May I propose the following for those who support Candidate Yang and the "Freedom Dividend".....
1) The average middle income is about $80k per year. The average upper income is $180k per year (see stats below)
https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0912/which-income-class-are-you.aspx
2) If your combined family income is lets say somewhere in between these figures ($130k and above) you're considered "upper middle class, to upper class". Is this you? Of course it is, dear reader... you live in The O.C.
3) Now get your 2018 year end credit card and bank statements. How much did you spend at Amazon and Costco for the year? I'm guessing that it's somewhere in the $10k to $20k range. Using the median, let's use $15k Why these two companies? Good question. Why not Apple, or Tesla, or IAC or some of the other companies that will ultimately pass through any VAT being charged to consumers - upper middle class consumers such as yourselves? Amazon and Costco are easy to chart as ongoing expenses.
4) As a Yang supporter, you feel strongly that the "Freedom Dividend (AKA: The robbing of Peter to pay Paul) is an acceptable economic model, please demonstrate your commitment to this belief. Write your own Freedom Dividend check starting today for $125 ($15k x 10% VAT / 12) to any of the following charities:
www.aplahealth.org
www.someonecareskitchen.org
www.bgca.org
www.ocfoodbank.org
and continue to do so for the next 13 months until the November election.
Not willing to do so? Why not? What is stopping a Yang supporter from doing the same thing Candidate Yang is doing - spending his own money to demonstrate how well this works. Nothing is stopping a Yang supporter from putting their money where their mouth is. Other than pure, unadulterated "Do what I say, not what I do" thinking.
Break the cycle of hypocrisy dear Yang supporters. Open your check books and show the world the benefits of your own personal "freedom dividend" offered to your fellow man.
This "Freedom Dividend" talk is really, really great in theory - until you're asked to put it into practice on a personal level. At that time, when asked to write earned money from your account to someone else, all we should ever expect to hear is crickets.
My .02c