God Bless America

[R Nitelight]

Federal income taxes paid by PepsiCo in 1999 : 0


Source: Harper's Index

 

[Tabby432]

There has to be more. Is anyone familiar with this? Where are the details!

 

[Renegade]

*Waving American Flag*

 

[Andra_Jenny]

Sales taxes.
Emloyment taxes.
Jobs.
Hell, everyone short of upper middle class no longer pays real taxes, just the social security scam.

 

[Weevil]

Huh? Nobody except the upper middle class pays taxes? I'm sure that'd be news to a lot of working stiffs out there.

 

[Andra_Jenny]

Our working stiffs are the best compensated working stiffs in the whole fucking world. Our poor are fucking obese and if you want to sit on your ass and do fucking nothing, this is quickly becoming the place.

The working stiff gets soaked on the social security system, in sales taxes, and local property taxes.

I used to be a working stiff. I returned to college, got an education, went out and made my fortune. I was not the brightest, prettiest, or particuarly the mosyt motivated. But I did it. So can anyone else.

Quit your fucking belly-aching.

I've lived in China and a few other beautiful world locations. Man you don't know how good you've got it!

 

[Weevil]

Actually, I believe the minimum wage is the highest in Switzerland but I think that is somewhat beside the point.

Although it is nice to see that you hold the working class in such high esteem, I would caution against genralizing too much there.

You're probably right, being Canadian I probably don't realize how much better it is for people in my country than in yours. Posts like yours quickly make me appreciate living in the country that the UN continually calls the best in the world in which to live.

Me? Belly aching? Why do I care what happens in regards to who pays taxes in the US? I was just wondering about the statement

 

[Andra_Jenny]

Well then, good.
Canada is a great place, so is the United States. It is America, it is the New World. We escaped (well some of my people were already here) the tyranny of the old world. Now do we turn our backs on the rest of the world and leave them to the tyrants. I say no. I would defend Canada, as I would the rest of our wonderful continent. But I have had it with the bashing of the states, and those whom have had success. It is not a crime to be successful. It is good to work for the future generations of your family. It is still a great place to be a working stiff!

 

[Weevil]

It's only not a bad place to be a working stiff in comparison to the absolute worst places to be a working stiff in the world.

Its like me saying I'm abnormally thin because I'm skinnier than Marlon Brando.

Also, There isn't anything wrong with being a success, unless you do it unethically and without regard for any other humans.

As to your comments about the Tyranny of the world, should we rally against the Tyrants that the US sets up? or just the ones the Elephant has a problem with this week?

 

[Andra_Jenny]

Hey, the Frech are always rallying against U.S. tyranny, So are the Arabs, the Chinese, the Russians, the Cubans, the Venezualens, all of the paragons of virtue in the world believe we are tryrants.

So, I guess we are.

Guilty.

 

[Weevil]

I was actually referring to the Taleban and Pinochet. Are they acceptable tyrants to go after, or do you think your Country can still use them to fight the "Red Menace"

 

[Cheyenne]

Man you don't know how good you've got it!

I do.

As for Pepsi and paying taxes, I assume you mean corporate income taxes. I haven't seen the Pepsi financial statements but it is possible that their expenses exceeded their revenue and no taxes were due. It is a lot more complicated than that with carryforwards and carrybacks, etc., but that is the easiest explanation.

 

[Weevil]

You a proletariat with no Health Insurance, Chey? She was referring to the lowest classes in the US and how easy their life is.

 

[Ally C]

The US has a class system? The "lowest classes" have an easy life? Revelations ...

 

[Cheyenne]

You a proletariat with no Health Insurance, Chey? She was referring to the lowest classes in the US and how easy their life is.

No, of course not. But I am American and I agree that many of us don't know how good we've got it, as a general statement. To really appreciate life in America, you need to see life elsewhere. I have to some extent, and I do think I know how good I've got it. I appreciate living here, and try not to take for granted all of the good things. There are people in other parts of the world willing to risk their lives to be able to come here. There must be a reason for that, don't you think?

 

[Tabby432]

Of course the U.S. has a class system. We just like to say we don't. It's not a true class system in the way that you can't change your class. But it is a class system.

 

[Ally C]

Tabby432

I know. For some reason the 'wink' icon never showed up on my post, but I was being ironic, rather than sarcastic. I'm still a little perplexed by the idea that the "lowest classes" have an easy life. Easy in relation to [enter country of your choice] doesn't seem to have much relevance if you're one of those lower classes, especially as they are unlikely to go globetrotting on a regular basis. I know that examples of the 'American Dream' exist, but the generalistic point of ("lowest classes") having an easy life seemed rather dismissive in my opinion. Your point about not 'acknowledging' this class system seems to hint at the fact that many will never be able to realise the Dream, no matter how hard they try. I'm not knocking the American way of life, just the point that life is 'easy' for those specified.

 

[Tabby432]

Your point about not 'acknowledging' this class system seems to hint at the fact that many will never be able to realise the Dream, no matter how hard they try.

I'm in full agreement with you on this. One of the reasons being that if we don't acknowedge the system in place, how can it be changed? The sad part is that it's the lower echelon of our society who more often than not supports the "American Dream".

Ok, that's my two cents. Enough said.

 

[lavender]

 

[lavender]

 

[Andra_Jenny]

Oh, posh lavendar,
I spent halk of my life as working class. I was raised Democratic in a Democratic stronghold. I have labored, worked the slaughterhouses, built nukes, worked on riverboats, I have even been a union steward. I have criss-crossed this country hitch-hiking, working and staying at places like the Sally.

I could give a FUCK about the IMF. I've lived and been at the bottom, educated myself, and now live at the top and I tell you ONLY IN AMERICA. We have the laziest fucking poor in the world and several ethnic groups with the biggest chips on their shoulders you have ever seen!

Americans work 2 to 3 jobs for this two-fold reason
1). The tax bite required by socialism and
2). Americans excersize no fiscal discipline whatsoever not to mention personal discipline. Americans spend too much money on crap, shit, junk, poor, shoddy entertainment and they will not say no to the limitless purchasing of faddish crap by their children.

I used to live like that. Think. How many people do you know who will go to the library, check out some books, go home, drink tap-water, read, and listen to the wind play with sound and whispers. Why? when you pay $60.00 a month to have all those channels!

I was once between jobs and went to my Korean master looking for a break on the cost of tuition. He looked at me like I was absolutely insane and said basically, "This is America. There is money everywhere. Go get some!"

He was fucking right. I got up off my ass, off the unemployement I felt I so richly deserved, got a job, and got him his money. No fucking problem.

AJ out

[Edited by Andra_Jenny on 05-03-2001 at 06:13 AM]

 

[Ally C]

I get it, you own Pepsi. Nice ...

 

[FlamingoBlue]

Nightlite, I can't believe that a guy-

that does cheese sculptures, reads Harpers.

blue