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Socialism cannot compete!
329 Comments
How Banks Need to Mollify the Public Sector
1) A Balanced Budget amendment.
2) Abolishment of the income tax.
Those two things will force the Fed government to pay with money it has in hand, which WE then control by deciding to spend or not. It also restores to us the preemptive right to our own income. Government by the people and individual property rights -- two big outcomes. Let's do it!! Read more at fairtax.org.
10 More Notes for the Current Crisis
[quote]
that works well for those who are well off but that is a regressive tax that would not help the middle class.
[end quote]
Regressive?? No. Sales taxes need not and should not apply to necessities such as food. There's no reason this would be regressive!! If anything, it's the most progressive tax possible, because YOU, the consumer, decide IF and WHEN you get taxed, if AT ALL!! Please, tell me how that is not the best? This isn't my own opinion either -- the Founders of this nation had this to say:
“Taxes on consumption are always least burdensome, because they are least felt, and are borne too by those who are both willing and able to pay them; that of all taxes on consumption, those on foreign commerce are most compatible with the genius and policy of free States.” (James Madison, “Address to the States”, 1783)
[quote]
The middle class is the root of the problem. They are the engine of the economy. I think its high time we start taking care of our neighbors instead of only looking out for numero uno.
[end quote]
No. Wrong. THAT is what the root of the mortgage problem is: the push for more lending to those less-qualified! Rather, it is time to stop the notion that government can and ought to provide for everyone, and instead allow us to TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES!! If you are truly worried about taxation on the middle class, you should look at the tax rates paid by the middle class and question why you think those amounts currently taxed are acceptable!! We ALL pay far too much!!
[quote]
B/C those with less will have to spend money on consumption as a higher percentage of their income. So you are basically reinforcing the current quagmire we are in with the same old solution of giving tax cuts to the rich.
[end quote]
No. I think you are fundamentally misunderstanding -- sales taxes would NOT apply to necessities -- food, housing, or energy. They would apply ONLY to discretionary items: jewelry, stereos, computers, etc.!!
[quote]
VAT is already applied throughout Europe and most European countries still tax income so VAT would not be enough to fund the government.
[end quote]
You are assuming the government keeps its current corpulent size!! That is not the intention. The intention is to shrink it back to the level the Founders intended. The federal government should be providing only those very fundamental, necessary needs: national defense, roads, bridges, food & drug safety...perhaps a few other really necessary regulatory/oversight agencies. The rest are designated to the States *by the Constitution*!! Do we even realize how much duplication we have between levels? There is far too much bloat and waste. Keep in mind that European governments are even more socialist than we are -- with government-paid healthcare, etc. -- and those programs are NOT working. They are slowly failing. European countries have 10 to 12% unemployment during *normal* times...and slow growth as well. Productivity is lower due to job immobility. They are *not* the model of competition and efficiency.
There's no reason we can't fund essential government functions with solely consumptive taxes, and there's no need for it to be regressive -- that depends simply on what we decide to include/exclude from the sales tax.
Some good reading for ya:
www.fairtax.org/site/N...
To finish: yes, it sounds radical...i can see why you balk at first glance. But consider looking back at the history of the income tax, and how huge it has become, both the code and the *amount* that most are taxed...and ask yourself if *that* is not the truly radical thing, which never would have been tolerated prior to the 20th century!!
Should We Really Bail Out the Big Three Automakers with $73.20 Per Hour Labor?
> Do you want your pay cut in half? When CEO's of most companies make
> $10's of millions, you have a problem with someone making $65k a
> year?
Is Buffett Really Losing His Touch?
It's a Great Time to Be a Value Investor
How to Save the U.S. Economy
Congratulations to our President-elect, Mr. Obama. It's fitting that an African American shall take up America's top job to salvage this country from an imminent political, social and economic collapse. Closer ties with Africa, a land blessed with rich natural resources, might provide the best opportunity we desperately need to save America and continue our prosperity!
