69d
@fartacus saidNostalgia comes mainly with time, no? I get nostalgic about the stupidest things - old emails, broken stuff.
Nostalgia is a phenomenon that convinces people it was better before but it's simply not true.
Nostalgia is brought on by having a current and boring situation or life.
Will the original poster elaborate on why it was better with examples?
Anyway, I won't be here long. There is a timer counting down... I can't tell you how long.
Examples of when RHP Debates were better? Sorry, I didn't save any. It was the experience, the training that I took away, not the words of the moment.
They were sublime, though.
69d
@rajk999 saidYep. bbarr. PinkFloyd. FabianFnas.
Interesting list of posters. Brings back lots of memories.
What about XanthosNZ ? interesting profile :
Each week, millions and millions of upper middle class American citizens put on expensive dress clothes, and load themselves into SUV's and drive past homeless shelters, orphanages, prisons, missions, and halfway houses on their way to a very expensive and nice church, where somebody tells them how to be more like Jesus.
I don't like any of you.
67d
@spruce112358 saidAs Joni says, you don't know what you've got till it's gone. One thing though, it seemed the middle ground was broader, less polarized, but I may have forgotten the way things were in that "glorious" past.
@shavixmir
@kmax87
You guys are still around. Please, feel free to comment. What was it like in the 'Golden Age of RHP Debates'?
Do you remember Brother Edwin? What about Red Mike - an authentic communist!
67d
@kmax87 saidPeople would throw barbs, of course. But not all the time. There was more ... gentility?
As Joni says, you don't know what you've got till it's gone. One thing though, it seemed the middle ground was broader, less polarized, but I may have forgotten the way things were in that "glorious" past.
67d
@spruce112358
Hey, how would a negative income tax work? I assume you are not talking about killing all taxes, that would leave government helpless, so I assume you are talking about a minimum income plan where the lowest ranks get a thou or two a month to keep living and such.
I would assume, and assume correctly, the rightwingers would scream to high heaven, YEAH, they will just snort coke and smoke weed and play video games all day or some such so called debating circus.
67d
@sonhouse saidThe Negative Income Tax (NIT) was envisioned as a way of consolidating social security, unemployment, and welfare systems all into one WITHOUT creating a 'welfare hole' where you lose benefits if you earn too much.
@spruce112358
Hey, how would a negative income tax work? I assume you are not talking about killing all taxes, that would leave government helpless, so I assume you are talking about a minimum income plan where the lowest ranks get a thou or two a month to keep living and such.
I would assume, and assume correctly, the rightwingers would scream to high heaven, YEAH, they ...[text shortened]... just snort coke and smoke weed and play video games all day or some such so called debating circus.
You specify three things: tax rate, income threshold below which benefits kick in, and then 'negative' tax rate or rebate rate. For example:
Tax Rate: 15%
Income Threshold: $30,000
'Negative' Tax Rate: 50%
So someone earning only $10,000/year still pays 15% tax ($1500) but since they are $20,000 below the threshold, they get a 50% rebate on ($30k-$10K)= $20,000 which is $10,000. So their net for the year is $8500+$10K = $18,500.
If you earn nothing, you are brought up to $15K year. Above $30,000, you get no more rebates and just pay tax.
There are many benefits to the NIT, but it would be a huge change for the country. For one, SS would be curtailed for many wealthy pensioners.
It's much simpler to administer. It's super easy to adjust. And I think it's probably the only way we will ever start to pay off the national debt - which is important to debt hawks like me. NB, that changing the tax/welfare/SS system will NOT save enough money to pay off the debt. There have to be deep cuts in defense, Medicare, Medicaid, and every other government program to do that.
It also gives charity directly to those who need it, e.g. those with zero income. There are about 31 million in the US over age 18 with zero income.
The calculations do work out, but I can't post tables here very easily. Not sure what people do.
62d
@spruce112358 saidI think people were definitely more self aware and would acknowledge that there were other points of view that were also valid. So it happened occasionally but it happened.
People would throw barbs, of course. But not all the time. There was more ... gentility?
62d
@spruce112358 saidI remember the days before the Spirituality Forum. That sucked.
@AThousandYoung
I remember when you were just a whipper-snapper. You've grown some.
What say you? What was the 'Golden Age' like?
62d
@athousandyoung saidThe Spirituality Forum always seemed to have an aura around it that made people behave... a miracle? 🙂
I remember the days before the Spirituality Forum. That sucked.
62d
@kmax87 saidThe phrase 'descend into a slanging match' comes to mind.
I think people were definitely more self aware and would acknowledge that there were other points of view that were also valid. So it happened occasionally but it happened.
My personal standard was never to go ad hominem first.
But I can't vouch that I never threw a barb!
- Joined
- 05 Nov 06
- Moves
- 142790
62d
@spruce112358 saidI guess we are supposed to pretend you aren’t marerider#1
The phrase 'descend into a slanging match' comes to mind.
My personal standard was never to go ad hominem first.
But I can't vouch that I never threw a barb!
@spruce112358 saidDid Spruce actually say this.? We are surrounded by socialists. We are Custer in Custer's Last Stand.
where you lose benefits if you earn too much.
62d
@averagejoe1 saidYes I did say this. It's important that welfare benefits not create a "hole" because that takes away the incentive to work more and make more money like the good self-reliant capitalists we all are.
Did Spruce actually say this.? We are surrounded by socialists. We are Custer in Custer's Last Stand.
If I can make $100/mo but I'm going to lose $200/mo in benefits, why would I do that? Yeah *eventually* if I make $300/mo, that starts to become worth it. By my boss isn't handing out 50% raises, so...
Don't trap people in welfare by de-incentivizing work. The Negative Income Tax is a smooth increasing function - you earn more, you net more. Always. No 'welfare holes.'
BTW, you know that America is a blend of capitalism and socialism, right? Even theoretically. Two examples: 1) one person, one vote is socialist. The capitalist version is "buy as many votes as you want." But we call that corruption and (rightly) exclude capitalism from that aspect of society. 2) The trial courts are socialist, deciding things on the basis of law and evidence. The capitalist version would be, "pay the judge/jury and get the verdict that you need". We haven't done as good a job as we should have in keeping money out of the justice system.
America IS a socialist nation and always has been. On that socialist foundation, capitalism and free markets flourish in ways never before possible - beautifully. Capitalism is a delicate flower that dies instantly without rule of law. If you take away socialism, America dies.
Now you really have something to thing about, don't cha?