"3. The Federal Government doesn't HAVE to have the power to 'fine people for not buying a product'; your State/Commonwealth has been doing it for years with Auto Insurance. Don't want to pay those insurance bills? Then you don't get to drive that car of yours."
Ah, but that is where the difference is...the STATE you live in can do this type of thing, but, the Federal govt (arguably) does not have this power granted to them by the constitution, which is the basis for their existence. Remember, the Constitution of the US does not grant citizens rights, instead it grants limited enumerated powers to the Feds.
If a state passes laws you don't like, you can move....kinda hard to stay in the US if they make national laws...if they could for anything other than interstate commerce.
"for example, driving is considered a privilege, not a right. Same is true of using cell phone, etc that uses the "public" airways."
Ahh..but that is a different case, for cars at least...the STATE grants and regulate drivers licenses..this is not a federal thing, there is no (so far) national id, that allows you to drive.
As for the cell phone thing...not sure where you're going with that...I need no license or whatever from the state I live in much less the feds to own and use one.
* The federal government creates one big wiki-like system with strong (2-factor) authentication. There is an entry for each person, with full name, birthday, location of birth, SSN, and photograph.
* All hospitals would be required to upload X-ray data, test results, and other important notes to the patient wiki.
* When you go to any hospital anywhere, doctors would immediately have access to your medical history. You would never get extra X-rays, never have to fill out pointless "list every medical condition you or your family have ever had" forms
That would be incredibly easy to implement. The most expensive part would be getting smart cards and SecurIDs to hospitals, but if stock trading sites can do it, a government program could."
My basic problem with this is, where is the Federal government constitutionally authorized to do all of this? I mean, the Federal government really can't order a state to do anything, they have to use witholding of tax monies as a method to strong arm a state into doing something (like raising the drinking age to 21). How can they force state hospitals or private ones to participate in this? Where is their jurisdiction to create and force individuals and their private information into such a system? Heck, look at the RealID system they tried getting out there to create a national ID...that is largely failed, and many states openly said 'screw it, we're not participating and you can't force us'.
About the only way the Feds could try to force this upon us, is to somehow mangle the interstate commerce act to cover it, but man, I don't see how it could with medical record transfers...where is the commerce dependent upon this? This is information amalgamation and transfer, not monetary transactions.
I know the Feds do WAY more they they are supposed to, as mandated by the constitution, but more and more (like with the RealID act, and some states trying to bypass federal gun laws) states getting weary of the Feds overstepping their bounds, I think you might need to go back to look at a Constitutional Amendment to push forward this kind of national mandate. I think states will fight it, heck, if the current healthcare bills pass that mandate a citizen HAS to purchase some kind of insurance, I think it will be challenged and be thrown out by the SCOTUS...at least I see a good chance of it. I know people are preparing to challenge it already since it appears it might get passed.
Remember, you are a citizen of your state first, and then a citizen of the United States second. At least, that's how it is supposed to work.
Ok, so what happened to the old, tried and true "Shoot the bastards" way of thinking? It is proven to work, is fairly cheap and doesn't require any new complex machinery.
I mean, those Navy snipers recently took out 3 pirates at once (all head shots?) pretty quickly and efficiently. Why not just hire some skilled gunsmen on the boats that can pick off pirates at will as they come towards the ships on those little boats? Seems cheaper and much more effective.
The trouble with non-lethal means of stopping the pirates is, it means they will live another day to try again. One clean headshot, and that pirate will not bother you that day....nor ever again.
"The poster seemed to be talking about basing one's ability to vote on one's financial situation."
Not exactly...more like if you are on welfare or public assistance, you don't vote. I'm only saying to prevent people from voting a continuous free ride for themselves. Maybe it would add incentive to get off the public dole roles...?
""It is a requirement to show some proficiency in English in order to become a US citizen." No it's not."
You might want to check your facts...people that come to this country, and want to officially become legal US citizens, have to show some proficiency in English, that is part of the requirements before they are sworn in as citizens.
