Nifty29
Dormant account
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2001
This is a silly question. A similar question would be something like "Do you think if you stopped beating your wife now as you pretty much currently do that she may forgive you"? You have to give a direct question. Give an example, name the country and what affairs you believe the USA to be sticking their nose in.. etc. You cannot simply set a parameter in your question and expect it to be accepted as fact to base an answer on.
A few questions for you:
1. Do you think that governments should base their spending on how much taxes are brought in or do you think that the government should determine how much taxes are needed based on their spending?
The former. However, it is seldom done as nobody has the kahones to stake their political life on it. Perhaps if politician's salaries were performance based i.e. linked to budget surpluses or employment rates etc it would happen. Unfortunately, most pollies seem to be in it for what they can get out of it, and the fact that most are in bed with the large conglomerates that control Western nations means that they will only stick their neck out for these companies (because the campaign contributions and other fringe benefits makes it irresistable).
2. Do you believe all humans should have an equal opportunity to succeed or fail based on their individual ability, intellect and work ethic? Or, do you believe all humans should have equal outcomes regardless of their ability, intellect or work ethic, and the government should redistribute the wealth of those who succeed to those who don’t in order to level the playing field? Please explain why you feel the way you do.
I believe all humans have basic civil rights. We are all equal in that regard IMO. Of course, different countries have different definitions of basic human rights so I guess it depends where you are standing.
I believe that hard work should be rewarded, and that people should be encouraged to start businesses and contribute to the financial stability of their country. Employees should be paid a good days pay for a good days work. IMO it is insane that someone who works their guts out in a factory or looks after the sick and frail gets paid peanuts, whereas lawyers and stockbrokers etc get paid huge amounts way above what they entitled to (IMO). Some of the most important jobs in a society are the lowest paid, so, at present, even those who have an excellent work ethic and/or abilities are not rewarded.
Everyone deserves an opportunity to succeed or fail. Once we start deciding who deserves this opportunity we become a class-based society where only the wealthy and well-connected/bred are able to flourish. Managing a society should not be about money at every turn - it is only a part of the equation. Western nations, with some intelligent re-working of tax systems (I agree with your idea of a flat tax on everything BTW), can well afford to look after the less fortunate and still be countries where the wealthy can enjoy their wealth and not despise those who have little. Remember, in many cases, people have come from horrendous backgrounds and childhoods and have not had the access to education and proper parenting that most take for granted. I know you stated previously that your own childhood was difficult, and it's great that you came out on the other side and made something of yourself, but not everyone can do that. Some are more strong-willed or more physically able than others and hence more able to overcome adversity, but many are not....and that is why we cannot throw a blanket over everyone and say "well you don't work or run a business so it's the soup kitchens for you".
3. Do you believe that every person should be naturally born with rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Or, do you believe our rights come from government?
Yes I do. Unfortunately those rights can (and are in some cases) be taken away by Governments. It is not right that some group of self-absorbed, money grubbing politicians can decide which rights someone is entitled to. Governments have a duty to ensure that their citizens have the access to those things you mentioned. Whether they take them up is another argument.
4. Do you believe the money you earn from your job or business belongs to you, as well as the property you buy with the money you earn? Or, do you believe the government has the right to your money and property?
The money I earn never completely belongs to me, and it never will. How can it possibly? Someone has to pay for roads and hospitals and defence etc etc. The sure things in life are death and taxes.
If one isn't happy with the way their government handles the distribution of wealth, then one can always run for congress/parliament or move to another country that does it better or lobby their current pollies etc. One thing for sure is that we will always have to cough up towards the upkeep of our own country. The argument I see is how it is done, and to a degree how it is distributed. However, there will always be areas (geographically and socially) that require more funding than others, but we cannot have a system where one can refuse to allow "their" contribution to be spent on something that doesn't directly benefit them.
I'm not sure where you're coming from with the property angle, but I of course agree that your land is your land, remembering that it is the state that provides energy and sewage and access etc etc so a person can never be an "island" so to speak.
5. Do you believe that as long as you earn your money honestly and break no laws, there should be no limit on the amount of money you make? Or, do you believe like our President (Obama) who said, “at some point, you’ve made enough money?” . If so what amount would you set the limit at? Would you punish the person by taking higher and higher % of the income the more they made? What do you suppose would be the motivation of the person to continue to grow their business and create jobs if you kept confiscating more and more as they made more?
Hmmm. Well I can see the point he is making. When a person has amassed say $50 million, what's the big deal if the tax is increased marginally on the next $50m they earn? It would certainly be peanuts to them, but it could mean a lot to developing areas of the country or to those who are genuinely in need. Motivation? Well I guess that person doesn't have to go and make another $50m, but I don't see how paying an extra 2% tax or something is going to stop them in their tracks. Ending up with $90m instead of $92m hardly seems to be a show stopper.
IMO it is obscene for people like bank execs and CEO's to being getting huge salaries and even bigger bonuses when the average person is being slugged more and more in banking fees and paying more and more to borrow money. It is the result of the mega-wealthy being able to do as the please for so long with little or no restraint. It's time that at least something was done to ease the burden on the average worker, as all they seem to be doing is filling the pockets of the greedy financiers and others who spend their life with their nose in the trough. If it takes something like what Obama proposes to make them realise the effect their own greed is having on their fellow countrypeople, then maybe it's a good thing.
I was going to just ignore your questions on the basis of the following comments you made which were inappropriate, unnecessary and unprovoked....and not at all conducive to a proper debate:
This is a silly question.
This seems like a nonsenical question
However, I decided to just put that down to some kind of personal issue you have and answer your questions in an adult fashion.