"The top 1% currently pay 40% of taxes and earn 17% of the income of America. They are already paying 3 times their share..."
That's probably the opposite in Greece.
The top 1% currently pay 17% of taxes and earn 40 % of the income :p
Money goes to money.

the problem is that it's not about the government saving the people in Greece but the people saving the government at cost of the people, it's hard to solve this problem however, even if the government finally listened... so i'd say forget the government, a modern Anarchy for a while, that'll be the situation now without riots or taxes, then there comes a new government that can't be accused of not paying back it's debts because that was the old government, if needed you change the name, call it Greekland or something like that, then the new government can help the other countries to stay strong, anyone has a more realistic solution??

and to prevent Greece to become New Mexico the rest of Europe and America will send some policemen and stuff...

@Fasces - I heard 25%, but still that doesn't refute your argument.

I say a flat income tax of 30-40% is needed, and will include everything except education funds and 401k's. The income tax would start with people earning, say $30,000 a year. If you earn $31,000 a year, you pay $400 in taxes or 1.2% of your income. If you make $100,000 a year, you pay $28,000 in taxes - or 28% of your income. The rate and where you set the "bar" are arbitrary and mine was an example, not a solution.

@Steephie - why don't you get that if Greece goes down in debt it will have a domino affect and push other troubled economies over the edge? Its time for everyone, Americans included, to tighten their belts, suffer the losses for a decade or so, and make the necessary government and societal reforms so that this will never happen again

I'm really not surprised people like Tom and Krellin applaud the police for shooting a tear gas cannister at someone's head, and then firing rubber bullets on the crowd who was trying to help him and get him medical care. You guys are real men, I tell you.

I'm sure they didn't aim it at his head, Putin

It was an unncessary and deliberately provocative escalation. There was no need to use that level of force to clear the public square. The firing of bean bag projectiles at the people trying to help was particularly disgusting and may cost him his life.

"That being said, my brother is a 2-time Iraq war vet and is getting set to deploy to Afghanistan soon, so I am certainly on the side of vets...."

Which is why you're in favor of causing brain damage to them if they dare stay in a public square. You love the vets so long as they're overseas killing people, but if they exercise their democratic rights at home then you want to shoot to kill.

They were not firing at the man, and they were not aiming at the people because they were helping someone who was hurt, they were shooting to disperse a crowd that had created unsafe conditions for other people. I wonder if these idiots in big cities like New York consider how many 911 calls may go unanswered because the police need half their force to control the crowds from injuring people trying to make the economy function. But, no they are only concerned with their own problems. Interesting how there are tons more unemployed people then there are protesters, I wonder what those other people are doing...maybe trying to make a living and find a job instead of wasting emergency response units valuable time.

@Putin -- You are a blithering idiot. You think "Iraw War Vet" = "Right to Break the Law" I would think that a war veteran would be a little more respectful of a police officer and wouldn't force a violent confrontation.

You seem to have this ridiculous notion and are suggesting that the mobs are peaceful and the police, out of sheer malice, selected this person because he had a glowing neon sign over his head that said "Iraw War Vet" and decided to beat him down....instead of the much more reasonable proposition that he was disobeying a direct order from the police and was involved in, most likely, throwing objects at police and therefore -- per police traning in mob/riot control -- he invited his particular beatdown.

The ironic thing is an idiot Communist like Putin -- who supports a form of government that, throughout it's history and in every country it has been tried, has used authoritarian and violent means to suppress the people -- complaining about the government using force to quell a riot.

Putin is the most extreme of hypocrites.

the guy who was shot was not unemployed... He does work, and I believe owns his own small business with an army buddy. There you guys go with your stereotypes again. Did you stop to ask yourself what the fuck was the Oakland PD was doing aiming at head level with a device capable of cracking someones skull?

It has not even been proved that it was a canister that hit him, he could have just as easily been hurt by someone in the crowd, so much for not assuming. Don't believe everything you read online.

It doesn't matter, even if the police did act inappropriately jmo will still say he got what he deserved. And no matter how many employed people are in the movement they'll still say they all should be going to work. I fail to see what EMS calls have to do with police, how are EMS trucks being held down by the demos? Ever think that maybe police go overboard with how much of a presence they put at these things? In order to intimidate people? I once attended a small demo of 16 people and literally 8 cop cars showed up. There were more police officers than demonstrators. I'm sure you'll say I was wasting precious tax dollar money. What a joke.

