Maybe ditch some of the expenses, or better yet, declare bankruptcy and walk away from your financial obligations. It's worked for millions of Americans over the past few years and it only costs a couple hundred bucks to pay off FICA...
The claim and that chart represent facts. Just because you don't like the facts doesn't mean you get to discount them in your argument. As for the burden being historically high, it needs to be historically high in order to pay for our government and pay down out debts.
Calling a chart with 5 data points going back to 1975 that are seemingly chosen at random intervals (although I suspect they were cherry picked) as proof that taxes are "historically low" is the definition of misrepresenting facts. Why does the chart start with 10 year data points, then go to 5 years for 1990-2005? Are those averages or the tax rate on that fifth/tenth year? Did you not notice that even with this data set, the 2005 tax rate is right in the middle of the pack? Not to mention that this is now 7 years out of date. Do you think this trend has continued since the economy crashed in 2008 and the GDP stopped growing 5%+ as it was in the early-mid 2000s ? What about when the Bush era cuts expire? What was the tax burden in 1970, or 1960?
I agree with your three examples of government spending programs that have gotten completely out of hand, and if you read the original quote that I posted from Massie, that is exactly the type of thing he is campaigning against. I also appreciate your optimism regarding a over-arching, benevolent, efficient, government that can Robin Hood it's way through the economy. But I'm afraid you are sorely mistaken about the reality of big government. The term "bread and circuses" might ring a bell as it was used in the popular Gladiator movie to describe a very real phenomenon that is well documented in the primary sources from 2000+ years ago. Prominent Roman intellectuals and historians of that era debated the virtues of redistributing wealth right up to the bitter end; when the empire came crashing down around them. More modern examples abound, but I think it would be a wasted effort to continue down that road considering the context of this conversation so far.
The problem is that the government's debt has reached astronomical proportions and that money eventually has to be payed back. Just because our current tax burden is somewhat reasonable (although the claim that it is "historically low" and that ridiculous chart are laughable, as they will be historically high as soon as the Bush tax cuts expire), it can't keep up with our borrowing. If anything, it means we are in for even bigger problems down the road. There is a blog post on the Cato institute on the subject of calculating the government's percent of GDP here: http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/american-government-spending-41-of-gdp/
Compared to some Euro zone nations we are in good shape. But they are also going bankrupt with governments near collapse.
We live in a time when people seem to think that "distribution of wealth" is something that governments are suddenly capable of doing when history has REPEATEDLY shown otherwise. My views are largely based on what I studied in school (ancient history) and I don't consider myself to be a tea party person. Reality is that the US government is currently operating in an unsustainable manner on many levels (state, federal, and local) and eventually that will catch up to us. Defaulting on government debts will lead to either major global war or an economic takeover by foreign powers. Some would argue the latter is already in motion.
Massie calls himself a “Constitutional conservative,” and he identifies with the Tea Party—at least the members in his home state, whom he says “defy the stereotype in the media.” As he explains, “In northern Kentucky, Tea Parties focus on fiscal responsibility and constitutionally limited government. All of the other stuff around the edges—that maybe some Tea Party folks are for and some are against—don’t get rolled up into the agenda.”
So he shares some ideals with the Tea Party, particularly the central theme of limited government. Imho, it's the part that sounds the most intelligent and reasonable of the Tea Party's philosophy. I would even argue that it is desperately needed at a time when we are losing important rights every day and 40% of our GDP is going to the government. Perhaps you should read the article, think about what the man is saying, and then form an opinion about it.
I just found out, after making a wrong turn and then doing a little research, that General Atomics plays with experimental nuclear and fusion reactor prototypes just a few miles down the road from our office building. I think it's really freakin' cool but I sure there would be a big hubballoo if more San Diegans knew about it.
A friend of mine went on the caveman diet (pretty much meat, veggies, fruit, and nuts only) about a year ago. He has lost 80 pounds and swears he will never eat processed food again. He's a pretty normal dude that doesn't exercise outside of having to stand a lot at work. He looks like a normal dude instead of a fat dude now. I'm stoked for him.
