We all secretly hoped American Gladiators would evolve into something more closely resembling The Running Man...or was that just me?Golem said:
I just watched Running Man with my kids. Dystopian society run with propaganda and heavy handed government control of every aspect of daily lives. The media had a deal with the DOJ to help them to produce and propagate content to keep the masses mollified.
I explained that this, to some extent, is what the democrat party would love to turn America into. I cited DPRK as a socialist society that is mostly there. They already understand that democrats fight to murder babies and control every aspect of your life outside indiscriminate consequence free copulation….which is merely a new version of bread and circuses.
In a few years, they will be adults and will be very well armed against leftist propaganda.
GOP is populist
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163 Replies |
Last: 3 yr ago by ATL Bear
Isn't every political party a populist movement? I doubt very much any political party would say "we are the elite, vote for our policies to keep the elite in power." Obviously, that's the goal of every political party (to keep the elite in power), but it's just a matter of what populist policies they use to get enough votes to reach that goal.
one could say that they all start as a populist movement but have ended up as pick your poison groups who work for the elites/corp lobbiescontrario said:
Isn't every political party a populist movement? I doubt very much any political party would say "we are the elite, vote for our policies to keep the elite in power." Obviously, that's the goal of every political party (to keep the elite in power), but it's just a matter of what populist policies they use to get enough votes to reach that goal.
“The Internet is just a world passing around notes in a classroom.”
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
populism is a word scarcely heard in peace and prosperity. When you hear it used derisively among societal elites, you know they have screwed up something bigly.
They want to be kleptocrats without realizing they're playing with fire.whiterock said:
populism is a word scarcely heard in peace and prosperity. When you hear it used derisively among societal elites, you know they have screwed up something bigly.
Incorrect. Next?Waco1947 said:The rich.Harrison Bergeron said:What group of taxpayers are the most targeted for audits?Waco1947 said:
The GOP's first policy bill would defund President Joe Biden's efforts to help the Internal Revenue Service crack down on tax cheats. It's a bill that's predicated on disinformation, whose only real constituency is wealthy people who don't want to pay their fair share. And it underscores how the Republican Party's so-called populism isn't about empowering the working class it's about exploiting them
Unless you have data ... which usually you do not.
I do genuinely apologize for some of my posts that are not typed in the way my mom would be proud. But this is exactly why you're the single most frustrating poster on this site. I honestly do not know some days if you're a troll or just so blindly tribal or just a complete idiot.Waco1947 said:Worth bumpingBaylorGuy314 said:The bottom 20% of earners get audited about 5x more than the upper 20%.Harrison Bergeron said:What group of taxpayers are the most targeted for audits?Waco1947 said:
The GOP's first policy bill would defund President Joe Biden's efforts to help the Internal Revenue Service crack down on tax cheats. It's a bill that's predicated on disinformation, whose only real constituency is wealthy people who don't want to pay their fair share. And it underscores how the Republican Party's so-called populism isn't about empowering the working class it's about exploiting them
But that's not all because of targeting or enforcement (or a lack thereof). A lot of that is because the upper 20% are spending a crap ton on CPAs and can avoid the audits with a lot of fancy accounting work. The bottom 20% don't know how to properly fill out a Schedule C, creating flags all over their file.
To me, the conversation is simple:
1. There is a tax gap (what should be collected vs what is) and the IRS does need additional labor + tech to address this.
2. The IRS does need money to upgrade systems so they can be more efficient (which should lessen the demand on physical labor)
3. It doesn't take $90B to accomplish those things. It shouldn't take half that much, even.
4. We need a simpler tax system. The complexity of our tax code should be embarrassing. CPAs- who do this full time- spend as much time (or more) researching and understanding the tax code they deal with daily vs actually preparing returns.
I'm not opposed to a flat tax based on sales but there would have to be a lot of work done. You'd have to eliminate a large basket of goods so those with much less disposable income weren't hurt more by it and you'd have to still have a lot of tax rules to grab the taxes of the wealthy that are making substantial income but not necessarily spending them on goods.
