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All animals are equal!!
He's like the only interviewer who is so in touch with what anyone else would ask of the subject. We're all think'n "ask em" this or that... and he asks em this or that.
Yeah, great friggin' story Kadizzy. Right on the money.
Well put and thanks for trying but doesn't your head hurt from banging it against the brick wall?
Trying to discuss issues with Kadizzy and BigBoy is like trying to describe a North Dakota sunset to someone whose been blind from birth. No matter how beautiful it is in reality it cannot possibly be as good as what they can conjur up in their imaginations. They talk alot about greed but should remember that sloth and envy are also counted as two of the seven deadly sins.
I'm sure they must feel like noble crusaders in their fight to bring equality in all things to all people. I don't fault them for that since equality and fairness are noble goals and I don't have the answers to the world's problems either. I do, however, know that when solving for X, reality cannot be excluded from the equation. I also know that all questions cannot be anwered by simple minded and repetitive blathering about income disparity and that just because someone's opinion differs from mine it does not mean it doesn't count or has been tainted in some way by evil forces. Democracy is the greatest form of government in the world and it allows for independent thinking---including that which is independent of yours Kadizzy---get used to it.
Who decided your wages and determined you weren't paid too much? Did you ever take advantage of others to make your money? Perhaps someone would look at your situation and decide you didn't deserve what you earned even though you worked hard for it. There will always be those who have more than others for some reason or another. Remember, greed is one of the seven deadly sins and will be dealt with appropriately. Oops, I almost forgot, you don't believe in that sort of thing. Well I guess you'll have to figure out a way to punish the successful in this life then. I'm sure you won't have too much trouble coming up with something.
So in other words, the electorate will determine what is fair as long as the electorate votes the way you think they should.
Everyone who votes in opposition to you is brain washed by the evil right and their opinion, and therefore their vote, doesn't count.
Got it. Thanks for clearing things up. You have exceeded my expectations once again.
Buffett has been a multi-billionaire for years. Long before he began advocating tax reform. I also never said he uses questionable tax dodges. But he has and will continue to give the bulk of his estate to the charitable foundations instead of allowing the government to take it through estate taxes. This is a quote of his from an interview a couple years ago:
"I think that on balance the Gates Foundation, my daughter's foundation, my two sons' foundations, will do a better job with lower adminsitrative costs and better selection of beneficiaries than the government."
I agree with him completley.
Jake, you seem like a person with some intelligence which is a rare commodity among your cohorts. But you might be a greater asset to your cause if you were less condecending, more open minded and weren't so intent on promoting yourself as the definitive expert on any and all subjects.
With that I bid you a respectful good night.
Birther Bob, you are math challenged. Do you somehow think that what Buffet pointed out is fair? That seems to be a problem---some of you just don't get it---if you are in the bottom 75% of the population, you are subsidizing the top end--not the bottom. That is how are tax code has been wrecked by both parties--not just the Democrats. One of the most pathetic allegations is telling me that it is conservative, mostly republicans who contribute more to their churches and charities. That stupid Calvinist notion has been doing harm to the world since Calvin first dreamt it up. It is as far from Christian principles as you can get.
You're the one that brought up Gates and Buffett as shining examples of morality. Yet as I said in my previous post they may give away the bulk of their estates but still retain $4 billion. What's up with that? How can they still be moral with $4 billion estates while little Bobby can't get his ear ache taken care of because he has no healthcare? I am not questioning the issue of fairness. Most of us learned a long time ago that life is not fair.
I'll give you one more chance to answer a straight forward question with something other than repetitive drivel. What I am asking you to respond directly to is this question:
Who gets to be the "greed czar" in your utopian society and determines what level of income and/or net worth is reasonable or "fair"?
