Is Bill Gates on drugs or mentally retarded?

Originally posted by duecer
it is a great scam that the rich pay more (as😵 in taxes. the upper middle class and rich have far more deductions, which helps to narrow the gap. the other perspective is to look at taxes as a percentage of discretionary monies, in that case, the upper and middle class pay far fewer taxes than the poor.

edit: 😵 this smiley came up it was supposed to be % then ), haha crazy computers

Link please.

F. Granny.

Originally posted by duecer
Social Security was intended to be a supplimental pension insurance. Even in some pension plans, the younger workers are 'paying the pensions' of of retirees. It is my opinion that it is a beneficial government service.
I would think you would be in favor of every one paying the same flat rate. If we all payed the same flat rate, then the overall % could be ...[text shortened]... other liberals with words like "redistribute" isn't going to work...thats our whole point.

I agree, 're-distribute' is a mis-nomer, It intimates that the wealth belonged to the old folks in the first place. Better to tell the truth, money is taken from those that earned it and given to those that didn't.

Originally posted by Wajoma
I agree, 're-distribute' is a mis-nomer, It intimates that the wealth belonged to the old folks in the first place. Better to tell the truth, money is taken from those that earned it and given to those that didn't.

or you could look at it from the point of view that it is taken from those that didn't , and given to those that did, your logic works both ways....thanks😉

Originally posted by duecer
or you could look at it from the point of view that it is taken from those that didn't , and given to those that did, your logic works both ways....thanks😉

didn't - what?

cheers 😛

Originally posted by Wajoma
didn't - what?

cheers 😛

earn it.

Originally posted by duecer
earn it.

I say:

"The gummint takes from those that did earn it and gives it to those that did not earn it."

You say:

"By the same logic gummint takes from those that didn't earn it and gives to those that did."

I say:

"duecer dosen't know what logic is or who creates wealth. the guvamint cannot give anything it has not 'taken; first."

thanks

😀

Originally posted by der schwarze Ritter
Should a guy without a college degree who invented a new technology process in his garage that literally changed the entire world, a guy who took advantage of all the great opportunities that a free and capitalist society has to offer and got filthy rich in the process, trash capitalism and tell us it doesn't work?

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/LawrenceKudlow/2008/01/25/capitalism_doesnt_work,_mr_gates

"For all his do-good preaching, Gates is ignoring the global spread of free-market capitalism that has successfully lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty"

Ummm, i'd like to see how this guy backs up this statement!

Originally posted by der schwarze Ritter
Should a guy without a college degree who invented a new technology process in his garage that literally changed the entire world, a guy who took advantage of all the great opportunities that a free and capitalist society has to offer and got filthy rich in the process, trash capitalism and tell us it doesn't work?

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/LawrenceKudlow/2008/01/25/capitalism_doesnt_work,_mr_gates

The article says Gates is calling for a 'kinder capitalism', not saying that capitalism doesn't work. It also doesn't go into what Gates meant, so it's a bit worthless, really.

Originally posted by Marinkatomb
"For all his do-good preaching, Gates is ignoring the global spread of free-market capitalism that has successfully lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty"

Ummm, i'd like to see how this guy backs up this statement!

Pretty simple. Look at the number of people in capitalistic societes. Ver few people in western nations live in conditions that meet the a fair definition of poverty. Even if you take the arbiltrarily chosen "poverty line" it still gives us hundreds of millions above poverty level.

Certainly far better then the old days of kings and surfs.

Originally posted by Merk
Pretty simple. Look at the number of people in capitalistic societes. Ver few people in western nations live in conditions that meet the a fair definition of poverty. Even if you take the arbiltrarily chosen "poverty line" it still gives us hundreds of millions above poverty level.

Certainly far better then the old days of kings and surfs.

Yes, this is true. We are far better off under capitalism than the previous social systems.

We had poor drinking water in the US at one stage, as they do in China. Europe, too. It is a stage a developing society goes through. Like the "let's cut down all the trees and dam all the rivers" stage.

I'm not sure one can do much about it -- certainly it is not good to prevent it -- any more than it would be good for a child to be "prevented" from going through adolescence because he will make "mistakes". People (and societies) have to learn to be responsible. Yes, it is a shame about the orangutans and the rainforest. I wish Indonesia wouldn't make the same mistakes we did -- but they probably will.

This quote from the first article hits the nail on the head:

"Capitalism works. It's a good thing. It's the key to unlocking a nation's prosperity. In fact, free-market capitalism is the greatest anti-poverty program ever devised by man."

The reason? Capitalism is not fundamentally about money (surprise!) It is about choice. You make the choices. That means you have to grow up. You can't be a kid and let the government (read: parents) make all your decisions. I don't care how rich or poor you are -- under capitalism, you have to function as an adult.

You can always get help, but the responsibility for moving things forward -- in whatever direction -- is born by every individual, and everyone is equally motivated to do so. The kids are thrown out of the house and have to start swimming.

That's why capitalism works.