You literally posted above that the rich get audited the most and then reposted and bumped a post that contradicted that - so sometimes I cannot figure out if you're trolling or just honestly a moron.
Harrison Bergeron said:I do genuinely apologize for some of my posts that are not typed in the way my mom would be proud. But this is exactly why you're the single most frustrating poster on this site. I honestly do not know some days if you're a troll or just so blindly tribal or just a complete idiot.Waco1947 said:Worth bumpingBaylorGuy314 said:The bottom 20% of earners get audited about 5x more than the upper 20%.Harrison Bergeron said:What group of taxpayers are the most targeted for audits?Waco1947 said:
The GOP's first policy bill would defund President Joe Biden's efforts to help the Internal Revenue Service crack down on tax cheats. It's a bill that's predicated on disinformation, whose only real constituency is wealthy people who don't want to pay their fair share. And it underscores how the Republican Party's so-called populism isn't about empowering the working class it's about exploiting them
But that's not all because of targeting or enforcement (or a lack thereof). A lot of that is because the upper 20% are spending a crap ton on CPAs and can avoid the audits with a lot of fancy accounting work. The bottom 20% don't know how to properly fill out a Schedule C, creating flags all over their file.
To me, the conversation is simple:
1. There is a tax gap (what should be collected vs what is) and the IRS does need additional labor + tech to address this.
2. The IRS does need money to upgrade systems so they can be more efficient (which should lessen the demand on physical labor)
3. It doesn't take $90B to accomplish those things. It shouldn't take half that much, even.
4. We need a simpler tax system. The complexity of our tax code should be embarrassing. CPAs- who do this full time- spend as much time (or more) researching and understanding the tax code they deal with daily vs actually preparing returns.
I'm not opposed to a flat tax based on sales but there would have to be a lot of work done. You'd have to eliminate a large basket of goods so those with much less disposable income weren't hurt more by it and you'd have to still have a lot of tax rules to grab the taxes of the wealthy that are making substantial income but not necessarily spending them on goods.
You literally posted above that the rich get audited the most and then reposted and bumped a post that contradicted that - so sometimes I cannot figure out if you're trolling or just honestly a moron.
he does not because there isnt any to support that..Harrison Bergeron said:Incorrect. Next?Waco1947 said:The rich.Harrison Bergeron said:What group of taxpayers are the most targeted for audits?Waco1947 said:
The GOP's first policy bill would defund President Joe Biden's efforts to help the Internal Revenue Service crack down on tax cheats. It's a bill that's predicated on disinformation, whose only real constituency is wealthy people who don't want to pay their fair share. And it underscores how the Republican Party's so-called populism isn't about empowering the working class it's about exploiting them
Unless you have data ... which usually you do not.
In fact, he should be worried because the new IRS people will have a group of them focusing on EArned income credit and child tax credit over payments during audits.
The self employed should also be worried because they are gonna do alot more audits looking for issues with expenses, unproven write offs, etc..
“The Internet is just a world passing around notes in a classroom.”
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Populism is rarely an ideal that results in peace and prosperity. It is a shield used to deflect the attention from the power hungry who use it for gain. It isn't a battle against "elites". It's a battle for the "elite" you prefer.whiterock said:
populism is a word scarcely heard in peace and prosperity. When you hear it used derisively among societal elites, you know they have screwed up something bigly.
a cynical take, but not always untrue.ATL Bear said:Populism is rarely an ideal that results in peace and prosperity. It is a shield used to deflect the attention from the power hungry who use it for gain. It isn't a battle against "elites". It's a battle for the "elite" you prefer.whiterock said:
populism is a word scarcely heard in peace and prosperity. When you hear it used derisively among societal elites, you know they have screwed up something bigly.
history is full of examples of elites losing touch with the masses. Sometimes the elites see/hear the problems and deal with them, at least well enough to maintain order. Sometimes they don't. And when the masses install a new order, sometimes it's an improvement (American revolution), sometimes not (French & Russian revolutions).
American elites today have purposely lost touch with the masses. Progressives know full well what they're doing. And in trying to force things that do not matter upon the masses, they're creating the very forces they decry.
