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165 Million Americans Are Dependents of the State: Is Tyranny Next?
Forbes ^ | 8/15/2012 | Bill Wilson

Posted on 08/21/2012 8:52:34 AM PDT by george76

Is America descending into a dependency state, where the majority uses its voting power to demand government services from taxpayers?

New research from Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee Jeff Sessions (R-AL) reveals that this reality may already be here, with more than 107 million Americans on some form of means-tested government welfare.

...

most voting-age Americans do not pay income taxes — approximately 50.6 percent.

That includes 53.91 million Americans who pay nothing in income taxes, and another 64.7 million who get refunds in excess of what was owed. That’s 118.61 million out of 234.6 million Americans 18 years and older ...

The U.S. Constitution was designed to protect against such an outcome. The Founders did not want a democracy, which tends to be problematic because of the failure of minority rights to be defended against an arrogant or authoritarian majority. So, instead, the Founders created a republic.

In Federalist No. 10, James Madison wrote that in democracies, “governments are too unstable and

(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Alabama; US: California; US: District of Columbia; US: Florida; US: Montana; US: New York; US: North Carolina; US: South Carolina
KEYWORDS: 2012; democracies; democracy; democrats; federalistno10; jamesmadison; madison; nannystate; republic; taxes; tyranny; welfarestate
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1 posted on 08/21/2012 8:52:37 AM PDT by george76
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To: george76
Is America descending into a dependency state, where the majority uses its voting power to demand government services from taxpayers?

NO!

We are not descending - we are already there.


2 posted on 08/21/2012 8:54:36 AM PDT by Iron Munro ("In any compromise between good and evil, it is only evil that can profit." - Ayn Rand)
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To: Iron Munro

Yup...”165 million Americans dependents of the State” IS tyranny!!!


3 posted on 08/21/2012 8:56:43 AM PDT by SMARTY ("The man who has no inner-life is a slave to his surroundings. "Henri Frederic Amiel)
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To: Iron Munro

Yup...”165 million Americans dependents of the State” IS tyranny!!!


4 posted on 08/21/2012 8:57:05 AM PDT by SMARTY ("The man who has no inner-life is a slave to his surroundings. "Henri Frederic Amiel)
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To: george76

Well, people who get refunds still pay taxes, they just don’t seem to know it.


5 posted on 08/21/2012 8:59:06 AM PDT by Abakumov
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To: Abakumov
Well, people who get refunds still pay taxes, they just don’t seem to know it.

I think the point is with EIC and other negative taxes he's talking about getting more than paid in.

and another 64.7 million who get refunds in excess of what was owed.

6 posted on 08/21/2012 9:08:18 AM PDT by sam_paine (X .................................)
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To: george76

There has not been a republic since at least 1868.

As for the huge group who do not pay taxes, thank George Bush. Good enough reason to let the Bush tax cuts lapse.


7 posted on 08/21/2012 9:16:53 AM PDT by Sequoyah101 (Half the people are below average, they voted for oblabla.)
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To: Abakumov

You’re not obligated to explain but I’d be interested in knowing how it is that they do actually pay taxes.

Unless you are parsing facts by saying they pay for things that are taxed or that they pay SS or medicare tax or something like that ... they do not pay federal taxes.


8 posted on 08/21/2012 9:20:34 AM PDT by Sequoyah101 (Half the people are below average, they voted for oblabla.)
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To: george76
Hundreds of millions do not have any moral strength and are so illiterate that mentally they are zero. Those play and hallucinate daily and will only be loyal to the hand that feeds their lazy butts.
9 posted on 08/21/2012 9:26:07 AM PDT by Logical me
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To: sam_paine

“and another 64.7 million who get refunds in excess of what was owed.”

That’s just a bit of hyperbole there.

If you have, say, $3,000 witheld from your paycheck for Federal taxes and you owe $1,000 then you get a $2,000 refund. Which is a refund in excess of what you owe. It doesn’t mean anything wrong happened it just means you overpaid during the year and you got a refund.

Now there are also low income people who get tax credits in excess of what they owe and they end up getting payments from the IRS instead of a tax bill.

But a tax credit is not a refund.


10 posted on 08/21/2012 9:26:30 AM PDT by MeganC (The Cinemark theatre in Aurora, CO is a 'Gun Free Zone'. Spread the word.)
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To: MeganC
But a tax credit is not a refund.