@Santa -- how much of a moron are you? "aiming at head level"? Most likely it was put up in a high arc - not aimed at a head --- but your see, unless they were going to shoot it AT the ground and hope it bounced over to the protestors, it will eventually fall through the air and pass through head level....thus, unfortunately, striking the head of a belligerent protestor who was actively disobeying the law....and therefore suffered the consequences of participating in a riot.

OR....as jmo accurately sugggests....perhaps he was hit in the head with a rock thrown by another idiotic protestor?

Somebody try to justify firing another cannister into a crowd when they already saw that they had hit the first guy in the head. Somebody justify that. Evidently only in America do police have no obligation to protect public safety.

It wasn't a riot dipshit. It was a peaceful gathering that the police escalated into a street battle because the mayor wants to act 'tough'.

http://wonkette.com/455260/here-is-the-insane-video-of-marine-vet-shot-in-face-at-occupy-oakland

And right, in this exchange it wasn't the cannister that hit him, even though Olsen is clearly injured right after it was fired.

If this operation was so above board, why are police officers resigning in protest?

IRONY: Idiot protestors complaining about Corporate Greed.....demanding (greedily, I might add....) that they be given all sorts of financial benefits that they have not worked for. So....the solution to corporate greed is personal greed? Am I missing something here????

They want *equivalency*....not equality. Equality is there: We all have an equal opportunity to make something of ourselves. After all, a poor black kid from a broken home made it to the White House...clearly opportunity exists for ANYONE willing to put forth the effort. The idiot protestors want *equivalency*....everyone has the same? So....does that mean we have to tear down all the houses in the US and rebuild them all with the same floor plan? Should we all have exactly the same cell phone? Should all of our meals be 100% identical? Where does this so-called UNFAIRNESS end? Exactly HOW EQUAL are we supposed to be??? Can ANYONE give me a rational, well-thought our answer to this question? Because *TRUE* equivalency is impossible, short of genetically engineering a country of clones....

(Think about it before you shoot your demented reply, you silly libs....)

Nobody is going to respond to your stupid straw man.

Putin is so full of lies. I would encourage ANYONE to watch this video and then tell themselves this was a "peaceful protest". You are a fucking idiot, Putin. did you even watch the video? You are an idiot.

Let's play a game and see if Krellin can make one post without using the word "irony" or "hypocrite".

The protest became violent because the police made it violent.

Here's the funny thing...the stupid protestors calling for a medic. Uhhhh....they were DISOBEYING the authorities when the jackass got popped in the head....but then they suddenly see the usefullness of those same authorities when they need help? Stinks of hypocrisy...

Right, because they just leave the guy there to die because he was in a public square and the police arbitrarily decided it should be cleared by firing cannisters and concussion grenades at people's heads.

Maybe next Krellin would come out in favor fo shoot-to-kill orders vs jaywalkers.

The POLICE made it violent? So YOU, PUTIN, were there? You KNOW THIS? As opposed to the Police ordered a crowd of SQUATTERS to disperse, and they refused a direct, legal order of the police, and thus the CROWD is the one that forced a violent confrontation by actively refusing police orders?

I frequently use "hypocrite" and "irony" in reference to you, Putin, because you are a hypocrite, and often are a living example of irony.

For example, you are a lovely Communist, and Communists through history have frequently used violence to oppress people...and yet here you are objecting to a government using violence? That is IRONIC. You should be applauding what you see as a move of the US government towards more totalitarian means, which you are generally in favor of. See....it's ironic...and it makes you a hypocrite.

THAT is why I use those words so frequently in reference to you....because you are the dictionary example of said words.

Ahhh Putin....you idiotic (there is a NEW word to describe you....) fool. There is no moral equivalency in your suggested shoot-to-kill analogy. I really expect better of you.

did somebody die, by the way? YOu are suggesting that somebody died....stretching the truth to vainly attempt to recover from your lost argument. Pathetic.

And PROVE that a cannister was specifically aimed at someone's head? What sort of a moron are you, really? Or do you *actually* believe that the cannister was specifically and purposely aimed at someone's head? Are you that fucked up and twisted that you believe that? If so, you *seriously* need some mental counseling, because you are truly a demented, angry, twisted soul...

Putin....as you have *NO* valid argument, no proof, not even any rational arguments for anything you suggest....I'm done. YOU LOSE.

yes it was probably thrown/shot on a high arch which is why it hit him in the left side of the forehead you fucking idiot.