"What we have in 1st world countries is a huge welfare system that compels the rest of us to pay/compensate for the ones that look weaker, and thus these people will struggle to get in knowing that they'll have a better life here even without working than back home working their assses off."
You know, I used to think this to be too radical to rationally consider in the past, but, the more I think of it, especially in terms of what you mentioned, perhaps it is time to change the laws to prohibit those on the dole from voting. I'd heard it put forth something to the effect of, that a democracy (I know, we're a republic) will only last until the general populace learns to vote itself money from the public coffers. And, I sort of see that here in the US today.
From what I understand, approx. 50% of the people in the US, don't pay federal taxes. And yet, we see more and more, that the politicians are constantly pandering to this class of people, promising them more entitlements...a free ride on society on the backs of those that work hard, innovate and try to earn and grow wealth.
Perhaps it IS time to look into this being a reasonable method to put control back in the hands of people who contribute to society. If you don't pay taxes, and are on welfare/, you don't get to vote. Maybe only working tax payers should be the ones that vote so that policies affecting the money they put into government, are in their best interest.
It might also give incentive to more people to start working.
"Why English? Should everyone in Peurto Rico be forced to learn English, to teach it in their schools as a first language, et c. et c.?"
Well, in the United States of America, it is and has been the dominate language. It is a requirement to show some proficiency in English in order to become a US citizen. If you want to move well within our society here in the states, you need to be able to at least be able to speak and understand English. It is our official unofficial language (why the hell can't they just codify this and end all arguments?). It is good to have a common language for our country, so that we ARE more one people, we are supposed to be the great melting pot, and that starts with common language. Since the majority speak/read English currently in the US, why don't we stick with that instead of trying to teach everyone Spanish?
I put the States above in bold to emphasize an answer to part of your question (by the way, isn't it Puerto Rico?), in that no I don't guess it should be mandated there, since it is not a real state, I'd only mandate it for the true 50 states, but, if you are a US territory, it would bode well to learn English for sure.
Gotta start hitting preview first..that was to be:
"Linus would definitely be more deserving of a Nobel Peace Prize that a couple of the last recipients that come to mind....
He actually has put something tangible together, and overseen it for years, as opposed to someone nominated recently before he had even done anything."
I know most of the rest of the world, such as in the EU tax near 40%. I think that is ludicrous.
They do that to pay for all of the so called 'nanny state' things. I still believe more in the older US outlooks of self reliance, and pay your own way type things. I like to get the maximum return on MY efforts, and have the govt. do as little as possible on 'my behalf'.
That being said...I still with my previous statements that when I pay over 30% tax (state, fed, SS, medicare) out of my paycheck, that is really too much...and I don't want it to go any higher. I can take care of myself if I'm allowed to keep most of my own money.
Frankly, if we're 21st on the list you provided...I think that is too high and would be overjoyed to see us drop even lower.
Does anyone have much luck getting full performance, or even function at all with these Radeon cards on Linux boxes? I pretty much stick to NVIDIA to this point...are the drivers there and working more now for the AMD cards?
And...it seems so many people these days, don't go for higher end stereo systems anymore, at least not like myself and my friends did growing up. I've been building my system basically since I was 12 and heard my first McIntosh amp hooked Klipschorn speakers.
I started with a walmart type record player....but saved for an old Marantz reciever...then turntable...then a Sharp cassette...then a Nakamichi deck.....etc. I kept trading up over the years as I got more money and found good deals. I don't have a McIntosh yet, but, I run with an older version of this Decware amp (when it was only $400), and K-Horns...even with my decaying hearing from years of loud concerts...I can often hear differences in not only the quality of the source recording, but what format it is in. All the time? No...but, I'd put money down that someone younger with more sensitive ears could pick out mp3 vs lossless on comparisons. Take a look at the sensitivity and frequency range of the speakers...you can hear a LOT on these things.
Now, on the run of the mill crap you buy at Best Buy...no, I'd guess you couldn't hear the difference, nor in a car or a mobile player with crappy earbuds.
