The Root

[marharth]

The military volunteer to do what they do.

I don't feel like killing myself over a few pointless wars, some people choose to fight in the wars.

I also don't want to spend my time working for a country when I didn't choose to be born in it.

Most people work more then half of their lives anyways.

 

 

You once posited the statement that people think you hate America, I don't think thats the case, you just don't give a damn. No one is asking you to fight, just fix up the country or is that too much effort? It seems the only thing that you feel is your due is a free ride without any troublesome civic contributions. If you feel that you are so 'hard done' by being born in America, there is always emigration to another country.

No, I do care about the country.

 

The thing is forced civic work won't help a thing.

 

There are bigger issues to deal with and forcing civilians to work for their country is not going to help.

[Mitchell04]

The one thing I don't get about America is the fact that you constantly *censored*(for lack of a better word) about petrol(sorry Gas) prices but still drive massive trucks and SUVs.

 

Australia gets most of it's oil from Indonesia and the Bass strait but still has to pay around $1.40 a litre (just a bit more than 1/3 of a Gallon)

[marharth]

The one thing I don't get about America is the fact that you constantly *censored*(for lack of a better word) about petrol(sorry Gas) prices but still drive massive trucks and SUVs.

 

Australia gets most of it's oil from Indonesia and the Bass strait but still has to pay around $1.40 a litre (just a bit more than 1/3 of a Gallon)

Because massive trucks are patriotic!

 

Seriously though they give more money to oil companies.

[myrmaad]

I think it's really interesting that Aurelius hasn't posted a thing I disagree with yet.

 

My husband says we'd pay a lot less taxes if we had, say, even a 25% flat tax rate. How is that paying more, we are not wealthy by any means? Exactly what is this mythological tax plan of yours, I'd like to hear more than just vague allusions to 'it could be better" when you make a claim like that. (I suspect it's just more BS though.)

 

Massive trucks are most definitely not patriotic. They're more like a giant middle finger to the rest of us.

[marharth]

I think it's really interesting that Aurelius hasn't posted a thing I disagree with yet.

 

My husband says we'd pay a lot less taxes if we had, say, even a 25% flat tax rate. How is that paying more, we are not wealthy by any means? Exactly what is this mythological tax plan of yours, I'd like to hear more than just vague allusions to 'it could be better" when you make a claim like that. (I suspect it's just more BS though.)

 

Massive trucks are most definitely not patriotic. They're more like a giant middle finger to the rest of us.

Maybe you didn't know but paying less taxes is bad for the country.

 

I understand that people want to do the best for themselves but a country won't run like that.

 

You do know what a flat tax is right? If you know what it is think about it and you should be able to figure out why it would hurt the poor more then the rich.

 

I shouldn't need to go into detail about how we could fix our tax code without using a flat tax, if you want to know the many things wrong with it you can look that up for yourself.

[Aurielius]

I think it's really interesting that Aurelius hasn't posted a thing I disagree with yet.

 

My husband says we'd pay a lot less taxes if we had, say, even a 25% flat tax rate. How is that paying more, we are not wealthy by any means? Exactly what is this mythological tax plan of yours, I'd like to hear more than just vague allusions to 'it could be better" when you make a claim like that. (I suspect it's just more BS though.)

 

 

Lol..... Myrmaad have you checked the sky for flying pigs?

 

http://i897.photobucket.com/albums/ac177/Aurielius/flying_pigs.jpg

Edited April 6, 2011 by Aurielius

[myrmaad]

Lol..... Myrmaad have you checked the sky for flying pigs?

 

http://i897.photobucket.com/albums/ac177/Aurielius/flying_pigs.jpg

 

Awww! They're so cute!

[RZ1029]

Maybe you didn't know but paying less taxes is bad for the country.

Oh really? You mean the government actually needs money?!

 

I understand that people want to do the best for themselves but a country won't run like that.

Country shouldn't have to run like that. They just can't get their ducks in line.

You do know what a flat tax is right? If you know what it is think about it and you should be able to figure out why it would hurt the poor more then the rich.

I'm familiar with the concept. I understand how it could help. Say 15% of your income goes to the government. End of story. You make $10 an hour or $1,000 an hour. It helps some, it hurts others, but the world isn't perfect and this is a better solution than most. 15% is probably way too low for a true flat-tax system. I'm assuming with the flat-tax you're going to get rid of sales taxes and such. Not really sure how it hurts the poor, chances are they'll still end up paying less in the end.

