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Can someone please explain to me why we are not following Norway's lead????
Most of what Norwegians earn, is taken by government. And then government runs most of their life for them.
Plus, the Norwegians don't bother building up their military very much, preferring to rely on countries such as the U.S. to defend them against their large, aggressive neighbors.
Who do you suggest the U.S. should rely upon, to defend America?
Norway is one of the most heavily taxed countries in the world with a total tax burden of roughly 45% of GDP– almost 4x Hong Kong and nearly twice the US.
VAT here is a whopping 25%. Personal income tax rates border 55%. Corporate profits tax ranges from 28% to as high as 78%. Norway even has a direct WEALTH TAX.
This place is about as socialist as it gets. The Norwegian tax authority’s own website even states, “The Norwegian tax system is based on the principle that everybody should pay tax according to their means and receive services according to their needs.”
It’s as if Karl Marx himself wrote the country’s tax policy.
my point is that this planet does not belong to anyone, or any species...or it belongs to all species
are we humans more important than a pine tree, or a lion or a whale??
this planet belongs to all life on this planet...not just humans...to say "The planet belongs to all humans" (your words) is kinda egotistical, considering the thousands of other life forms on this planet
I know what you mean. But it was not me that invented the concept of ownership.
And frankly, since humans can obviously do anything they want with this planet, against the will of all other species, it does not seem too far-fetched to say the planet belongs to humans these days.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sanspeur
Lithium may soon not be the first choice in batteries for EVs. Honda is developing new battery technology as are others.
Honda says that the cells don't pose a safety risk from overheating and believes that they can reach energy densities up to 10 times higher than the theoretical limits of lithium-ion batteries. Higher energy densities could allow automakers to build cars with 300 miles of range or more with smaller, lighter, and cheaper battery packs.
That's good news. We should invest the billions wasted on space and weapons into that kind of research instead, whose results benefit everyone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sanspeur
You are not alone....I live in a 34 foot RV and have a carbon footprint of almost zero and like you I am not poor. I choose the frugal life style.
I like the concept of a RV, a roof above one's head, a place to feel safe, yet still exposed to the elements.
I have learned to live in very little space. Practicing for jail...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Originalist
They also believe that going back to living in the stone age is progress.
How would we even begin to live without fossil fuels? Would we burn wood for heat?
So we all move to electric cars. How would the electricity be generated?
Fun fact, it takes more energy to produce an electric car than a combustion-powered car.
How would they get their Apple products? Everything Apple makes requires humungous amounts of energy to produce.
They know what they want, BUT they never have a plan on how to actually get there, let alone why it makes sense.
JUST DO IT!
Why?
BECAUSE WE SAY SO!
WHY ARE THEY SILENT ON THE SLAUGHTER OF MILLIONS OF BIRDS AND BATS?
Why are they ignoring that it takes so much upfront energy to make solar cells that the return is barely realized at the end of the cells life?
Again that old all or nothing crap... Nobody wants to go back to the stone age. All I am saying is that we should downsize a lot. From various statistics you can learn that different countries with more or less the same quality of life have a wide range of ecological footprints.
Most of what Norwegians earn, is taken by government. And then government runs most of their life for them.
Plus, the Norwegians don't bother building up their military very much, preferring to rely on countries such as the U.S. to defend them against their large, aggressive neighbors.
Who do you suggest the U.S. should rely upon, to defend America?
Norway is one of the most heavily taxed countries in the world with a total tax burden of roughly 45% of GDP– almost 4x Hong Kong and nearly twice the US.
VAT here is a whopping 25%. Personal income tax rates border 55%. Corporate profits tax ranges from 28% to as high as 78%. Norway even has a direct WEALTH TAX.
This place is about as socialist as it gets. The Norwegian tax authority’s own website even states, “The Norwegian tax system is based on the principle that everybody should pay tax according to their means and receive services according to their needs.”
It’s as if Karl Marx himself wrote the country’s tax policy.
Anything else you need explained to you?
I don't think that has much to do with Socialism, but I subscribe to that motto of theirs
It is basically the foundation of all modern tax and social security systems.
