The obvious question to close off this series is “How can Sweden afford those benefits?” Of course a part of that answer it through relatively high taxes. But how high is that? Sweden does have the highest top marginal rate among OECD countries at about 56%. In The US The highest marginal tax rate in the US is about 35% but there are many tax … Continue reading InDepth – US vs Sweden Post #6 – Taxes & Closing Thoughts
I am a writer. I don’t know why I am obsessed with that craft, but I have to put my thoughts into words and get them out there. It’s not that I am seeking fame or fortune. I think I do it because my brain will explode if I don’t. 🤪 But seriously, it is more than that. I write to codify my thoughts and … Continue reading Being A Writer
Now that the political season is finally over, at least for a few months, it’s time for some personal thoughts about that process. I know that the title of this post is not exactly how Reagan described the problem, but I kinda think my words are more accurate than his were forty years ago. When the Supreme Court decided that money is a form of … Continue reading Money In Politics Isn’t The Solution, It’s The Problem
I know I am using a dated phrase when I say “Pitchforks at the castle”, but I imagine you get the idea. It is when we serfs are fed up with the actions of the landed aristocracy and demand change. If they don’t get it they burn down the castle. I kinda feel that we are about at that stage again. The top 1% control … Continue reading Pitchforks At The Castle… It’s About Time.
There seem to be all kinds of people who are trying to figure out why we have gotten into where we are in this world. Some point to one thing, some to another. In my opinion, for what its worth, the reason below is one of the primary causes of our current madness. [They say] Capital was for capitalists — everyone would be better off that way! … Continue reading The Other 90%
“Time is money” is a well known phrase in the world today. If we expend time on behalf of our employer we expect to be paid for it. That seems to be a very American thing, my time is worth money is perhaps a bedrock of our capitalist society. Another tradition is overtime pay. That says that I will give you a certain number of hours … Continue reading Time Is Money…
241 years ago we were part of the Great British Empire. We were loyal, although complaining, citizens. Then we chose to go our own way and eventually after a four year rebellion got our way. We still have common bonds with GB but we are also markedly different. One of the major differences is that we are a nation of immigrants and Great Britain is … Continue reading About Brexit and the British.. And How We are NOT Like Them
With this post I will conclude my discussion about what might make the wealthy among us seem so callous to others needs. The source for these posts came as a surprise to me. Here is some more quotes from that article. A UCLA neuroscientist named Keely Muscatell has published an interesting paper showing that wealth quiets the nerves in the brain associated with empathy: If … Continue reading What Wealth Does To Your Soul – Part 2
Call them the invisible rich. How do they do it? Sure, money like that sometimes comes from an inheritance or another fortuitous break, but more likely it’s the result of diligence, smart choices and, well, deferred gratification. SOURCE: Wealth-building secrets of the millionaire next door – Yahoo Finance. Wealth-building secrets of the millionaire next door It seems like there are thousands of articles and books … Continue reading Common Sense…..
The U.S. government and Switzerland have reached an agreement that could expose Americans who have used Swiss banks to avoid paying taxes…. The crackdown began in 2009 after a whistleblower notified U.S. authorities that UBS, the largest Swiss bank, was enabling Americans to evade taxes. UBS settled the case later that year. It turned over account records on 4,500 U.S. customers and paid a $780 … Continue reading Swiss, U.S. reach deal on outing tax evaders
The difference between our rich and poor grows greater every year. Our distribution of wealth is getting more uneven all the time. . . . A man can make a million over night and he is on every page in the morning. But it never tells you who give up the million he got. You can’t get money without taking it from somebody. – … Continue reading Taking It From Somebody….
I am adding a new category starting with this post. It is entitled “The Shrinking Middle Class”.
Here is one of the reasons why I am doing that. It is well into the Fall season here in the Midwest and soon all the outside work will be over. That means about five months of pretty much staying in the “cabin”. To ward off cabin fever I usually try to take on a special project for each in-door season. The project this year will be to learn as much as I can about the history of the middle class and the possible causes of its recent decline. ” Continue reading “The Shrinking Middle Class….”
via Jack Welch: I was right about jobs report – Oct. 9, 2012. Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, had previously contributed content to Fortune, but following critical coverage of his comments on the jobs report and tenure at GE, Welch said in an e-mail Tuesday that he was terminating his contract with Fortune. In his WSJ op-ed, Welch suggests that the reaction to his … Continue reading All Rich Guys Think They are Infallible….
I guess I am still fixated on the post from yesterday about how so many very sparsely populated States in the U.S. now have so much power. It seems that our country is quite out of balance right now as a result of past decisions. Maybe it is time to revisit some of that stuff. Being that I am the fool who rushes in where … Continue reading How About Some Changes….
We can get mighty rich, but if we haven’t got any friends, we will find we are poorer than anybody. – June 1, 1930 Will Rogers I am totally embarrassed that it has been so long since I used any of my hero Will Roger’s quotes on this blog. He is my inspiration for sitting down and doing this on a daily basis. When I … Continue reading Mighty Rich But….
There is a great tendency all over the country now to be high brow. More people should work for their dinner instead of dressing for it — Will Rogers This quote caught my attention because for the last few months I have been watching the PBS series “Downton Abby”. Here is how Wikipedia describes the series: The series is set in the fictional Downton Abbey, … Continue reading Dressing For Dinner…
The difference between the rich and the poor grows greater every year. Our distribution of wealth is getting more uneven all the time. A man can make a million and he is on every page in the morning. But it never tells who gave up that million he got. You can’t get money without taking it from someone. – 1933 Will Rogers This is … Continue reading Its Got To Come From Somewhere….
Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not … Continue reading More From James…
This excerpt from a Wall Street Journal article peaked my senses. It seems the rich, who we give massive tax breaks, are aware that their kids will probably blow through their inherited wealth after they are gone. What a bind to be in! I bet they take all this planning and trustees as tax deductions. It seems very ironic that while most of us are … Continue reading Poor Little Rich Kids…..
The last presidential home we visited on our April vacation was the Hermitage of Andrew Jackson. I must admit that I had read various things about “Stonewall” before I visited and there was not much of what I read that I liked. After visiting his home just outside of Nashville Tennessee and learning more about him I can say I like him even less today. … Continue reading And Then There Was Andy……
RJ's Corner 