It's not about right/wrong or good/bad. It just is what it is. If societal institutions are actually addressing the concerns of most of the public, the center will hold. When the center fails and large swathes of the public are disaffected, it's a sign that things are not working properly. Elites always blame populism as a dynamic of a a leader who's whipped up a crowd out of thin air. The reality is, if the crowd is formed, the oxygen for it to draw breath already existed. The leader in context is just as organic as the crowd itself.
Whether one likes populism in general or a populist candidate in particular is not really the point. The fact that populist candidates exist and win elections is the sign that one or both ends of the spectrum is working a dysfunctional notion of common good.
Contrario: "Isn't every political party a populist movement? "
Nope. Certainly political parties present themselves as populist, in order to win elections. But when you get down to polices and walking the walk, no major political party in my lifetime in any nation with a population above 80 million people can really be said to be populist.
In some ways that's good. You get demagogues through Populism, and some of those can be dangerous. Of course, as we learned from Obama, it's very possible for someone to claim to be representing the average guy, when in fact he/she/it is primarily concerned with their own profit or power.
Look at the results of the individual's work, policies and bills. A real populist will be consistent with the Founders' Ideals, not the motto of the moment.
Nope. Certainly political parties present themselves as populist, in order to win elections. But when you get down to polices and walking the walk, no major political party in my lifetime in any nation with a population above 80 million people can really be said to be populist.
In some ways that's good. You get demagogues through Populism, and some of those can be dangerous. Of course, as we learned from Obama, it's very possible for someone to claim to be representing the average guy, when in fact he/she/it is primarily concerned with their own profit or power.
Look at the results of the individual's work, policies and bills. A real populist will be consistent with the Founders' Ideals, not the motto of the moment.
That which does not kill me, will try again and get nastier
The poor are 5 times more likely to get an audit according to IRS numbers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irs-audit-eitc-five-times-as-likely-to-get-audited/
And the number of audits on people over $1mil or $10 mil has DROPPED over the years.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irs-audit-eitc-five-times-as-likely-to-get-audited/
And the number of audits on people over $1mil or $10 mil has DROPPED over the years.
I would bet that a significant number of audited tax returns are ones that are not done by CPAscowboycwr said:
The poor are 5 times more likely to get an audit according to IRS numbers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irs-audit-eitc-five-times-as-likely-to-get-audited/
And the number of audits on people over $1mil or $10 mil has DROPPED over the years.
“The Internet is just a world passing around notes in a classroom.”
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
The best kind of populist was Texas governor Jim Hogg, who famously proclaimed "I know the common people are with me because I can smell them!"whiterock said:a cynical take, but not always untrue.ATL Bear said:Populism is rarely an ideal that results in peace and prosperity. It is a shield used to deflect the attention from the power hungry who use it for gain. It isn't a battle against "elites". It's a battle for the "elite" you prefer.whiterock said:
populism is a word scarcely heard in peace and prosperity. When you hear it used derisively among societal elites, you know they have screwed up something bigly.
history is full of examples of elites losing touch with the masses. Sometimes the elites see/hear the problems and deal with them, at least well enough to maintain order. Sometimes they don't. And when the masses install a new order, sometimes it's an improvement (American revolution), sometimes not (French & Russian revolutions).
American elites today have purposely lost touch with the masses. Progressives know full well what they're doing. And in trying to force things that do not matter upon the masses, they're creating the very forces they decry.
It's not about right/wrong or good/bad. It just is what it is. If societal institutions are actually addressing the concerns of most of the public, the center will hold. When the center fails and large swathes of the public are disaffected, it's a sign that things are not working properly. Elites always blame populism as a dynamic of a a leader who's whipped up a crowd out of thin air. The reality is, if the crowd is formed, the oxygen for it to draw breath already existed. The leader in context is just as organic as the crowd itself.
Whether one likes populism in general or a populist candidate in particular is not really the point. The fact that populist candidates exist and win elections is the sign that one or both ends of the spectrum is working a dysfunctional notion of common good.
