On August 25 2010 08:35 TanGeng wrote: One of the things I've noticed is that human society needs individual examples of success and failure to be successful as a whole. People need examples of successes to emulate and they need examples of failures to warn them away from screwing up their own lives the same way. .
Russia transformed itself from an agrarian society to an industrial society. I'm not sure if they had their heroes and idols in their society, but they still made the leap to a superpower without corporate executives and small business icons.
On August 25 2010 08:35 TanGeng wrote: One of the things I've noticed is that human society needs individual examples of success and failure to be successful as a whole. People need examples of successes to emulate and they need examples of failures to warn them away from screwing up their own lives the same way. .
Russia transformed itself from an agrarian society to an industrial society. I'm not sure if they had their heroes and idols in their society, but they still made the leap to a superpower without corporate executives and small business icons.
They were forced to by dictators... 5 year plans anyone?
On August 25 2010 11:21 DetriusXii wrote: Here's what's missing in the debate though. There's economies of scale in health insurance. So while you may end up paying for some asshole having too many cheeseburgers in a socialized health insurance scheme, you actually end up paying less. The socialized health insurance plans don't have to deal with advertising and they can trap more young people into the system. The private free market companies are perfectly fine trapping in young people with mandates. But in the end, it's young people paying for some asshole's health insurance, and you'll be that asshole in twenty years. So you may aswell stop complaining, because forced charity through the socialized systems saves each citizen as a whole on their health insurance.
It's a nice idea until costs spiral out of control. Then the young people will be screwed because the system won't be around long enough for them to enjoy foisting their own costs on someone else. (wait that sounds like Social Security.)
Europeans...They are the worlds great antennae to the suffering of others. They are capable of such profound and powerful feelings of pity. Perhaps this is why they are... pitiful.
On August 25 2010 05:10 StarBrift wrote: Some of you heartless people really need to live in pain for a couple of years to put the real world in perspective. You've lived an extremely lucky life if you're healthy and make decent wage. The attitude that some people have that they don't want to pay for others is simply unacceptable. Other people help you live your life, that's what society is about. If you can't even find it in you to pay like an additional dollar a month to help save peoples lives you are truly truly sick and disguisting as a person. If you hate cooperation between people (economically or in what ever way) then why don't you live outside of society? Build a hut from sticks you find in the woods and eat only what you hunt. Half of you pretentious pricks that whine about miniscule taxes wouldn't even be able to survive in the wild if you were forced to.
Alot of people here also live in the fantasy world where everything is fair and if someone is poor or has a hard time it must be their fault. It seems like people can't understand that not everyone has a father that pays your way through college and gets you a job at his firm etc. Some people that are in trouble (medically or economically) really has just had a fucking shitty chance at life. To not help these people based ont he illusion that they had good chances that they fucked up due to lazyness or that they have made bad choices is just appalling.
People have their right to difference in opinion. If you say you don't want to pay a dime to less fortunate people then by all means go ahead and have that opinion. But don't try make it seem like you're morally superior or what you are doing is actually good for the society. Its pure selfishness and inability to comprehend very simple facts.
Take note that this isn't directed to anyone in this thread specifically. But in every single one of these threads this type of person comes in and tries to undermine the entire point of health care and financial aid. Just because a very small ammount of people use the system to get things for free (which isn't easy if the system is regulated properly) that isn't a good enough reason to not help people who are living in pain and suffering.
What you say sounds nice and all if only it were true.
First of all, taxes are barely considered to be "minute," and if it were the matter of merely paying a dollar I assure you almost no one would mind. But guess what, while some people are being taxed like ~8% of their salary like I am (and I have a $5,500 student loan out, so I'm not exactly swimming in money), others are paying over 50% of their salary. Don't say it's small, the accumulation of all the welfare taxes is CRAZY. Imagine your work telling you you're going to receive a $5,000 paycheck every 2 weeks and when you receive it... it's only $2,700. And guess why you're paying that much? Because some asshole you don't even know had a heart attack from eating too many double cheeseburgers and large fries.
Of course there are the few exceptions where people are fucked. You seem to be highly misguided on what you think [most Republicans] think of fairness. What most think is quite simply that the world isn't fair, but you can't use that as a reason to make everyone care about everyone else.
There's a massive difference between what you're saying as well and what I'm saying. I'm saying the government shouldn't FORCE people to pay a dime to the unfortunate. If people want to help their fellow members they should do it because they want to, not because they are forced to. I don't know how old you are, but say your country suddenly cuts 100% of its welfare and your paycheck now increases by 25%. Are you now going to donate that extra 25% back to welfare? Probably not. But it wouldn't be any different for you really and by your principles you should. Please tell me why you aren't acting purely selfish for failing to donate your extra dollars to those in Africa who are starving. Maybe there's a fallacy in that argument but no one in this thread has yet to even attempt to address it. Are their lives worth less because they don't live in a certain imaginary border?
No one is only paying 8% taxes in USA. So based on the fact that you're making false claims, I'm just goint to stop reading there. You obv. are some troll or kid that doesn't know anything about the world and real life. Also no one is getting income taxes at 50% since the maximum is 35% as of now. So please stop making up bullshit to support your point, it's so easy to spot.
I am taxed around 9-10% on every paycheck. The maximum FEDERAL income tax is 35%.
I work at a CPA firm, my father is a CPA, and I am an accounting minor. Over 50% might have been a slight exaggeration, but far more accurate than you stating a specific false number. You sure you know what's easy to spot out?
