Idiotic. California dug its own hole by over-regulation and over-spending. This is what happens to a state's finances when public employee unions, prison employee unions, teacher unions and wacko environmentalists have a state by the cajones.
California can't raise taxes? Yes, they can. It simply takes a 2/3 majority of the legislature. Alternatively, 51% of the population, if you can get a tax increase passed in proposition form (which there are a plethora of this year).
More to the point, this is what happens when you have one party control (and don't give me that claptrap about The Terminator being a Republican... he was pink right down to his underwear).
Well first off, I think it's wrong to trivalize the word "evil" by applying that designation to McDonalds and Coca-Cola.
Beyond that, if your rationale is that people who provide goods are evil for making them look attractive, well then you're obviously anti-capitalist at your core and perhaps more enamored of five-year plans.
What about the pastry maker? She makes those pastries look so delectable! That almond croissant with the powdered sugar coating... oh my! Or the carmaker... how dare Porsche make such a delectably beautiful car like the 911! Don't they know I can't afford it and it would completely wreck my finances if I bought one?
It all comes down to the fact that you are responsible for your own actions. I firmly believe that it's not the apple or the snake that is at fault... it is not the tempters, it is us. *We* choose to give in to temptation or to not.
Would I like to drink a soda every day and have a Quarter-Pounder (with cheese!)? Sure, I would. But I don't, because I know how bad each of those are for my health and how many calories each contain and how hard it is to burn those calories. But it's certainly not within the government's purview to TELL ME I can't have those things. That should always be for me to decide.
But that's the point, Ginger Boy, I didn't need a white paper to tell me what I already knew: the US is, by far, the country people want to emigrate to. Anyone who doesn't know this is not reading very much and/or has little to no contact with recent or aspiring immigrants.
We don't need white papers to tell us that the Earth's atmosphere is mostly nitrogen or that water is wet. This particular discussion doesn't qualify as a priori facts like those, but really, it ain't far off. Next you're gonna ask me for a white paper that proves Justin Bieber totally blows!
Yes, your general point that "socialist countries have lower taxes than the US" was refuted. That doesn't mean that ALL socialist countries have higher taxes than the US, just that most of them do.
I'm glad that you are paying less taxes. And I'm glad that you're happy in the country you moved to. Life is too short to live in a place where you are unhappy.
I'm glad that you make more money, Marc. That indeed can make one happier. But to say that "taxes are lower in socialist countries"... this is kind of like your comment about how no one wants to immigrate to America anymore... it's made up out of thin air.
Looks like pretty much EVERY socialist country has higher personal tax rates than the US! Clunk. That was your point being crushed.
As to the US collapsing, it's certainly possible because of our gargantuan debt. That debt pretty much has nothing to do with those rascaly corporations you're so obsessed with. So can I assume that you don't work for a corporation? Can I also assume that the socialist workers paradise country you moved to doesn't have corporations? And no politicians, right? Cause, you know, if it did, I assume it would collapse too.
Hmmm, that's a neat trick where you used immigrant numbers for CONTINENTS in an attempt to prove the OP's point that nobody wants to immigrate to America anymore. Unfortunatley, America is not a continent, so these numbers are rather meaningless. If you'd done a bit more reading yourself of that UN white paper instead of cherry-picking your "facts" to support the OP's ridiculous-on-its-face argument, you might've seen this little tidbit:
Page 17, point 7: "With 38 million migrants, the United States hosted the largest number of migrants in 2005, followed by the Russian Federation with 12 million and Germany with 10 million."
Now how do you suppose that's possible, that the United States has the greatest number of immigrants? I mean, people want to immigrate anywhere except the US, right? Odd that they're still ending up here, huh, and at the rate of 3 times any other country? Must've taken a wrong turn at Alburqerque!
So, we have on one side the OP's claim that nobody wants to immigrate to America anymore because they're so disgusted by American behavior and then we have on my side the FACT that America has the greatest number of immigrants of any country in the world.
Except Saudi Arabia doesn't suffer from "crushing poverty" and yet 19 of the 21 9/11 hijackers were Saudis. And many of them had nice, middle class backgrounds. So that does seem to skewer your point a bit.
If poverty were the cause, then we'd be seeing a TON of sub-Saharan African terrorists or Bengali terrorists, but alas, there are few to none.
