Comments by "justgivemethetruth" (@justgivemethetruth) on "Delusions, Right and Left: A Conversation with “Destiny” (Steven Bonnell) (Episode #381)" video.

One thing to take issue with Sam Harris when he states that "Kamala Harris' unworkable idea of a wealth tax". First, this is not Kamala Harris' idea - this is an idea that came from respected economists and is in practice in some countries, as stated in Wikipedia: As of 2017, five of the 36 OECD countries had a personal wealth tax (down from 12 in 1990). But, just as an example, the real estate tax is a wealth tax. There is a major crack up in global civilization that will occur if there is not some kind of leveling wealth tax.
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@whatsthatnoise5955 I don't know if Sam Harris is really wealthy enough that he would fall into a wealth tax, but if he is, too bad, tough toenails for him, he could pay it without any pain if he was a billionaire or multi-millionaire. That's the point.
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I've been trying to figure out what to make of this “Destiny” (Steven Bonnell) guy when the only real thing to recommend him is that he is a Liberal Left of Center guy who I often agree with and who sticks it to some of the folks he is debating with. The flip side of that is that, no matter how much he knows and facts he can quote, as Sam pointed out that he is totally off-base when it comes to the Middle East and Iran. It makes me feel like he is being manipulative towards his audience in terms of not letting go of some kind of attachment to the Palestinians/Arabs/Muslims. Sam is so obviously clued in to the reality of what Israel faces while "Destiny" ( yuck ) plays the Ben Shapiro game of talking super-fast and quoting HIS facts so he can flip around or overwhelm his debate opponent. I was unimpressed and even at times repulsed by his argumentatative-debate-macho, and interpersonal political skills - like where he sounded like he was manipulating Candace Owens, who is a complete loon. Tell me where is sanity? The best I can see is Sam Harris. I find it hard to find something to disagree with him on. I did agree with Destiny about his perception of the scale of threat of the Right-wing versus Wokeness, or what Elon Musk calls the Woke-Mind-Virus, which I find disgusting and only a way to attack the Left. Stop attacking these people or groups or imagined groups and start focusing on facts, history, perceptions, debate, which we do not get enough of. When people delve into Middle Eastern history it is often at first interest in finding out more, but then it becomes like a super-power of being to throw up an argument to support their opinion or defend their predjudice. I don't think Destiny has any conception of the MIddle East outside of the arguments he's had with people on Social Media. I could of course be wrong, but that is my gut feeling. What do you think?
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@jmc5335 I think that comment is more about you than anything else. Attack the person because you hate Jews or some such. If you had something to say why not deal with facts instead of highlighting your own prejudices, that you don't even have guts enough to express?
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@davegold I get you. There's a whole bunch of these guys on YT now. I think the first I can remember was David Pakman, and all they do is post video after video about how some Democrat slams a Republican, and they usually turn out to be total annoyance with no facts, news or redeeming value.
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@mfeneley Yeah, I hold Sam in massively high regard for his integrity and intelligence, and incredible patience and ability to articulate "most" issues perfectly. Probably my favorite podcaster that I look forward to listening to, or to see him interviewed.
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I have to say, in my gut when I see this Destiny guy, I could see keeping one's anonymity on Social Media because of the lunatics out there, but it's like he is taking on the mantle of a Rock Star celebrity, and it colors how I see him and hear him because he sounds like a youngster putting on airs and branding himself as a celebrity with fast talking BS - BS that a lot of Lefties are in agreement with. While he has the comparison between the Left and the Right in terms of right and wrong and dirty tricks, etc, and seems to think he is so clever to point that out, he totally misses the same dynamic between Palestinians and Arabs/Muslims that Sam described - i.e. if Israel laid down their weapons there would be no Israel, if Palestinians laid down their weapons there would be peace. I think Steve can see this, but I think he is manipulating what he says so as not to put off his lunatic Leftie followers. I've had this confusion about the Left, which I consider myself of the Left, but have been confused since the 1980s about how did the Left absorb this attachment to the Palestinians - and it is so obvious that it is artificial and manipulation. For example - on Left podcasts, maybe I should say, Extreme Left, you hear nothing but positivity for Paletinians, Palestine, Muslims, etc - not one hint of even criticism, while at the same time you hear nothing but antipathy and criticism and negativity towards Israel. What is a fair-minded moderate Leftie to do anyway? I hate that dynamic and I wish the Left would disavow this attachment to terrorism, or hate or all things American as well, as I do wish the Democrats would dump Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, and ever AOC, who I don't get at all why she is so anti-semitic? What do you think?
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@TeeheeTennessy That is such a useless dumas comment. What is your problem?
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2:00 - Sam has a good point about there being a double-standard in American media, particularly in the Right-wing media where if you say that Trump doesn't mean the things he says, or will never do those things, then you cannot hold Kamala Harris to a higher standard when you claim her ideas are unrealistic. I think the reason is that for many decades the media, supposedly the Liberal media, gave heavy weight to the Republicans on issues of the economy and taxes - even long past the point where it was proven that for example tax breaks do not create growth or jobs - they are just giveaways to a political class who recycle it into the Republican party to the point where they can take over the government. Reaganomics too, and trickle down. It has also been shown that the economy grows when they poor and middle class have more money and can buy more stuff - it creates demand which them creates growth to meet that demand. But many people .... mostly older people hold on to that respect of the Republicans even when they have been shown to be totally working in bad faith and warring on America and our government.
