how did romney get away with paying no income tax?

[CaptainObvious]

Quote from Ricter:

No worries. In a nutshell, while she was discussing/condemning the dem superpac ad that linked Romney/Bain layoffs to the death of a man's wife (for lack of healthcare insurance), she took the argument one step further, for the sake of Romney, and pointed out that had the couple been living in Massachusetts at the time, the wife would have been covered by Romneycare.

That seems like a stupid argument to make. I don't see how that favors Romney at all. It's more than enough to point out that the woman died many years after her husbands layoff, and she did have insurance herself for another two years through her own employer.
Those that make their living doing the things that companies like Bain do can no more think about the people their decisions affect than a president can worry about who's going to die in the next firefight. The old, it's lonely at the top deal.

 

[Epic]

Quote from Free Thinker:

wtf man. have you no critical thinking skills?
mormanism is young enough that we can document it from its very beginnings. it is documented that it was manufactured by a known con man.


"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'" - Isaac Asimov

Not really a correct statement from an objective point of view. Do you think that Martin Luther's critics had much good to say about him, or do you think that they considered him a conman? Point is that history is filled with biased records, and the proof you refer to is hardly as conclusive and firm as you make it sound. It never is, and is always full of prejudiced and biased statements and stories that are difficult to trace back to their true source. Also, supporters of any lasting organization like Mormonism have just as much "history" supporting their belief as you profess to have supporting your opposition.

Time really has nothing to do with it either. Many religions young and old can trace their origins to a single person professing an occurrence of divine visitation or inspiration. Whether this supposedly happened 200 years ago or 2,000 years ago doesn't really make a difference.

I would argue that if a person believes in direct communication with deity, then any such communication is possible at any point in history. It is then up to each believer to decide if any recent occurrence is valid or not. OTOH, if a person believes that no such occurrence is possible, then that is within their personal rights, but it isn't realistic to say that Romney has no critical thinking ability because of Mormonism, while at the same time not disqualifying Obama on the very same grounds. Both believe in direct communication with and visitation from God.

 

[Yannis]

Quote from Free Thinker:

its not what some people think. its what the evidence conclusively proves.
the fact that some people(romney) still adhere should be used as a factor in evaluating their critical thinking ability.
you thought it was a plus that romney was good at evading taxes. i think its a negitive that he shows a lack of critical thinking ability. but then you wouldnt have any idea about what critical thinking ability is would you?

That's a totally moronic response like the many you post around here.

Look again at my original post: I didn't say that he should evade taxes but that he should minimize them. Although I clearly meant it as a joke (funny face next to it) it's true and makes sense. We should all strive to pay the minimum amount of taxes that's legally required. If one wants to contribute more, they can do so directly.

 

[Yannis]

Quote from stu:

Tolerate, not respect.

Tolerate them, respect their choice, it's their right and we should respect that.

 

[Yannis]

Quote from Free Thinker:

its not what some people think. its what the evidence conclusively proves...

And speaking of a religious belief, that's the dumbest thing you've said so far today...

 

[stu]

Quote from Yannis:

Tolerate them, respect their choice, it's their right and we should respect that.

Respect their right yes, not their choice or their religion.

 

[Free Thinker]

Quote from Yannis:

And speaking of a religious belief, that's the dumbest thing you've said so far today...

apples and oranges. geeze, after conversing with you for a while i have to say you make forrest gump look like a rhodes scholar.



Forrest Gump is a 1994 film starring Tom Hanks about a mentally challenged man's epic journey through life, meeting historical figures, influencing popular culture, and experiencing first-hand historical incidents while largely unaware of their significance.
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Forrest_Gump

 

[Free Thinker]

Quote from Yannis:

I don't care what some people think it is - millions of peaceful/respected/successful people adhere to it and we should respect their choice in religion.

One of the most irrational of all the conventions of modern society is the one to the effect that religious opinions should be respected....That they should have this immunity is an outrage. There is nothing in religious ideas, as a class, to lift them above other ideas. On the contrary, they are always dubious and often quite silly.
H. L. Mencken

 

[Yannis]

Quote from Free Thinker:

One of the most irrational of all the conventions of modern society is the one to the effect that religious opinions should be respected...

That's not what I'm saying. This country was founded around the principle of freedom of religion and we should respect that, the freedom that people should have to choose their own religious group if they want to. Isolating one of those groups and claiming that it is silly or worse, is not only insensitive and destructive but also irrational and downright stupid. Let them believe what they want as long as it is positive and peaceful, their faith strentgthens them as individuals and as a group. If you are an atheist, I respect your right to choose that too, np here.

To further highlight the depth of hypocrisy that liberals like you have fallen into, remember when it became known that Obama was a member of that extremist church, the one with the Rev Wright yelling G-D America, etc etc. That's an example of a negative approach to religion that's very rarely seen in this country, not even satanists do that. Yet, the left screamed to high heaven that his choice of religious affiliation was his own problem and right and that the media should stay out of it.

Until, of course, Obama betrayed his beloved and very much trusted mentor and threw him under the bus for his own political advantage... Can't trust the man.

 

[stu]

The freedom to choose does not automatically imply any respect is due for the choice itself or for those who chose it. Choosing and believing what they want is every persons right. It is not a free pass to respect. Many very nasty things are done within the name of 'positive peaceful religion'.
Respect has to be earned. It isn't granted just because people have shrouded themselves in the religious banner upon which, from Mormons to Christians, every kind of weird and bizarre faith imaginable is painted. Mere mention is a good time to be skeptical not respectful.