Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 2d

"Allies in trade benefit everyone"

Anyway, let's tariff every single one of our allies.

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 2d

The New California Republic should implement a child tax credit to lower child poverty, which through better nutrition would increase male height.

Am I on to something?

13

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 2d

Wonder how many voters you could sway by rewording other policy and doing nothing else.
Alcohol tax? You mean a sobriety tax credit?
Carbon tax? You mean a green tax credit?
VAT? You mean a savings tax credit?

1 1

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 2d

Numbers Fuckstein wins again.

1 1 43

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 2d

100%, I think there is an interesting discussion to be had about sticks vs carrots that function the same and how this could apply to marketing policies other than a CTC/childless tax, but it is extremely funny in the moment to see people adamantly argue that there is a *substantive* difference.

1 3

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 2d

Current reality:
Tax rate is 10%
Child tax credit is 5%
Tax burden of childless: 10%
Tax burden of parents: 5%

Hypothetical:
Tax rate is 5%
Childless are taxed an additional 5%
Tax burden of childless: 10%
Tax burden of parents: 5%

I can put it in Excel if it makes it any easier?

1 4

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 2d

That's what a child tax credit does.

1 3

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 2d

But prosthetics have advanced massively, they're incomparable to even ten years ago. Same thing with drugs (mRNA-based treatments alone are set to slingshot medical tech by decades!)

1

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 2d

It doesn't matter whether you set the tax rate at 10% and then shave 5% off as a child tax credit (current system) or you set it at 5% and then add a 5% surcharge for the childless (hypothetical system), it's a purely emotional difference.

1 6

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 2d

Yes, that is quite literally how math works. If your tax burden is lowered to support a child, someone else's tax burden is higher than yours by virtue of them choosing not to have a child.

1 5

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 2d

So you want to abolish child tax credits?

1

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 2d

Technology is still advancing, especially the parts that cyberpunk media tend to assume will be better than the present (prosthetics, medicine, vehicles)

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 2d

Your analogy doesn't work. You aren't "giving" $50 to someone via tax credits as opposed to being "punched" by paying $50 more than someone with a child, either way your tax burden is $50 higher and mandatory.

2

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 2d

They are mathematically identical outcomes.

1 13

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 8d

Like an LLM in reverse, programmed to *not* flatter *anyone* under any circumstances.

23

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 8d

Could stop at "Maybe they should have thought"

1

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 8d

The difference in insanity from alcohol vs insanity from being terminally online.

3

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 8d

I don't think it's optimism so much as the fact that they're cowards and melt down at the slightest pushback.

1

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 8d

And lose the opportunity to clickbait for some more engagement?

10

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 8d

The financial press. FT, Bloomberg, WSJ, Nikkei, and so on.

1 4

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 8d

You don't know who invented the term antisemitism, do you?

1

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 8d

Antisemitism is defined as prejudice against Jews specifically. It has no actual relation to the term "Semite".

1 1

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 8d

I'm sure this'll do wonders for them in the Virginia elections.

1

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 8d

It's worse than tunnel vision, it's dehumanisation. To those sorts, the dead & injured are irrelevant because they don't perceive them as real people.

1 5

Teakei @teakei.bsky.social · 8d

Paid security is very expensive, it's often not something a synagogue can afford (at least outside of events)

3