Americans are Suckers....u get 200 bucks from Bush and u think

[softball]

you are in clover. Move to Iraq. They are getting eight grand. Now that is economic stimulus. How much have you paid for this stupid war? Apparently they are awash in oil money while the average American needs a mortgage to fill their tanks. Irony is a bitch.

Iraqi PM walks streets, handing out cash

Iraq's prime minister is walking the streets handing out cash -- up to about $8,000 per person. The aim is to rebuild basic services and jump-start Iraq's damaged economy by quickly distributing as much of the country's glut of oil revenue as possible.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/....ap/index.html

[tony404]

its fucking sad.

[EmporerEJ]

Maybe they'd like to use some of that "glut" to pay for the cost of their freedom?

As if any dollar amount would equal the life of an American Soldier.

[DannyCox]

Originally Posted by EmporerEJ

As if any dollar amount would equal the life of an American Soldier.

Unfortunately, most countries actually use a formula for cost in dollars versus cost in lives to track whether that loss of life is acceptable based on expenditure. War is Big Business and even lives are just considered to be just another consumable and expendable material.

I worked in the Defense field for many years, and some of the things I saw were truly head shaking.

[softball]

Originally Posted by EmporerEJ

Maybe they'd like to use some of that "glut" to pay for the cost of their freedom?

As if any dollar amount would equal the life of an American Soldier.

Well, if they ever get it, I am sure they will gladly pay.

[LAJ]

I got more than $200!

[Footman]

I didn't get shit.... yet anyway. Still have to do my taxes - lol

I think this stimulus check is a bunch of shit anyway, just like the first one. Keep the fucking money and get our country out of debt. Make the dollar stronger. Keep your stupid little popularity gimmick and take care of the country.

[EmporerEJ]

Originally Posted by Footman

I didn't get shit.... yet anyway. Still have to do my taxes - lol

I think this stimulus check is a bunch of shit anyway, just like the first one. Keep the fucking money and get our country out of debt. Make the dollar stronger. Keep your stupid little popularity gimmick and take care of the country.

I agree with you, but I think it's more insidious than that. I think it's a registration program.
It's a way for the government to get a string and current address on EVERYONE....not just the regular 9-5 'ers that pay and file their 10-40s on time every year.

The smart people didn't play the registration game.

[Footman]

Originally Posted by EmporerEJ

I agree with you, but I think it's more insidious than that. I think it's a registration program.
It's a way for the government to get a string and current address on EVERYONE....not just the regular 9-5 'ers that pay and file their 10-40s on time every year.

The smart people didn't play the registration game.

mmmmmmmm - Interesting Gone keep that in mind 'when' I do get that check

[Hammer]

I got quite a bit more than $200 and so did everyone else. Although I read somewhere that the U.S. borrowed the money to pay us from other countries.

[Hell Puppy]

Bah stimulus checks cheese me off....

I get nothing, I make too much. I also pay a ton more in taxes than most people. I get zip, while many who pay ZERO tax dollars get a check.

Offends my sense of fairness.

Of course the reason government tries stimulus is because most people are stupid. Give someone who has no money $600 and do they save it? Nope, they go spend it, thus stimulating the economy.

[Footman]

Originally Posted by Hammer

I got quite a bit more than $200 and so did everyone else. Although I read somewhere that the U.S. borrowed the money to pay us from other countries.

Yep - I heard China.

[softball]

Originally Posted by Hell Puppy

Bah stimulus checks cheese me off....

I get nothing, I make too much. I also pay a ton more in taxes than most people. I get zip, while many who pay ZERO tax dollars get a check.

Offends my sense of fairness.

Of course the reason government tries stimulus is because most people are stupid. Give someone who has no money $600 and do they save it? Nope, they go spend it, thus stimulating the economy.

Simple solution. Stop making so damn much money.

[softball]

So I went to the irs website and it seems that if you make over 75K a year you get nothing. Is this true?

