The richest 1% in the Netherlands pay relatively less tax than everyone else and their incomes have risen more sharply, according to new calculations by the government’s macro-economic forecasting agency CPB. Earlier research, based on figures from 2016, showed that people on the highest incomes pa...
Yes, clearly, by pointing out the absurdity of shitting on America in a piece about the Netherlands, I'm saying that America is perfect. It's always black and white; there's no room for nuance.
It’s only absurd if you don’t consider taxation of the rich a geopolitical issue.
If you had said something about billionaires across the world, this defense would hold some water. But it wasn't, it was just mindless shitting on America. Couldn't just talk about another country and it's problems, without the knee-jerk claim that America is worse.
I didn't realize the only two options were 'only the U.S.' or 'every country in the world.'
Now... try to follow me... why do you think there are so many more billionaires in a country where they pay almost no taxes than one where they pay 28% taxes? Do you think the fact that there are exponentially more billionaires living in the U.S. than there are in the Netherlands and the fact that those billionaires pay almost no taxes might be related to the fact that there are billionaires in the Netherlands who pay over a quarter of their income in taxes, even if the average Dutch citizen pays more?
But sure, that comparison has nothing to do with the subject at hand and is just shitting on the U.S. for absolutely no reason. I'm sorry I offended your sense of patriotism. God bless America and all it stands for.
As an American, I can't help but wonder why you're so defensive of the US. It's like you're a shitty guy who just heard someone say they would pick the bear.
If it's an article about the us being shitty, and people point out the us is shitty, I wouldn't say anything because that's the topic. But it's tired when it's just every time anything is mentioned, someone here has to point out that the us is shitty.
Basically, you have it backwards. It's not me constantly being defensive of the us, it's everyone here constantly attacking it.
I mean Team America was a pretty lowkey pro military intervention and pro america movie, to be honest. He'd probably have the opinion he would have if he had watched that movie and especially if he'd listened to the classic longwinded matt and trey speech that they throw in at the end to kind of spell out the message, it's just that nobody really watches or remembers anything other than the like, first 20 minutes of that movie, where the protagonists get hit with kind of a low point and "america" kind of looks bad, because those first twenty minutes make the most memorable use of the gag.
“Dicks fuck pussies, and Dicks also fuck assholes”. Greatest speech ever
Yeah, that's what I was referring to. The movie came out in 2004, you know, the year after we invaded Iraq, as was the context of the movie. If you pay attention to that speech, it's basically just saying that US hegemony is good and US exceptionalism is real, and that our actions are a net positive for the international community. That the international community needs us. That we need to "fuck this asshole". In combination with the movie making fun of celebrities that had non-interventionist views, and calling them a homosexual slur that will probably get flagged on lemmy, saying that they suck up to dictators. It being satire doesn't suddenly make the movie mean the opposite of what it meant, that's just classic irony-poisoning.
This has got to be the worst possible take on this movie I have ever heard.
Its literally making fun of the American military and the "we're the best" mentality. The first 20 min (Paris scene) set up that the american military leaves a wake of destruction in their path and everyone hates them for it.
The Film Actors Guild are nothing more than "useful idiots"
How does me pointing out that this knee jerk America hating has shit all to do with the article preclude me from working to make the us a better place?
Or are you like flying squid and you can't fathom a world where some doesn't join in a mindless circle jerk, so they just think the exact opposite?
You never had to join in, the fuck do you think would happen when ya commented?
Oh yes master, America is great and we should never talk I'll of the land OF THE FREE ^~to not pay taxes as long as you have enough money~^ and home of the brave
You have no criminals on the streets with the best armed trained police force in the world and holding 25% of the world incarcerated. Wow thank you for making the wold a much safer place by installing managed democracy around the world. Thank you for the bulmark missiles that defended Canada through out the cold war rather than the AV Roe Arrow. Thank you Bill Gates for CN Rail, thank you 3M for C8, thank you Cocola for Fanta, thanks Atrazine and glyphosate
Thank you America for fucking this planet at every turn
OK I'll go hide in a cave a forget a massive land mass does not exist, no billionaires that only pay 1-2% taxes. Nope let's focus across the pond instead of around the world.
Oh look China just arrested a billionaire for breaking the law...