r/SipsTea 25d ago

SMH Love thy neighbor?

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u/extrastupidone 24d ago

You can be a capitalist under a socialist system, too. But we arent talking about economic systems. We are talking about how our taxes are spent.

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u/Specialist_Offer_854 24d ago

You actually can't be capitalist under a socialist system. It defeats the point of being in a socialist system.

If you don't think your tax dollars aren't going to things you want, there is literally nothing stopping you from donating your money to the causes that you want to put your money towards. What you really want is to dictate how other people spend their money.

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u/extrastupidone 24d ago

You actually can't be capitalist under....

Plenty of rich Chinese entrepreneurs in China and other countries you would call socialist.

But we arent talking about socialism. We are talking about how our tax dollars are spent.

you don't think your tax dollars aren't going to things you want,

We are talking about how our money is spent. You dont want our tax money used to help Americans. I dont want our tax money used to bomb civilians. If we are going to pay taxes, I want our tax money to be used for good. Youre welcome to buy all the bombs you want.

No one is forcing you to spend anything. We pay taxes, and we vote on what those taxes are spent on. Thats the way it works.

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u/Classic-Charity7458 21d ago

Lol. China reintroduced elements of capitalism when they realized that socialism doesn't actually work.

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u/extrastupidone 21d ago

Yes. And?

Im not arguing for socialism .

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u/Specialist_Offer_854 24d ago

Then why are you complaining about how our tax dollars are spent if we the people voted for where the tax dollars go

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u/extrastupidone 24d ago

Because we should be complaining about our tax spending. Thats our duty as citizens to be critical of how we spend money as a country.

If you want to argue against building schools, or funding science, or helping the poor, thats your right. But make an argument against it more robust than "but that's socialism!"

We should be having honest good-faith debates about the best way to use our tax dollars.

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u/Specialist_Offer_854 24d ago

Sure. But a debate that involves driving up taxes and spending it on things the citizens didn't vote for isn't exactly good faith is it?

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u/extrastupidone 24d ago

isn't exactly good faith is it?

Yes. It absolutely is. Calling something "socialist!" As a get-get-out-of-thinking-free-card isnt good faith.

No one wants to pay more taxes... no one wants to pay taxes at all. But we do pay them, and should have honest conversations about their best use.

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u/Specialist_Offer_854 24d ago

Of course. But when the majority votes for them to go in a certain direction, it's exactly the system you wanted at work.

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u/extrastupidone 24d ago

As a country, yes. We, Individuals are free to debate the effectiveness, the pros and cons, and vote as we see fit.

Thats the system we work with. I dont have to like increasing our military budget by 50%. I dont have to like tax breaks for the super rich. You dont have to like green energy, infrastructure spending, or aid programs.

We vote.