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From: rebuttal from MOR (Mean Ol' Repuglican)
Date: 6/26/01
Time: 3:41:07 PM
Remote Name: 159.230.193.93
I'm not sure where to begin on this one.
I'm not wealthy, but I'd like to be someday. Wouldn't most folks?
Furthermore, I have nothing against the wealthy. Hey, a Billionaire paying 1% pays more money in taxes than someone like me paying 28%. The fact is, the top 1% of the wealthy in this country pay far more than their fair share. Personally, I just don't get my "jollies" by "sticking it to the rich." Whether they pay 1% or 99%, it doesn't affect me personally until it alters my tax bracket.
I haven't seen The Patriot yet. Is it a good movie?
Let's discuss corporations. What is a corporation? It's just a collection of PEOPLE running a business. It provides jobs, health benefits, retirement, etc., for its employees. It provides taxes for its community. Furthermore, it provides income (in the form of dividends) and growth of wealth (in the form of growing stock prices) to ordinary folks like you and me who own a piece of it. Hey, it's not just the wealthy who are invested in the stock market anymore. If you or anyone you know has a 401K, 403B, SEP, SIMPLE, 529, Traditional IRA, ROTH IRA, or almost any other retirement plan, you are in the stock market! So when you want to "stick it" to corporations, you're actually "sticking it" to your friends and family. Well over 1/2 of all Americans invest in the stock market; i.e., corporations.
I REALLY must take exception to your comment about the Constitution being "broad and flexible." That is EXACTLY what the Founding Fathers did NOT want!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Time and time again, throughout the Constitution, they took great pains to enumerate precisely what was allowable and what not. Heck, if you're going to be "broad and flexible" then why bother with a Constitution at all? Don't you remember your history? The problem with Kings (like King George III) was that kings are "broad and flexible"; i.e., they do whatever they wish without following the rules! Also, I recommend that you read The Federalist Papers where the Founding Fathers explain their thought processes behind the drafting of the Constitution. I think you will be enlightened.
I agree, in theory, that America's myriad of anti-trust laws are design to bolster competition. Unfortunately, I feel they were written prior (100+ years prior!) to the advent of our current economy. There are times when I feel our laws handicap us in the world's economy. Case in point: the Justice Department's suit to break up Microsoft. Why, if Microsoft had been founded in any other country, the government would be giving Bill Gates a MEDAL - not trying to bust up his business!