If you're getting taxed 10% you're making under 5.8k a year, in which i suggest you get a new job and "stop taking the first job that comes around".
So you agree, both arguments you used to support your claims that I was wrong were entirely false?
Nope, like i said before no one is getting taxed as low as 8% and also no one is getting taxed even remotely close to 50%. How do you not understand? Is there something wrong with you? Why do you make things up to support your views? Are you that brainless? I understand it's hard to argue something thats completely false so why don't you just call it a day and go play outside with your friends.
Bahahaha you know absolutely nothing about taxes. Take an accounting course and get back to me. You can pay 0% tax on a $50,000 salary if you have enough deductions. Stop arguing with someone who is currently working in a CPA firm. Even just to check because I wasn't sure, I just asked our senior tax manager at the firm and he said you were full of shit. You had me doubting all I had learned for a sec.
What I find really weird is that you blame welfare for stealing your money. I live in a country famous for being the one welfare state.I am also a pretty standard worker at the moment working in IT. I'm taxed at 31% which gets deducted to roughly 24-26% because of write-offs. Yet I get free health care, I pay less than 15 dollars a month and I'm covered for any hospital expense no matter how high. I live in a country were everyone gets to go on welfare aslong as they don't have any funds to support themselves. I also have more disposable income than the average Amercian. So if a country can offer welfare to pretty much everyone that wants it aswell as supporting free healthcare to everyone can manage to give their workers higher disposable income, then the logical conclution would be that welfare isn't the money drain.
Prepare to have someone tell you that your country can save money on defense because everyone knows the US will come help you if someone attacks
What if Obama played Starcraft, a team melee game and he was in charge of resources, as in macro, buildings, and upgrades? He'd promise this and that and then realize that there isn't enough resources, his team mates would get mad and they'd lose? Just an opinion. Honestly though, that's a horrible thing to have happen. It just shows that sometimes people are greedy to the point that they don't realize people will not have healthcare, and they don't even care, and they won't do anything to help. Well the people on Wall Street want to have their year end bonus, so they just create a huge problem and screw everyone over.
On August 25 2010 11:21 DetriusXii wrote: Here's what's missing in the debate though. There's economies of scale in health insurance. So while you may end up paying for some asshole having too many cheeseburgers in a socialized health insurance scheme, you actually end up paying less. The socialized health insurance plans don't have to deal with advertising and they can trap more young people into the system. The private free market companies are perfectly fine trapping in young people with mandates. But in the end, it's young people paying for some asshole's health insurance, and you'll be that asshole in twenty years. So you may aswell stop complaining, because forced charity through the socialized systems saves each citizen as a whole on their health insurance.
It's a nice idea until costs spiral out of control. Then the young people will be screwed because the system won't be around long enough for them to enjoy foisting their own costs on someone else. (wait that sounds like Social Security.)
Except that the US leads in total cost expenditures in health care from OECD reports. The nations with socialized health care are saving its citizens' money. So your criticism is made out of ignorance. If costs are going to spiral out of control, they'll spiral out of control in the US first, the most free market of the first world nations.
On August 25 2010 08:35 TanGeng wrote: One of the things I've noticed is that human society needs individual examples of success and failure to be successful as a whole. People need examples of successes to emulate and they need examples of failures to warn them away from screwing up their own lives the same way. .
Russia transformed itself from an agrarian society to an industrial society. I'm not sure if they had their heroes and idols in their society, but they still made the leap to a superpower without corporate executives and small business icons.
They were forced to by dictators... 5 year plans anyone?
Why does that matter? The argument was made that there needs to be business icons in order for the society to advance. Russia under communist rule transforming itself into a industrial superpower exists as a counter argument.
On August 24 2010 22:31 Galois wrote: Lexpar, I want to reach through my monitor and punch your stupid bitch ass in the face.
You sir are one righteous dude. So glad to know that people like you are "better" than everyone else in this country.
Actual news cast
The video makes her look like a pain killer addict. She probably was in pain because she couldn't get any drugs. I'm sure this isn't the first time somebody has done something completely stupid to get pain medication. Her dog honestly pulled her arm to the point she was in so much pain she would rather inflict more pain? I think she should be on the next episode of "Intervetion" on A&E lol
On August 25 2010 12:34 DetriusXii wrote: Why does that matter? The argument was made that there needs to be business icons in order for the society to advance. Russia under communist rule transforming itself into a industrial superpower exists as a counter argument.
Industrial superpower? What!?
For a country that size, it was horribly poor. During the early years, they had an effective politburo but managed to kill millions of people. Success was making it into the inner party. Failure was living your life out in the gulags.
Later in the 20th century Soviet Union economy was a basket case and they got left behind. While Intel was making microprocessors and CPUs the soviets were making cement blocks and waiting in line for bread. What a superpower.
WHY oh WHY would you work with toxic waste for 8$ an hour for that long let alone ever?? Bullshit she couldn't find another job
The funny thing is this was a decently smart move on her part, she got a news story and now theres gonna be tons of stupid people that are gonna mail her money or something stupid like that
EleanorRigby, you betray your name, your country, and your species.
"There was a time when nobody was [supporting this cause], really... somewhere in a prison camp in the 1950s or so, 18 negroes broke their legs with sledgehammers to bring attention to the condition that they were in... and slowly, bit by bit, I became involved in this issue." + Show Spoiler +