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Was it prosperous or just literally using slave labour? A huge amount of Americas wealth pre-civil war was built on Slavery and the associated industries. Oh

Was it prosperous or just literally using slave labour? A huge amount of Americas wealth pre-civil war was built on Slavery and the associated industries. Oh and stealing all the land.

jslezak 2y ago
MAGA dudes would like America to be “Great Again” but would like you not to Google what the top marginal tax rate was in the pre-civil rights era they are taking us back to (hint: it was 90%)
- smeeger 2y ago
  this is a common myth. effective tax rate for americas wealthiest men has never been at those levels.
  - Spartan-S63 2y ago
    They said it perfectly. The top marginal rate was 90%. The effective rate was much lower, but it effectively capped cash salaries, largely for executives.
    - smeeger 2y ago
      cash salaries arent important to executives or rich people. they are important to peons which is why they flap their gums about it so much.
smeeger 2y ago
the slaves probably helped a little but even with all the slaves in the world, a country that is corrupt and uninspired couldnt achieve half of what we have. the american work ethic is recognized by the whole world even today.
- 8biteye 2y ago
  Agreed. If it was just stolen land and slave labor that propelled America to a global superpower, then why didn't it work out for India? Or Africa? Both of those places LOVE slavery and both murdered their way into existence (Africa still does) but yet they are not wonderful, advanced countries that embrace the rights of people.
  - smeeger 2y ago
    and we should all observe soberly the fact that slavery is evil and fundamentally un-American. thats why we excised it from our country.
8biteye 2y ago
Every country in the world stole land from people that lived there before the current inhabitants. Every single one.
trod1234 2y ago
It was prosperous, the original American dream is not the American dream people think of when they hear that today. Hollywood has sold a lie to everyone for almost a century. The prosperity was inherent in the real American Dream which was based in Faith, Freedom, Self-sufficiency, Independence, Ownership, and No taxation without representation. Today you don't have any of these in most respects because they have been withheld by the previous generation (boomers), who clings to power as they die of old age. Lets do a short recap on the taxes for an average person: Federal 21.7 State 7.5-10 Medicare 2.9 Social Security 15.3 (you count employer side too because its money they can't pay you suppressing wages). Sales Tax ~10 Property 1% of the value of what you own Inheritance (50% above 1m) Aggregate: 59.9% of everything you can make, and this isn't counting the triple dip on fuel taxes. Then there is half of what you inherit, and 1% of the value of what you already own every year. To put this in perspective, the boston tea party increase that sparked our history in 1776 was over a tax rate of 25%. The boot on neck, has been clever in withholding education and disrupting communication. Parasites are the reason we are doing so poorly today, and why people can't find sufficient recompense to support life goals such as raising children. In 8 years, the birthrate will fall below the death rate.
- drivingmenuts 2y ago
  And who are those parasites?
- Spartan-S63 2y ago
  > Social Security 15.3 (you count employer side too because its money they can't pay you suppressing wages) Nit: this is disingenuous. If an employer didn’t have to pay that part of the tax, they wouldn’t pass it on to you. They’d pocket it.

Was it prosperous or just literally using slave labour? A huge amount of Americas wealth pre-civil war was built on Slavery and the associated industries. Oh and stealing all the land.

jslezak 2y ago

MAGA dudes would like America to be “Great Again” but would like you not to Google what the top marginal tax rate was in the pre-civil rights era they are taking us back to (hint: it was 90%)

smeeger 2y ago
this is a common myth. effective tax rate for americas wealthiest men has never been at those levels.
- Spartan-S63 2y ago
  They said it perfectly. The top marginal rate was 90%. The effective rate was much lower, but it effectively capped cash salaries, largely for executives.
  - smeeger 2y ago
    cash salaries arent important to executives or rich people. they are important to peons which is why they flap their gums about it so much.

smeeger 2y ago

the slaves probably helped a little but even with all the slaves in the world, a country that is corrupt and uninspired couldnt achieve half of what we have. the american work ethic is recognized by the whole world even today.

8biteye 2y ago
Agreed. If it was just stolen land and slave labor that propelled America to a global superpower, then why didn't it work out for India? Or Africa? Both of those places LOVE slavery and both murdered their way into existence (Africa still does) but yet they are not wonderful, advanced countries that embrace the rights of people.
- smeeger 2y ago
  and we should all observe soberly the fact that slavery is evil and fundamentally un-American. thats why we excised it from our country.

8biteye 2y ago

Every country in the world stole land from people that lived there before the current inhabitants. Every single one.

trod1234 2y ago

It was prosperous, the original American dream is not the American dream people think of when they hear that today. Hollywood has sold a lie to everyone for almost a century. The prosperity was inherent in the real American Dream which was based in Faith, Freedom, Self-sufficiency, Independence, Ownership, and No taxation without representation. Today you don't have any of these in most respects because they have been withheld by the previous generation (boomers), who clings to power as they die of old age. Lets do a short recap on the taxes for an average person: Federal 21.7 State 7.5-10 Medicare 2.9 Social Security 15.3 (you count employer side too because its money they can't pay you suppressing wages). Sales Tax ~10 Property 1% of the value of what you own Inheritance (50% above 1m) Aggregate: 59.9% of everything you can make, and this isn't counting the triple dip on fuel taxes. Then there is half of what you inherit, and 1% of the value of what you already own every year. To put this in perspective, the boston tea party increase that sparked our history in 1776 was over a tax rate of 25%. The boot on neck, has been clever in withholding education and disrupting communication. Parasites are the reason we are doing so poorly today, and why people can't find sufficient recompense to support life goals such as raising children. In 8 years, the birthrate will fall below the death rate.

drivingmenuts 2y ago
And who are those parasites?
Spartan-S63 2y ago
> Social Security 15.3 (you count employer side too because its money they can't pay you suppressing wages) Nit: this is disingenuous. If an employer didn’t have to pay that part of the tax, they wouldn’t pass it on to you. They’d pocket it.