I'm not saying buy $2K speaker cables or interconnects...that is a crock for sure, but, in many cases with speakers and amps...you do get what you pay for...
As I mentioned above...I work with a tax accountant, and through a great deal of research, and knowledge from others that do this, I work within the legal limits. I dunno about a cottage industry, I studied and worked on this as a viable vehicle for contracting. And in this area of the south, the pay rates are low...for programmers, administrators, etc, especially if you were working in the private sector. Cutting out the middle man really helps boost company gross revenues.
"Which US are you talking about? One I live in has ridiculously low tax rates all around, compared to other industrial countries. "
With state, federal, SS and medicare taxes (not even including double and triple taxation when you take into account property tax, sales tax..etc) I've often hit near 30%+ in annual taxation out of W2 paychecks on past gigs....over 30% right off the top is way too much for me IMHO.
I like to keep as much money as possible to invest for retirement, and other needs (like when I have a Health Savings Account). I feel I can do much better than the govt. trying to decide what I need for health and retirement. I don't mind paying for infrastructure (especially on the state level which directly affects me the most), but, I don't need any more than that.
"Careful, there. You need to talk to a tax accountant before you get audited. Is $40k reasonable pay for the services you perform on behalf of the corporation? What would someone performing your job get paid in a traditional salaried role?
An acquaintance of mine does tech support in the fashion industry in NY. He got busted by the IRS for doing exactly what you're doing, and had to pay penalties, plus FICA on the difference, and he had to convert the S-Corp into a C-Corp instead (so then he had the joys of paying corporate income tax, paying dividends to himself, paying capital gains on the dividends, and paying income tax & FICA on his salary)"
Yep...I have a tax accountant..wouldn't do it without it, I also know of this from others doing the same thing for years...in the past you could get away even LESS salary...but, $40K on $100K gross should be fine...and it isn't a whole $80K, since out of that, you deduct all business expenses which reduces down to net income before fall through onto your personal taxes at EOY.
Trust me, I don't wanna be audited, I get good advice, and document everything. I play as close as safe to the legal limits which is not against the law. I even give myself some buffer as needed. The numbers I gave were just for example, not actual numbers for any given year.
Well, a modern 'for instance' in the US was Terminator 2. In the special editions, you can see a scene cut where the bad terminator killed young John Connor's dog when he was at the step parents home setting a trap for John. They didn't leave that in for the theatrical showing, and I think a lot had to do with it showing a dog (you didn't see the actual strike, but, heard the stab and dog yelp) being killed.
Slashdot Mirror
Perhaps you should get a real job instead of trolling on Slashdot all day...that way, you could afford it. It isn't that expensive.
Ah, but that is where the difference is...the STATE you live in can do this type of thing, but, the Federal govt (arguably) does not have this power granted to them by the constitution, which is the basis for their existence. Remember, the Constitution of the US does not grant citizens rights, instead it grants limited enumerated powers to the Feds.
If a state passes laws you don't like, you can move....kinda hard to stay in the US if they make national laws...if they could for anything other than interstate commerce.
Ahh..but that is a different case, for cars at least...the STATE grants and regulate drivers licenses..this is not a federal thing, there is no (so far) national id, that allows you to drive.
As for the cell phone thing...not sure where you're going with that...I need no license or whatever from the state I live in much less the feds to own and use one.
Red October....standing by....
I was born...in a cross-fire hurricane....
Did you lock your windows?
No further comment."
Err yes, but, that is to protect my possessions, I'm not afraid of someone or something sneaking in/breaking in to eat me.
* The federal government creates one big wiki-like system with strong (2-factor) authentication. There is an entry for each person, with full name, birthday, location of birth, SSN, and photograph.
* All hospitals would be required to upload X-ray data, test results, and other important notes to the patient wiki.
* When you go to any hospital anywhere, doctors would immediately have access to your medical history. You would never get extra X-rays, never have to fill out pointless "list every medical condition you or your family have ever had" forms
That would be incredibly easy to implement. The most expensive part would be getting smart cards and SecurIDs to hospitals, but if stock trading sites can do it, a government program could."