How are you magically getting sugar injected into your vegetables and nuts?
As for bread, there is such a wide variety of choice when it comes to type, that it's really your own fault if you can't find a bread that doesn't contain corn syrup or sugar.
Take responsibility for your own actions. Stop blaming other people.
So no more beer boots?
And how will this affect Man vs. Food? Will we be banning eating contests now as well? Challenge dishes in restaurants (eat this 5 lb steak and you get it free!)?
Pretty soon, they'll ban everything except the Solyent Green.
Ridiculous. Not "insightful" at all. No one from McDonalds or Coca-Cola forces you to eat a burger or drink a soda. You choose to do that (or not).
We need to stop blaming others for the consequences of our own actions. We're turning into a nation of children who have no desire to take responsibility for themselves.
Now please, get off my lawn.
I work in IT and the only women I see in this field are Indian or Chinese (and they can do the work just fine, thank you). This leads me to believe that the cause for the lack of American women in IT is our culture. There's a stigma in our culture regarding nerds in general, but especially regarding nerdy women. They're seen as undersireable mates and this likely steers most girls away from such a career.
Meanwhile, in Indian and China, a woman is expected to be educated and to get a good job and there is no bias against female IT workers (that I know of, at least).
Isn't it though? I mean, if you have two adepts, one studying the Dark Side and one studying the Light Side, wouldn't the Dark Side student kick the Light Side student's ass throughout their training? I mean, if the Dark Side is quicker and easier, then the Dark Sider is going to have an advantage for a while, right?
And in the movies, was there a more powerful Force-user than the Emperor? He defeated Yoda himself, the greatest Light Side jedi, his apprentices defeated nearly everyone except Luke Skywalker, whom the Emperor was properly disposing of when Darth Vader had his "change of heart".
So I'm not so sure that the Dark Side isn't more powerful than the Light Side. Seems to me that it is (and more fun to boot!).
Perhaps it's polygamy *specifically* mixed with Islam?
It makes logical sense that there would be a lot of horny, frustrated young men unable to get wives in a polygamous society. I could see a turn to religion (and the eventual 99 virgins) as a consequence of that.
It's good for beta "dudes", not necessarily alpha dudes.
Also, what makes you think that the wives aren't cheating as well (though studies I've seen do indicate that women cheat less than men, the number is still significant)?
The purpose of a restraining order is not to prevent a person from hurting another person. It's to prevent a person from harassing another person.
I agree that if the subject of the restraining order wants to hurt the person who put the order on them, then nothing but a.357 (or your caliber of choice) will stop 'em.
You know, a joke ceases to be funny when you have to explain it. Of course, yours wasn't funny from the get-go.
Thanks for trying though. Perhaps one of these days, you will write the greatest joke ever (don't forget to translate it into German!).
Yes, that's right. I forgot that we're not allowed to post any facts unless they're explicitly backed by a holy white paper that tells us what to think. We're not allowed to think for ourselves unless we have a scientific study to go off of.
But I don't need any survey to know that the US is the destination of choice by almost anyone who can get here. In fact, the US suffers from this little thing called an illegal immigration problem. That's right, people are breaking down the fences, swimming across rivers, travelling through deserts at the risk of life and limb just to GET INTO this country. And you claim that nobody wants to come here or the US is their last choice? Laughable. Completely, utterly laughable.
It's called Wikipedia. It's horribly convenient for statistical facts such as these. Look up "immigration" on it. That will tell you how people are voting with their feet.
That's good. I'm glad that you and people like you follow your convictions and leave. It truly does not happen enough.
I seriously hope you're happy in your socialist workers paradise that you've chosen to emigrate (note, one "m") to (but do note that Alaska is not a foreign country!).
Meanwhile, I will return to being an ignorant prick with a bit more elbow room because sanctimonious pricks like yourself have left.
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Yep. A spaceport, or an oil pipeline, or a highway or a port or pretty much anything that signifies economic progress, they will be against it.
Environmentalists have made their choice and their choice is not you and your welfare.
Idiotic. California dug its own hole by over-regulation and over-spending. This is what happens to a state's finances when public employee unions, prison employee unions, teacher unions and wacko environmentalists have a state by the cajones.
