For Republicans, greed is good

[Chris]

So you are good with military pensions and healthcare being slashed because taxes are too low to pay for them?

Taxes are not too low to pay for military pensions. People should pay for their own healthcare, not expect the taxpayers to pick up the tab.

So military retirees should pay for their own healthcare?

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

So you are good with military pensions and healthcare being slashed because taxes are too low to pay for them?

Taxes are not too low to pay for military pensions. People should pay for their own healthcare, not expect the taxpayers to pick up the tab.

So military retirees should pay for their own healthcare?

Federal tax recipts this year are somewhere close to $2.3 trillion.
Think you can pay for military healthcare with that?

 

[jgarden]

Modern day conservatism is the political codification of selfishness.

For the Republicans it always boils down to blame the poor....either people on welfare or illegal immigrants.

Nope.... its about self reliance.

"The rich are always going to say that, you know, just give us more money and we'll go out and spend more and then it will all trickle down to the rest of you. But that has not worked the last 10 years, and I hope the American public is catching on."

- Warren Buffett
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/warren_buffett_2.html#ixzz1g3uL2k85

Self reliance of the wealthy!

They're the one and only class in America that has continued to prosper to the point where they now control most of its private wealth - making 10% of the population "winners" and the other 90% "losers!"

Is it just all a matter of coincidence that this surge in their accumulation of wealth, by only one class, just happened to coincide with the introduction "tax cuts' and soaring government debt?

To paraphase Buffett, the American taypayer is now expected to "shoulder" the government debt - the result of "borrowed" money being used to finance "tax cuts" to the wealthy, ibased the assumption that it would subsequently "trickle down" by being reinvesting in the US, to generate American jobs.

The wealthy has "repaid" the American taxpayer with the worst of both worlds - only a select few profited from the "tax cuts" that generated massive federal debts under the Reagan, GHW Bush and GW Bush Administrations BUT recipients failed to produce the American jobs which was supposedly the underlying rational for the "cuts" but may have contributed to the exodus of manufacturng jobs "off-shore" that peaked in the last decade.

Presumably the wealthy did reinvested their "windfall," financed with borrowed money, somewhere, but there is little evidence to suggest that it was in the US. The net result was the further erosion of "American jobs," an economic meltdown and a federal government, so crippled with debt as the result of "tax cuts," that it has lost its fiscal capacity to "jumpstart" the economy.

 

[Listening]

It's their money, dipstick. You talk like you have the right to dispose of other people's wealth anyway you want. Like all leftist turds, you exhibit the mentality of a cheap thug.

Legitimate governments don't exist for the purpose of looting their citizens for anything they that can be squeezed out of them. What's the point of living under such a government? You would be better off living in the wild and defending yourself. Protecting your property from exactly the likes of thugs like you is the only reason to adopt a government.

You didn't answer the question.

Which is more important, that American children get an education, that our people get healthcare, that the roads and bridges get fixed, that advanced materials research be done, that the our military be supplied with the best equipment, that old people are taken care of, that the our debt be paid down, that food and water be safe, that our environment be clean, or that a billionaire buys a new yacht?

"important" to whom? I don't give a damn if your kids get an education or whether your mother gets take care of. We wouldn't have a debt if it wasn't for ticks like you. Government doesn't make food and water safe. Private corporations have been doing research since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Aside from the police, the courts and the military, there is nothing government does that people can't do privately for themselves.

"Ticks like you...."

Now, that's funny.

Good one !

And I agree with your post.

 

[Claudette]

Modern day conservatism is the political codification of selfishness.

For the Republicans it always boils down to blame the poor....either people on welfare or illegal immigrants.

Nope.... its about self reliance.

Yes, that single mother of three that gets a brain tumor should work to pay for her health insurance premium.

Nope you and all likeminded folks can whip our your wallets and checkbooks and pay her bill. That is the right thing to do yes??

 

[Claudette]

You didn't answer the question.

Which is more important, that American children get an education, that our people get healthcare, that the roads and bridges get fixed, that advanced materials research be done, that the our military be supplied with the best equipment, that old people are taken care of, that the our debt be paid down, that food and water be safe, that our environment be clean, or that a billionaire buys a new yacht?

"important" to whom? I don't give a damn if your kids get an education or whether your mother gets take care of. We wouldn't have a debt if it wasn't for ticks like you. Government doesn't make food and water safe. Private corporations have been doing research since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Aside from the police, the courts and the military, there is nothing government does that people can't do privately for themselves.

"Ticks like you...."

Now, that's funny.

Good one !

And I agree with your post.

Me to. Good one Bri

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

For Republicans America is a platform for individual fulfillment. Here is the catch: the Individual is defined in the narrowest possible terms. Any notion of the "The Public Good" is seen as "Socialism" (socialism being anything the government does for the non-wealthy). The Free Market will fix New Orleans levees. The Free Market will effectively control the amount of derivative based risk Wall Street will take. The Free Market will get us off imported oil(rather than spending decades making terrorists stronger). The Free Market will keep our rivers clean. The Free Market will make healthcare more efficient. The Free Market won't bribe Washington in order to increase it's profit margin. We don't need to worry about "The Public Good", individual selfishness driven by short term profit is a utopian reflex.