My basic problem with this is, where is the Federal government constitutionally authorized to do all of this? I mean, the Federal government really can't order a state to do anything, they have to use witholding of tax monies as a method to strong arm a state into doing something (like raising the drinking age to 21). How can they force state hospitals or private ones to participate in this? Where is their jurisdiction to create and force individuals and their private information into such a system? Heck, look at the RealID system they tried getting out there to create a national ID...that is largely failed, and many states openly said 'screw it, we're not participating and you can't force us'.
About the only way the Feds could try to force this upon us, is to somehow mangle the interstate commerce act to cover it, but man, I don't see how it could with medical record transfers...where is the commerce dependent upon this? This is information amalgamation and transfer, not monetary transactions.
I know the Feds do WAY more they they are supposed to, as mandated by the constitution, but more and more (like with the RealID act, and some states trying to bypass federal gun laws) states getting weary of the Feds overstepping their bounds, I think you might need to go back to look at a Constitutional Amendment to push forward this kind of national mandate. I think states will fight it, heck, if the current healthcare bills pass that mandate a citizen HAS to purchase some kind of insurance, I think it will be challenged and be thrown out by the SCOTUS...at least I see a good chance of it. I know people are preparing to challenge it already since it appears it might get passed.
Remember, you are a citizen of your state first, and then a citizen of the United States second. At least, that's how it is supposed to work.
Gimme real dead animal any day of the week, besides, making sausages and running a smoker is fun and delicious.
I mean, those Navy snipers recently took out 3 pirates at once (all head shots?) pretty quickly and efficiently. Why not just hire some skilled gunsmen on the boats that can pick off pirates at will as they come towards the ships on those little boats? Seems cheaper and much more effective.
The trouble with non-lethal means of stopping the pirates is, it means they will live another day to try again. One clean headshot, and that pirate will not bother you that day....nor ever again.
Either way, it is really good with lots of soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger...YUM!!
Not exactly...more like if you are on welfare or public assistance, you don't vote. I'm only saying to prevent people from voting a continuous free ride for themselves. Maybe it would add incentive to get off the public dole roles...?
You might want to check your facts...people that come to this country, and want to officially become legal US citizens, have to show some proficiency in English, that is part of the requirements before they are sworn in as citizens.
You know, I used to think this to be too radical to rationally consider in the past, but, the more I think of it, especially in terms of what you mentioned, perhaps it is time to change the laws to prohibit those on the dole from voting. I'd heard it put forth something to the effect of, that a democracy (I know, we're a republic) will only last until the general populace learns to vote itself money from the public coffers. And, I sort of see that here in the US today.
From what I understand, approx. 50% of the people in the US, don't pay federal taxes. And yet, we see more and more, that the politicians are constantly pandering to this class of people, promising them more entitlements...a free ride on society on the backs of those that work hard, innovate and try to earn and grow wealth.
Perhaps it IS time to look into this being a reasonable method to put control back in the hands of people who contribute to society. If you don't pay taxes, and are on welfare/, you don't get to vote. Maybe only working tax payers should be the ones that vote so that policies affecting the money they put into government, are in their best interest.
It might also give incentive to more people to start working.
Well, in the United States of America, it is and has been the dominate language. It is a requirement to show some proficiency in English in order to become a US citizen. If you want to move well within our society here in the states, you need to be able to at least be able to speak and understand English. It is our official unofficial language (why the hell can't they just codify this and end all arguments?). It is good to have a common language for our country, so that we ARE more one people, we are supposed to be the great melting pot, and that starts with common language. Since the majority speak/read English currently in the US, why don't we stick with that instead of trying to teach everyone Spanish?
I put the States above in bold to emphasize an answer to part of your question (by the way, isn't it Puerto Rico?), in that no I don't guess it should be mandated there, since it is not a real state, I'd only mandate it for the true 50 states, but, if you are a US territory, it would bode well to learn English for sure.
"Linus would definitely be more deserving of a Nobel Peace Prize that a couple of the last recipients that come to mind....
