KaskadskyjKozak

This is the status quo in many other nations. It is not begging but merely taking care of your parents. It is simply what is done. It is not begging at all. It used to be the status quo in the US as well (not just before SS existed). In today's America, people are too willing to abandon their parents because it's too "inconvenient" or "expensive" to do otherwise.

I don't want SS privatized, I want it eliminated forever. I am not counting on getting a single red cent from my contributions. If someone "dies" then that is everyone's problem, and moral responsibility to prevent. People need to stop using the government as a surrogate for them. This whole discussion is all just mental masturbation anyway; nothing will be changing for the better anytime soon. Time to have some and forget about it. Hasta!

1. I am talking about grandfathering social security - people over the age of say 60 would get 100% of their benefits, between 50 and 60 say 85%, and so on down to our 20 year olds who get nothing. The program would end, but not starve out those who are counting on it already. 2. Families need to take care of eachother. When an aging parent needs financial assistance, their relatives need to chip in. 3. Some people who do not have family who can (or will) help. It is our moral responsibility to help them - but this is appropriate through private charities, not wasteful government programs.

You've heard of "sticky wages" for employees during a recession? Well government spending is even worse. It never goes down, ever. I still pay like $120 for my car thanks to some #*( transit fee. What happend to the $30 straight fee... And what about the Mariner's stadium? The voters said NO, and the government did it anyway. Funny how we can never fix our #* transit system, but have a couple of $100 million for a sports arena (esp. when the old one was still not even paid for). I'd be happy with cut-backs on the order of 25-30%. I'd also like to grandfather out social security. I'm not a beilever of the pure libertarian utopia.

"seldom supported by facts". What a bunch of BS. Go the DOL if you want some hard proof. No private company would ever survive with that level of shitty customer service and slow turnaround. Ever been on jury duty? Same thing. The INS? Ditto. Government workers punch in at 9, and out at 5. They take their 1 hr lunch and two 15 minute breaks. Fly under the radar, don't get noticed, don't rock any boats, do the minimum. I've SEEN it man.

What I have read in the past is that the total tax rate in Sweden and Norway is something like 80 or 90%, and taxes in the US are 40-50%. This includes income, property, and sales tax, taxes on gasoline, alcohol, and utilities, as well as taxes on corporations that are transferred to the consumer through price increases. Every dollar that is taken from me and spent on my behalf is a reduction of my freedom. Somebody else is deciding how my money will be spent. It is non-negotiable. You said you pay for services anyway that are provided through taxes in countries like Sweden and Norway, but I would argue that it is better to have choice. With choice you might spend less on your retirement for one year, and more the next, or choose higher deductables on insurance, or whatever. With government programs, you have no choices, it is a fixed cost that you shell out and never see again. I also consider that government is wasteful because there is little accountability and auditing. Once government services are funded, it is difficult to cut costs. On the contrary costs rise, and overhead is built in - overhead and waste, that would never cut it long term in the private sector. On the "productivity" side of the equation, if I have to work my ass off to get an extra $10,000 a year salary, and that is taxed at 80% instead of 40%, I will not do it - it's just not worth it. In addition, people who tend to hold government jobs, are pretty secure and do not have to worry about being fired for not being "productive". Agencies are funded, the politicians and bureaucracies fight for funding annually citing some "urgent need" for the funding, but, once obtained it is inevitably wasted. Again, the private sector does not have this luxury - companies need to watch their budgets, evaluate employee performance, and hire/fire as needed.

It's human nature, which is the main reason communism doesn't work. What can I say, we have different experiences and come to different conclusions. About 49% of the time I say the same thing about our war(s) and foreign policy in general - fuck'em, fuck the world - let them solve their own problems. We could better spend the money on ourselves. Close the bases in S. Korea, Japan, and Europe, pull out of every armpit where we have troops stationed (I don't even know half of them anymore - are we still in Haiti and Kosovo?). Cut all foreign aid - people can give through charities if they want. Good luck with your emigration. Peace.

I've talked with people from Scandinavia, and known Americans who lived there as well. I have a basis for my conclusion other than "dogma". If it's so great, move there yourself.

Cool, thanks. Puking is alright, it's getting stopped in my tracks that I want to avoid. I plan to spend the first night at the TH, and spend at least 12 hours at high camp.

Yakszczo ne hryb, ne vliz u borszcz.

Pryjszov Kozak na pole srav, Pryjszov kacap hiwno - ham!

Czuiut' wony dzwin a ne znaiut' de j vin.

Those suicide statistics are out-of-date, and may be more reflective of post-Soviet-era malaise than inherent societal (or seasonal/geographical) factors.

Yawn. Highest standard of living in the world. Those taxes end up paying for things that I pay up the yingyang here for - like college, student loans, etc. The Norwegians I've met have reasonable equivalent salaries, and equivalent disposable income - which in the end is all that matters to me. Seperate argument entirely high taxes = less disposable income = government bureaucratic waste = less freedom = lower incentive to work = less productivity = lower quality of life my quality of life would be shit in Europe - if it's a break even for you - go for it. Make sure you speak the language, and tell everyone you are Canadian, though.

Now you guys have done it... he's mad, really mad.

Astronomical taxes.

I'm only an intermediate downhill skiier and generally stick to groomed trails. What level of skill is required to ski this route? Are you skiing all the way from the summit?

Let's send him to mediate the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. I'd be glued to the proceedings on CPAN watching the comedy unfold...

I've heard that Germany is a great place to live.... for Germans.

On a day like this, how can you even think of leaving Washington?

General Patton was against it as well, but the only alternative was a continuation of the war - the bloodiest in history.

Granite Mountain is notorious for slides on the gully I think you are referring to. At least it is mentioned in the guidebooks. I'd recommended looking for such information in guidebooks, or route descriptions (or talking to a Ranger or someone knowledgable about the area). This does NOT replace independent avalanche evaluation on-site, but can complement this analysis, or even rule out a certain route depending on recent weather patterns.

The next time someone talks about some "imminent threat", it will take a hell of a lot of concrete evidence to convince me, that's for sure.

Govoryu, no predpochitayu razgovarivat' na soloveynom ukrainskom.