Why would you think that?4th and Inches said:I would bet that a significant number of audited tax returns are ones that are not done by CPAscowboycwr said:
The poor are 5 times more likely to get an audit according to IRS numbers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irs-audit-eitc-five-times-as-likely-to-get-audited/
And the number of audits on people over $1mil or $10 mil has DROPPED over the years.
CPA are more likely to understand tax law and how to apply it. People who dont understand tax law and how to apply it are more likely to make a mistake and are more likely to be bullied into admitting they messed up whether they did or not during an audit.cowboycwr said:Why would you think that?4th and Inches said:I would bet that a significant number of audited tax returns are ones that are not done by CPAscowboycwr said:
The poor are 5 times more likely to get an audit according to IRS numbers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irs-audit-eitc-five-times-as-likely-to-get-audited/
And the number of audits on people over $1mil or $10 mil has DROPPED over the years.
Tax returns done by CPAs will absolutely be audited but CPAs win tax audits more than people who dont have CPA background.
Those guys are looking for wins, they will take the easy wins all day long.
“The Internet is just a world passing around notes in a classroom.”
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
This is Peak Regressive ... make some ignorant emotional statement based on disinformation ... when actually facts disprove ... hide.cowboycwr said:
The poor are 5 times more likely to get an audit according to IRS numbers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irs-audit-eitc-five-times-as-likely-to-get-audited/
And the number of audits on people over $1mil or $10 mil has DROPPED over the years.
That part I understand but is the IRS able to tell a return is done by a CPA before they start the audit process? Like is it flagged in their system in a way that they know to skip over it? If so that makes it even less "random" then they claim it is supposed to be.4th and Inches said:CPA are more likely to understand tax law and how to apply it. People who dont understand tax law and how to apply it are more likely to make a mistake and are more likely to be bullied into admitting they messed up whether they did or not during an audit.cowboycwr said:Why would you think that?4th and Inches said:I would bet that a significant number of audited tax returns are ones that are not done by CPAscowboycwr said:
The poor are 5 times more likely to get an audit according to IRS numbers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irs-audit-eitc-five-times-as-likely-to-get-audited/
And the number of audits on people over $1mil or $10 mil has DROPPED over the years.
Tax returns done by CPAs will absolutely be audited but CPAs win tax audits more than people who dont have CPA background.
Those guys are looking for wins, they will take the easy wins all day long.
Are you saying I posted disinformation? or talking about waco47?Harrison Bergeron said:This is Peak Regressive ... make some ignorant emotional statement based on disinformation ... when actually facts disprove ... hide.cowboycwr said:
The poor are 5 times more likely to get an audit according to IRS numbers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irs-audit-eitc-five-times-as-likely-to-get-audited/
And the number of audits on people over $1mil or $10 mil has DROPPED over the years.
cowboycwr said:That part I understand but is the IRS able to tell a return is done by a CPA before they start the audit process? Like is it flagged in their system in a way that they know to skip over it? If so that makes it even less "random" then they claim it is supposed to be.4th and Inches said:CPA are more likely to understand tax law and how to apply it. People who dont understand tax law and how to apply it are more likely to make a mistake and are more likely to be bullied into admitting they messed up whether they did or not during an audit.cowboycwr said:Why would you think that?4th and Inches said:I would bet that a significant number of audited tax returns are ones that are not done by CPAscowboycwr said:
The poor are 5 times more likely to get an audit according to IRS numbers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irs-audit-eitc-five-times-as-likely-to-get-audited/
And the number of audits on people over $1mil or $10 mil has DROPPED over the years.
Tax returns done by CPAs will absolutely be audited but CPAs win tax audits more than people who dont have CPA background.
Those guys are looking for wins, they will take the easy wins all day long.
CPA/enrolled agent must sign the return as well. They can be held liable for any fraud as well. Notifies IRS who to contact as well as allows them to track preparers who may be pitching dubious tax schemes.
