Those are very good points and I appreciate your response. I suspect the true outcome would actually be somewhere in between my very pessimistic response and your very optimistic response, though.
I don't think this is the FCC's place, either. They already spend too much time & money deciding what can and can't go on our television and radio airwaves, for example. The FCC should be regulating communication so that providers aren't stepping all over each other's signals and that's pretty much it. Maybe I misunderstand the original intent of the FCC so please correct me if I'm wrong there.
On the other hand, I also don't want Big ISP regulating my internet connection, deciding what I can get and when I can get it. I want an internet connection without artificial limitations. I already pay Comcast far too much for their less-than-consistent service (and the reason I don't switch is because where I am the competitors fastest speeds aren't even close to as good as Comcast's slowest) and I don't need them practically filtering my connection based on how much the company I'm trying to connect to has paid them. I'm already paying Comcast! That's enough!
So... I guess I don't really know where I should stand on this issue. Any advice?
Then shout it from the rafters that there is a tax on these things, and that the reason for the tax is that these things are bad for your health, and eating them regularly should cost you more because you'll cost the system more.
I know you disclaimed this by saying "Now, I am not saying that these things SHOULD be done" but still, this would effectively kill the fast food market. While many would argue that this would be good for our nation from a health front, this would be awful from an economic perspective. There are over 3,000,000 people employed in fast food & counter work. That's an awful lot of people to lay off.
Don't you run the risk of a moral dilemma though? Here you've got something that is known to cause people to die younger, yet you have a government program that is subsidized by that very thing, and also benefits by those people dying younger. So, what stops your government from *promoting* smoking for their own benefit?
I know this is an extreme comparison, but what stops them, then, from encouraging people to commit suicide?
Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of admiration of how the UK's health system works and that everyone is covered, and I wish we would put a similar system in place here, but I think you have to be careful what incentives you unintentionally provide with arguments such as yours. You're painting people who damage their own bodies by smoking as if they are altruistic -- as if they're smoking for the greater good. Come on, now.
Agreed, a better fix would be to take the money from tobacco "sin" taxes and actually apply them to health care subsidies, but like you said, right now that money just goes to "the government" and doesn't have a useful purpose.
As far as the argument about getting taxed twice, how about the lottery? You pay $1 tax to enter (that money goes straight to the gov't) and then if you win, you pay a large percentage of your winnings back to the gov't too. It doesn't quite make sense, does it?
D and R are indeed different, but not drastically different. However, the GP is actually pointing out that the Rs are not as fiscally responsible as they want you to believe they are (throwing tax cuts around when almost every state already faces a deficit) and also that they are guilty of exactly what they've accused the Ds of doing in recent history.
I don't know who you are arguing with, but I'll bite.
#1: The GP was referring to the numerous less-than-living-wage jobs that are available. These are unskilled jobs and many don't even require a diploma.
#2: Numbers clearly show that a college degree is a better indicator of a worthwhile career than a lack thereof: http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm
#3: They may be higher paid than a lot of folks at wal*mart but the average is nowhere near $19/hr. Nice try though. http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Employer=Costco_Wholesale_company/Hourly_Rate
#4: Skilled labor certainly pays more than unskilled labor, however examples where skilled laborers are making more than those with college degrees are uncommon and if you look at the averages shown for #2, you can see that they are far from the "rule."
#5: Who said anything about how good a foreign degree is vs. a domestic degree? When it comes down to it, a degree is only as "good" as the student who earned it.
There's lots of stuff you can test in Evolution. What can you do to test creationism? Say out loud "God, did you create me?" and wait for an audible answer?
Not to mention that thousands more visit every day... No, I don't think this is news either. I said as much when i saw it on CNN earlier and now seeing it on Slashdot... in the SCIENCE section and not in Idle? WTF?
That's like arguing who is supposed to plug the hole in the boat while you're sinking.
Who fucking cares if global warming is caused by man or not? It's still a problem and some of the issues it can cause with our habitat are blatantly obvious and bothersome. If the planet moves to a "hot" age or an ice age, either way, it's going to become uncomfortable and possibly unbearable for most existing life on it including humans. We'd better stop bickering about bullshit and find a way to cope with the change regardless of who caused it.
I think GP's comment on Republicans was simply lamenting based on personal experience. I'm sure Republicans feel the same way in the opposite direction:
"When it comes to warrant-less wiretaps, surveillance, etc, "Govt is incompetent, Govt is the problem, Govt cant do anything right. Govt employees are useless slackers...".
But when it comes to Education or Environment or Social welfare or financial regulation the very same government employees are paragons of virtue and epitome of ability."
Slashdot Mirror
Those are very good points and I appreciate your response. I suspect the true outcome would actually be somewhere in between my very pessimistic response and your very optimistic response, though.
I don't think this is the FCC's place, either. They already spend too much time & money deciding what can and can't go on our television and radio airwaves, for example. The FCC should be regulating communication so that providers aren't stepping all over each other's signals and that's pretty much it. Maybe I misunderstand the original intent of the FCC so please correct me if I'm wrong there.
