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[-] The_Caretaker@lemm.ee 12 points 21 hours ago

They should get rid of tax exemptions for churches too. The first amendment says the state can't mandate a specific religion or prohibit people from having their religion of choice. It doesn't say anything about taxing the billions that churches take in.

[-] Anomalocaris@lemm.ee 3 points 20 hours ago

aren't their exemption because it's "non profit"?

(without a doubt the IRS need to go after megachurches though)

if a church or any religious establishment is working properly with no profit, then no need for taxes anyways.

[-] The_Caretaker@lemm.ee 6 points 20 hours ago

In order to maintain tax exempt status, churches may not engage in politics. That means no supporting a political party or political candidates. Most churches are in violation of that rule which makes them taxable just like the Democratic or Republican parties.

[-] Sludgeyy@lemmy.world 4 points 19 hours ago

You have to understand what profit is.

If I make a church, collect 1 million from my congregation. Then, I pay myself 1 million for the job of being the pastor.

My business, the church, is non-profit. It had 1 million in revenue and 1 million in expenses. No profit.

Now, I would be dumb to pay myself the million as a salary because then that million gets income taxed. I'd "buy" 1 million dollars worth of bibles for Uzbekistan and never fulfill the order or something. Launder it.

The idea of why the church doesn't get taxed is sound. People pay income tax, church collects taxed income, church spends taxed income to better community.

They are essentially supposed to be a middle man. If i took my taxed income and donated it directly to buy bibles for Uzbekistan. Then it doesn't make sense for my money to be taxed again. So if i give my money to the church and they give it to Uzbekistan, then why tax it?

Problem is our tax code has loop holes

A church was never supposed to buy a private jet. Yet it has become a business expense.

[-] demunted@lemmy.ml 3 points 20 hours ago

Tax everything above their operating costs.

[-] Sludgeyy@lemmy.world 1 points 19 hours ago

Is a private jet an operating cost?

[-] drunkpostdisaster@lemmy.world 1 points 18 hours ago

only if god wants you to have it.

[-] Hikuro93@lemmy.world 4 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

You could elect a cabinet composed exclusively of orange cats united by a single and solitary shared braincell, and they wouldn't be as idiotic.

They'd be idiotic, for sure. They'd be entertaining as well. But at least they wouldn't be malignantly idiotic.

[-] libra00@lemmy.world 26 points 1 day ago

Man.. come 2028 I don't want to hear shit from Democratic candidates that doesn't involve an exhaustive list of all the awful shit Trump did and what steps they will take to undo all of it. Sorry chum, you picked a bad time to run so you don't get to have an agenda that isn't 'pulling Trump's dick out of this country's ass because it's fucked enough already.' Cause if you're not willing to undo this shit I really don't care what else you have to say.

(Yeah, bring on the downvotes, I can take the heat.)

[-] billiam0202@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago

Prepare to be disappointed.

"Preventing Trump from doing exactly what he's now doing" was somehow not a good enough reason for Americans to vote for the brown lady. Or the white lady, for that matter.

[-] drunkpostdisaster@lemmy.world 1 points 18 hours ago

Hillary won the popular vote that time it was the electoral system that fucked her. And the fact that she did not understand what she was up against. I think Harris and Biden both had that issue too. The biggest problem in dealing with trump is that there is no way to outthink something that doesn't think. The dems can talk all the strategy, all the policy and reach out to anyone they want, but it doesn't mater because the people on the other side have already made up their minds years ago.

[-] libra00@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

It's the Democratic Party, if you don't go into it already prepared to be disappointed you haven't been paying attention. :P

And I'm not talking about whether not they win, I'm saying their campaigns should consist solely of 'here's a list of things Trump fucked and that I am going to unfuck.'

[-] inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Look, I'm going to be honest, if a Progressive or Democrat on the campaign trail says they would use all of the powers granted to trump against all Republicans in a goose and gander situation, they'd have my vote.

[-] mriguy@lemmy.world 2 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

“All billionaires will be summarily executed and their assets will be distributed to the citizenry, and the Heritage Foundation will be declared a terrorist organization, and all current and past leaders, funders, employees, and judges endorsed by them will be immediately sent to a prison camp in El Salvador” seems like a winning message.

And anything the president wants only needs an executive order, it seems, so it should be pretty easy to implement.

