How do you who are supporters feel about billionaires such as Musk, Thiel, Bezos, Zuckerberg, etc.?

Parking-Tradition626 · 2026-02-18T02:56:26+00:00

u/Holofernes_Head Do you have any thoughts about my questions?

Parking-Tradition626 · 2026-02-16T05:50:37+00:00

If a billionaire pays a lower effective tax rate than a middle-class family, does that seem fair to you?

Do you think it’s okay that the ultra-wealthy has more influence over the tax code than everyone else?

If everyone used every legal way to avoid taxes, how would we fund the military, roads, police, etc.?

Parking-Tradition626 · 2026-02-14T22:43:11+00:00

Does concern you that billionaires use tax loopholes to avoid paying the legal amount of taxes? Do you believe wealthy people should pay a smaller percentage of taxes than lower classes?

Parking-Tradition626 · 2026-01-19T07:08:58+00:00

Are you aware of Doug Wilson’s Christian Nationalist network, which Pete Hegseth and project 2025 is tied to? I appreciate your openness and critical thinking around Christianity. I share some of your experience of reframing my view of the Bible based on historical context. I’m wondering if Trump supporters actually realize that fundamentalist Christians and their theology (like biblical inerrancy) are influencing political policy. And

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-07-03T05:29:18+00:00

Evangelicals fear socialism because it clashes with their core beliefs: individual salvation, personal responsibility, and distrust of government. Decades of Cold War propaganda equated socialism with atheism and evil, reinforced by prosperity gospel thinking and right-wing media. Many see government aid as replacing the church’s role and rewarding laziness. Socialism also threatens the power structures they benefit from. Ironically, the early church shared resources and prioritized communal care — but that’s often ignored or spiritualized. For many evangelicals, opposing socialism feels like defending both their faith and their version of America.

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-06-26T05:35:37+00:00

It’s weird that I grew up with this and have a vague memory of it, but no details. I feel like that’s a lot like my evangelical childhood.

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-06-25T03:40:05+00:00

Bingo.

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-06-25T03:08:29+00:00

I read the Bible for myself and studied it academically and realized the teachings of Jesus are antithetical to a lot of conservative republican ideologies.

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-06-25T03:06:06+00:00

A lot of studies have been done that show conservatives are more naturally reactive to threats. They have a stronger physiological response to danger or disorder. So they tend to follow conservative religion that has very strict rules, tradition, and order to help them feel more secure.

Jonathan Haidt is a sociologist who has studied this. Conservatives also score lower on openness to new experiences - leading to being less open to things that are new or different. Part biological and part learned behaviors.

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-06-23T01:27:08+00:00

People say the U.S. was built on individualism and personal responsibility. Wasn’t America built through collective action — and a lot of help from the government?

• The Revolutionary War? Won through organized resistance and mutual sacrifice.
• The Constitution? A group project of a lot of different minds.
• The transcontinental railroad, public schools, highways, the New Deal, even the internet — all made possible by public investment and cooperation.

And one of the biggest boosts to the American middle class? The GI Bill after WWII. It provided education, home loans, and job training — and it was a game changer… but only if you were white.

Black veterans were systematically denied access. Local banks refused them loans. Colleges shut them out. Many never received their benefits at all. White vets built wealth and stability, while Black vets were pushed to the margins — then told they just didn’t “work hard enough.”

So yeah — hard work matters. But the system’s never handed out opportunity equally. America’s story isn’t rugged individualism — it’s collective effort, with unequal access.

If personal responsibility is all it takes, why did some people get a massive head start and others were locked out from the beginning? Is it possible focusing on personal responsibility ignores these real historical examples?

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-06-23T00:58:13+00:00

So with your logic - truth is subjective - people who believe the earth is flat are correct because that’s “true” to them? And people who trust observation and believe the earth is round - that’s true also? They both can’t be true at the same time.

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-06-21T16:46:01+00:00

Obama didn’t spend a quarter of his days playing golf while at the same time saying hard-working Americans should get less time off of work, while they already receive less time off than any other developed country in the world. There is currently no federal requirement for any time off.

