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KSMountain
Participant[quote=svelte]
Seriously, did you ever stop to consider maybe tailgaters in general have quicker reflexes? [/quote]
I think they may *think* that they have faster reflexes. What happens if they’re tailgating, their phone rings, and then the driver ahead has to stop suddenly? Not an implausible scenario at all.
[quote=svelte]
Look at NASCAR drivers, f’rinstance.
[/quote]
They are not NASCAR drivers. And the roads are not racetracks. There are a lot of drivers of different abilities, people with loved ones in the car, people with poorly maintained cars, people impaired by alcohol or drugs or infirmity or all three, sharing roads that aren’t maintained like a racetrack is. There are pedestrians and bicyclists. The very *thinking* that what you are doing is anything like NASCAR is wrongheaded.August 7, 2012 at 11:45 PM in reply to: Good fact based WSJ article on who pays taxes in America #749681Participant[quote=flu] …just like I have an issue with General Electric paying to income taxes. Minute distinction.[/quote]
I think the “GE pays no taxes” meme is over done and overly simplistic.GE was founded in 1892. You think they’ve never paid taxes all that time? Don’t you think the amount they pay varies year by year?
Their 2012 net income according to Wiki will be about $14 billion on revenue of $147 billion. You think they aren’t paying all sorts of taxes of various kinds on that, in many different countries?
As we all know, if your business has a losing year, you will pay less taxes that year. Maybe no income taxes if in aggregate your expenses exceed your income. Of course if you do that year after year you won’t be in business for long.
Here’s a quote, admittedly from a company spokesman:
GE paid an effective global tax rate of 7 percent in 2010, counting money paid “to the IRS and foreign counterparts” in other nations. That rate was particularly low, Williams said, because the company lost $32 billion in its financial business during the global financial crisis.
According to the company release, GE’s effective tax rate jumped to 29 percent in 2011. The company paid $2.9 billion in worldwide corporate income tax in 2011, and another $1 billion in other U.S. taxes that year, the release states.
ParticipantLooking for ways to disagree with brian on this one, but it’s hard…
ParticipantZimbabwe is trying redistribution of the farms right? How’s that working out?
Participant[quote=squat250]the watch is supposed to make you feel a certain way, and a fake is not going to produce that feeling… [/quote]
Exactly. In fact, what feeling would it produce?…Participant[quote=nla]Funny, outside the house, I feel NAKED without a watch. There are numerous times that I have to go back to the house few blocks away because I forgot my watch. My day is off if I’m not wearing a watch. When I was in college, I have few SWATCH watches. They were cool back then. Now I have a TAG but lusting for a ROLEX or a BREITLING.[/quote]
I am like this, even though I usually have a cell phone with. I went from a Tag to a Rolex Explorer II. I needed the GMT hand. I’ve had it for 1.5 years and it’s been a joy every day. The bracelet and clasp are really nice in my opinion.If you don’t wear it for about 2 days it will stop. So ironically I guess a watch is kind of like a cellphone in that you have to “charge” it.
I like this thread!
July 11, 2012 at 11:46 PM in reply to: OT: Politically Correctness has sucken to an all time low…. #747767Participant[quote=Brutus]I propose that we declare a moratorium on ALL immigration for ten years, block and prevent all illegal entry on all borders, and then, once the borders are secure and criminalien-free, start an immigration plan based on Australia’s plan: If we don’t need your skill(s), you can’t come in.
This would apply to ALL immigrants, Black, White, Hispanic, Vietnamese, Swedish, British, Japanese, etc…
Enough of this “give me your poor” bullshit. That was fine in 1890. It doesn’t work now, as we can see by the often expressed, but erroneous, idea that EVERYONE deserves to be an American citizen.
STOP ALL IMMIGRATION NOW!
Other than that, I have no strong opinions…[/quote]
The stakes are higher now than they were in 1890, right? The country is more crowded, but further, the benefits given to citizens (paid for by their fellow citizens or by ever more debt) are far greater.The New Deal and the Great Society came after 1890.
Think Welfare, Medicaid, Medicare, 99 weeks of unemployment, emergency rooms, etc. None of that existed in 1890 right? So an immigrant now, depending on skillset and ambition, is potentially much more expensive than an immigrant then.
I fully admit immigrants have been instrumental to the success of the U.S. I also admit demographically we are likely going to need more young workers. I would just prefer that they come in the front door.
I’m ok I guess with Brian’s idea of amnesty for the folks currently here, but does it end there or do we keep absorbing (and amnest-izing) folks ad infinitum?
July 9, 2012 at 6:36 PM in reply to: Obamacare bill contains 3.8% tax on homes sales capital gains for high income earners #747551ParticipantWell, it’s kind of a cop-out to post a wikipedia link, but this is somewhat interesting:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_spectrumJuly 9, 2012 at 3:12 PM in reply to: Obamacare bill contains 3.8% tax on homes sales capital gains for high income earners #747536Participant[quote=SK in CV], but I still think of the left/right spectrum as being socialism on the left and capitalism on the right.[/quote]
Wait. What? So capitalism is the hard right now? What a shame if some people think that now.