On the other hand, I also don't want Big ISP regulating my internet connection, deciding what I can get and when I can get it. I want an internet connection without artificial limitations. I already pay Comcast far too much for their less-than-consistent service (and the reason I don't switch is because where I am the competitors fastest speeds aren't even close to as good as Comcast's slowest) and I don't need them practically filtering my connection based on how much the company I'm trying to connect to has paid them. I'm already paying Comcast! That's enough!
So... I guess I don't really know where I should stand on this issue. Any advice?
I know you disclaimed this by saying "Now, I am not saying that these things SHOULD be done" but still, this would effectively kill the fast food market. While many would argue that this would be good for our nation from a health front, this would be awful from an economic perspective. There are over 3,000,000 people employed in fast food & counter work. That's an awful lot of people to lay off.
Don't you run the risk of a moral dilemma though? Here you've got something that is known to cause people to die younger, yet you have a government program that is subsidized by that very thing, and also benefits by those people dying younger. So, what stops your government from *promoting* smoking for their own benefit?
I know this is an extreme comparison, but what stops them, then, from encouraging people to commit suicide?
Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of admiration of how the UK's health system works and that everyone is covered, and I wish we would put a similar system in place here, but I think you have to be careful what incentives you unintentionally provide with arguments such as yours. You're painting people who damage their own bodies by smoking as if they are altruistic -- as if they're smoking for the greater good. Come on, now.
Agreed, a better fix would be to take the money from tobacco "sin" taxes and actually apply them to health care subsidies, but like you said, right now that money just goes to "the government" and doesn't have a useful purpose.
As far as the argument about getting taxed twice, how about the lottery? You pay $1 tax to enter (that money goes straight to the gov't) and then if you win, you pay a large percentage of your winnings back to the gov't too. It doesn't quite make sense, does it?
D and R are indeed different, but not drastically different. However, the GP is actually pointing out that the Rs are not as fiscally responsible as they want you to believe they are (throwing tax cuts around when almost every state already faces a deficit) and also that they are guilty of exactly what they've accused the Ds of doing in recent history.
Jeez, with IT like that, by this summer they probably won't even be able to launch a space shuttle!
That's all well and good, but unfortunately it doesn't change the facts or context of the case.
I don't know who you are arguing with, but I'll bite.
#1: The GP was referring to the numerous less-than-living-wage jobs that are available. These are unskilled jobs and many don't even require a diploma.
#2: Numbers clearly show that a college degree is a better indicator of a worthwhile career than a lack thereof: http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm
#3: They may be higher paid than a lot of folks at wal*mart but the average is nowhere near $19/hr. Nice try though. http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Employer=Costco_Wholesale_company/Hourly_Rate
#4: Skilled labor certainly pays more than unskilled labor, however examples where skilled laborers are making more than those with college degrees are uncommon and if you look at the averages shown for #2, you can see that they are far from the "rule."
#5: Who said anything about how good a foreign degree is vs. a domestic degree? When it comes down to it, a degree is only as "good" as the student who earned it.
Yup: http://www.dbskeptic.com/2008/05/19/evolution-makes-testable-predictions/
There's lots of stuff you can test in Evolution. What can you do to test creationism? Say out loud "God, did you create me?" and wait for an audible answer?
The thing shifted the entire island by 8ft, I'm not surprised our comm cables were damaged.
Damn, tough crowd.
Not to mention that thousands more visit every day... No, I don't think this is news either. I said as much when i saw it on CNN earlier and now seeing it on Slashdot... in the SCIENCE section and not in Idle? WTF?
You misspelled "Enchiladas" in the summary.
You think that's bad, check this one out: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/03/japan-earthquake-vehicle-shipping-opt.jpg
$660,677 is well over $500,000 How are they wrong?
That's like arguing who is supposed to plug the hole in the boat while you're sinking. Who fucking cares if global warming is caused by man or not? It's still a problem and some of the issues it can cause with our habitat are blatantly obvious and bothersome. If the planet moves to a "hot" age or an ice age, either way, it's going to become uncomfortable and possibly unbearable for most existing life on it including humans. We'd better stop bickering about bullshit and find a way to cope with the change regardless of who caused it.
I think GP's comment on Republicans was simply lamenting based on personal experience. I'm sure Republicans feel the same way in the opposite direction: "When it comes to warrant-less wiretaps, surveillance, etc, "Govt is incompetent, Govt is the problem, Govt cant do anything right. Govt employees are useless slackers ...".
But when it comes to Education or Environment or Social welfare or financial regulation the very same government employees are paragons of virtue and epitome of ability."
In Soviet Russia, tails wag dogs.
Sorry, but you made the initial claim, so you have the burden of proof.
You can buy those mirrors fairly cheap at a crafts store (Michael's, Hobby Lobby, etc)
Because you don't want to work hard enough to win one yourself?
All your ranting is a bit misplaced, since even if this lawsuit were tried, it is merely a CIVIL suit, not criminal.
Thanks! I noticed those too and thought I'd have to be the grammar nazi again. Glad I'm not the only one!
Been over at Fox News again, eh?