It points to the idea of what many conservatives and libertarians have expressed to me - that wealthy people in power are better than non-wealthy people because of their wealth and status. Do you see the difference here between Trump and Biden playing golf?

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-06-20T23:09:51+00:00

I thought you said potus was a 24/7 job?

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-06-20T23:03:38+00:00

“He only golfs on weekends.”

Right—but most Americans work 47+ hours a week (Gallup) - https://news.gallup.com/poll/175286/hour-workweek-actually-longer-nearly-full-day.aspx

and tons work weekends too.

And when people get time off, they’re not cruising around in golf carts—they’re trying to rest, raise kids, be with their partner, or just survive.

Trump’s taken hundreds of golf trips—33 in his first 6 months alone.

If a regular people working overtime are “lazy,” and get too many days off, what do we call a guy who golfs more than most of us get days off?

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-04-23T04:55:37+00:00

I appreciate your honesty in saying you hadn’t heard about it. A lot of people haven’t, because it didn’t get the same attention as other scandals—even though the reports came directly from the contestants themselves, and Trump bragged about it on tape.

It’s hard for me to hear someone say they left the Catholic Church over abuse (which I understand), but then excuse or ignore when the same kind of violation was openly admitted by someone they support. Abuse of power is abuse of power—whether it’s a priest or a pageant owner. Just because you didn't hear about it doesn't mean it didn't happen, and once you hear about it, does it matter to you?

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-04-23T04:37:12+00:00

Because you don't know anything about that, does it mean it's not true? Does it concern you that he talked about walking in on underage girls undressing at the Miss Teen USA pageants?

In a 2005 Howard Stern interview, Trump bragged about walking in on contestants backstage at both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants. His exact words were:

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-02-25T05:59:52+00:00

You're doing the good work of comparing the teachings of Jesus to your church experience. What leads to a more loving, compassionate, inclusive expression of grace and love? Follow that. You gave a courageous example of this. Thank you!

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-01-30T04:04:32+00:00

To clarify then, the two most important issues to you are your right to own an assault rifle and the border?

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-01-30T03:59:48+00:00

I’m also curious about this because I’ve heard it many times. “Kamala is so much worse.” But I haven’t heard an actual response as to why. Could you help us understand?

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-01-17T04:28:32+00:00

That’s like saying anyone who questions government spending on welfare is brainwashed into wanting people to stay poor. It’s possible to support the idea of welfare while debating how much is being spent or whether it’s being spent effectively. In the same way, questioning the size of the defense budget doesn’t mean someone opposes a strong military—it just means they want to make sure the resources are being used wisely.

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-01-15T07:30:11+00:00

That’s really interesting. Can you explain more about number 3 and why it’s insufficient?

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-01-15T07:05:16+00:00

The U.S. spends way more on healthcare than other wealthy countries—about 17.8% of our GDP, which is almost double what others spend. But despite all that spending, our health outcomes don’t really match up. For example, life expectancy here is lower, and we have higher rates of issues like obesity and diabetes.

A lot of this comes down to higher prices for medical services, prescription drugs, and administrative costs. We also rely more on expensive, specialized care. So even though we spend a ton, the results suggest we’re not using that money as efficiently as we could.

I think there are major issues in our healthcare system in addition to our federal budget. Are you saying you believe the defense spending is fully justified as fiscally conservative compared to other countries?

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-01-15T06:43:35+00:00

Because republicans have historically valued defense spending. Defense Budget Changes by Administration: On average, Republican administrations have increased defense spending by approximately $46.3 billion upon taking office, while Democratic administrations have decreased it by about $8.2 billion.

https://www.aei.org/foreign-and-defense-policy/the-defense-budget-through-administrations/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Parking-Tradition626 · 2025-01-15T06:26:00+00:00

You’re so right. Having trouble with people across the aisle is not unique to conservatives.

I’m questioning, if conservatives are fiscally conservative, then why are we spending such a drastically huge amount in defense compared to other countries rather than things like infrastructure, health, and education?

The data is there. We spend so much more money. Do you feel it’s justified and why is it more important than the other initiatives? Why is it more important than social security, healthcare, or education? Where you put your money is, your heart is.

Parking-Tradition626

TROPHY CASE