A word about redistribution of wealth

regarding entitlements, no one can deny that there is a problem. It comes down to this:

I think we can all agree that we, as tax payers, are taken advantage of by a great number of people, and also that entitlements can engender the very laziness it sometimes has to pay for.


However I think we call all also agree that a single mom with 4 kids who's husband died in the Iraq war deserves some help and that people shouldn't die because of a technicality in their health insurance contract.

Can we all agree on those? If so it seems the answer lies, you guessed it, in the middle.
 
about Sweden,

PPP is a good measure, and I regard 20% as a good bit lower. It was much lower at the peak of their crisis in 1994 when the welfare state had taken them to the brink.

So guess what kind of 'change' they made? Barack Obama's kind?

well no- cuts, cuts, cuts, in social welfare. That's how they balanced their budget.

let's see what they are doing today...


http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/09/08/business/EU-Sweden-Company-Taxes.php

The center-right coalition said it will cut company taxes from 28 percent to 26.3 percent and reduce social security fees by 1 percentage point to increase Sweden's competitiveness.

Is that the kind of change that Obama could ever believe in?

Economist Quality of Life Index:
Sweden: Rank 5
United States: Rank 13

Quality of life index my ass, who the hell wants to go there? Those rankings are BS anyway, the percentage difference is so small that it is meaningless.
 
jon, if the guy in Iraq had any brains at all, his SGLI is at $500K.

His wife also gets other benefits, and his kids can use his GI bill
 
Quote from Mav88:

jon, if the guy in Iraq had any brains at all, his SGLI is at $500K.

His wife also gets other benefits, and his kids can use his GI bill
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Sounds good, I didnt mean to imply anything by that example, it was just an arbitrary scenario I used to illustrate that entitlements do have their place and that its a complex problem.
 
Quote from jonbig04:

regarding entitlements, no one can deny that there is a problem. It comes down to this:

I think we can all agree that we, as tax payers, are taken advantage of by a great number of people, and also that entitlements can engender the very laziness it sometimes has to pay for.

However I think we call all also agree that a single mom with 4 kids who's husband died in the Iraq war deserves some help and that people shouldn't die because of a technicality in their health insurance contract.

Can we all agree on those? If so it seems the answer lies, you guessed it, in the middle.
More...

I'd first say that you can't cherry pick for the instances that might work for your solution. Mav88 covered the one side quite well I think. I would tell you that there needs to be a major adjustment from the black community side also. What about the mother of four (all or mostly by different men) who's boyfriends are all incarcerated, or just deadbeats making no effort to contribute (or can't)? Matters not whether she's also under 30 or under-employed (in her mind), she needs benefits and help. She and her children entitled to the best that YOU can provide? And that number might be high as far as incarcerated, but not for the overall group not helping out with children that they've fathered. When will YOU say enough?

I speak on this type of topic regularly when I work with the various housing programs. I have had men and women tell me that they want four or five kids. I'll ask them how will they afford things like health care, clothing, schooling and housing. I'll get stupid answers like:

a) I'll (we'll) stay with my parents
b) The government has programs
c) Nobody else has to worry about that, why should I
d) We'll just get jobs
e) God will make a way

My favorite stupid answer though is, "I'll do what I gotta' do. My kids won't suffer!" There's a major disconnect out there. And well meaning folks coming to the aid are the ones who truly don't get it. You're part of their capital contribution calculations. You actually believe you're helping out. What you truly are is a vic! Don't let seemingly responsible folks tell you that the kid is here now and we don't need to lay blame. Wake up, or pay up! It's your choice too!! :)
 
Quote from canyonman00:

I'd first say that you can't cherry pick for the instances that might work for your solution. Mav88 covered the one side quite well I think. I would tell you that there needs to be a major adjustment from the black community side also. What about the mother of four (all or mostly by different men) who's boyfriends are all incarcerated, or just deadbeats making no effort to contribute (or can't)? Matters not whether she's also under 30 or under-employed (in her mind), she needs benefits and help. She and her children entitled to the best that YOU can provide? And that number might be high as far as incarcerated, but not for the overall group not helping out with children that they've fathered. When will YOU say enough?

I speak on this type of topic regularly when I work with the various housing programs. I have had men and women tell me that they want four or five kids. I'll ask them how will they afford things like health care, clothing, schooling and housing. I'll get stupid answers like:

a) I'll (we'll) stay with my parents
b) The government has programs
c) Nobody else has to worry about that, why should I
d) We'll just get jobs
e) God will make a way

My favorite stupid answer though is, "I'll do what I gotta' do. My kids won't suffer!" There's a major disconnect out there. And well meaning folks coming to the aid are the ones who truly don't get it. You're part of their capital contribution calculations. You actually believe you're helping out. What you truly are is a vic! Don't let seemingly responsible folks tell you that the kid is here now and we don't need to lay blame. Wake up, or pay up! It's your choice too!! :)
More...

AMEN.
I've thought so long and hard about this matter sometimes I feel terrible when eugenics or a diluted "Chinese" solution (2 children per household max, more with tax disincentives) flashes through my brain as the only SOLUTION to this problem.

Poverty in the US is a cultural problem. in 90 % of the cases : Get your values straight, and everything else will fall into place.
A "mother" who has 3 kids from 3 men should be neutered.
I feel especially resentful towards the Black community for rejecting their tough love leaders (Cosby) and embracing Sharpton/ Jackson

One of the reasons I think a vote for Obama will help is it'll pull the rug from under , expose them as lazy self victimizing liars and force them to confront reality. Work or starve.
 
Quote from Mav88:

about Sweden,

PPP is a good measure, and I regard 20% as a good bit lower. It was much lower at the peak of their crisis in 1994 when the welfare state had taken them to the brink.
More...

You obviously don't understand what PPP is -- it is only valid if the price comparisons are constant. It has been shown that in many if not most cases they aren't.

So guess what kind of 'change' they made? Barack Obama's kind?

well no- cuts, cuts, cuts, in social welfare. That's how they balanced their budget.

let's see what they are doing today...

Is that the kind of change that Obama could ever believe in?
More...

That's the kind of changes you can make if you balance the budget.

Economist Quality of Life Index:
Sweden: Rank 5
United States: Rank 13

Quality of life index my ass, who the hell wants to go there? Those rankings are BS anyway, the percentage difference is so small that it is meaningless.
More...

The rankings aren't subjective, the Economist Quality of Life index is purely mathematical and Sweden wins.

So, in short, thanks for your post -- they've reduced their taxes because they've balanced the budget and (from your article) they're increasing spending on mental health care, and they are cutting payroll taxes.
 
Didn't most rich people rise out of the middle class or lower class....therefore technically they benefited from the entitlements while they were "working to get rich."
 
As I mentioned before, on a per household basis the top 20% quintile receive the second most on government spending, next to the bottom quintile...and its not by much either, the 2 are very close.
 

My favorite stupid answer though is, "I'll do what I gotta' do. My kids won't suffer!" There's a major disconnect out there. And well meaning folks coming to the aid are the ones who truly don't get it. You're part of their capital contribution calculations. You actually believe you're helping out. What you truly are is a vic! Don't let seemingly responsible folks tell you that the kid is here now and we don't need to lay blame. Wake up, or pay up! It's your choice too!!

Beautifully said.
 
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