I've never suffered massive neurological damage so I wouldn't know. I did see him on TV after he retired though and he seemed pretty coherent. As I said above, I think suicide is a selfish act. I accept that not everyone agrees with that but it's how I feel about it for a variety of reasons. Kinda like you going apeshit on me for my post, we all have a right to our opinions, and I'm glad we still have open forums like/. to express them in. I guess I was hoping someone might read the personal experience that I shared and maybe think a little about how they view personal accountability, suicide, and mental illness; but apparently you aren't that martian...
Sorry to offend man... I do feel bad for the situation. I have a friend/coworker that also played ball with him, drank beers with him, and thinks I'm an asshole for my take on it (we talked yesterday about it over a beer). I love football/chargers, loved to watch him play, but I am trying to understand why someone would do something like that to themselves... This was and still is my opinion. on his motivations for committing suicide, which I believe is a selfish act for anyone to do. Some psychologists would crucify me for that statement but that is simply how I view it. My Grandfather had terminal cancer and was in intense pain for almost a year before he passed. We talked about his options and he strongly expressed the same belief that I held about suicide. It's a cop out. Taking one in the chest would be a really shitty way to do it (still better than cancer...), and I would need a pretty convincing argument in my head to do something like that in that way. I could see how the whole "my life is fucked up because my brain is damaged" could help someone convince themselves that death is a viable option. Especially if that death raises awareness about a perceived crisis (the crisis being that head injuries in football are ruining lives).
Anyway, I realize it's a sensitive time but I also don't think me sharing my opinion is worse than these articles calling for changes to the NFL less than 24 hours after the dude died. I value personal liberty above all and I think that guys like Jr., great men, would never be able to rise to prominence if we continue down this path of communal safety first, and don't hold people accountable for their own actions.
So is drinking alcohol, smoking, getting sunburned, eating at McDonalds, and a zillion other legal things we do everyday for fun. SO FUCKING WHAT? Should we all just hide in out basements until we die and thank our benevolent leaders for giving us long lifespans? FUCK NO! FOOTBALL KICKS ASS, ESPECIALLY THE BIG HITS!
I think these NFL players are just egomaniacs. Their careers end, the limelight quickly fades and they get depressed. Rather than find something productive to do with themselves, they waste their money on slow horses and fast women, then blame their problems on the fact that they are half retarded from playing the sport that got them their riches in the first place. Seau had 3 kids and thousands of fans looking up to him and he still decided none of them were worth living for. Selfish. Selfish. Selfish. Shooting himself in the chest so they can see that his brain is fucked up is the coup de grace of a guy that is so selfish he is willing to stick it to the game that made him great. Just one man's opinion...
Fyi, President Obama thinks that separation of government and business is a very very bad thing. He states so very clearly in "Audactiy of Hope" several times. He argues that special interests and corporate lobbyists are integral to modern democracy.
This is the thing I disagree with most about his platform.
I don't even know where to start with this comment.
If anything, Americans are far more orientated towards a European style nation wide social safety net system than ever before. Only a very small minority of aggressive type A people would fall into your description of the "indoctrinated" populace of the USA.
Like many people who harbor strong opinions about Americans and have no appreciation for the immense social, racial, and political diversity in this country; you don't know jack about us.
Slashdot Mirror
The Romans had a pretty good sized middle class (I'm not sure what "universal" means) ~2000 years prior to the USA.
Yeah. LA should build more trains for nobody to use...
Now you've got me depressed dude!
Maybe ditch some of the expenses, or better yet, declare bankruptcy and walk away from your financial obligations. It's worked for millions of Americans over the past few years and it only costs a couple hundred bucks to pay off FICA...
Yeah... I figured he wouldn't go to prison because it's only 30 days, I was trying to use the parent's own words in my example.
Just to clarify...
Your sincerest hope is that a 20 year old kid gets ass raped while he does a 30 day stint in prison?
The claim and that chart represent facts. Just because you don't like the facts doesn't mean you get to discount them in your argument. As for the burden being historically high, it needs to be historically high in order to pay for our government and pay down out debts.