Yes I know that.whitetrash said:cowboycwr said:That part I understand but is the IRS able to tell a return is done by a CPA before they start the audit process? Like is it flagged in their system in a way that they know to skip over it? If so that makes it even less "random" then they claim it is supposed to be.4th and Inches said:CPA are more likely to understand tax law and how to apply it. People who dont understand tax law and how to apply it are more likely to make a mistake and are more likely to be bullied into admitting they messed up whether they did or not during an audit.cowboycwr said:Why would you think that?4th and Inches said:I would bet that a significant number of audited tax returns are ones that are not done by CPAscowboycwr said:
The poor are 5 times more likely to get an audit according to IRS numbers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irs-audit-eitc-five-times-as-likely-to-get-audited/
And the number of audits on people over $1mil or $10 mil has DROPPED over the years.
Tax returns done by CPAs will absolutely be audited but CPAs win tax audits more than people who dont have CPA background.
Those guys are looking for wins, they will take the easy wins all day long.
CPA/enrolled agent must sign the return as well. They can be held liable for any fraud as well. Notifies IRS who to contact as well as allows them to track preparers who may be pitching dubious tax schemes.
perhaps I am not being clear.
The audit process is "random." So if you have a stack of 100 paper tax returns or 100 electronic ones on the computer and they randomly pull out 15 from each some of those should be by a CPA. Unless the IRS gets those and puts them to the side and pulls again. Or are the paper ones in a different stack, different color folder, etc.
If it is random there is no way to tell until you actually look at the return that a CPA did it meaning excluding CPA done returns means it is not random.
So my question is... Does the IRS have a way to distinguish them in their files before the random selection begins?
Well, there is a section where you tell the IRS whether you prepared your own taxes, or someone did it for you. So it wouldn't be hard to sort out the ones that mean more work for the auditor.cowboycwr said:That part I understand but is the IRS able to tell a return is done by a CPA before they start the audit process? Like is it flagged in their system in a way that they know to skip over it? If so that makes it even less "random" then they claim it is supposed to be.4th and Inches said:CPA are more likely to understand tax law and how to apply it. People who dont understand tax law and how to apply it are more likely to make a mistake and are more likely to be bullied into admitting they messed up whether they did or not during an audit.cowboycwr said:Why would you think that?4th and Inches said:I would bet that a significant number of audited tax returns are ones that are not done by CPAscowboycwr said:
The poor are 5 times more likely to get an audit according to IRS numbers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irs-audit-eitc-five-times-as-likely-to-get-audited/
And the number of audits on people over $1mil or $10 mil has DROPPED over the years.
Tax returns done by CPAs will absolutely be audited but CPAs win tax audits more than people who dont have CPA background.
Those guys are looking for wins, they will take the easy wins all day long.
That which does not kill me, will try again and get nastier
Yes. As I have said several times now I get that part.Oldbear83 said:Well, there is a section where you tell the IRS whether you prepared your own taxes, or someone did it for you. So it wouldn't be hard to sort out the ones that mean more work for the auditor.cowboycwr said:That part I understand but is the IRS able to tell a return is done by a CPA before they start the audit process? Like is it flagged in their system in a way that they know to skip over it? If so that makes it even less "random" then they claim it is supposed to be.4th and Inches said:CPA are more likely to understand tax law and how to apply it. People who dont understand tax law and how to apply it are more likely to make a mistake and are more likely to be bullied into admitting they messed up whether they did or not during an audit.cowboycwr said:Why would you think that?4th and Inches said:I would bet that a significant number of audited tax returns are ones that are not done by CPAscowboycwr said:
The poor are 5 times more likely to get an audit according to IRS numbers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irs-audit-eitc-five-times-as-likely-to-get-audited/
And the number of audits on people over $1mil or $10 mil has DROPPED over the years.
Tax returns done by CPAs will absolutely be audited but CPAs win tax audits more than people who dont have CPA background.
Those guys are looking for wins, they will take the easy wins all day long.