[end quote]
Clearly someone has bought into the Marxist catch-phrase campaign of Mr. Obama! It's not the "failed policies of the last 8 years" that have brought us to our economic knees, but the failed mortgage socialism pushed by Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, ACORN, Obama & the Dems!! The push began in earnest during the Clinton admin. This is KNOWN, not my own agenda-pushing opinion, Mr. Anthony. You could google and read up for yourself, if it didn't offend your politics so much.
Do I defend the big-deficit spending of the Bush admin? No. Clearly that hasn't helped the current situation. But it is not the root of the current crisis. Also keep in mind that the last two budgets have been passed under Democrat Congresses...which also did little to reign in war spending, despite rhetoric to the contrary.
[quote]
We cannot afford to be a superpower any more as we are not self sufficient and cannot survive on our own any more. We need a peaceful and co-operative world to help us. President Obama must prevent an Iranian War or World War Three from breaking out during his term(s). Prosperity comes from peace, not from aggression.
[end quote]
Not self-sufficient? Hooey! We very well could be, if the bloody government got out of the way. There are a few very simply changes that would completely reverse the situation in just a few years:
1) Abolish the income tax. Replace solely with consumptive taxes and tariffs.
2) Pass a Balanced Budget Amendment
3) End entitlement government! Cut the federal government back to the functions outlined in the Constitution; all other governing is to be done by the states or municipalities, and should be minimal.
Prosperity is NOT a byproduct of peace (vs. war). Prosperity is the result of a moral code among the people, their hard work...AND...their willingness to defend themselves when necessary! Military strength puts off many would-be agressors! Your comment "...not from agression" sounds like you need a little reminder on exactly who attacked whom, Mr. Anthony! Radical Islam has been on a string of jihads since its inception. America is RIGHT and JUSTIFIED in taking the fight back to them.
Those who desire peace must prepare for war, not kowtow to the likes of Ahmadinejad.
Should We Really Bail Out the Big Three Automakers with $73.20 Per Hour Labor?
> Workers have to earn enough to pay their standard expenses and they
> should also earn enough so they can afford to do something they enjoy,
> like going to the movies or dining out or a once a year cruise.
> They also need to take care of their retirement.
Standard expenses? Ok. Do something you enjoy, movies, dining, cruises -- those are not necessities -- they are extras you must work for, and which are not rights. Taking care of your retirement? YOUR responsibility, not the government's -- contrary to belief of the Greatest (Sponge) Generation!!
> Common sense says you can't pay workers low wages and expect them
> to pay high health care insurance costs and high gas costs for their
> cars and homes, not to mention the high costs of housing and food
> and other numerous expenses.
Things get expensive when the government gets its hands on them. Where's the incentive to provide cheap healthcare if the government pays for it all? The real answer is NOT socialism, but INCREASED competition! Along with that...we need to dramatically shrink government so the people can keep their own money!! We know better how to allocate our income than does the government!! Abolish the income tax and fund government solely with sales taxes, with zero sales tax on certain necessities such as food and electricity.
> Our teachers are doing as good a job as they can, considering they
> are teaching to the NCLB testing.
Heh. Teachers unions are ruining the education system by making it darn near impossible to implement "pay for performance"...mu... less get rid of under-performers!
> Capitalism works when we all buy from each other. When many of the
> groups have no money to spend that creates problems.
Many of the groups? What groups? Groups of citizens? When do "many of the groups" have no money to spend? We typically have 4 to 5% unemployment in the U.S. Socialist European countries have 10 to 12% as a rule, during NON-RECESSION times!! Talk about groups with no money to spend!! Keep heading down the socialist path and we can have that too.
> Universal Health care would work. We already have Medicare, Medicaid,
> VA health care, Schip and other children's insurance.
Oh yeah -- Medicare is so well-funded that we should expand it to everyone! Have you been paying attention at all? Medicare is the biggest pyramid scheme ever, along with Social Security!! Talk about underfunded budget breakers!!
> In other countries the workers can take less pay because they have
> free health care and other benefits that we have to pay for.