But the world doesn't work that way. Selfishness harms society....tears it apart....destroys the world economy....spills millions of barrels of oil in the Gulf of Mexico.....tears a hole in the ozone...creates a garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean twice the size of Texas...melts the North Polar ice cap.....creates massive deficits by giving huge tax breaks for the wealthy....

But the Republicans celebrate this selfishness. It is their core value. For them greed is good.

All you've done is demonstrate, again, how woefully ignorant you are of the idea of "free markets". Furthermore, if you think what has been going on here in the U.S. over the last 4 - 5 decades is out of control capitalism, you're nuts.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Which is more important, that American children get an education, that our people get healthcare, that the roads and bridges get fixed, that advanced materials research be done, that the our military be supplied with the best equipment, that old people are taken care of, that the our debt be paid down, that food and water be safe, that our environment be clean, or that a billionaire buys a new yacht?

It's their money, dipstick. You talk like you have the right to dispose of other people's wealth anyway you want. Like all leftist turds, you exhibit the mentality of a cheap thug.

Legitimate governments don't exist for the purpose of looting their citizens for anything they that can be squeezed out of them. What's the point of living under such a government? You would be better off living in the wild and defending yourself. Protecting your property from exactly the likes of thugs like you is the only reason to adopt a government.

You didn't answer the question.

Which is more important, that American children get an education, that our people get healthcare, that the roads and bridges get fixed, that advanced materials research be done, that the our military be supplied with the best equipment, that old people are taken care of, that the our debt be paid down, that food and water be safe, that our environment be clean, or that a billionaire buys a new yacht?

We have all these things going on simultaneously Chris... like, every day. Personally, I don't give a rat's ass if a billionaire buys a yacht.

Grow up.

 

[Listening]

Modern day conservatism is the political codification of selfishness.

For the Republicans it always boils down to blame the poor....either people on welfare or illegal immigrants.

Nope.... its about self reliance.

"The rich are always going to say that, you know, just give us more money and we'll go out and spend more and then it will all trickle down to the rest of you. But that has not worked the last 10 years, and I hope the American public is catching on."

- Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett Quotes - Page 2 - BrainyQuote

Self reliance of the wealthy!

They're the one and only class in America that has continued to prosper to the point where they now control most of its private wealth - making 10% of the population "winners" and the other 90% "losers!"

Is it just all a matter of coincidence that this surge in their accumulation of wealth, by only one class, just happened to coincide with the introduction "tax cuts' and soaring government debt?

To paraphase Buffett, the American taypayer is now expected to "shoulder" the government debt - the result of "borrowed" money being used to finance "tax cuts" to the wealthy, ibased the assumption that it would subsequently "trickle down" by being reinvesting in the US, to generate American jobs.

The wealthy has "repaid" the American taxpayer with the worst of both worlds - only a select few profited from the "tax cuts" that generated massive federal debts under the Reagan, GHW Bush and GW Bush Administrations BUT recipients failed to produce the American jobs which was supposedly the underlying rational for the "cuts" but may have contributed to the exodus of manufacturng jobs "off-shore" that peaked in the last decade.

Presumably the wealthy did reinvested their "windfall," financed with borrowed money, somewhere, but there is little evidence to suggest that it was in the US. The net result was the further erosion of "American jobs," an economic meltdown and a federal government, so crippled with debt as the result of "tax cuts," that it has lost its fiscal capacity to "jumpstart" the economy.

Many of us would be open to increasing taxes on the rich.....if you are willing to cut entitlements......for every dollar of tax increase you cut one dollar of SS/Medicare spending and 1 dollar of other discretionary spending.

Pony up folks.

 

[Listening]

It's their money, dipstick. You talk like you have the right to dispose of other people's wealth anyway you want. Like all leftist turds, you exhibit the mentality of a cheap thug.

Legitimate governments don't exist for the purpose of looting their citizens for anything they that can be squeezed out of them. What's the point of living under such a government? You would be better off living in the wild and defending yourself. Protecting your property from exactly the likes of thugs like you is the only reason to adopt a government.

You didn't answer the question.

Which is more important, that American children get an education, that our people get healthcare, that the roads and bridges get fixed, that advanced materials research be done, that the our military be supplied with the best equipment, that old people are taken care of, that the our debt be paid down, that food and water be safe, that our environment be clean, or that a billionaire buys a new yacht?

We have all these things going on simultaneously Chris... like, every day. Personally, I don't give a rat's ass if a billionaire buys a yacht.

Grow up.

It's pure class warefare.

It is amazing these people are so hung up on what others have.

 

[Dragon]

It is amazing these people are so hung up on what others have.

It's more amazing that you think what others have has no impact on what you have.

Say you're working for a company. You want a raise. The CEO wants a bonus. The company can't afford to do both. If the CEO gets his bonus, you don't get your raise (and vice-versa).