Again that old all or nothing crap... Nobody wants to go back to the stone age. All I am saying is that we should downsize a lot. From various statistics you can learn that different countries with more or less the same quality of life have a wide range of ecological footprints.
You're talking out of both sides of your mouth. You want the best of both worlds without actually having a clue how to do it.
You didn't answer a single question I asked, preferring just to say "all or nothing isn't what I want" yet that IS exactly what you'll get.
What do we replace fossil fuels with?
Is natural gas (the cleanest energy source on the planet) also on the chopping block?
Look, you say we should all cut back. I have lowered my carbon footprint 75% in the last decade, and it hasn't been cheap. Anything I save in energy costs hasn't come close to my upfront costs to get there.
So, again, please answer the trillion-dollar question.
"Happy" Norway is committing suicide - just check the declining birth rates - a side effect of glorious socialism.
In another generation, it won't matter what they do.
You're talking out of both sides of your mouth. You want the best of both worlds without actually having a clue how to do it.
You didn't answer a single question I asked, preferring just to say "all or nothing isn't what I want" yet that IS exactly what you'll get.
What do we replace fossil fuels with?
Is natural gas (the cleanest energy source on the planet) also on the chopping block?
Look, you say we should all cut back. I have lowered my carbon footprint 75% in the last decade, and it hasn't been cheap. Anything I save in energy costs hasn't come close to my upfront costs to get there.
So, again, please answer the trillion-dollar question.
HOW?
If you have reduced your footprint so much already (although I don't know what it is relative to others), maybe it is enough already.
What do we replace fossil fuels with? For transport with electric energy. And where that is not feasible, slashing consumption and filtering emissions as much as possible. Why do so many people drive SUV's these days? A total waste of gas in most cases. And do we really need 200mph sports cars when our planet is ill?
Governments should impose tough mileage limits for cars, like 250 mpg from 2024 on. That would force manufacturers to focus on mileage rather than performance.
You change the rate of consumption by getting government meddling out of the way.
Absent government, people tend to find the most frugal / cheapest way to do things.
An example : electric traction rail (steel wheel on steel rail) has a 90% energy savings due to low coefficient of rolling resistance. Transitioning back to 1910 rail usage rates (90%) would cut petroleum consumption below domestic production. Even 1920 usage (80%) would still cut consumption below domestic production. (such a common sense initiative offends the automobile / petroleum / pavement hegemony, unfortunately)
We all now know that leaky houses and lack of insulation waste fuel for cooling and heating. Government response is to subsidize 'the poor' so they can waste fuel. Instead, encourage people to build superinsulated houses by eliminating all such meddling.
Fossil fuel powered vehicles have a place, but they shouldn't be subsidized at tax payer expense. Ditto, for alternatives that retain the same wasteful infrastructure.
"Happy" Norway is committing suicide - just check the declining birth rates - a side effect of glorious socialism.
In another generation, it won't matter what they do.
Most of what Norwegians earn, is taken by government. And then government runs most of their life for them.
Plus, the Norwegians don't bother building up their military very much, preferring to rely on countries such as the U.S. to defend them against their large, aggressive neighbors.
Who do you suggest the U.S. should rely upon, to defend America?
Norway is one of the most heavily taxed countries in the world with a total tax burden of roughly 45% of GDP– almost 4x Hong Kong and nearly twice the US.
VAT here is a whopping 25%. Personal income tax rates border 55%. Corporate profits tax ranges from 28% to as high as 78%. Norway even has a direct WEALTH TAX.
This place is about as socialist as it gets. The Norwegian tax authority’s own website even states, “The Norwegian tax system is based on the principle that everybody should pay tax according to their means and receive services according to their needs.”
It’s as if Karl Marx himself wrote the country’s tax policy.
Anything else you need explained to you?
Some factual errors here:
The personal tax rate is not 55%. The absolute max rate is 46,4%. Example: Annual salary: $100k. Tax rate: 33% excl. any deductions.
The general corporate tax rate is 22%. The 78% rate is for petroleum profit only.
Yes, Norway has a wealth tax, but no estate tax (unlike in the US).
While top income tax rates are similar in many countries, i.e. around 50%, the top rate kicks in at a much lower income threshold in some European countries compared with the US.
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