhat my church ceases to exist!". Historically, there have been many situations of the "Catholics pay no tax, Protestants pay 15% tax, Jews pay 90% tax" variety, explicitly intended to force people into the "correct" religion. Even if such a variation is proscribed by law, it would be extremely easy to come up with some sort of seemingly-fair measure that amounts to a massive tax increase on the "wrong" religion - an area that wants to keep Catholics out might base the tax on the number of statues (which the sterner Protestant denominations prohibit) in the church, for example.


"No tax on any church" eliminates the problem entirely.

I'm not sure if it's something in the Constitution or just something a large majority of people agreed on for a long time. Theres also the whole 'no discrimination by religion' clause thing. They already pay taxes though from using utilities and stuff that everybody else pays taxes for, so, a 'church tax' just seems like making them pay more just because they're a religious organization.