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Capitalism is the reason those treatments exist in the first place. I don't see many cutting-edge cancer treatments coming out of Cuba, North Korea or Venezuela

by nickpp 10mo ago

Capitalism is the reason those treatments exist in the first place. I don't see many cutting-edge cancer treatments coming out of Cuba, North Korea or Venezuela.

hermanzegerman 10mo ago
Those cutting edge cancer treatments come usually out of universities from publicly funded research. But don't worry your free market friends are killing it right now, for tax reductions https://www.wired.com/story/how-trump-killed-cancer-research/ https://www.wired.com/story/how-trump-killed-cancer-research...
- nickpp 10mo ago
  [flagged]
  - Hikikomori 10mo ago
    And Trumps economy is doing well?
    - catlikesshrimp 10mo ago
      Yes, his personal economy is prosperous. Oh, the other one? /s https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/article/the-definitive-networth-of-donaldtrump/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/article/the-defini... Most of his added wealth comes from "crypto" and name licensing.
  - hermanzegerman 10mo ago
    Obviously you need a strong and prosperous economy. But like you noticed yourself you also need to tax it, to deliver benefits to your population
    - nickpp 10mo ago
      > you also need to tax it, to deliver benefits to your population The benefits were already delivered by that strong and prosperous economy in form of products and services. Taxation is of course necessary to fund government spending but we need to keep in mind its drawbacks: from discouraging productive activity and slowing economic growth to giving politicians funds to buy votes with populist social policies.
  - orwin 10mo ago
    Strong and prosperous economy built by progressive tax rate that used to tax up to 70% of non-work income, and now tax most of it 27-29% (depending on the corporate taxe of the state). The people who can use loopholes to avoid income taxes also pay reduced consumption tax (they usually pay the 'Use tax' rather than sale tax in the US, and can basically ignore VAT in Europe).
    - KingMob 10mo ago
      Americans really gloss over that the 50s was a high-water mark for both the economy and tax rates.
    - simonh 10mo ago
      Sure, capitalism isn't perfect. No economic system is, mainly because they're all composed of us semi-evolved chimps. Every economic system has that problem. Getting rid of or severely constraining economic freedoms isn't a solution, it makes it worse.
      - beepbooptheory 10mo ago
        Ok but if its taken you just three comments to get to "well... nothing is perfect I guess" where did that initial conviction come from?? Like why even play out this same argument if your heart isn't even in it? Is it a sense of obligation? If anything, you do your entire position a disservice by folding so quickly. It just goes to show noone deep down even believes these stories anymore, even we expect others to. Like, yes, we are discussing an "imperfection" here! You are the one that asserting the greater perfection, not the lesser.
    - nickpp 10mo ago
      That's a common misconception. Although the top tax rates were indeed high, they kicked in at such high income levels and included so many deductions and loopholes that the effective tax rate were much closer to 50%. And it makes sense, considering human nature and motivation: how much would you work considering the taxation? Me: 0-20%: I work as hard, want to excel and advance; I will take risks and invest in entrepreneurial endeavors 20-40%: I will do my duty, 9-5 then hit the door to spend time with the family; actively seek low-responsibility low risk high stability and lots of benefits government jobs >40%: f that s, I will take my welfare payments and do various cash jobs without declaring that income; stay in my parents basement playing Xbox, smoking weed and jerking off

by nickpp 10mo ago

Capitalism is the reason those treatments exist in the first place. I don't see many cutting-edge cancer treatments coming out of Cuba, North Korea or Venezuela.

hermanzegerman 10mo ago

Those cutting edge cancer treatments come usually out of universities from publicly funded research. But don't worry your free market friends are killing it right now, for tax reductions https://www.wired.com/story/how-trump-killed-cancer-research/ https://www.wired.com/story/how-trump-killed-cancer-research...

nickpp 10mo ago
[flagged]
- Hikikomori 10mo ago
  And Trumps economy is doing well?
  - catlikesshrimp 10mo ago
    Yes, his personal economy is prosperous. Oh, the other one? /s https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/article/the-definitive-networth-of-donaldtrump/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/article/the-defini... Most of his added wealth comes from "crypto" and name licensing.
- hermanzegerman 10mo ago
  Obviously you need a strong and prosperous economy. But like you noticed yourself you also need to tax it, to deliver benefits to your population
  - nickpp 10mo ago
    > you also need to tax it, to deliver benefits to your population The benefits were already delivered by that strong and prosperous economy in form of products and services. Taxation is of course necessary to fund government spending but we need to keep in mind its drawbacks: from discouraging productive activity and slowing economic growth to giving politicians funds to buy votes with populist social policies.
- orwin 10mo ago
  Strong and prosperous economy built by progressive tax rate that used to tax up to 70% of non-work income, and now tax most of it 27-29% (depending on the corporate taxe of the state). The people who can use loopholes to avoid income taxes also pay reduced consumption tax (they usually pay the 'Use tax' rather than sale tax in the US, and can basically ignore VAT in Europe).
  - KingMob 10mo ago
    Americans really gloss over that the 50s was a high-water mark for both the economy and tax rates.
  - simonh 10mo ago
    Sure, capitalism isn't perfect. No economic system is, mainly because they're all composed of us semi-evolved chimps. Every economic system has that problem. Getting rid of or severely constraining economic freedoms isn't a solution, it makes it worse.
    - beepbooptheory 10mo ago
      Ok but if its taken you just three comments to get to "well... nothing is perfect I guess" where did that initial conviction come from?? Like why even play out this same argument if your heart isn't even in it? Is it a sense of obligation? If anything, you do your entire position a disservice by folding so quickly. It just goes to show noone deep down even believes these stories anymore, even we expect others to. Like, yes, we are discussing an "imperfection" here! You are the one that asserting the greater perfection, not the lesser.
  - nickpp 10mo ago
    That's a common misconception. Although the top tax rates were indeed high, they kicked in at such high income levels and included so many deductions and loopholes that the effective tax rate were much closer to 50%. And it makes sense, considering human nature and motivation: how much would you work considering the taxation? Me: 0-20%: I work as hard, want to excel and advance; I will take risks and invest in entrepreneurial endeavors 20-40%: I will do my duty, 9-5 then hit the door to spend time with the family; actively seek low-responsibility low risk high stability and lots of benefits government jobs >40%: f that s, I will take my welfare payments and do various cash jobs without declaring that income; stay in my parents basement playing Xbox, smoking weed and jerking off