I don't recall Buffett or Gates complaining about the unfairness of the tax code while they were accumulating their vast fortunes through innovation and investment success made possible by the capitalism you liberals deplore. I too will jump on the "unfairness" band wagon just as soon as my net worth hits $40 billion. That being said they are to be commended for giving away 90% of their fortunes (to charitable trusts to avoid the "unfair" estate taxes by the way) but that would still leave them each with around $4 billion. I don't have a problem with that but doesn't that exceed the maximum allowable amount in the utopian liberal world? Shouldn't they be required to keep giving until someone (Obama) says stop? After all, a combined $72 billion that was accumulated with no work at all will do alot of good for charitable causes but apparently not enough to make up for the fact that those two greedy demons will still keep be able to keep more than is sufficient to maintain the standard of living that you and I have.
The big question you all avoid is, who gets to decide what is fair?
There is a reason and some of the reason is religious beliefs. So why do you make fun of religious people then critisize them for doing as much???
Big Jake, kadizzle correctly stated Buffets secratary pays a higher "PERCENTAGE" in taxes, of course she would. I already explained that. The difference is earned/capitol gains income...
Birth bob, you seem to be saying that Buffet doesn't know what he is talking about. The point that we was making is that the tax code is grossly unfair and that his secretary is paying far too much of the burden. Do you disagree with that?
Hal, you have now conceded that the system can work--if enough effort is put into it. Thank you.
Big Brother---right on. I hope that they are getting better at finding fraud---I am hopeful but not yet convinced. The private sector has not now nor ever has had the market on competency cornered. There is no evidence that suggests that what you are saying about the inadequacy of our healthcare system is not accurate. It traded greed for providing the best product a long time ago.
Paladin, you seem to be saying that the tea-baggers have something intelligent to say, or that they have any, ANY solutions to any of toda's problems. Could you cite any examples?
Kaddizle, I confess that I must have had my head buried in the sand for years--I woke up and discovered that we were sounding like Arkansas. Was it always this way and I ignored it or is it a new phenomenon? Mandan Mike has correctly observed that there are enemies of the "people", but just can't connect the dots---the dittoheads and the Becktards and Palinites are carrying the water for the elites. His reference to the Bilderbergers has elements of truth--and there are others---the Club for Growth, the Trilaeral Commission, the Council on Foreign Relations---all elitist groups--in today's world, they are leaning way towards the right but they always change--whatever direction the winds are blowing. They are everpresent and have far too much influence. If we practice our American system, their power is limited---as Jefferson knew. It is ours to lose.
And again, have none of you got the guts to take on the wealth issue? If you believe it you must have some reasons or evidence. Or maybe Kaddizle is right---too busy genuflecting at the alter of the elites in hope for some crumbs or maybe your own plantation as clearly God has chosen them to rule. If Kaddizle is right, we are in more trouble than I have chosen to believe.
If a farmer and his family work their entire lives to pay for a farm and when mom and dad pass on why should the children have to give half-or a third away to the government. Its been paid for. That could also be called insane.
Here's were you and I differ. With you its always democrats=good, and republicans=bad. My proof is that conservatives in every survey ever done that is credible have given more than liberals. That includes money, time, charity work even blood to help the poor and needy. Your side talks the talk but doesnt walk the walk...
You can't use the ampersand... the "and" symbol. It cut's off your post at that point.
I would qualify...it's an irrelevent leap... i.e. the evidence does not support the conclusion, and in fact supports the opposite conclusion. Also not the existence of fraud, but an increase in the amount of fraud government is catching this year compared to historical averages... all as a result of increased scrutiny. The bulk of this is unnecessary procedures and tests doctors/hospitals use to run up and pad their bill. And it's somehow evidence of governments failings that they've improved their ability to catch it.
Some would argue two wrongs make a right; because Medicaid/Medicare doesn't pay the doctors in North Dakota on the same scale they pay doctors in Manhattan, they're not getting paid enough. Never mind that maybe the highest paid regions might be getting paid too much, and never mind that it's still fraud and unnecessary procedures actually end up increasing the potential for patient safety incidents...a 1 in 5 risk in the U.S. per patient per treatment/procedure...somehow this is all a sign of government failure and not the for-profit industry's.
If you want to say government can't do health care right, you need relevant data, and the critical thinker would ask for a comparison of government run health care against private for-profit health care. Duh!!!
