2015 Election season ..........stuff it in here.

[ronnup]

Somebody needs to pay tax mate! Where else is the money going to come from?

You do realise we all pay tax don't you?

With an exception of a few select people and organisations.

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and see if you can work out who doesn't pay these colossal sums of income tax due to off shore accounts or flat refusal.

A clue. It's not poor people.

[MooseBreath]

The poor souls.

You clearly have no experience of what a 'pittance' is.

Maybe not, but then I'm "limited", "disgusting" and thoroughly working class so what does that tell you?

[Stadt]

That's what makes me laugh about the greens, they'll have a Robin Hood tax with a top rate of 60%, how are they going to fund a country when those awful rich people all leave because they're demonised in a country plunged in a permanent recession?

[Harry - LCFC]

Yore disgusting. We have to rely on the rich to pay taxes to live? Just go and live somewhere else. What a toad.

 

I think it's something like 27% of income tax that comes from the top 1%. We ought to recognise the contribution the rich make. I'm not calling for people to worship the ground they walk on, just to recognise that the NHS, welfare and public schooling are there partly because of a big helping hand from those who pay the top rate of tax.

 

I used to bash the rich but I find it increasingly difficult to do that now.

[ronnup]

That's what makes me laugh about the greens, they'll have a Robin Hood tax with a top rate of 60%, how are they going to fund a country when those awful rich people all leave because they're demonised in a country plunged in a permanent recession?

Maybe they'll try and implement a sustainable economy that doesn't rely on a massive polarisation of wealth?

[ronnup]

I think it's something like 27% of income tax that comes from the top 1%. We ought to recognise the contribution the rich make. I'm not calling for people to worship the ground they walk on, just to recognise that the NHS, welfare and public schooling are there partly because of a big helping hand from those who pay the top rate of tax.

I used to bash the rich but I find it increasingly difficult to do that now.

But don't you see they shouldn't be that rich!!!! It's just morally wrong for such a tony percent of humans to hold such wealth whilst people are starving. It's insanity. We're literally applauding the rich for starving right the poor! I can't understand it.

[Stadt]

Maybe they'll try and implement a sustainable economy that doesn't rely on a massive polarisation of wealth?

The Greens are a car crash, actually a bicycle crash, I could understand why you'd vote Labour but the Greens are shambolic.

[Rincewind]

Looking forward to HIGNFY now. Hope they give all of them the stick they deserve.

[ronnup]

The Greens are a car crash, actually a bicycle crash, I could understand why you'd vote Labour but the Greens are shambolic.

I wouldn't vote green. I was making the point.

But I do apologise for insulting you. That lacked class

[MiniFox]

I think it's something like 27% of income tax that comes from the top 1%. We ought to recognise the contribution the rich make. I'm not calling for people to worship the ground they walk on, just to recognise that the NHS, welfare and public schooling are there partly because of a big helping hand from those who pay the top rate of tax.

 

I used to bash the rich but I find it increasingly difficult to do that now.

That doesn't mean that everyone else shouldn't be given the same opportunities, we shouldn't have to make sacrifices to appease the rich, I'm personally not against the rich or even the mega rich, but is it fair that we don't all get at least similar opportunity in life?

[Harry - LCFC]

But don't you see they shouldn't be that rich!!!! It's just morally wrong for such a tony percent of humans to hold such wealth whilst people are starving. It's insanity. We're literally applauding the rich for starving right the poor! I can't understand it.

 

The rich aren't starving the poor.

 

In prehistoric times everyone was poor. Now a lot of us aren't. The reason for that is because the west (and other areas) have been very successful at creating their own wealth. We didn't make them poor, we didn't steal their stuff* they just haven't developed as rapidly as we have but they'll get there.

 

*Apart from a brief period of course. But the colonial era isn't the major reason as to why Africa is poor today.

[MooseBreath]

But don't you see they shouldn't be that rich!!!! It's just morally wrong for such a tony percent of humans to hold such wealth whilst people are starving. It's insanity. We're literally applauding the rich for starving right the poor! I can't understand it.

Wealth isn't a zero sum game. We could all be equal but then we'd all be poor. Much better to have some rich, most doing OK and some poor than everybody poor.

[ronnup]

The rich aren't starving the poor.

In prehistoric times everyone was poor. Now a lot of us aren't. The reason for that is because the west (and other areas) have been very successful at creating their own wealth. We didn't make them poor, we didn't steal their stuff* they just haven't developed as rapidly as we have but they'll get there.

*Apart from a brief period of course. But the colonial era isn't the major reason as to why Africa is poor today.

So, do you think Africans aren't as hard working, intelligent and generally enterprising as Europeans?

[MiniFox]

The rich aren't starving the poor.

 

In prehistoric times everyone was poor. Now a lot of us aren't. The reason for that is because the west (and other areas) have been very successful at creating their own wealth. We didn't make them poor, we didn't steal their stuff* they just haven't developed as rapidly as we have but they'll get there.

 

*Apart from a brief period of course. But the colonial era isn't the major reason as to why Africa is poor today.

To an extent I agree with you.

We shouldn't demonise wealth that's for sure, it's just the fact that sometimes the poor aren't given the opportunity to actually not be poor, mostly through no fault of their own.

[ronnup]

The rich aren't starving the poor.

