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Originally posted by Shakka Hey Georgie--I guess you don't have any aspirations to ever be successful in life, eh? So the rich should pay more so that the poor can continue to sponge off of them. And when there's not enough to go around...ah, fuck 'em! Tax 'em more! After all, they are greedy, evil people that don't deserve to keep the fruits of their labor, rather it should be given away to the lowest common denominator. I apologize in advance, but 3 words are specifically coming to mind right now. GO FUCK YOURSELF. In fact, I voted to tax the poor for the sheer sake of spiting you. Personally, I'm for cutting entitlement spending and all government spending for that matter. We live in an overtaxed society where as long as there exists any sort of wage gap, people on the low end will be crying for more taxes(err, redistribution of income) from the rich to pay for their own jealousy. Last I checked, both greed and jealousy were among the 7 deadly sins. What say you?

totally agree.

if i were in charge, i would take this country back to the role it was meant to play. to provide security for its citizens and protect the rights that the government had instituted. nothing more. all these welfare programs and MediCare and Social Security crap is just draining away from the treasury and making taxes higher. the militaries role is to provide defence. not invading other countries. i would do away with all these programs, and privatize them, so that taxes would be lower, but the people would still have these programs. just it wouldnt be the gov'ts responsibility anymore.

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Originally posted by ::TranceVanDyk:: the top 10% in income already pay more taxes than the other 90%. u win a million dollars, you sure as hell better expect to be paying at least 100 thousand out of that in taxes. thats a hell of a lot of money. u socialist

WTF?!?!? You've got $900,000 what the fuck could you possibly be complaining about?!?!

TvD: You don't think your ideas very well through, do you? What would happen if you take away all help for those who cannot provide for themselves? Do you think that they'll just say "ok, we're the weakest links" and then lie down and die? Or do you think that they might take up arms? Could it be that a minimum level of support for those on the bottom is a sort of security provision?

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Originally posted by ::TranceVanDyk:: totally agree. if i were in charge, i would take this country back to the role it was meant to play. to provide security for its citizens and protect the rights that the government had instituted. nothing more. all these welfare programs and MediCare and Social Security crap is just draining away from the treasury and making taxes higher. the militaries role is to provide defence. not invading other countries. i would do away with all these programs, and privatize them, so that taxes would be lower, but the people would still have these programs. just it wouldnt be the gov'ts responsibility anymore.

You'd privatise social security? And pray tell how that would work? And correct me if I am wrong (cos I have free health care as a fundamental right, something alien in your culture) but doesn't medicare give free health care to the poor? How would privatising that help them?

And I am still waiting for somebody to tell me what effect this will have on society - crime, poverty, etc - or dont you care?

You're a Christian aren't you TranceVanDyk?

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Originally posted by trancaholic Do you think that they'll just say "ok, we're the weakest links" and then lie down and die?

Maybe if you say it in a bitchy, British accent they will ...

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By the way, while one could feasibly privatise social security, medicare would be next to impossible to privatise. It's simply not in the insurance industry's best interest to provide medical care to the elderly (the group most prone to sickness and poor health) unless the premiums are so astronomically high as to balance out the inevitable medical costs that they will be covering.

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Originally posted by ::TranceVanDyk:: totally agree. if i were in charge, i would take this country back to the role it was meant to play. to provide security for its citizens and protect the rights that the government had instituted. nothing more. all these welfare programs and MediCare and Social Security crap is just draining away from the treasury and making taxes higher. the militaries role is to provide defence. not invading other countries. i would do away with all these programs, and privatize them, so that taxes would be lower, but the people would still have these programs. just it wouldnt be the gov'ts responsibility anymore.

If I read that correctly, you would privatize means tested programs? How would that work? Religious groups and non-profit organizations wont be able to take over the government's functions in addition to what they currently provide. The poverty rate would skyrocket, considering people currently over the poverty line because they are subsidized by these programs would fall below and those who use such programs to get back on their feet would have nothing either. Privatize the school system, many kids wont be able to go to school anymore. Senior poverty might go right back to where they were before social security, especially when you get rid of government regulatory agencies for the drug companies. Social Security doesn't tax the rich anyway as it is, it's capped at $90,000.00 Also how would roads get built or repaired? I'm a bit frightened of living in this country.

If we're going by what the founding fathers specifically said, the estate tax is back in place, since they didn't want an aristocracy, and the legislature has the ability to tax to provide for the general welfare, so the programs currently in place are Constitutional.

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Originally posted by occrider By the way, while one could feasibly privatise social security, medicare would be next to impossible to privatise. It's simply not in the insurance industry's best interest to provide medical care to the elderly (the group most prone to sickness and poor health) unless the premiums are so astronomically high as to balance out the inevitable medical costs that they will be covering.

How could social security be privatised? I recall G Bush proposing this not too long back (IIRC?) and I was stumped then as to work out how this could work. When I say social security I mean unemployment benefits, child benefits etc. How would these newly formed companies make an income?

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Originally posted by occrider Maybe if you say it in a bitchy, British accent they will ...

There is no such thing as a "British accent"! There's not even such a thing as an "English accent"! Bloody Americans!

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Originally posted by George Smiley How could social security be privatised? I recall G Bush proposing this not too long back (IIRC?) and I was stumped then as to work out how this could work. When I say social security I mean unemployment benefits, child benefits etc. How would these newly formed companies make an income?

Oh. Unemployment insurance can't be privatized. Social security in the US is different. SS refers to the checks you get from the government after you retire.

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