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@thesilverstalion1 You're simpleminded, or dishonest. Discontinuing the policy of a wealth tax might mean a lot of things, and you cannot just assume it doesn't work. Of course it work, it collects revenue. You could just as well conclude that the morbidly rich combined political efforts like they do in the US to buy off politicians like Trump to lower their taxes and even get rid of a tax - like Bush did with the estate tax. The problem is that citizens in the West don't understand that if you get rid of a tax on the rich, the revenue must be made up by everyone else. Sorry, but don't you feel stupid or humiliated?
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@thesilverstalion1 Don't try to condescend to me on this subject, you don't know diddly. Your question doesn't even make sense. Further, your assumption as to what a wealth tax would be is just a guess as to one implementation. Wanna learn something so you can be honest? Read "A Fine Mess" by T. R. Reid.
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@thesilverstalion1 Wealth tax. Raise income taxes on high earners Both are acceptable and both can theoretically and mechnically be implemented. The problem is that I don't think very many Americans realize the hold the high-value earners have on our cities, states, and federal government, as well as the corruption that the Presidency of Donald Trump brough to the public consciousness. As I mentioned earlier the "wealth tax" does not need to be on all wealth. I disagree that a wealth tax should apply to investments that have not realized a capital gain, but there are problems to that where the wealthy change the laws to make all their income unrealized capital gains, and then borrow on that the interest of which is then deductable. The estate tax is one good way to get revenue when someone dies and their estate should be taxed, but thanks to W. Bush that tax was cut. Real estate taxes are a form of a wealth tax, but again that system is gamed by the rich. Ultimately the problem in America is the super-rich - but when you think about it, the problem is global because if America is the strongest best country in the world, our rich people might leave, and already do play games internationally by moving profit centers overseas. This is a global problem because those massive billionaires who could never spend their money have inordinate political power - and corruption. The entire world really needs to handle this at once of the plutocrats will play their games. Should a plutocrat in America have less wealth than a plutocrat/dictator in another country, such as Russia, China, or even in a pathetic BS place like Palestine where their leaders take aid money meant for their people and run to Qatar? As and these plutocrats build their wealth to grow they need to screw over and enslave or get rid of the regular people - they want everything. The people who defend this are sick, of they are trolls, or paid agents.
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@jmc5335 I don't know what the hell that means, but I can refer you to my last reply, you are just antisemitic and hateful, so please go ahead and stop engaging with my comments ... and FO.
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Steve talks too fast, and he reads too fast, because his comprehension - or at least his rhetoric about Gaza is fragmented and incoherent. I appreciated Sam making the point that going back in history is not a good way to discuss this and that you have to focus on simple truths and facts in the present. he's right.
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How was it a hoax?
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@NPC-fl3gq You probably used ugly language that you did not need to. But if YT removes a comment you would know about it because you would be in time-out for some amout of time. From your negativity I am not surprised. It's very unlikely that Trump's account of stuff was true considering he lies about everything, so your choosing to back him is a bit hard to buy.
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@jmc5335 That's not thinking.
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Why? In what way? is that supposed to add to this online discussion?
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@thatbetterworld I'm kind of guessing that Sam seems to have rejected ( rightly and courageously ) a lot of his far-right extremist peers, and slips in attempts to try to compromise with the right by accepting some of their tenets, but honestly, I don't know. Saying a wealth tax is unworkable is curious. Does he mean the tax itself would not work, or trying to get one passed in the US is politically unworkable - unless one wants to get totally destroyed or even assassinated?
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@thesilverstalion1 So, you are advocating a progressive tax system such as we had in the 1950s then? Why do you think we do not have a system like that? Did you think that works, or are you dishonestly proposing a change that you know will not work?
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@thesilverstalion1 Capital gains should be the same rate as working income, period. You cannot rule out a whole class of taxes - i.e. wealth tax until you can point to an actual implementation and detail the defects in it. Otherwise as I've pointed out you're just running your mouth.
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@thesilverstalion1 > Wealth taxes are just too unworkable logistically I don't think so - BUT, I might have agreed with you 30 or more years ago, but today everything is tracked by technology. It's only a question if deciding what to tax. To get out of that tracking they invented cyber-currency which is only useful for criminals.
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@skovvy7 thx
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@mongerponsky2779 I don't understand what you mean? Do you believe Israel was responsible for Oct. 7th? Why do you think Iran dedicates their whole country to destroying Israel? Why have they exported terrorism throughout the region ... and don't forget that Iraq did the same. Saddam Hussein was subsidizing terrorist attacks on Israelis. What good does it even do for the people of Gaza, the West Bank, Southern Lebanon to live under the fear of this terrorism?
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