In prehistoric times everyone was poor. Now a lot of us aren't. The reason for that is because the west (and other areas) have been very successful at creating their own wealth. We didn't make them poor, we didn't steal their stuff* they just haven't developed as rapidly as we have but they'll get there.

*Apart from a brief period of course. But the colonial era isn't the major reason as to why Africa is poor today.

What about Afro Americans? Poorer Inveraray due to lack of intelligence and elbows greese?

[ADK]

eurgh, hate it when people make a load of crap arguments.

[Harry - LCFC]

That doesn't mean that everyone else shouldn't be given the same opportunities, we shouldn't have to make sacrifices to appease the rich, I'm personally not against the rich or even the mega rich, but is it fair that we don't all get at least similar opportunity in life?

 

I agree, I'm just not sure what more we can do. Racism and homophobia fall away naturally over time and we already ensure that cost isn't a barrier to anyone wanting to get an education. Sorry to say that I think for a lot of kids what holds them back is bad parenting. It was clear when I was at school that certain students just didn't have the right attitude and that stopped them from doing well.

[Harry - LCFC]

So, do you think Africans aren't as hard working, intelligent and generally enterprising as Europeans?

 

I pointed out that Europe as has done well economically which it undeniably has. I did not insinuate that Europeans were genetically superior and it annoys me that you accuse me of doing so.

 

Since you ask, I think Europe's success can be put down to far more favourable geography (rivers, fertile land, lack of droughts, ample food, forgiving weather) and the adoption of free markets and free trade. Nothing to do with race in my opinion.

[MiniFox]

I agree, I'm just not sure what more we can do. Racism and homophobia fall away naturally over time and we already ensure that cost isn't a barrier to anyone wanting to get an education. Sorry to say that I think for a lot of kids what holds them back is bad parenting. It was clear when I was at school that certain students just didn't have the right attitude and that stopped them from doing well.

I've seen that. 

Parents will tell them school doesn't matter, they then grow up angry because they haven't made enough of themselves so they blame the rich.

Honestly, I don't know what else can be done than better education about real life, careers, because lets be honest, careers officers who come into schools and speak to kids don't really do a lot for them from what I've seen.

[Stadt]

Have you shifted to the right (well centre) Harry?

[The God Emperor]

I pointed out that Europe as has done well economically which it undeniably has. I did not insinuate that Europeans were genetically superior and it annoys me that you accuse me of doing so.

 

Since you ask, I think Europe's success can be put down to far more favourable geography (rivers, fertile land, lack of droughts, ample food, forgiving weather) and the adoption of free markets and free trade. Nothing to do with race in my opinion.

Was just about to rudely butt in and write something similiar, although a lot more wordy.

The instabilty of a lot of African nations due to religious conflict and being ran by a never ending succesion of tin pot dictators also makes the region unatractive for building factories and the like, which also doesn't help.

[Mark_w]

The rich aren't starving the poor.

 

In prehistoric times everyone was poor. Now a lot of us aren't. The reason for that is because the west (and other areas) have been very successful at creating their own wealth. We didn't make them poor, we didn't steal their stuff* they just haven't developed as rapidly as we have but they'll get there.

 

If you can walk past a mansion, and then walk past someone starving on the street and think 'oh well they haven't developed as rapidly, they'll get there', then I think you need to have a good long look in the mirror to be honest. The rich aren't starving the poor, but the 1% could do a lot more to help the people who need it most. Tax them till they are very comfortable and you've got a ridiculous amount of money to give to the very poorest sections of society, you, Moose and Matt might not think that's very fair and it's not. But the world as it is currently, is a lot less fair. I know it's not that simple a situation, but why would you want to vote for the party that just doesn't seem to care about the widening divide between rich and poor at all?

[Carl the Llama]

Wealth isn't a zero sum game. We could all be equal but then we'd all be poor. Much better to have some rich, most doing OK and some poor than everybody poor.

Whether it is or isn't is debatable.  After all saying that it isn't implies there's a way of making wealth out of nothing:  Perhaps you can start a business out of nothing, but the money that you earn from it has to come from somewhere already extant, people with vast bank accounts are well aware of this or they wouldn't bother keeping them, why would you when you can make wealth whenever you feel like it? 

[Webbo]

If you can walk past a mansion, and then walk past someone starving on the street and think 'oh well they haven't developed as rapidly, they'll get there', then I think you need to have a good long look in the mirror to be honest. The rich aren't starving the poor, but the 1% could do a lot more to help the people who need it most. Tax them till they are very comfortable and you've got a ridiculous amount of money to give to the very poorest sections of society, you, Moose and Matt might not think that's very fair and it's not. But the world as it is currently, is a lot less fair. I know it's not that simple a situation, but why would you want to vote for the party that just doesn't seem to care about the widening divide between rich and poor at all?

Why would anyone go to work if they could just sit back and get somebody else to pick up the tab?

[Carl the Llama]

Whether it is or isn't is debatable.  After all saying that it isn't implies there's a way of making wealth out of nothing:  Perhaps you can start a business out of nothing, but the money that you earn from it has to come from somewhere already extant, people with vast bank accounts are well aware of this or they wouldn't bother keeping them, why would you when you can make wealth whenever you feel like it? 

Addendum:  You have to put in to get out, but alas without the right training you won't get out nearly what you put in.