[Hell Puppy]

Originally Posted by rhetorical

So I went to the irs website and it seems that if you make over 75K a year you get nothing. Is this true?

That sounds about right on average. Though I think they made the formulas pretty complicated as to who gets what, so I dont know if that's individual, combined marriage, before or after deductions or what.

No where close for me, so obviously I need to quit working so hard and get lazy so I can get paid.

[softball]

Originally Posted by Hell Puppy

That sounds about right on average. Though I think they made the formulas pretty complicated as to who gets what, so I dont know if that's individual, combined marriage, before or after deductions or what.

No where close for me, so obviously I need to quit working so hard and get lazy so I can get paid.

Yeah, sometimes ya gotta wonder if it is worth all the effort. What I find interesting is how many times I hear that high income earners don't pay tax because of all the write offs. I just roll my eyes because I know that I pay enough tax to support a whole lot of those people when they run out of work.

[Hell Puppy]

Originally Posted by rhetorical

Yeah, sometimes ya gotta wonder if it is worth all the effort. What I find interesting is how many times I hear that high income earners don't pay tax because of all the write offs. I just roll my eyes because I know that I pay enough tax to support a whole lot of those people when they run out of work.

And the "rich" small business men and "evil" big companies which government loves to tax are who supply jobs and make the economy move on a much grander scale than giving homey's baby mama $600. People cant grasp the simple realities of business when they do not run one themselves. If you raise taxes on a business the cost of 5 salaries, guess what happens?

And here in lies the problem with the upcoming election for those of us in the U.S.

Even for the most gung ho republican or conservative, it would be hard to say the U.S. is in better shape than it was in 2000. Time to fire the Republicans and try something different.

Obama has done an excellent job of not campaigning on his own skills experience but rather on the idea of "change". He's something different, that's all he really has going for him. The resume is pretty thin.

But, not only is he tax and spend and big government, he's quite upfront about taxing people who are successful because he somehow considers it "fair". This is really class warfare in my eyes. He's often said one of his first acts will be to push for a bump in the capital gains tax to 27.1%. Remind me not to buy or sell anything.

Short of an all out revolution, I dont see it ever getting passed, but I'd still love to see fair tax:

http://www.fairtax.org

[DannyCox]

The big problem about living in Canada and the semi-socialist mindset is that we have to pay for all those social programs with our tax dollars. We really have no incentives here to be a successful entrepreneur. The government has tightly closed all the "loopholes" (I always got a kick about something legal called a loophole) to wring out every last penny from us.

I pay more in personal tax every year than the average person makes, and when you factor in all the nickle and diming they do with all the other extras that come off you check every month, I give the government half my money (actually more when you factor in the various federal and provincial sales takes). My companies get nailed with all sorts of ridiculous taxes also. I just love the "payroll tax" where I have to pay a percentage to the government for every dollar of salary that I pay out (and I have to collect and remit the taxes for those employees too!). 1 or 2% (I forgot) of the annual salary I pay out every year (before deductions) has to go to employee training, and if I don't, I have to pay the government that 2%.

I get really frustrated at times. Accountants can barely keep up with the monthly changes the government makes, and too many of the tax changes are retroactive. I do an annual corporate return, pay what I owe on time, but then get tax invoices every 2 months due to changes the government made. For some reason, those changes just have never been in my favour!

Canada is a great country, except for the amount we have to pay! Yes, we have "free" health-care on the surface, but we pay a lot more for that "free" health-care in taxes than the cost of the best plans in the US.

Okay, rant mode off

[EmporerEJ]

Originally Posted by Hell Puppy

And the "rich" small business men and "evil" big companies which government loves to tax are who supply jobs and make the economy move on a much grander scale than giving homey's baby mama $600. People cant grasp the simple realities of business when they do not run one themselves. If you raise taxes on a business the cost of 5 salaries, guess what happens?

http://www.fairtax.org

Sure sounds like "Trickle down economics" to me....a Reagan/Bush (1)Republican plan.....