The relevant proof is abundant and makes it astoundingly clear that our for-profit health care system is in fact the worst run, most expensive, and least effective (actually doing more harm than good) system on the planet, compared to just about every government run systems.
Part of the comments here are about the gap between the rich and the rest of us. I would like any of you to clearly state that you either believe or don't that the growing gap and the concentration of wealth exists and whether or not you believe that it poses a threat to our liberty?
You have a point here and there about companies paying taxes. Offshore companies I think are crooks. But that old Warren Buffet trick is plain deceiving and easily explained away.
Here is a simple reality the right wing cannot cope with. The bottom 20% of the population in the United States consumes 2% of the GDP. The top 1% gets 17%. The top 5% gets 90%.
This is only getting worse under Obama. Forclosures are getting worse and Wall Street is more inflated making another bubble. Geithner the criminal fixing up his buddies. Rich get richer. More of the same. Other than Obama spending more money, he's not much different than Bush.
I can't tell if you're giving up the boat with respect to wit, or if you think that was it.
I knew you vegetables like to delusionaly prognosticate about the end-times, economic, liberties, or biblical, but this wishful thinking about that left running out of amo, as though Palin isn't on a crash course to increase her rank on the list of history's punch-lines, is very much uncharacteristic of teabaggers.
You failed propaganda 101: The Gospel of Fearmongering.
Fear evokes, not optimism.
"Pray for Obama: Psalm 109:8"
Yes indeed, the winds of change are shifting ever faster.
Yes ... Nickel's comment was the epitome of sober reason and not *really* a moronic freakshow of senseless delusions ripe for mockery via absurd inferences! ;-D
Speaking of coal dust for brains, if you don't know what the people with wits are doing, you should probably leave the witty retorts to those with the wits.
Which they, the teabaggers themselves, unwittingly came up with all on their own... making all the more priceless!!
What a bunch of LOOOOOOSERS!!
right-wingers should be a wake-up call to the rest of America, the Canary in the coal mine; we need to be scrutinizing the solvents and glues that people are exposed to daily.
You're right about one thing---that was a very illogical conclusion. How you could infer that what Nickel said equates in any way to an argument for the rich paying no taxes is beyond comprehension. Either you have the brains of a coffee cup or your synapses have been compromised with coal dust.You seem like a guy who would have served his party well in the legislature---as a foot stool.
If you continue to fight this battle with such stellar thought processes as that you better call for reinforcements from the prolific Popz, Thug and Big Jake. You must all have evolved from the same tree stump.
I assume the editors of the Trib will be at the forefront of the fight to repeal Medicare and Medicaid -- seeing as how they took the time to point out how poorly run and fraud-riddled they are.
*not holding my breath*
"The Glenn Beck teabaggers are a classic case. They freely admit they make less than $250,000 per year. Yet they claim when Obama says he will lower their taxes and raise the tax on those making over 250k that this is a bad thing. A strange bunch indeed. When we have reached the point where the slaves support the plantation owner, can we really get any dumber?"
Not sure if I'm a Glenn Beck teabagger or not, but I admit that I make less than 250K, and I do not want those making more than 250K to have their taxes raised. Because that is just the first step -- soon the government will get more and more addicted to tax revenue (as if it isn't enough already), that the "threshold" of the "rich" will be lowered and lowered until we become a socialist nation.
Long Live Reagan! :)
NT
If you really want quality hip replacement with the "patient safety incident" rates at Medcenter one and St. A's, then just pull out your American Express Platinum and hop on the next plane to Mexico city, Hong Kong, or Bombay. Even with the air-fare, you'll still be saving money and getting better service.
And that's God's design.
And before everyone (and by everyone I mean Popzealot, Kadizzle, and Union THUG) lambast me by saying things like "how would YOU know what our founding father's intents were," let me add this: I know, because I was there!
:)
Regards,
NT
I agree completely with your sentiments. Bullying, name calling and irrelavent rants make up the response to almost any rational opinion one wants to put forth. It sounds very much like someone whose repeatedly unsuccessful attempts to run for public office has imbittered him beyond redemption.