Yeah, as mentioned above -- those European countries have much lower economic growth -- they have high unemployment, and immobile, unproductive workforces, because many people just cling to a job, happy to have one, whether they really like their work or not!! You can keep your 10% unemployment. Socialism DOES NOT WORK -- government has NEVER been able to do anything cheaper than a competitive, free-market economy can.
The Winners Will Be Those Who Look to Gold and Commodities
Extremist-Capitalist tinkle down economics has brought the world to the verge of collapse.
[end quote]
No. Trickle-down is real. It takes money to make money. Prove that wrong. Please. Why is the Fed so concerned about the Big Banks failing? Trickle-down. You can't have it both ways. We clearly see it affecting us negatively on the down side. Quit denying trickle-down.
Socialism, on the other hand, has no up-side -- it takes from you what is yours, extracts a fee for bureaucratic handling expenses, and then gives you back a fraction of what it took. That's trickle-up poverty...and it's coming soon to a theater near you, thanks to an incoming Obama administration!! You'll find out soon enough.
Gold? Yes -- gold and guns will be the best investments as we head into the Obama admin.
Memories Are Short, Trends Are Strong: Still Bullish on the Dollar
10 More Notes for the Current Crisis
The REAL analysis is that ONLY we the people know our own personal budgets and what needs we have -- no two families with the same income have the same cost structures -- some have tuition to pay, some not; some have high medical expenses, some not. Instead of this cobbled system, we should realize that the government HAS NO preemptive claim on our income!! The REAL solution is to abolish income taxes and fund government by consumptive taxes alone. THAT means that we pay when we buy. And WE DECIDE what and when we buy...so therefore we are able to allocate our income according to our needs in that system!!
This would lead to a MUCH SIMPLER tax system, with power back to the people to decide where BEST to spend their OWN MONEY!! We currently have a 66,000+ page tax code trying to do it for us -- to account for all the possible situations that are deemed worthy of a tax credit because they constitute genuine needs! But that also has led to tremendous complexity, and an onerous IRS!! That's not "serving the people"!! Ditch it!!!
Should We Really Bail Out the Big Three Automakers with $73.20 Per Hour Labor?
I'm all for unions when there are labor abuses and underpaying going on...but we are seeing the opposite: a distortion of the market wages for unskilled labor.
On Nov 10 09:48 AM working at ford wrote:
> The hourly rate is less than 30 per and benny cost about 10 grand
> a year. If these companies go away there is no reason for any employer
> to pay above min wage. How many new cars and tv's can you buy an
> min wage. Mc d's pays almost twice min wage to be able to keep there
> unskilled workforce loyal. Get off your high horse and realize that
> all the benny's you now have are as a result of the unions. Not to
> mention workplace safety rule and labor laws that prevent abuses
> that are in the sweat shops of asia. I don't think many of the complainers
> would last long in a true free market.
Free-Market Healthcare Falling Victim to Recession
[quote]
If you are so passionate about ridding this country of all traces of "socialism", then why don't you run for office on a platform of abolishing Social Security, Medicare, public education, the military, the police, firefighters and all forms of regulation? I won't hold my breath waiting for you to win....
[end quote]
That's *exactly* the problem with our government right now! People are voting for entitlements for *themselves* without regard to whether its anyone else's responsibility to pay their bill for them, and without regard to the bill to future generations. Everyone gives lip service to "government should pay as it goes"...but they continue to demand the opposite in the form of socialist handouts for *themselves*!!
Socialism has not been successful anywhere, ever. There are the occasional zealots for Universal Healthcare who tout Canada or Europe with little firsthand knowledge of the results in those places. Europe has *long* had stagnant growth and high unemployment. Workers are less productive because of workforce immobility. And taxes are sky-high!
Yeah, you've got government paying for everyone's healthcare...if you can get it. I have a friend who lives in London -- during her pregnancy she had her first ultrasound near the end of her 2nd trimester -- whereas in the U.S. we'd have done one a good few months sooner. She simply couldn't get in to get it done! So you can keep your national healthcare. The standard of care and availability will decline. Europe has a solid 10 to 12% of its people who have healthcare from the government, but no job -- the unemployment is that high on a regular basis in several *Western* European countries (yeah, not Eastern European...Western!)