I thought hard right was supposed to be Nationalism, Fascism, etc…July 9, 2012 at 1:32 PM in reply to: OT: Politically Correctness has sucken to an all time low…. #747533Participant[quote=ocrenter]I think it would be good to at least look at what most people agree with, because the issues people disagree with are always magnified, and that doesn’t serve anyone any good. I think the following is a good list that most people will agree on:
–illegals are illegals, they are not “undocumented.”
–dream act is a good policy, it is a goof filter of the good vs bad apples.
–any illegals that served in the military can get legalized.
–any illegals with any criminal record, automatic deportation.
–continue with the amped up enforcement at the border first started under George W and continued under Obama.
–given demographic changes south of border, an expensive border wall is not necessary.
–guest worker program needs to be implemented.The only thing that’s really causing disagreement is on what happens with the 10 million illegals already here. Honestly, trying to deport the 10 million would be too costly. So the only practical solution is a guest worker program with option for eventual legalization of status. A carrot and stick approach can be used to make sure the great majority of the illegals come forward. Up enforcement at the workplace as the stick and eventual path to legalization as the carrot.[/quote]
This seems like a good start.You left off us being smarter about allowing qualified educated folks from other countries to stay/work here.
I’m not as convinced of a direct correlation between birthrates and immigration pressure – I think other factors may have more influence – but we shall see.
Other controversial topics that weren’t in your list (which I understand you intended to be uncontroversial):
* Should children of illegals automatically become citizens?
* Should illegals be able to have drivers licenses?
* Should free healthcare and other services be doled out equally to all regardless of citizenship?
* Should we do another amnesty? And then another every 10 years? Should we just open the border and allow unlimited anonymous entry and indefinite stay?It seems strange to me that we have per-country immigration quotas and a lengthy path to citizenship process, but we also have policies that look the other way if you can just get in here. It seems there’s an ambiguity and an inconsistency there that we should resolve.
July 6, 2012 at 2:16 PM in reply to: OT: Politically Correctness has sucken to an all time low…. #747369Participant[quote=briansd1]
Most public assistance is only available to citizens. And there is a 5-year waiting period after obtaining legal status…[/quote]
Do you know about the EIC scam?
Ever wonder why there are so many tax preparers in poor neighborhoods?
Why are these folks so eager to fulfill their civic duty? Ohhhh….July 6, 2012 at 2:32 AM in reply to: Obamacare bill contains 3.8% tax on homes sales capital gains for high income earners #747311Participant[quote=ocrenter][quote=AN][quote=spdrun]Why is socialism such a dirty word anyway? I’m a socialist on some issues, a libertarian on others, and I’m G-d damn proud of my views.[/quote]It’s not a dirty word to me. But I’m sure ocrenter tossing out the word socialism thinking he can get an argument from those who does think it’s a dirty word. I can see this thread going down a rat hole if there end up being a back and forth between him and those who think socialism is a dirty word.[/quote]
The point was simply we have completely removed single payer as an option because of its socialism connotation, which is quite unfortunate.[/quote]
But it *is* socialistic, isn’t it?
Case 1: Paid for by the government, government decides what procedures get done when, everyone (allegedly) gets the same care.
Case 2: There is competition and free enterprise in the field. People factor health benefits into choice of employer. People can use their own initiative to secure better care for themselves, if that is a priority to them.I understand Case 2 is less compassionate, but isn’t it more “American” (historically speaking)?
July 6, 2012 at 1:53 AM in reply to: Obamacare bill contains 3.8% tax on homes sales capital gains for high income earners #747310ParticipantAnd Obama got us involved in Libya without needing a single conservatard. How could that be?
Because often there are folks (frequently not conservatards) that demand that “something be done to end the suffering”, regardless of cost or consequences.
Who knows, you yourself might support military intervention in Darfur.
July 6, 2012 at 1:48 AM in reply to: Obamacare bill contains 3.8% tax on homes sales capital gains for high income earners #747309Participant[quote=spdrun]
Why does the government need more and more and more funding year after year?
Because the liberals want it to actually provide useful services.
The conservatards, OTOH, bleed the coffers dry with things like the War on Drugs, incarcerating 1% of the population, and military adventures in Middle Eastern pestholes that aren’t worth a single cent. Personally, I’d be all for the people responsible for Iraq II being locked up for treason and perjury.
And yes, I realize that SD’s economy is heavily based on the military.[/quote]
Clinton took us to Bosnia. Kennedy did Bay of Pigs, and arguably started us in Vietnam. History man, history! Know it, don’t make it up.Also, keep in mind Hillary Clinton as Senator was pretty adamant that something had to be done about Hussein. How could that be, in your simplified worldview?
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