I shouldn't need to go into detail about how we could fix our tax code without using a flat tax, if you want to know the many things wrong with it you can look that up for yourself.

That is called evasion. Write me a paragraph. I would love to hear your opinion. I might find out what's wrong, but you're the one providing solutions from what you've said.

 

As for the complaint regarding Americans and their obsession/interest in big trucks. 1) Some of us legitimately need them for work. 2) It's a cultural thing. What's up with Germans and alcohol, what's up with French and smoking? It's a stereotype that is in part filled due to necessity with the suburban sprawl that is now called America. Many of those on the fringes of the suburbs like their trucks so they can go mudding, haul some lumber to build the kids a treehouse, help their buddy move, and other such things. Others (many, many others) own farms, have a garden larger than their back yard, et cetera and need trucks to haul everything back.

 

The SUV thing developed from the keeping up with the Jones' mentality as the Jones' moved into their Model T, you wanted something a little bigger. The Jones' got their Charger, you wanted the Mustang. Jones' get their Tacoma, you wanted the F-250. It's a one-up ego that has been fed and stoked by generation after generation to better themselves. Along the way somewhere we've lost the definition of betterment and just go for bigger instead.

 

As for our complaining about gas/petrol, the reason we complain is because in a large part, we need that supply. America has very little in terms of public transit, and what we do have is heavily concentrated in massive urban centers like New York and other major cities. Even a fairly large city near where I live, Charlotte, NC, barely has a functioning train system, which they're considering cutting down on due to budget shortcomings.

 

Most of the rest of the world is not like that, there are many more large cities far less randomly sprawled cities of medium to small size. And their public transit systems are well-established, highly functional and efficient enough to be productive.

 

Note, last mini-paragraph is generalization, I realize there are exceptions.

Edited April 6, 2011 by RZ1029

[Aurielius]

I was thinking more on the concept of civilian national service and it occurred to me that it could be expanded to organizations such as Teach America. My nephew who was considering moving into law spent a couple of years with the organization in order to help with funding post graduate law studies; instead found it rewarding enough to begin a career in teaching. We could have some form of limited GI Bill to those that served in a National Peace Corps and kill two birds with one stone by helping the country and defraying the cost of higher education at the same time. Those that would pick the WPA side of the coin could acquire job skills that could be an education within itself.

I am reminded of President Kennedy, who stated "Ask not what my country can do for me, ask what can I do for my country?"

 

 

PS: I hope this doesn't ruin our streak of agreement, Myrmaad....would hate to see those pigs falling from the sky.

[marharth]

I was thinking more on the concept of civilian national service and it occurred to me that it could be expanded to organizations such as Teach America. My nephew who was considering moving into law spent a couple of years with the organization in order to help with funding post graduate law studies; instead found it rewarding enough to begin a career in teaching. We could have some form of limited GI Bill to those that served in a National Peace Corps and kill two birds with one stone by helping the country and defraying the cost of higher education at the same time. Those that would pick the WPA side of the coin could acquire job skills that could be an education within itself.

I am reminded of President Kennedy, who stated "Ask not what my country can do for me, ask what can I do for my country?"

 

 

PS: I hope this doesn't ruin our streak of agreement, Myrmaad....would hate to see those pigs falling from the sky.

Nice of you to bring up the quote seeing as that's my least favorite presidential quote of all time.

 

Do not forget the role of government and the role of the people...

 

America was founded on freedom, and the government forcing you to do work certainty violates that freedom.

 

"That is called evasion. Write me a paragraph. I would love to hear your opinion. I might find out what's wrong, but you're the one providing solutions from what you've said."

 

Aurielius, who you said you always agree with, had done the exact same thing to me.

 

About the trucks, I really don't care if its a part of our culture. Something in our culture are bad, it does not justify it by being in sewn into our society.

 

I have no issues with people using trucks for work, that's fine.

 

I do not think its a good thing at all for people to use trucks that waste gas if they do not need them.

 

Also, I used to live right near Charlotte in Waxhaw. I have been to Charlotte many times before, not really connected to the debate but I thought that was interesting to mention.