Under those circumstances, do you care what that particular other person gets? You'd be crazy not to.

 

[eflatminor]

For Republicans America is a platform for individual fulfillment....For them greed is good.

I'm impressed that you can know what is in the minds and hearts of other people. That is not a skill I possess. Must be nice to know what's best for others.

 

[bripat9643]

It's more amazing that you think what others have has no impact on what you have.

Say you're working for a company. You want a raise. The CEO wants a bonus. The company can't afford to do both. If the CEO gets his bonus, you don't get your raise (and vice-versa).

Under those circumstances, do you care what that particular other person gets? You'd be crazy not to.

that's for the company to decide, not some sleazy politicians. See, that's what "private enterprise" means. It's under private control, not government control. The idea that government has a right to interfere in these decisions is fundamentally fascist.

 

[Dragon]

that's for the company to decide, not some sleazy politicians.

Point went right over your head, didn't it?

Granted that it's not for politicians to decide (directly), is it nonetheless something you (in that situation) should care about?

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

It is amazing these people are so hung up on what others have.

It's more amazing that you think what others have has no impact on what you have.

Say you're working for a company. You want a raise. The CEO wants a bonus. The company can't afford to do both. If the CEO gets his bonus, you don't get your raise (and vice-versa).

Under those circumstances, do you care what that particular other person gets? You'd be crazy not to.

Seriously? You think companies are deciding between CEO bonus' and pay raises?

You're nuts.

 

[Dragon]

Seriously? You think companies are deciding between CEO bonus' and pay raises?

No, I think they already made that decision and the workers lost out. Which doesn't change the dynamic presented at all.

 

[bripat9643]

that's for the company to decide, not some sleazy politicians.

Point went right over your head, didn't it?

Granted that it's not for politicians to decide (directly), is it nonetheless something you (in that situation) should care about?

Unless we're talking about policy decisions, it's meaningless whether I "care about it." Saying the company could double my salary if the deducted the added pay from the CEO's salary is the same as saying I could be rich of Warren Buffet gave me half his company. Neither one is going to happen, and whether I "care about it" isn't going to have the slightest affect on it.

Politicians make many decisions that affect CEO salaries, but the point is they shouldn't be. It's none of their business.

One reason CEO salaries are inflated is the legislation many state governments passed that make it harder for investors to take over a badly managed company. That was one way to remove incompetent over paid executives. Unfortunately, unions didn't like anyone taking over their companies and running them more efficiently, so they lobbied the scumbags in the state capital to put a stop to it. You can lay the blame for the increase in CEO pay at their door.

 

[Dragon]

Unless we're talking about policy decisions, it's meaningless whether I "care about it."

On the contrary, that was exactly the subject of discussion. Listening said, "It is amazing these people are so hung up on what others have." I presented an example showing why we should care what others have: often it makes a huge impact on what we have.

Saying the company could double my salary if the deducted the added pay from the CEO's salary is the same as saying I could be rich of Warren Buffet gave me half his company. Neither one is going to happen, and whether I "care about it" isn't going to have the slightest affect on it.

Not necessarily so. How about if you and all the other workers form a union and collectively bargain for a wage increase? That would definitely increase your chances of getting one. You aren't completely helpless and at the mercy of the boss -- not unless you decide to be.

Politicians make many decisions that affect CEO salaries, but the point is they shouldn't be. It's none of their business.

So let me get this straight. Politicians should never make decisions involving:

1) Tax policy;
2) Labor policy;
3) Trade policy;
4) Immigration policy; or
5) Business regulation?

Because any of those decisions can impact CEO salaries and those of workers.

 

[Listening]

It is amazing these people are so hung up on what others have.

It's more amazing that you think what others have has no impact on what you have.

Say you're working for a company. You want a raise. The CEO wants a bonus. The company can't afford to do both. If the CEO gets his bonus, you don't get your raise (and vice-versa).

Under those circumstances, do you care what that particular other person gets? You'd be crazy not to.

You impress me less and less.

I have what I want. If I want more, there are strategies for getting that don't involved using the government to steal if from others.

Say I am working for a company and I want a raise. The question is am I worth the extra money. Have I made myself valuable enough that they want to keep me. If so and they don't give me a raise, then I can shop myself around. The same with the CEO.

A bigger difference is that he has probably sold his soul to get where he is.

I have my soul. He does not. End of story.

No, I would not be crazy at all. I might drive myself crazy thinking about it like you do. If I am discontent, I can look at my options.

 

[Listening]

Not necessarily so. How about if you and all the other workers form a union and collectively bargain for a wage increase? That would definitely increase your chances of getting one. You aren't completely helpless and at the mercy of the boss -- not unless you decide to be.

As long as the company can tell you to take a hike and hire new workers, that is fine.

When you force a company to the bargaining table, that is bull.

What say you and your workers share in the risk and buy some stock together ? You can get a collective proxy vote that would allow you some control You could then vote yourself a raise.

Otherwise you are just living off of would-be shareholder profits.