So don't bring that "it works" crap here without numbers and facts to back it. I have a good hunch why you can't -- because there are none.
Should We Really Bail Out the Big Three Automakers with $73.20 Per Hour Labor?
1) We can't get rid of poor teachers. After your first couple years, you are generally "locked in", and it would take serious underperformance or commission of a crime to get you yanked!! What lesson does that teach? It says to students, "put in a couple good years, then coast." That seems to have become the paradigm for American life.
2) It drives costs out of control. We don't pay based on performance and results. We pay based on what degree you have and how long you've been there. How does that incentivize hard work and extra effort to foster student achievement? I know plenty of teachers who truly care about the students' success and are driven to promote that...I also know a good share who have put in a few years and then simply coast -- the old reuse the lesson plans and rotate the recyclable tests, etc.
On the bailouts in general:
1) AIG has now gotten over 150B?! How do we justify the continual increase? When do we say "you are on your own???"
2) Regarding the "Big Banks" -- the whole injection of capital there was wrong to begin with. The banks who did not properly manage risk should have been allowed to reap the consequences! The government has effectively picked the winners. It doesn't bug me so much that some of the Bigs were prevented from failing, as much as the fact that others which did not mess up had opportunities snagged away from them by this action!!! Why does the Fed think it had the right to intervene in markets this way and thwart competition?? A couple of regionals with good balance sheets could have maybe thought about merging and taking some market share shed by the Big Bank losers...except that the Fed disallowed this natural market opportunity!!
The whole thing is a crock.
Free-Market Healthcare Falling Victim to Recession
On Nov 08 09:15 AM andyn wrote:
> Basic healthcare should absolutely be a right, esp. in the richest
> country on the planet - the USA.
> Its projected that in 10-15 years, healthcare will eat up around
> 25% of GDP, primarily due to growing baby boomer medical care.<br/>
> The "free market" solution will be unaffordable to more than 90M
> americans (including 50M uninsured).
>
> So the writing is clear on the wall.
> Even if everyone hates a "socialist" healthcare system like in Canada,
> US will be forced to go down that path, more for economic reasons
> than for ideological reasons.
Free-Market Healthcare Falling Victim to Recession
On Nov 07 07:48 PM LeoTheDog wrote:
> Another response to Socialism cannot compete....
>
> You are wrong, and you clearly do not know what you are talking about.
> Do you support the practice of rescission? Do you support exclusions
> for preexisting conditions? Do you even understand how this system
> works?
>
> Take it from someone in the industry, a for profit health insurance
> system REQUIRES that we have losers; but in this "game" the losers
> die. Insurance companies perform one single purpose--they pay the
> bills. That's it. They don't provide care, and they are nothing
> but the middleman between patient and caregiver. If the middleman
> is a profit-based entity, then they must take in more than they pay
> out--and by ever increasingly large margins each year to satisfy
> shareholders. That means higher premiums and fewer covered services,
> year after year after year.
>
> If you step out of your cave for just one minute and look at the
> FACTS you would see that we already have a "socialist" healthcare
> model (two, in fact). Ever thought of how we provide healthcare
> to veterans and seniors? In both cases, the big bad government that
> you love to hate is able to administer the programs at FAR lower
> cost than private insurance plans. And before you claim that the
> quality or quantity of services under the VA or Medicare systems
> is worse than what you find in the private marketplace, why don't
> you ask current beneficiaries if they'd like to scrap their healthcare
> benefits and jump into the private market?
>
> The simple fact is that like national defense, law enforcement, firefighting
> or education, the most efficient way to provide healthcare services
> to ALL Americans is to have the government do it. But you are too
> stupid or too selfish to understand or care about that; so you resort
> to your "socialism" argument and ignore the fact that virtually every
> socialist country in the world has better healthcare outcomes than
> your beloved free market country.
>
> You are an idiot.