California can't raise taxes? Yes, they can. It simply takes a 2/3 majority of the legislature. Alternatively, 51% of the population, if you can get a tax increase passed in proposition form (which there are a plethora of this year).
More to the point, this is what happens when you have one party control (and don't give me that claptrap about The Terminator being a Republican... he was pink right down to his underwear).
Well first off, I think it's wrong to trivalize the word "evil" by applying that designation to McDonalds and Coca-Cola.
Beyond that, if your rationale is that people who provide goods are evil for making them look attractive, well then you're obviously anti-capitalist at your core and perhaps more enamored of five-year plans.
What about the pastry maker? She makes those pastries look so delectable! That almond croissant with the powdered sugar coating... oh my! Or the carmaker... how dare Porsche make such a delectably beautiful car like the 911! Don't they know I can't afford it and it would completely wreck my finances if I bought one?
It all comes down to the fact that you are responsible for your own actions. I firmly believe that it's not the apple or the snake that is at fault... it is not the tempters, it is us. *We* choose to give in to temptation or to not.
Would I like to drink a soda every day and have a Quarter-Pounder (with cheese!)? Sure, I would. But I don't, because I know how bad each of those are for my health and how many calories each contain and how hard it is to burn those calories. But it's certainly not within the government's purview to TELL ME I can't have those things. That should always be for me to decide.
When in doubt, always err on the side of freedom.
But that's the point, Ginger Boy, I didn't need a white paper to tell me what I already knew: the US is, by far, the country people want to emigrate to. Anyone who doesn't know this is not reading very much and/or has little to no contact with recent or aspiring immigrants.
We don't need white papers to tell us that the Earth's atmosphere is mostly nitrogen or that water is wet. This particular discussion doesn't qualify as a priori facts like those, but really, it ain't far off. Next you're gonna ask me for a white paper that proves Justin Bieber totally blows!
Yes, your general point that "socialist countries have lower taxes than the US" was refuted. That doesn't mean that ALL socialist countries have higher taxes than the US, just that most of them do.
I'm glad that you are paying less taxes. And I'm glad that you're happy in the country you moved to. Life is too short to live in a place where you are unhappy.
Good luck.
I'm glad that you make more money, Marc. That indeed can make one happier. But to say that "taxes are lower in socialist countries"... this is kind of like your comment about how no one wants to immigrate to America anymore... it's made up out of thin air.
To wit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Income_Taxes_By_Country.svg
Looks like pretty much EVERY socialist country has higher personal tax rates than the US! Clunk. That was your point being crushed.
As to the US collapsing, it's certainly possible because of our gargantuan debt. That debt pretty much has nothing to do with those rascaly corporations you're so obsessed with. So can I assume that you don't work for a corporation? Can I also assume that the socialist workers paradise country you moved to doesn't have corporations? And no politicians, right? Cause, you know, if it did, I assume it would collapse too.
Ok, Gingerboy, we'll play it your way.
Hmmm, that's a neat trick where you used immigrant numbers for CONTINENTS in an attempt to prove the OP's point that nobody wants to immigrate to America anymore. Unfortunatley, America is not a continent, so these numbers are rather meaningless. If you'd done a bit more reading yourself of that UN white paper instead of cherry-picking your "facts" to support the OP's ridiculous-on-its-face argument, you might've seen this little tidbit:
Page 17, point 7: "With 38 million migrants, the United States hosted the largest number of migrants in 2005, followed by the Russian Federation with 12 million and Germany with 10 million."
Now how do you suppose that's possible, that the United States has the greatest number of immigrants? I mean, people want to immigrate anywhere except the US, right? Odd that they're still ending up here, huh, and at the rate of 3 times any other country? Must've taken a wrong turn at Alburqerque!
So, we have on one side the OP's claim that nobody wants to immigrate to America anymore because they're so disgusted by American behavior and then we have on my side the FACT that America has the greatest number of immigrants of any country in the world.
Tough one to decide who's right on this one, huh?
Except Saudi Arabia doesn't suffer from "crushing poverty" and yet 19 of the 21 9/11 hijackers were Saudis. And many of them had nice, middle class backgrounds. So that does seem to skewer your point a bit. If poverty were the cause, then we'd be seeing a TON of sub-Saharan African terrorists or Bengali terrorists, but alas, there are few to none.
