<story><title>America&apos;s Growth Ponzi Scheme</title><url>https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2020/5/14/americas-growth-ponzi-scheme-md2020</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>noad</author><text>The complete failure to imagine an alternative to property&amp;#x2F;sales taxes and development fees during this crisis has been one of the most disappointing failures of politicians everywhere. We keep being told we need to suffer more and more with deeper cuts while living in the wealthiest country that ever existed by a wide margin.&lt;p&gt;This is absurd. There is plenty of money, we could tax something like 5% of stock buybacks and completely rebuild our entire society from the ground up.&lt;p&gt;Instead our leaders just keep telling us to toughen up and get stronger while flying jets overhead in meaningless salutes. They seem to be very bad at their jobs.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>Miner49er</author><text>&amp;gt; They seem to be very bad at their jobs.&lt;p&gt;On the contrary, I&amp;#x27;d argue they are mostly good at their jobs.&lt;p&gt;Their job isn&amp;#x27;t to help the average American. Their job is to serve Capital. They get paid by the rich, not by average Americans.&lt;p&gt;They are doing a good job at that. Look at the stock market, it goes up while Main Street is in turmoil.</text></comment>
<story><title>America&apos;s Growth Ponzi Scheme</title><url>https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2020/5/14/americas-growth-ponzi-scheme-md2020</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>noad</author><text>The complete failure to imagine an alternative to property&amp;#x2F;sales taxes and development fees during this crisis has been one of the most disappointing failures of politicians everywhere. We keep being told we need to suffer more and more with deeper cuts while living in the wealthiest country that ever existed by a wide margin.&lt;p&gt;This is absurd. There is plenty of money, we could tax something like 5% of stock buybacks and completely rebuild our entire society from the ground up.&lt;p&gt;Instead our leaders just keep telling us to toughen up and get stronger while flying jets overhead in meaningless salutes. They seem to be very bad at their jobs.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>ErikVandeWater</author><text>&amp;gt; we could tax something like 5% of stock buybacks and completely rebuild our entire society from the ground up.&lt;p&gt;Let&amp;#x27;s see a source or even back-of-the napkin calculation on this</text></comment>