5 ms·

Are you also opposed to the Watergate leaks? Snowden's leaks? the Pentagon Papers? and a lot of less famous leaks of restricted information that have led to

Are you also opposed to the Watergate leaks? Snowden's leaks? the Pentagon Papers? and a lot of less famous leaks of restricted information that have led to exposure and sometimes even justice for people who otherwise would have hid behind "legal" defenses for immoral or flat out illegal acts of their own? I served in the Navy - I had a prety high clearance just to do the job I did. I know the value of classifying or otherwise restricting information. And I know the value of breaking those rules to expose those who would hide their crimes. I consider the current tax code a recipe/playbook/script for stealing from the American public.

mc32 5y ago
You are presenting an example of government cover ups or crimes. This is not the government doing something wrong, not even a private person doing something wrong. It’s simple some vigilante having a vendetta against someone they don’t like and using illegal mans to skewer them. The case they have is known. We know the loopholes. Let's as close them. Don’t go out on personal or vendettas of virtue when it aids nothing. There is nothing new here. Jeff, as much as I dislike his company, didn’t commit a crime.
- Retric 5y ago
  It’s your option that these people did nothing wrong. However, many legal things like adultery are still objectionable and people object to this.
  - mc32 5y ago
    the more appropriate comparison in your case would be an open marriage where one partner complains the other is cheating. They set up the rules then complain someone is taking advantage of the rules. I myself would like Jeff to pay more in taxes. I think the super wealthy pay too little in terms of parentage, but I should be upset with the Congress/IRS not the wealthy.
    - Retric 5y ago
      No, because it’s not the government complaining. The people complaining didn’t create the rules as such the rules are irrelevant to their complaint. Really, it’s not a question of laws but one of obligations to society as a whole. Because society and the government are different entities but society depends on it’s government.
    - Retric 5y ago
      PS: To better use your analogy, suppose rich guy X, had an open relationship with their spouse (the government) and then started dating someone without mentioning their marriage. That’s much closer to what’s going on because it’s not a question of if what they did was legal but rather the secretary around it and the impact on society.
- naasking 5y ago
  > It’s simple some vigilante having a vendetta against someone they don’t like and using illegal mans to skewer them. If the leak's target did nothing illegal or unethical with their taxes, then how are they being skewered? Their taxes would just show them to be an upstanding, law-abiding citizen, right? So sure, you can claim all you like that we already knew about these holes, but abstract arguments and aggregate data are far less persuasive and motivating than specific examples that clearly show the stark reality. Or are you forgetting how the George Floyd video galvanized a world-wide movement despite everyone already "knowing" that racism is bad, that it exists, that police training is subpar and that bad cops kill people of colour?
  - mc32 5y ago
    You're being coy. As if Twitter and all other social media media weren't about taking things and reframing them to make targets into bad people.
    - naasking 5y ago
      You mean ordinary people might develop a bad view of the untouchably wealthy because of the system they created to preserve their wealth? Cry me a river.
      - mc32 5y ago
        >preserve their wealth Like it or not, they created it. Should we extract more taxes from them, yes, arguably. But we don't have to resort to blackmail or other underworld tactics since it really accomplishes nothing other than momentary outrage by the mob. Get congress to enact laws that close loopholes.
        naasking 5y ago
        > Get congress to enact laws that close loopholes. And we do that by exposing the problems of the existing system and galvanizing people to demand change. Which is what these articles are doing.

mc32 5y ago

You are presenting an example of government cover ups or crimes. This is not the government doing something wrong, not even a private person doing something wrong. It’s simple some vigilante having a vendetta against someone they don’t like and using illegal mans to skewer them. The case they have is known. We know the loopholes. Let's as close them. Don’t go out on personal or vendettas of virtue when it aids nothing. There is nothing new here. Jeff, as much as I dislike his company, didn’t commit a crime.

Retric 5y ago
It’s your option that these people did nothing wrong. However, many legal things like adultery are still objectionable and people object to this.
- mc32 5y ago
  the more appropriate comparison in your case would be an open marriage where one partner complains the other is cheating. They set up the rules then complain someone is taking advantage of the rules. I myself would like Jeff to pay more in taxes. I think the super wealthy pay too little in terms of parentage, but I should be upset with the Congress/IRS not the wealthy.
  - Retric 5y ago
    No, because it’s not the government complaining. The people complaining didn’t create the rules as such the rules are irrelevant to their complaint. Really, it’s not a question of laws but one of obligations to society as a whole. Because society and the government are different entities but society depends on it’s government.
  - Retric 5y ago
    PS: To better use your analogy, suppose rich guy X, had an open relationship with their spouse (the government) and then started dating someone without mentioning their marriage. That’s much closer to what’s going on because it’s not a question of if what they did was legal but rather the secretary around it and the impact on society.
naasking 5y ago
> It’s simple some vigilante having a vendetta against someone they don’t like and using illegal mans to skewer them. If the leak's target did nothing illegal or unethical with their taxes, then how are they being skewered? Their taxes would just show them to be an upstanding, law-abiding citizen, right? So sure, you can claim all you like that we already knew about these holes, but abstract arguments and aggregate data are far less persuasive and motivating than specific examples that clearly show the stark reality. Or are you forgetting how the George Floyd video galvanized a world-wide movement despite everyone already "knowing" that racism is bad, that it exists, that police training is subpar and that bad cops kill people of colour?
- mc32 5y ago
  You're being coy. As if Twitter and all other social media media weren't about taking things and reframing them to make targets into bad people.
  - naasking 5y ago
    You mean ordinary people might develop a bad view of the untouchably wealthy because of the system they created to preserve their wealth? Cry me a river.
    - mc32 5y ago
      >preserve their wealth Like it or not, they created it. Should we extract more taxes from them, yes, arguably. But we don't have to resort to blackmail or other underworld tactics since it really accomplishes nothing other than momentary outrage by the mob. Get congress to enact laws that close loopholes.
      - naasking 5y ago
        > Get congress to enact laws that close loopholes. And we do that by exposing the problems of the existing system and galvanizing people to demand change. Which is what these articles are doing.