I interpret that as meaning you liked it. A lot.
How are you magically getting sugar injected into your vegetables and nuts? As for bread, there is such a wide variety of choice when it comes to type, that it's really your own fault if you can't find a bread that doesn't contain corn syrup or sugar. Take responsibility for your own actions. Stop blaming other people.
So no more beer boots? And how will this affect Man vs. Food? Will we be banning eating contests now as well? Challenge dishes in restaurants (eat this 5 lb steak and you get it free!)? Pretty soon, they'll ban everything except the Solyent Green.
Ridiculous. Not "insightful" at all. No one from McDonalds or Coca-Cola forces you to eat a burger or drink a soda. You choose to do that (or not). We need to stop blaming others for the consequences of our own actions. We're turning into a nation of children who have no desire to take responsibility for themselves. Now please, get off my lawn.
I work in IT and the only women I see in this field are Indian or Chinese (and they can do the work just fine, thank you). This leads me to believe that the cause for the lack of American women in IT is our culture. There's a stigma in our culture regarding nerds in general, but especially regarding nerdy women. They're seen as undersireable mates and this likely steers most girls away from such a career. Meanwhile, in Indian and China, a woman is expected to be educated and to get a good job and there is no bias against female IT workers (that I know of, at least).
Kim Jong Il's rebellious, teen-aged daughter?
Isn't it though? I mean, if you have two adepts, one studying the Dark Side and one studying the Light Side, wouldn't the Dark Side student kick the Light Side student's ass throughout their training? I mean, if the Dark Side is quicker and easier, then the Dark Sider is going to have an advantage for a while, right? And in the movies, was there a more powerful Force-user than the Emperor? He defeated Yoda himself, the greatest Light Side jedi, his apprentices defeated nearly everyone except Luke Skywalker, whom the Emperor was properly disposing of when Darth Vader had his "change of heart". So I'm not so sure that the Dark Side isn't more powerful than the Light Side. Seems to me that it is (and more fun to boot!).
Yes. Oh please, yes!
I don't know. All my posts are automatically scored at zero. Perhaps I pissed somebody off with mod points? I could see me doing that. :D
Perhaps it's polygamy *specifically* mixed with Islam? It makes logical sense that there would be a lot of horny, frustrated young men unable to get wives in a polygamous society. I could see a turn to religion (and the eventual 99 virgins) as a consequence of that.
It's good for beta "dudes", not necessarily alpha dudes. Also, what makes you think that the wives aren't cheating as well (though studies I've seen do indicate that women cheat less than men, the number is still significant)?
Except I actually posted that comment from the future. Thus I've violated both of the precepts in your sig!
No doubt no one has lost any money overestimating the wisdom of any government official... but we can always hope.
The purpose of a restraining order is not to prevent a person from hurting another person. It's to prevent a person from harassing another person. I agree that if the subject of the restraining order wants to hurt the person who put the order on them, then nothing but a .357 (or your caliber of choice) will stop 'em.
You know, a joke ceases to be funny when you have to explain it. Of course, yours wasn't funny from the get-go. Thanks for trying though. Perhaps one of these days, you will write the greatest joke ever (don't forget to translate it into German!).
Yes, that's right. I forgot that we're not allowed to post any facts unless they're explicitly backed by a holy white paper that tells us what to think. We're not allowed to think for ourselves unless we have a scientific study to go off of. But I don't need any survey to know that the US is the destination of choice by almost anyone who can get here. In fact, the US suffers from this little thing called an illegal immigration problem. That's right, people are breaking down the fences, swimming across rivers, travelling through deserts at the risk of life and limb just to GET INTO this country. And you claim that nobody wants to come here or the US is their last choice? Laughable. Completely, utterly laughable. It's called Wikipedia. It's horribly convenient for statistical facts such as these. Look up "immigration" on it. That will tell you how people are voting with their feet.
That's good. I'm glad that you and people like you follow your convictions and leave. It truly does not happen enough. I seriously hope you're happy in your socialist workers paradise that you've chosen to emigrate (note, one "m") to (but do note that Alaska is not a foreign country!). Meanwhile, I will return to being an ignorant prick with a bit more elbow room because sanctimonious pricks like yourself have left.