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[-] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 60 points 1 day ago

If there are ever free elections again and Democrats win, there must not be a "return to normal" like Biden tried.

Democrats must do everything that Trump did. Republicans must be taught about consequences. Being respectful of the office didn't work. It only emboldened Republicans to be more deplorable.

Republicans can then campaign on the "return to normal" platform. If they want reason, they need to become the honorable party.

[-] ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world 36 points 1 day ago

I heard something recently that really resonated. For fascists, the government is just a tool they can use to reach their goal.

They don't recognize the rights outlined in the Constitution, the duty inmate to holding office, or the importance of the rule of law. It is just a weapon to wield against their enemies and can be discarded when no longer useful.

[-] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 21 points 1 day ago

the frustrating thing is this is well known if you know who to listen to. abolitionists, union organizers, civil rights activists, hippies, punks, hip-hop artists, academics. they all been saying it

[-] HubertManne@piefed.social 10 points 1 day ago

no. absolutely not. democratics bypassing law is not acceptable. a good trump is not what I or many want. That being said democrats need to get rid of things like citizens united and the patriot act and shore up civil rights.

[-] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

They don't need to bypass laws. If a judge rules against them they can comply.

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[-] Sciaphobia@lemm.ee 42 points 1 day ago

Trump deserves a short drop and a sudden stop but we don't always get what we deserve.

[-] Ledericas@lemm.ee 2 points 19 hours ago

hes probably mad because hes too stupid to get into these prestigious league schools

[-] Sciaphobia@lemm.ee 1 points 19 hours ago

He is rich so that doesn't matter, and he went to Wharton. That's where a professor said he was the dumbest student he's ever had.

[-] WizardofFrobozz@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 day ago

Much too quick and much too painless.

[-] Soggy@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

I don't delight in suffering, I just want him gone asap.

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[-] WagnasT@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

I don't normally promote using windows but in some instances it is the best solution for the job.

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[-] RejZoR@lemmy.ml 36 points 1 day ago

When billionaires have tax exemption and actual academia doesn't. America really is a clown country.

[-] General_Effort@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago

It shall be unlawful for [the President] to request, directly or indirectly, any officer or employee of the Internal Revenue Service to conduct or terminate an audit or other investigation of any particular taxpayer with respect to the tax liability of such taxpayer.

[...]

Any person who willfully violates subsection (a) or fails to report under subsection (b) shall be punished upon conviction by a fine in any amount not exceeding $5,000, or imprisonment of not more than 5 years, or both, together with the costs of prosecution.

26 U.S. Code § 7217

[-] libra00@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

Counterpoint: 'When the president does it, that means it is not illegal' now has the weight of SCOTUS behind it. :/

[-] inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

And Trump has proven it means fuck all.

[-] Ledericas@lemm.ee 2 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

harvard is a pipeline for wealthy elitists politicians and graduates. wonder if something will shift

[-] johnpmac@lemm.ee 2 points 21 hours ago

All this is is just payback for Trump university.

[-] wirebeads@lemmy.ca 16 points 1 day ago

I bet the newly reinstated Trump University would get all the tax exemptions they need.

[-] CircaV@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 day ago

Now revoke tax exempt status for churches.

[-] TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee 12 points 1 day ago

Even after they caved to what the fascists want lol.

For all those smahts they sure are stupid enough to capitulate to fascists.

[-] floofloof@lemmy.ca 17 points 1 day ago

Did they cave? I thought Harvard was the one that didn't cave. Columbia and others caved.

[-] TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee 15 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

They did. They quietly ended programs that helped LGBTQ and minorities and ended DEI required statements for tenure positions.

They also handed over students school records to DHS.

[-] laurelraven 14 points 1 day ago

Last I heard was a couple weeks ago them stating clearly that they would not comply, and doing a bit of searching I can't find anything more recent that contradicts that stance... Where did you see that they'd reversed that decision?

[-] floofloof@lemmy.ca 15 points 1 day ago

Why does no one ever learn that capitulating doesn't get the fascists off your back?

[-] Ledericas@lemm.ee 1 points 19 hours ago

im not surprised with harvard, they have express in the past that there are too many asians in the university and said they need to bring whiteness back to the school.

[-] HubertManne@piefed.social 5 points 1 day ago

talk about picking winners and losers. always projection. always.

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this post was submitted on 02 May 2025
243 points (100.0% liked)

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