| View previous topic - View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
IkimashoZ
Slightly Deformed Faerie Princess
Joined: 10 Jan 2007
Posts: 34
Location: Hawaii
|
 Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 12:49 am Post subject: |
[quote] |
|
| Echo wrote: | | I've never really understood the American preoccupation with taxes, especially since they're practically non-existent. Taxes in this country, for example, are currently at 41% for the standard higher rate. In France I hear they're closer to 50%. |
In my experience, there are two types of people who complain about taxes.
The first type is a rich person who feels that the utilities and public services of society are a privilege, not a responsibility.
The second type is your average low to moderate level income conservative who's been brainwashed by the rest of his party into believing that tax cuts for the richest 1% of the country are a good thing.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
DeveloperX
202192397
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 1626
Location: Decatur, IL, USA
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
IkimashoZ
Slightly Deformed Faerie Princess
Joined: 10 Jan 2007
Posts: 34
Location: Hawaii
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 5:24 am Post subject: |
[quote] |
|
Sorry I tend to analyze any negative change in society as a result of conservatism. I'll stop.
edit:
Should make that clearer. I'll stop posting it here, since it's obviously out of place. Conservativism is the still the root of all evil, of course.
Last edited by IkimashoZ on Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:16 am; edited 1 time in total
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
cowgod
Wandering Minstrel
Joined: 22 Nov 2005
Posts: 114
Location: Pittsburgh, USA
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:04 am Post subject: |
[quote] |
|
| IkimashoZ wrote: | Here's the problem with the "if I didn't have to pay taxes, ..." argument.
Do you like roads? I like roads. ...
...
I also have issues with the idea of the "benevolant dicator". This is no such thing. Power corrupts. Period. Sure, it's easy to say in your current position the things that you would do, but if you actually got the power, the getting of the power would change you. You wouldn't be the same person that you are now, for whom it's easy to analyze the current situation and see what needs to be done. Although, I have to agree, your proposed solution to America's terrible energy problem isn't all that bad. I'm also curious of exactly who's taxes you'd cut. And if it was your parents or siblings with some debilitating disease, would you really want there not to be a medical system to save thier lives?? |
Well, you make some excellent points. I like having roads, pipes, etc. (and even some other things), but there's alot of things I don't like either. I think governments should maintain order and promote the survival and advancement of the human species. I think alot of other things aren't any of their business. Who are they to tell people whether they can burn flags and whether or not that can abort their unborn children?
I did exagerrate slightly in my previous post. I wasn't seriously suggesting that I become a "benevolent dictator". I just like the phrase.
I honestly believe that I would stick to my ideals if I had more (i.e. any) power. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't do terrible things - I have a very "Civilization 3" mentality. I'm also a bit callous about other people's problems.
Aside from reducing taxes, I think the environment and public education are big issues. I think space exploration, robotics, genetic engineering (to a lesser extent), and technology in general should be important technologies for the government to focus on.
As for cutting taxes, I spent the whole day writing a rant about them, which i posted at http://www.cowgodgames.com/articles/streamliningincometax.php . It's not perfect, but I think my ideas would overall improve the system.
I didn't really say as much about cutting taxes in the rant as about streamlining the income tax process and paying off the national debt. I did shift some things around, but it's not always obvious who's paying less and who's paying more overall.
If someone close to me had a debilitating disease, it might be different. However, I think it would be best for the world (not necessarily for any particular individual) if the population were drastically reduced. Medicine keeps it from going down as much, and sex makes it go up. Most people seem to think birth control is a good idea, but any talk of people dying upsets people.
Birth control costs money. Not researching ways to cure cancer saves money. Hence, not researching ways to cure cancer makes good sense (at least to me).
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
cowgod
Wandering Minstrel
Joined: 22 Nov 2005
Posts: 114
Location: Pittsburgh, USA
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:11 am Post subject: |
[quote] |
|
| Echo wrote: | | I've never really understood the American preoccupation with taxes, especially since they're practically non-existent. Taxes in this country, for example, are currently at 41% for the standard higher rate. In France I hear they're closer to 50%. |
In the United States, the federal tax rate varies from 10% to 35% depending upon how much money you make. Since there's deductions, it's really a bit less.
But there's other income taxes: local income tax, medicare tax, social security tax, state income tax, and unemployment insurance tax. There's also something called "occupation tax" where I live that makes everyone with a job pay $52 per year (regardless of how much money you make). All those things come out of my pay before I even get it (except local income tax, which I have to pay quarterly).
Additionally, employers pay taxes on what they pay you. You might say "well who cares what employers pay?", but that raises the cost of products and services in the U.S.
Then there's property tax and sales tax. There's toll roads. You need to buy licenses for strange things.
In the United States, there's alot of taxes, but they're hidden. Things like gasoline are both subsidized and taxed, so no one knows what's going on.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
IkimashoZ
Slightly Deformed Faerie Princess
Joined: 10 Jan 2007
Posts: 34
Location: Hawaii
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:23 am Post subject: |
[quote] |
|
| cowgod wrote: | | In the United States, there's alot of taxes, but they're hidden. Things like gasoline are both subsidized and taxed, so no one knows what's going on. |
You should try living in Japan sometime. It's a lesson in a society in which there are hidden overheads for everything, but it's also a society which has a much stronger middle class and has also maintained its industrial base. Poverty isn't a very big issue here. Most people have at the very least, adequate housing.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
biggerUniverse
Mage
Joined: 18 Nov 2003
Posts: 326
Location: A small, b/g planet in the unfashionable arm of the galaxy
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 6:09 am Post subject: |
[quote] |
|
Actually, I think GDR trumps RPGDX
_________________
We are on the outer reaches of someone else's universe.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Terry
Spectral Form
Joined: 16 Jun 2002
Posts: 798
Location: Dublin, Ireland
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Nodtveidt
Demon Hunter
Joined: 11 Nov 2002
Posts: 786
Location: Camuy, PR
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 12:23 pm Post subject: |
[quote] |
|
GDR is kinda boring these days. Almost no conversation whatsoever.
_________________
If you play a Microsoft CD backwards you can hear demonic voices. The scary part is that if you play it forwards it installs Windows. - wallace
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tunginobi
Wandering Minstrel
Joined: 13 Dec 2005
Posts: 91
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:03 am Post subject: |
[quote] |
|
|
I can't even sign up to GDR. It won't accept my spamproof email address nor my non-spamproof email address.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Nodtveidt
Demon Hunter
Joined: 11 Nov 2002
Posts: 786
Location: Camuy, PR
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:56 pm Post subject: |
[quote] |
|
You ain't missin' much.
_________________
If you play a Microsoft CD backwards you can hear demonic voices. The scary part is that if you play it forwards it installs Windows. - wallace
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
  |
Page 3 of 3 |
All times are GMT
Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