But the IRS states the reasons they audit like for errors, missing income, etc. The IRS also states they do random audits. If they are excluding returns done by a professional then that is not random or at least only random among a select group.
cowboycwr said:Yes. As I have said several times now I get that part.Oldbear83 said:Well, there is a section where you tell the IRS whether you prepared your own taxes, or someone did it for you. So it wouldn't be hard to sort out the ones that mean more work for the auditor.cowboycwr said:That part I understand but is the IRS able to tell a return is done by a CPA before they start the audit process? Like is it flagged in their system in a way that they know to skip over it? If so that makes it even less "random" then they claim it is supposed to be.4th and Inches said:CPA are more likely to understand tax law and how to apply it. People who dont understand tax law and how to apply it are more likely to make a mistake and are more likely to be bullied into admitting they messed up whether they did or not during an audit.cowboycwr said:Why would you think that?4th and Inches said:I would bet that a significant number of audited tax returns are ones that are not done by CPAscowboycwr said:
The poor are 5 times more likely to get an audit according to IRS numbers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irs-audit-eitc-five-times-as-likely-to-get-audited/
And the number of audits on people over $1mil or $10 mil has DROPPED over the years.
Tax returns done by CPAs will absolutely be audited but CPAs win tax audits more than people who dont have CPA background.
Those guys are looking for wins, they will take the easy wins all day long.
But the IRS states the reasons they audit like for errors, missing income, etc. The IRS also states they do random audits. If they are excluding returns done by a professional then that is not random or at least only random among a select group.
When I used to do healthcare chart
Audits- there were certain flags we looked for.. if they were there then we dug deeper. If more flags popped then we really dig into everything that provider was doing/billing. One bad chart would lead to a dozen more charts done by that provider and staff members. If those had issues, we halted billing from that and pulled all the charts. Auditors by nature pull threads and see what unravels.
I am sure IRS has an internal system for their randoms that if they clear a base check, then they move on.. if flags appear, they dig.
“The Internet is just a world passing around notes in a classroom.”
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
The OP good ole disinformation47.cowboycwr said:Are you saying I posted disinformation? or talking about waco47?Harrison Bergeron said:This is Peak Regressive ... make some ignorant emotional statement based on disinformation ... when actually facts disprove ... hide.cowboycwr said:
The poor are 5 times more likely to get an audit according to IRS numbers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irs-audit-eitc-five-times-as-likely-to-get-audited/
And the number of audits on people over $1mil or $10 mil has DROPPED over the years.
From my admittedly limited experience with IRS auditors, but relying as well on auditors in general, it's a resource and target game.cowboycwr said:Yes. As I have said several times now I get that part.Oldbear83 said:Well, there is a section where you tell the IRS whether you prepared your own taxes, or someone did it for you. So it wouldn't be hard to sort out the ones that mean more work for the auditor.cowboycwr said:That part I understand but is the IRS able to tell a return is done by a CPA before they start the audit process? Like is it flagged in their system in a way that they know to skip over it? If so that makes it even less "random" then they claim it is supposed to be.4th and Inches said:CPA are more likely to understand tax law and how to apply it. People who dont understand tax law and how to apply it are more likely to make a mistake and are more likely to be bullied into admitting they messed up whether they did or not during an audit.cowboycwr said:Why would you think that?4th and Inches said:I would bet that a significant number of audited tax returns are ones that are not done by CPAscowboycwr said:
The poor are 5 times more likely to get an audit according to IRS numbers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irs-audit-eitc-five-times-as-likely-to-get-audited/
And the number of audits on people over $1mil or $10 mil has DROPPED over the years.
Tax returns done by CPAs will absolutely be audited but CPAs win tax audits more than people who dont have CPA background.
Those guys are looking for wins, they will take the easy wins all day long.
But the IRS states the reasons they audit like for errors, missing income, etc. The IRS also states they do random audits. If they are excluding returns done by a professional then that is not random or at least only random among a select group.
You have [x] number of auditors, so with hundreds of millions of returns you use your computers to find your targets. You know from your history that most of your returns with issues will be math errors and honest mistakes, and you know Schedules C and A will have the most dubious stuff. You know Cash businesses and Real Estate have the most room for hiding revenue from the IRS. So you program the computers to look for those.
The thing is, lots of small businesses and new startups will lose money early on, and so you will be likely to audit those closely as well. That is, the CPAs will know what you are looking for and will provide documentation out the hoo-ha to placate any inquisitive auditor, but the poor slob doing his own paperwork is a lot more likely to goof a calculation, misunderstand a requirement or miss a necessary form.