Calling a chart with 5 data points going back to 1975 that are seemingly chosen at random intervals (although I suspect they were cherry picked) as proof that taxes are "historically low" is the definition of misrepresenting facts. Why does the chart start with 10 year data points, then go to 5 years for 1990-2005? Are those averages or the tax rate on that fifth/tenth year? Did you not notice that even with this data set, the 2005 tax rate is right in the middle of the pack? Not to mention that this is now 7 years out of date. Do you think this trend has continued since the economy crashed in 2008 and the GDP stopped growing 5%+ as it was in the early-mid 2000s ? What about when the Bush era cuts expire? What was the tax burden in 1970, or 1960?
I agree with your three examples of government spending programs that have gotten completely out of hand, and if you read the original quote that I posted from Massie, that is exactly the type of thing he is campaigning against. I also appreciate your optimism regarding a over-arching, benevolent, efficient, government that can Robin Hood it's way through the economy. But I'm afraid you are sorely mistaken about the reality of big government. The term "bread and circuses" might ring a bell as it was used in the popular Gladiator movie to describe a very real phenomenon that is well documented in the primary sources from 2000+ years ago. Prominent Roman intellectuals and historians of that era debated the virtues of redistributing wealth right up to the bitter end; when the empire came crashing down around them. More modern examples abound, but I think it would be a wasted effort to continue down that road considering the context of this conversation so far.
Over and out.
I'm not talking about spending, not tax burden as percentage of GDP. In 2011 government spending was 38.9% of the GDP, 2012 is predicted to be ~40%...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_spending#Government_spending_as_a_percentage_of_GDP
The problem is that the government's debt has reached astronomical proportions and that money eventually has to be payed back. Just because our current tax burden is somewhat reasonable (although the claim that it is "historically low" and that ridiculous chart are laughable, as they will be historically high as soon as the Bush tax cuts expire), it can't keep up with our borrowing. If anything, it means we are in for even bigger problems down the road. There is a blog post on the Cato institute on the subject of calculating the government's percent of GDP here: http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/american-government-spending-41-of-gdp/
Compared to some Euro zone nations we are in good shape. But they are also going bankrupt with governments near collapse.
We live in a time when people seem to think that "distribution of wealth" is something that governments are suddenly capable of doing when history has REPEATEDLY shown otherwise. My views are largely based on what I studied in school (ancient history) and I don't consider myself to be a tea party person. Reality is that the US government is currently operating in an unsustainable manner on many levels (state, federal, and local) and eventually that will catch up to us. Defaulting on government debts will lead to either major global war or an economic takeover by foreign powers. Some would argue the latter is already in motion.
Massie calls himself a “Constitutional conservative,” and he identifies with the Tea Party—at least the members in his home state, whom he says “defy the stereotype in the media.” As he explains, “In northern Kentucky, Tea Parties focus on fiscal responsibility and constitutionally limited government. All of the other stuff around the edges—that maybe some Tea Party folks are for and some are against—don’t get rolled up into the agenda.”
So he shares some ideals with the Tea Party, particularly the central theme of limited government. Imho, it's the part that sounds the most intelligent and reasonable of the Tea Party's philosophy. I would even argue that it is desperately needed at a time when we are losing important rights every day and 40% of our GDP is going to the government. Perhaps you should read the article, think about what the man is saying, and then form an opinion about it.
"Persian Gulf" It may not be labeled but that term certainly works.
Go fuck yourself raw with a giant DRM'd dildo.
I just found out, after making a wrong turn and then doing a little research, that General Atomics plays with experimental nuclear and fusion reactor prototypes just a few miles down the road from our office building. I think it's really freakin' cool but I sure there would be a big hubballoo if more San Diegans knew about it.
A friend of mine went on the caveman diet (pretty much meat, veggies, fruit, and nuts only) about a year ago. He has lost 80 pounds and swears he will never eat processed food again. He's a pretty normal dude that doesn't exercise outside of having to stand a lot at work. He looks like a normal dude instead of a fat dude now. I'm stoked for him.