You are correct. One can only be refunded what one actually paid. It is, however, a distinction without a difference with respect to those living off the taxes of others.

11 posted on 08/21/2012 9:30:55 AM PDT by IYAS9YAS (Rose, there's a Messerschmitt in the kitchen. Clean it up, will ya?)
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To: george76
The Founders did not want a democracy, which tends to be problematic because of the failure of minority rights to be defended against an arrogant or authoritarian majority. So, instead, the Founders created a republic.

Which was murdered around the mid 1800's.

12 posted on 08/21/2012 9:32:25 AM PDT by MamaTexan (I am a Person as Created by the Laws of Nature, not a person as created by the laws of Man)
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To: george76

Once the balance tipped over 50%, all was lost. When you can buy half of the population, tyranny and despotism follows. Bunker down folks, it’s going to be a long night in America.


13 posted on 08/21/2012 9:40:07 AM PDT by factoryrat (We are the producers, the creators. Grow it, mine it, build it.)
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To: george76

Economic collapse is next, followed by social collapse, followed by R2/CW2.


14 posted on 08/21/2012 10:18:03 AM PDT by DTogo (High time to bring back the Sons of Liberty !!)
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To: george76

Do those figures include the hundreds of thousands of bureaucrats and propagandists (mostly local, some with federal funding), who draw large incomes to rob others of what they produce? Most of them aren’t doing anything but plotting and scheming the next officious, legalized robbery. And how about those in the many non-profits (and many in not-for-profits), who work in concert with the deleterious and otherwise useless government employees?

The situation is far worse than what the author portrays. Maybe he didn’t want to raise the ire of those who take the greatest amounts of debt/revenues to finish ruining the country. They are also the controlling constituents in politics.

It’s a plutocracy, although most of the favored constituents aren’t really rich (cash flow vs. debts). It’s an eduocracy and kleptocracy. Have fun. Enjoy the slide.

Or stop obstructing small, domestic manufacturing starts, repair shops and owner-building in rural areas.


15 posted on 08/21/2012 11:14:59 AM PDT by familyop (Duncan Hunter or no-vote.)
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To: george76

Everyone is unknowingly getting a PhD education in the philosophies of Mr. and Mrs. Cloward.

Crash the system and guarantee everyone a government stipend.

They are doing SO well! Why do you think the USDA runs TV commercials in English and Spanish touting the advantages of food stamps?

Why were unemployment benefits extended to 99 weeks? After 99 weeks you come to depend on that check. What’s a government check-addicted slob to do? Why, just apply for SSI. Make up a malady, hire a SSI lawyer and apply for benefits. It may take a year or two but that’s a monthly check for life, no strings attached.

Of course, the check will rarely be for more than $900/month. But now that you have SSI a whole new word of “livin’ on the government” benefits opens. Free cell phone, food stamps, housing assistance, utility assistance, child care assistance, even CASH through the Family Independence (FI) program. Now you’ve got it made. Sit on the couch and watch your wide screen TV all day.


16 posted on 08/21/2012 11:42:49 AM PDT by upchuck ("Definition of 'racist:' someone that is winning an argument with a liberal." ~ Peter Brimelow)
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To: DTogo

New “collapse” series out at 299days.com.

This one seems a lot more plausible. A partial collapse, with some remaining loyal/dependent on gov’t, some services available, but most things turning to community control.

WRT the article here, I mentioned to a libinlaw the other day that 103 million people were dependent on gov’t, and she angrily denied that that could be true. I asked how she knew so vehemently that it wasn’t true, and she just got madder.

Even the sheeperals know that the collapse is coming. But they want to stay in denial as long as possible.


17 posted on 08/21/2012 11:48:36 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter knows whom he's working fors)
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To: george76

my sigh is apropos to this thread.


18 posted on 08/21/2012 12:22:44 PM PDT by zeugma (Those of us who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living.)
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To: zeugma
my sighsig is apropos to this thread.
19 posted on 08/21/2012 12:30:55 PM PDT by zeugma (Those of us who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living.)
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To: george76

I’m doing my taxes this week. The amount of petty BS I have to deal with only to find “that deduction isn’t for you” is driving me f’n nuts. Tyranny is already here.


20 posted on 08/21/2012 1:56:02 PM PDT by Pearls Before Swine
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