And those are the ones most likely to get that fat envelope from the Enforcement boys.
That which does not kill me, will try again and get nastier
The dysfunction is the concentration of authority into a single position. Populists in America are typically seen in governors and Presidents. The fact we've ceded so much economic, military, law enforcement, regulatory, and educational authority to a single elected position is ripe for populist abuse, and is occurring. The principle of relinquishing power is not a characteristic of populism.whiterock said:a cynical take, but not always untrue.ATL Bear said:Populism is rarely an ideal that results in peace and prosperity. It is a shield used to deflect the attention from the power hungry who use it for gain. It isn't a battle against "elites". It's a battle for the "elite" you prefer.whiterock said:
populism is a word scarcely heard in peace and prosperity. When you hear it used derisively among societal elites, you know they have screwed up something bigly.
history is full of examples of elites losing touch with the masses. Sometimes the elites see/hear the problems and deal with them, at least well enough to maintain order. Sometimes they don't. And when the masses install a new order, sometimes it's an improvement (American revolution), sometimes not (French & Russian revolutions).
American elites today have purposely lost touch with the masses. Progressives know full well what they're doing. And in trying to force things that do not matter upon the masses, they're creating the very forces they decry.
It's not about right/wrong or good/bad. It just is what it is. If societal institutions are actually addressing the concerns of most of the public, the center will hold. When the center fails and large swathes of the public are disaffected, it's a sign that things are not working properly. Elites always blame populism as a dynamic of a a leader who's whipped up a crowd out of thin air. The reality is, if the crowd is formed, the oxygen for it to draw breath already existed. The leader in context is just as organic as the crowd itself.
Whether one likes populism in general or a populist candidate in particular is not really the point. The fact that populist candidates exist and win elections is the sign that one or both ends of the spectrum is working a dysfunctional notion of common good.
Man, the dumb old pedophile sure disappeared after she was called out for plagiarism and disinformation.
LOL it is for the guy on the wrong end of the pitchfork!ATL Bear said:The dysfunction is the concentration of authority into a single position. Populists in America are typically seen in governors and Presidents. The fact we've ceded so much economic, military, law enforcement, regulatory, and educational authority to a single elected position is ripe for populist abuse, and is occurring. The principle of relinquishing power is not a characteristic of populism.whiterock said:a cynical take, but not always untrue.ATL Bear said:Populism is rarely an ideal that results in peace and prosperity. It is a shield used to deflect the attention from the power hungry who use it for gain. It isn't a battle against "elites". It's a battle for the "elite" you prefer.whiterock said:
populism is a word scarcely heard in peace and prosperity. When you hear it used derisively among societal elites, you know they have screwed up something bigly.
history is full of examples of elites losing touch with the masses. Sometimes the elites see/hear the problems and deal with them, at least well enough to maintain order. Sometimes they don't. And when the masses install a new order, sometimes it's an improvement (American revolution), sometimes not (French & Russian revolutions).
American elites today have purposely lost touch with the masses. Progressives know full well what they're doing. And in trying to force things that do not matter upon the masses, they're creating the very forces they decry.
It's not about right/wrong or good/bad. It just is what it is. If societal institutions are actually addressing the concerns of most of the public, the center will hold. When the center fails and large swathes of the public are disaffected, it's a sign that things are not working properly. Elites always blame populism as a dynamic of a a leader who's whipped up a crowd out of thin air. The reality is, if the crowd is formed, the oxygen for it to draw breath already existed. The leader in context is just as organic as the crowd itself.
Whether one likes populism in general or a populist candidate in particular is not really the point. The fact that populist candidates exist and win elections is the sign that one or both ends of the spectrum is working a dysfunctional notion of common good.
In doing your analysis, don't overlook the power of societal institutions. They are increasingly responsible for the current discontent in America. Academia, news media and public service union, together, are arguably more influential than a POTUS.