He actually has put something tangible together, and overseen it for years, as opposed to someone nominated recently before he had even done anything."
He actually has put something tangible together, and overseen it for years, as opposed to someone nominated recently before he had even done anything.
I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"
They do that to pay for all of the so called 'nanny state' things. I still believe more in the older US outlooks of self reliance, and pay your own way type things. I like to get the maximum return on MY efforts, and have the govt. do as little as possible on 'my behalf'.
That being said...I still with my previous statements that when I pay over 30% tax (state, fed, SS, medicare) out of my paycheck, that is really too much...and I don't want it to go any higher. I can take care of myself if I'm allowed to keep most of my own money.
Frankly, if we're 21st on the list you provided...I think that is too high and would be overjoyed to see us drop even lower.
That and Alton Brown throws in a little Python-esqe humor with his stuff.
Does anyone have much luck getting full performance, or even function at all with these Radeon cards on Linux boxes? I pretty much stick to NVIDIA to this point...are the drivers there and working more now for the AMD cards?
I started with a walmart type record player....but saved for an old Marantz reciever...then turntable...then a Sharp cassette...then a Nakamichi deck.....etc. I kept trading up over the years as I got more money and found good deals. I don't have a McIntosh yet, but, I run with an older version of this Decware amp (when it was only $400), and K-Horns...even with my decaying hearing from years of loud concerts...I can often hear differences in not only the quality of the source recording, but what format it is in. All the time? No...but, I'd put money down that someone younger with more sensitive ears could pick out mp3 vs lossless on comparisons. Take a look at the sensitivity and frequency range of the speakers...you can hear a LOT on these things.
Now, on the run of the mill crap you buy at Best Buy...no, I'd guess you couldn't hear the difference, nor in a car or a mobile player with crappy earbuds.
I'm not saying buy $2K speaker cables or interconnects...that is a crock for sure, but, in many cases with speakers and amps...you do get what you pay for...
As I mentioned above...I work with a tax accountant, and through a great deal of research, and knowledge from others that do this, I work within the legal limits. I dunno about a cottage industry, I studied and worked on this as a viable vehicle for contracting. And in this area of the south, the pay rates are low...for programmers, administrators, etc, especially if you were working in the private sector. Cutting out the middle man really helps boost company gross revenues.
With state, federal, SS and medicare taxes (not even including double and triple taxation when you take into account property tax, sales tax..etc) I've often hit near 30%+ in annual taxation out of W2 paychecks on past gigs....over 30% right off the top is way too much for me IMHO.
I like to keep as much money as possible to invest for retirement, and other needs (like when I have a Health Savings Account). I feel I can do much better than the govt. trying to decide what I need for health and retirement. I don't mind paying for infrastructure (especially on the state level which directly affects me the most), but, I don't need any more than that.
An acquaintance of mine does tech support in the fashion industry in NY. He got busted by the IRS for doing exactly what you're doing, and had to pay penalties, plus FICA on the difference, and he had to convert the S-Corp into a C-Corp instead (so then he had the joys of paying corporate income tax, paying dividends to himself, paying capital gains on the dividends, and paying income tax & FICA on his salary)"
Yep...I have a tax accountant..wouldn't do it without it, I also know of this from others doing the same thing for years...in the past you could get away even LESS salary...but, $40K on $100K gross should be fine...and it isn't a whole $80K, since out of that, you deduct all business expenses which reduces down to net income before fall through onto your personal taxes at EOY.
Trust me, I don't wanna be audited, I get good advice, and document everything. I play as close as safe to the legal limits which is not against the law. I even give myself some buffer as needed. The numbers I gave were just for example, not actual numbers for any given year.
Well, a modern 'for instance' in the US was Terminator 2. In the special editions, you can see a scene cut where the bad terminator killed young John Connor's dog when he was at the step parents home setting a trap for John. They didn't leave that in for the theatrical showing, and I think a lot had to do with it showing a dog (you didn't see the actual strike, but, heard the stab and dog yelp) being killed.