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Call me up when our government stops doing idiotic things like sending billions in cash to Iran. Then I'll consider being concerned about income taxes.

mars4rp 10y ago
which government? US? that was Iranian money frozen 39 years ago plus interest. India? that was owed oil money due to sanctions. I don't understand how you are capitalist until the other side is Iran.
- totalZero 10y ago
  This is totally unrelated to capitalism as a structure and paradigm for an economy. Let's momentarily set aside the issue of whether the US owed Iran 1.7B dollars. There are arguments on both sides but I want to point something out: The cash payment was made at the same time as the release of four Americans by Iran's regime. The Obama administration has admitted that the cash was used as leverage in negotiating their release. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...
  - mars4rp 10y ago
    as you said it was used as a LEVERAGE not a ransom. US had to pay this money anyway, by timing it right they had more LEVERAGE in the negotiations and 4 innocent people got out of prison. What is wrong with that? painting this payments as ransom is wrong.
    - totalZero 10y ago
      Ransom IS leverage. The payer is manipulating the captor's desire for money, in order to get an immediate release of prisoners that would otherwise not happen. Equally true, taking hostages is a way to gain leverage by manipulating the payer's desire to protect the captives. Why do you think bank robbers and hijackers do it? Iran was unable to get that money for almost forty years, but by dangling four Americans in front of the Obama administration, they were able to collect a ten-figure cash payment out of America's coffers. And you think there's nothing wrong with that? The Americans are guilty of caving on their principles and giving tons of (borrowed btw) cash to hostage takers, and the Iranians are guilt of taking hostages in the first place.

mars4rp 10y ago

which government? US? that was Iranian money frozen 39 years ago plus interest. India? that was owed oil money due to sanctions. I don't understand how you are capitalist until the other side is Iran.

totalZero 10y ago
This is totally unrelated to capitalism as a structure and paradigm for an economy. Let's momentarily set aside the issue of whether the US owed Iran 1.7B dollars. There are arguments on both sides but I want to point something out: The cash payment was made at the same time as the release of four Americans by Iran's regime. The Obama administration has admitted that the cash was used as leverage in negotiating their release. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...
- mars4rp 10y ago
  as you said it was used as a LEVERAGE not a ransom. US had to pay this money anyway, by timing it right they had more LEVERAGE in the negotiations and 4 innocent people got out of prison. What is wrong with that? painting this payments as ransom is wrong.
  - totalZero 10y ago
    Ransom IS leverage. The payer is manipulating the captor's desire for money, in order to get an immediate release of prisoners that would otherwise not happen. Equally true, taking hostages is a way to gain leverage by manipulating the payer's desire to protect the captives. Why do you think bank robbers and hijackers do it? Iran was unable to get that money for almost forty years, but by dangling four Americans in front of the Obama administration, they were able to collect a ten-figure cash payment out of America's coffers. And you think there's nothing wrong with that? The Americans are guilty of caving on their principles and giving tons of (borrowed btw) cash to hostage takers, and the Iranians are guilt of taking hostages in the first place.