The existence of strong apolitical societal institutions are the primary differentiator between countries that work and countries that don't. They are supposed to be the constant force holding things together thru the ebbs & flows of partisan change. They are as essential to social order and pursuit of common good as elected political structures. And when they lose touch with the ordinary person, and/or become affiliated with partisan interests (as they clearly have done in our country today), we have a situation where political order is itself the primary societal institution. Very unstable, that.....
The problem is that when populists are done corrupting the political institutions, the apolitical institutions will still be just as corrupt as before.
Sam Lowry said:
The problem is that when populists are done corrupting the political institutions, the apolitical institutions will still be just as corrupt as before.
It's not populists who corrupt institutions. It's leftists. From weaponizing the DOJ, to politicizing the CDC, to hollowing out universities and wearing their skin like woke zombies, the left corrupts everything it touches. And that corruption is elitist power consolidation at the expense of logic, reason and individual liberty.
OK thank you. Just wanted to check as I felt what I provided was good research and valid.Harrison Bergeron said:The OP good ole disinformation47.cowboycwr said:Are you saying I posted disinformation? or talking about waco47?Harrison Bergeron said:This is Peak Regressive ... make some ignorant emotional statement based on disinformation ... when actually facts disprove ... hide.cowboycwr said:
The poor are 5 times more likely to get an audit according to IRS numbers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irs-audit-eitc-five-times-as-likely-to-get-audited/
And the number of audits on people over $1mil or $10 mil has DROPPED over the years.
Seems to me that any with flags would fall into the category of errors causing an audit not the random category. But it is a government agency so maybe I am thinking to hard on the meaning of random.4th and Inches said:cowboycwr said:Yes. As I have said several times now I get that part.Oldbear83 said:Well, there is a section where you tell the IRS whether you prepared your own taxes, or someone did it for you. So it wouldn't be hard to sort out the ones that mean more work for the auditor.cowboycwr said:That part I understand but is the IRS able to tell a return is done by a CPA before they start the audit process? Like is it flagged in their system in a way that they know to skip over it? If so that makes it even less "random" then they claim it is supposed to be.4th and Inches said:CPA are more likely to understand tax law and how to apply it. People who dont understand tax law and how to apply it are more likely to make a mistake and are more likely to be bullied into admitting they messed up whether they did or not during an audit.cowboycwr said:Why would you think that?4th and Inches said:I would bet that a significant number of audited tax returns are ones that are not done by CPAscowboycwr said:
The poor are 5 times more likely to get an audit according to IRS numbers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irs-audit-eitc-five-times-as-likely-to-get-audited/
And the number of audits on people over $1mil or $10 mil has DROPPED over the years.
Tax returns done by CPAs will absolutely be audited but CPAs win tax audits more than people who dont have CPA background.
Those guys are looking for wins, they will take the easy wins all day long.
But the IRS states the reasons they audit like for errors, missing income, etc. The IRS also states they do random audits. If they are excluding returns done by a professional then that is not random or at least only random among a select group.
When I used to do healthcare chart
Audits- there were certain flags we looked for.. if they were there then we dug deeper. If more flags popped then we really dig into everything that provider was doing/billing. One bad chart would lead to a dozen more charts done by that provider and staff members. If those had issues, we halted billing from that and pulled all the charts. Auditors by nature pull threads and see what unravels.
I am sure IRS has an internal system for their randoms that if they clear a base check, then they move on.. if flags appear, they dig.
They have populism behind their efforts in doing it. One example being that Obama was very much a populist. There is a populist movement behind the LGBTQ insanity. In fact you could argue it is nothing but a social tide crowd sourced through populist sentiment and avenues. "Elites" are simply supporting it in an effort to fortify their power positions. And yes, logic and rationality be damned. Emotion is a primary driver of populism of all stripes.Golem said:Sam Lowry said:
The problem is that when populists are done corrupting the political institutions, the apolitical institutions will still be just as corrupt as before.
It's not populists who corrupt institutions. It's leftists. From weaponizing the DOJ, to politicizing the CDC, to hollowing out universities and wearing their skin like woke zombies, the left corrupts everything it touches. And that corruption is elitist power consolidation at the expense of logic, reason and individual liberty.