this post was submitted on 31 Oct 2023
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[–] penquin@lemm.ee 273 points 1 year ago (7 children)

That's our fucking tax money, that's what's killing me. We are indirectly funding the killing of all of these innocent people. I hate life.

[–] PP_BOY_@lemmy.world 101 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's not indirect. Every dollar the US sends to Israel directly goes to killing Palestinians.

[–] Rusticus@lemmy.world 35 points 1 year ago (3 children)

We could have healthcare. Or free college. We are all complicit in this, like it or not.

[–] BongRipsMcGee420@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't remember being asked...

[–] Rusticus@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Do you vote? Do you encourage others to vote? Can you do more?

[–] Krono@lemmy.today 31 points 1 year ago

Vote for who? I always do my duty and vote for the lesser of the two evils, and they all turn out to be war criminals.

[–] stella@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Unfortunately, until we get money out of politics, voting doesn't really matter.

The ruling class can just funnel more money to the opposing side to get them elected. They've already got it down to a science so they don't spend more than they need to.

They haven't even scratched the surface of how much money they can spend to control elections. It's all just the bare-minimum to them, like maximizing profit.

[–] Rusticus@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

100% agree. Until Citizens v United is overturned we do not have a functioning Democracy.

[–] candybrie@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Taxes aren't what's stopping us from having health care. We already spend more taxes on health care per capita than countries with single payer health care. (Not that changes that we could be using our taxes better, but the myth that we would spend more taxes to get single payer needs to be dispelled.)

[–] Rusticus@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

We already spend more taxes on health care per capita than countries with single payer health care

Sauce please

[–] Lumun@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 year ago

The claim doesn't seem right. We do spend far more on healthcare than other nations overall and our taxed spending on healthcare seems comparable to other rich nations like Japan, though that's only a fraction of our total spending - most is private cost. Quick back of napkin math says taxes directly spend ~4k a year/capita on healthcare expenses, mostly Medicare, and single-payer systems tend to cost about ~6k total. Data is a little old. Correct me if I'm reading wrong.

https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries/

https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/how-much-does-federal-government-spend-health-care

[–] dx1@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] Rusticus@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Hold on. I am in complete agreement that US healthcare spending is batshit crazy. I was just doubtful that our TAXED healthcare spending was more than other countries with single payer. All our spending is private.

[–] dx1@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

What do you mean "taxed"? Graph shows public vs. private.

[–] FontMasterFlex@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

You mean how Israelis have Healthcare and free college?

[–] Maeve@kbin.social 34 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Tbf we’ve done it directly, too.

[–] penquin@lemm.ee 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm talking about us, the people. Our government has been funding this shit for years.

[–] Maeve@kbin.social 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ah, got you. Thanks for clarification. Yes, I agree. Gawd almighty absolutely forbids using our own tax dollars for such ungodly things like feeding the hungry, healing the sick, clothing the naked or looking out for prisoners.

[–] AutistoMephisto@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

It's sort of like a "Bruce Wayne v. Court of Owls" situation. Bruce Wayne has his philanthropy actively countered by a group that's basically the Illuminati, this "Court of Owls" because, I'm guessing there's an Eldritch horror that slumbers so long as Gotham suffers, but would awaken if the rich actually did anything to help the poor.

EDIT: Okay, so I found out this "Court of Owls" not only doesn't care about the poor, they don't care about the world in general. They serve an evil Bat-God named Barbatos who wants to use Bruce Wayne as a conduit to emerge in the world.

[–] Maeve@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Bruce Wayne would definitely make it into Murica heaven. Superman might make it into Jesus heaven (which I would assume would be loving yourself, if the Kingdom of heaven is actually within us, which it is, in my experience).

[–] orcrist@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes but you shouldn't bring up hypocrisy here. Stopping killing now is worthwhile regardless of what various countries have done years and decades ago.

[–] Maeve@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

And forgetting the past leads to repeats. We have to acknowledge the good, bad and ugly and stay vigilant.

[–] orcrist@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

That's generally good advice, but on a broad level it's completely impossible. There's no way that everyone can know all of history. We all have to learn little parts at different times in our lives, according to our own priorities and values. Also, quite obviously, forgetting the past does not always lead to repeats.

[–] Nonameuser678@aussie.zone 21 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Isn't Israel quite wealthy? Why do they even need this funding?

[–] billiam0202@lemmy.world 27 points 1 year ago

You don't get wealthy spending your money.

You get wealthy spending other people's money.

[–] xenomor@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

To spread culpability around.

[–] Nonameuser678@aussie.zone 7 points 1 year ago

Yeah I can see that actually. Also serves as a way of legitimising their war.

[–] Dontcare@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 year ago

Hamas fires thousands of rockets at Israeli, if it didn't have iron dome they'd have to prevent Gaza from firing the missiles, which means bombing Hamas and the civilians they hide behind

[–] Illuminostro@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

But how will Jeebus be reborn if he doesn't have a home?

[–] masquenox@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

The US had better pray Jesus doesn't show up a second time - he'd take a flamethrower to it first thing. Israel won't be far behind.

[–] masquenox@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

That’s our fucking tax money,

Nope. It's not. That money they hand Israel? Completely sucked out of their thumb - I literally use the massive handouts the US gives Israel as a way to debunk the "but printing money causes inflation!" crowd.

Btw, that is an actual example of a handout - ie, not the (alleged) "handouts" right-wing pundits start whining about whenever the issue of social services come up.

Of course, they could just as easily spend all that invented money to give you healthcare - but they won't... that's not how class warfare works.

[–] dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

No, no I'm pretty sure there is foreign aid earmarked in the annual budget every year. It's tax dollars.

[–] masquenox@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Nope. Your taxes doesn't even pay for the US military - it's all just money they invent. Your taxes are spent by the state you live in - roads, hospitals... that kind of stuff.

When it comes to their precious military - and their precious neocolonialist shitfuckery they call "foreign policy" - they don't rely on you.

[–] dx1@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Not "completely". They spend into a deficit every year, which is partially financed with tax and partially financed with debt obligations. It's more that any spending is paid for 50% tax and 50% "indirect inflation tax" later, or whatever the exact numbers are (I stopped keeping track).