The far right and far left have a lot more in common than they realize. I think it mainly stems from putting ideology ahead of common sense.
The girl sitting next to me at Avengers last night was snoring the entire movie. Not sleeping mind you, just snoring.
SpaceX!
I've never suffered massive neurological damage so I wouldn't know. I did see him on TV after he retired though and he seemed pretty coherent. As I said above, I think suicide is a selfish act. I accept that not everyone agrees with that but it's how I feel about it for a variety of reasons. Kinda like you going apeshit on me for my post, we all have a right to our opinions, and I'm glad we still have open forums like /. to express them in. I guess I was hoping someone might read the personal experience that I shared and maybe think a little about how they view personal accountability, suicide, and mental illness; but apparently you aren't that martian...
Sorry to offend man... I do feel bad for the situation. I have a friend/coworker that also played ball with him, drank beers with him, and thinks I'm an asshole for my take on it (we talked yesterday about it over a beer). I love football/chargers, loved to watch him play, but I am trying to understand why someone would do something like that to themselves... This was and still is my opinion. on his motivations for committing suicide, which I believe is a selfish act for anyone to do. Some psychologists would crucify me for that statement but that is simply how I view it. My Grandfather had terminal cancer and was in intense pain for almost a year before he passed. We talked about his options and he strongly expressed the same belief that I held about suicide. It's a cop out. Taking one in the chest would be a really shitty way to do it (still better than cancer...), and I would need a pretty convincing argument in my head to do something like that in that way. I could see how the whole "my life is fucked up because my brain is damaged" could help someone convince themselves that death is a viable option. Especially if that death raises awareness about a perceived crisis (the crisis being that head injuries in football are ruining lives).
Anyway, I realize it's a sensitive time but I also don't think me sharing my opinion is worse than these articles calling for changes to the NFL less than 24 hours after the dude died. I value personal liberty above all and I think that guys like Jr., great men, would never be able to rise to prominence if we continue down this path of communal safety first, and don't hold people accountable for their own actions.
So is drinking alcohol, smoking, getting sunburned, eating at McDonalds, and a zillion other legal things we do everyday for fun. SO FUCKING WHAT? Should we all just hide in out basements until we die and thank our benevolent leaders for giving us long lifespans? FUCK NO! FOOTBALL KICKS ASS, ESPECIALLY THE BIG HITS!
I think these NFL players are just egomaniacs. Their careers end, the limelight quickly fades and they get depressed. Rather than find something productive to do with themselves, they waste their money on slow horses and fast women, then blame their problems on the fact that they are half retarded from playing the sport that got them their riches in the first place. Seau had 3 kids and thousands of fans looking up to him and he still decided none of them were worth living for. Selfish. Selfish. Selfish. Shooting himself in the chest so they can see that his brain is fucked up is the coup de grace of a guy that is so selfish he is willing to stick it to the game that made him great. Just one man's opinion...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanity
Fyi, President Obama thinks that separation of government and business is a very very bad thing. He states so very clearly in "Audactiy of Hope" several times. He argues that special interests and corporate lobbyists are integral to modern democracy.
This is the thing I disagree with most about his platform.
Almost as soothing as a south park episode. :)
I don't even know where to start with this comment.
If anything, Americans are far more orientated towards a European style nation wide social safety net system than ever before. Only a very small minority of aggressive type A people would fall into your description of the "indoctrinated" populace of the USA.
Like many people who harbor strong opinions about Americans and have no appreciation for the immense social, racial, and political diversity in this country; you don't know jack about us.
"US-style 'controlling the message'."
Because the US government is the only global entity that tries to control a party line? Lol
I dunno why but it seems like Canadians have been saying stupider and stupider shit recently. Maybe it's all related to the NHL playoffs....
I think San Diego county may have more microbreweries per capita than anywhere else in the world...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_breweries#San_Diego_County
Isn't 220MW enough electricity for something like 250,000 homes? That's a pretty big town...