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I have always felt that way. I am a very strong proponent of "cooperation not competition" and that everyone SHOULD work together, for the benefit of all. I am perfectly willing to have some personal sacrifices so that the quality of life can be improved for everybody.
Actually, I guess some people would call me a commie. But to me this unbridled wealth that the "upper class" holds in the face of abject poverty amongst the masses has always rubbed me the wrong way. I'm all for redistribution. And yes, I know that some people are worthless, lazy POS and do not "deserve" to be supported by the hard work of others, but my philosophy is that it is a Karma thing. Help undeserving people and it will come back to you in some way in the long run.
20yrsinBranson
Nice philosophy, nice attitude. You're obviously a nice person, and would make a great neighbor! Wish things would work the way you say, but they don't. History shows us that. There will always be people who will take advantage of folks like you. It's the Paredo principle (80-20%) and it's always at work. Never fails and there's no way around it. We have to learn to work to survive in spite of it, and not get suckered in by the 20%.
An economics professor at Texas Tech said he had never failed a single student before but had, once, failed an entire class. That class had insisted that socialism worked; and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich - a great equalizer. The professor then said ok, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism.
All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A. After the first test the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. But, as the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too; so they studied little.. The second test average was a D! No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around the average was an F.
The scores never increased as bickering, blame, name calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else. All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great; but when government takes all the reward away; no one will try or want to succeed.
An economics professor at Texas Tech said he had never failed a single student before but had, once, failed an entire class. That class had insisted that socialism worked; and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich - a great equalizer. The professor then said ok, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism.
All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A. After the first test the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. But, as the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too; so they studied little.. The second test average was a D! No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around the average was an F.
The scores never increased as bickering, blame, name calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else. All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great; but when government takes all the reward away; no one will try or want to succeed.
Well, that is the difference in people. Such an arrangement would have made me work harder to bring up the average of the people who had a more difficult time learning. It would have been the greatest incentive I could possibly have ever had. I do not "strive" to glorify myself, but I will strive to help the less fortunate.
What a sad statement your illustration is, on how humanity has been raised. It's such a sad, me me me me, kind of culture we live in these days.
Well, that is the difference in people. Such an arrangement would have made me work harder to bring up the average of the people who had a more difficult time learning. It would have been the greatest incentive I could possibly have ever had. I do not "strive" to glorify myself, but I will strive to help the less fortunate.
What a sad statement your illustration is, on how humanity has been raised. It's such a sad, me me me me, kind of culture we live in these days.
20yrsinBranson
Human nature has always been "me, me, me". It's nothing new. Wish you'd been in my class, I wouldn't have had to work so hard to bring up everyone else's average then. We could have cooperated to achieve that goal.
Well, that is the difference in people. Such an arrangement would have made me work harder to bring up the average of the people who had a more difficult time learning. It would have been the greatest incentive I could possibly have ever had. I do not "strive" to glorify myself, but I will strive to help the less fortunate.
What a sad statement your illustration is, on how humanity has been raised. It's such a sad, me me me me, kind of culture we live in these days.
20yrsinBranson
I am not saying it is a good thing,but it is how it is.
You are like millions of others right now who work and pay in to support almost 50% of the people who do not pay income taxes....
To me the system is crazy and that is why we are leaving it.
1) High quality of life
2) Ability to plan a life and actually live it (i.e no moving targets)
3) No bubbles or depressions (i.e everything on an even, predictable keel)
quote]
Are you aware that the Federal Reserve was started to prevent recessions? They were started BEFORE the depression as well as this bust we are in now. So NOOOO it doesn't work!
We are headed toward high inflation, high unemployment, SUPER high taxes for everyone, HIG fuel,etc. Before you sign on and say it is great, ask some Europeans how their health care is, how high their taxes are,etc.
I find myself listening to warped logic against socialist systems from lunatic fringe and it's having the effect of convincing me there's nothing wrong with socialism at all.
Anyone else out there getting talked into socialism and abandoning free market forever?
This is exactly what is wrong and scary about where America is going. The threat about the dumbing down of America is not longer a threat but reality.
I'm going to just stick with the question because the rest of these subjects tied into this would take 20 pages to answer, and as long as my posts get, I really don't mean to abuse people. Just want people to think earnestly without partisanship, without dogma, and without the false patriotism I've witnessed in the not so distant past.
I think the answer goes back to our constitution. I think the distribution of power (and money, tied directly to that expression) is seriously off kilter. I believe 10th amendment trend being brought up so frequently is a step in the right direction. I think whenever any org gets too large, be it any corporation, any governing body, any governing system, it inevitably resorts to bureaucracy and is blind to reality as a result. Restructuring makes sense, but restructuring to what and how becomes the next nut to crack.
I believe that socialized medicine (which is the real reason anyone is discussing socialism at all) as we are currently practicing it with insurance is a cruel farce. I believe that too many powers fighting for dominant shares of $$$ have driven the costs up, antithetical to capitalist system, and antithetical to the oath of medicine itself. I know we need a better way, but if you mean to annihilate any form of socialism, that would mean you would have to abolish the entire insurance industry. Are you prepared for that consequence? Think about that and we can continue discussion.
Ok assuming the states create a health insurance plan and leave the federal government out of it "10th Amendment". First I would like to say New Jersey is Broke, California is broke and New York and other places that I know of are on there way. All of them have high taxes and many social programs. With that being said I would think they would have to raise the taxes on everyone in these states of course to pay for the state run health coverage. They currently can't run the social programs they have now and even stay out of debt and that includes the federal government as well. So where do you think they would try and get the money from once they couldn't pay the medical bills. Once millions are on this system in a state they would have to run to the federal government looking for money and of course every other state would do the samething. Also speaking of the federal government and the management of programs.
Lets look at social security, medicare and welfare. All of them are complusive systems that very soon social security will be broke that is unless they raise the tax on social security. This really isnt about socialism as much as it is government control. Also we are currently in 12 trillion in debt where is all this money going to come from do you really think it will only come from those who make over 250,000. Even if we all agree to pay into this system it will have no oversight. It will not use common sense and most of all I know this because of every other government action and program they have already put into place. They can't manage a war, they can't manage peoples retirements, they can't manage a budget, they can't even back the money with someone real and just print money. They surely can't tell the truth, so in closing the idea of socialized meds might sound good I have to remember who I'm dealing with. I mean if government consistantly was honest and did the right thing with your money and didnt waste it. If they didnt make stupid laws and continue to ignore the common interest of the people you might have a good point to trust government with your healthcare. Being that I'm living in the real world and government since 1900 has been out of control I wish to use reason and sanity.
What "they" need to do is start requiring churches to pay income/property and other taxes.
20yrsinBranson
I fail to see how that will help....it would make more sense for everyone earning an income to pay income taxes...even if you are supposedly poor.
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Wish things would work the way you say, but they don't. History shows us that. There will always be people who will take advantage of folks like you. It's the Paredo principle (80-20%) and it's always at work. Never fails and there's no way around it. We have to learn to work to survive in spite of it, and not get suckered in by the 20%. 