(A plan I happen to agree with.....)

[EmporerEJ]

Originally Posted by DannyCox

The big problem about living in Canada and the semi-socialist mindset is that we have to pay for all those social programs with our tax dollars. .......................

..................Canada is a great country, except for the amount we have to pay! Yes, we have "free" health-care on the surface, but we pay a lot more for that "free" health-care in taxes than the cost of the best plans in the US.

Okay, rant mode off

That's the part that scares me.....I'm afraid when the government, (any government) gets involved with health care, (or anything else for that matter,) they always do it inefficiently, and over-cost. And usually, the service they provide is the lowest common denominator.

[softball]

Originally Posted by EmporerEJ

That's the part that scares me.....I'm afraid when the government, (any government) gets involved with health care, (or anything else for that matter,) they always do it inefficiently, and over-cost. And usually, the service they provide is the lowest common denominator.

Unlike the bloated hmo system that monster that the US has created. I have my problems with universal health care, but all in all it works pretty well. I don't have to worry about going broke because of an accident or an unforseen illness. I lived in England and that system is a hybrid that works really well. When you go into a private hospital you even get a wine list and the private insurance is affordable.
As for taxes, yup we do pay em and I do hate em. But it we do have a pretty fair distribution of the wealth. It doesn't take a lot of money to get into the top 5 per cent of earners in Canada.
As for trickle down.....it doesn't work. The money flees offshore.

[EmporerEJ]

Originally Posted by rhetorical

Unlike the bloated hmo system that monster that the US has created. I have my problems with universal health care, but all in all it works pretty well. I don't have to worry about going broke because of an accident or an unforseen illness. I lived in England and that system is a hybrid that works really well. When you go into a private hospital you even get a wine list and the private insurance is affordable.
As for taxes, yup we do pay em and I do hate em. But it we do have a pretty fair distribution of the wealth. It doesn't take a lot of money to get into the top 5 per cent of earners in Canada.
As for trickle down.....it doesn't work. The money flees offshore.

Your observations and conclusions are simply wrong.
Phrases like "pretty fair distribution of the wealth" are fundamentally flawed, for the same reason the US healthcare system is flawed.
You cannot run a healthcare system on a "for profit" basis alone. Until that core is replaced, no one will get it straight.

But Socialism, your "pretty fair distribution of the wealth," doesn't work either.
It's unnatural. The entire planet is about "survival of the fittest," and it's ugly stepchild, "capitalism."
There is no "pure" solution.

And I watch parliment all the time.....and all I ever hear is complaints about their healthcare system.

[softball]

Originally Posted by EmporerEJ

Your observations and conclusions are simply wrong.
Phrases like "pretty fair distribution of the wealth" are fundamentally flawed, for the same reason the US healthcare system is flawed.
You cannot run a healthcare system on a "for profit" basis alone. Until that core is replaced, no one will get it straight.

But Socialism, your "pretty fair distribution of the wealth," doesn't work either.
It's unnatural. The entire planet is about "survival of the fittest," and it's ugly stepchild, "capitalism."
There is no "pure" solution.

And I watch parliment all the time.....and all I ever hear is complaints about their healthcare system.

You are fundamentally wrong. It is a dog eat dog world. Darwin works. However, some great minds with weak bodies and/or poor social skills have driven us to where we are today. I hope you never have to be in a wheelchair in a third world country where you will hardly have access to a toilet. It is what separates civilized countries from bongo countries and men from animals.
As for bitching about health care in Canada, it is akin to bitching about taxes anywhere in the world. It works for most and most don't bitch. Watching parliament is like watching the WWE but with a room full of politicians paid to bitch in an adversarial system. But you have to be bright enough to catch that little nuance and judging by your posts, your education is somewhat lacking Emp. But you seem to have a lot of opinions based on....well your opinions. But hey, I am just a pathetic cross dresser, what would I know?