Maybe one of these compassionate souls can tell us just who should be in charge of determining what level of wealth is justified and at what level you are considered greedy. Is it the level just beyond what they have been able to attain? How many homes or cars are allowed? Is a vacation home and two vehicles OK compared to what your neighbor has? Maybe one of each is too many compared to the homeless that exist in our own nation and the multitudes of starving individuals around the world. Maybe we should just reduce the standard of living for every one to the lowest common denominator? That should solve all the problems. Reality needn't enter into this equation.
While I am not wealthy I pay my fair share of taxes and give what I can to charity. I do not waste my time envying or vilifying those who make more than I do and pay far more tax than I do just because they may pay a smaller percentage of their total income in taxes. In fact I am thankful for their success and their ability to give ever greater amounts than I to charitable organizations as well as to an inefficient government bureaucracy. I realize that with their ability to provide for themselves and their families they are not burdening our welfare system and I acknowledge that with their higher level of discretionary income they are able to contribute more to the economy which provides jobs for those willing to work.
If this isn't acceptable then let me volunteer for the position of the Obama administration's "Greed Czar" and I will make the ultimate decision as to just how much is enough. I promise to be fair.
Be careful what you wish for Kadizzle, someone who's actually in a position to make a difference might very well determine that according to their standards it is your standard of living that is excessive and offensive.
The government does do somethings well, and that is gulags, death camps, and indoctrination.
The government increases their standards and catches more PRIVATE health providers committing fraud, and this is somehow evidence that there's something wrong with government?
Someone said something about liberals having trouble with the facts, yet apparently doesn't have the critical thinking skills to notice that the editorial staff, with their slack-jawed yokel propaganda version of white-trash journalism, omit the explanation of why there's more (more private interests committing fraud, and the government increasing their scrutiny and catching it).
Those who are capable of critical thinking would immediately conclude the opposite. This not only proves that the government can and does catch fraud, but that the problem is our awful healthcare system, in which private interests are trying to capitalize on, profit from the sick and the dying, by committing fraud.
If you want to say government can't run health care, then you need to look at governments running health care. Remove for-profit providers and replace them with public providers and measure governments ability to based on the quality of that health care. Fact is, the governments of 3rd world countries are providing better health care than our private sector.
How much more proof do you need?
The Medicare fraud pails in comparison to the tax break fraud the Republicans have engineered.
Why don't you get off your soapbox. How many of the democrats and liberals have profited from these tax breaks?
Part of the Change I was hoping for was real reform and to clean up the coruption in Washington.
We need only look at people like Charlie Rangel, Tom Daschel, Tim Geithner, the Clintons, etc. to see that our federal government cannot do the job because they are unwilling to put in the work and effort to do it.
The proposed health Care bill in congress is a mother-lode of invitations for fraud and cheating. Unintended consequences?? Greed? Put a pot of money in front of people and they will find a way to get some of it.
That is what happens to your small town newspaper when it and its editorial staff is controlled by a corporation called Lee Enterprises of Davenport, Iowa whose sole interest is profit.
Colonel Clement A. Lounsberry, founder of the Bismarck Tribune, has to be moaning and turning over in his grave. Colonel Lounsberry founded the Bismarck Tribune July 6, 1873 and the first paper came off the press on July 11, 1873 making it the first newspaper published in North Dakota.
The Tribune writes, using Medicare, as its premise, “It does provide empirical evidence that a government-run, public-option health insurance scheme will not be effective in controlling rising health care costs.”
That is rubbish. I am on Medicare and have never detected any fraud, I am not denying it may happen but do we need to throw the baby out with the dirty bathwater, when all we need to do is change the water?
Clearly the Tribune says NO when we say yes, or BLACK when we say white. Sadly the Tribune is an obstructionist tool of the far right just like all the negative TV commercials we are presently being blitzkrieged with.
-- I would say the GAO is as credible of source as any.
Please forgive me if I have no sympathy for those poor little rich victims that are getting rich exclusively off of working class people.
Amazing how some refuse to properly inform themselves.
So where 's the money?!