Tax Rebate

[KaskadskyjKozak]

To answer KK:

 

Colt-45 and lottery tickets...

 

shit Jay, I know you lab-rats don't get the highest salaries, but you could at least drink a decent microbrew. and the lottery?

 

 

[Hugh Conway]

and the lottery?

 

 

worse odds but more transparency than the financial markets

[olyclimber]

where's my shirt?

 

that is an excellent question. it begs repeating....where IS your shirt?

 

its right here, safe with me. i just proposed a pubclub, maybe you can make it?

[mattp]

No. I don't think that doing so would make such attacks less likely either, as the case of the violence that they were plotting in Spain and many other instances like it in France and other countries demonstrate quite clearly.

 

This is typical of the nonsense that you spew so often here. First of all, to argue that we are whacking the hornet's nest in Iraq is NOT the same thing as saying that the terrorists would not attack us if we left and, second, the fact that somebody targetted Spain may be evidence, but is certainly not any kind of "proof" that "they" would attack us or that "they" would attack us just as often if we had a diffferent image around the world.

[JayB]

The fact that is that Islamists have been actively plotting mass-murder in France, Germany, and Canada despite their active opposition to the war in Iraq. They have continued to plot mass-murder in Spain, even after the voted in a leader who staked a large portion of his electoral campaign on getting their troops out of Iraq. This pretty well establishes that whatever they are motivated by, it's quite a bit larger than support for, or participation in the war in Iraq.

 

Ditto for the slaughters perpetrated by Islamists in predominantly Muslim countries around the world, in India, Thailand, the Phillipines, etc, etc, etc, etc.

 

As the events in response to the cartoons published in Denmark demonstrated quite clearly, the simple exercise of a basic liberty in a land thousands of miles away, in a language virtually none of them can speak, by a people living in as innocuous a state as one can imagine existing in any reality - was sufficient to "whack the hornets nest." Was Nasser guilty of the same? Sadat?

 

 

[KaskadskyjKozak]

The fact that is that Islamists have been actively plotting mass-murder in France, Germany, and Canada despite their active opposition to the war in Iraq. They have continued to plot mass-murder in Spain, even after the voted in a leader who staked a large portion of his electoral campaign on getting their troops out of Iraq. This pretty well establishes that whatever they are motivated by, it's quite a bit larger than support for, or participation in the war in Iraq.

 

Ditto for the slaughters perpetrated by Islamists in predominantly Muslim countries around the world, in India, Thailand, the Phillipines, etc, etc, etc, etc.

 

As the events in response to the cartoons published in Denmark demonstrated quite clearly, the simple exercise of a basic liberty in a land thousands of miles away, in a language virtually none of them can speak, by a people living in as innocuous a state as one can imagine existing in any reality - was sufficient to "whack the hornets nest." Was Nasser guilty of the same? Sadat?

 

 

GET WITH THE PROGRAM JAY! BLAME AMERICA FIRST! WE ARE THE GREAT SATAN! WE ARE THE NEW NAZIS!!

 

[Hugh Conway]

Ditto for the slaughters perpetrated by Islamists in predominantly Muslim countries around the world, in India, Thailand, the Phillipines, etc, etc, etc, etc.

 

India? Thailand? Seriously JayB you have no fucking clue what you are talking about here.

[JayB]

Ditto for the slaughters perpetrated by Islamists in predominantly Muslim countries around the world, in India, Thailand, the Phillipines, etc, etc, etc, etc.

 

India? Thailand? Seriously JayB you have no fucking clue what you are talking about here.

 

'Kay.

 

01/15/2008 10:25

THAILAND

Bomb wounds 27 people in Southern Thailand

The bomb strapped to a motorbike was exploded in the precinct of the crowded Yala market. Yesterday 8 soldiers were killed in an ambush on army troops, one of them beheaded. Since 2004, violence in the south has claimed over 2800 lives.

 

Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies) – At least 27 people were injured in an early morning bomb attack in Southern Thailand. Islamic rebels fighting for the independence of southern provinces are believed to be behind the explosion. Police sources report that the bomb was hidden on a motorbike which was parked in the precincts of the busy Yala market.

 

The attack comes one day after another deadly episode: in Narathiwat province, 8 soldiers were killed in an armed ambush. On of them was beheaded. The troops had been escorting home group of teachers, who are often a favourite rebel target.

 

Over 30 people, most of them civilians, have been beheaded in the 4 years of clashed, The aim seems to be to terrorise the local Buddhist population in the area.

 

In the Southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, former Muslim sultanates, violence has increased over recent months and attacks are now a daily occurrence. The army – with a presence of over 30 thousand troops – and the police are unable to control the situation and warn Buddhists to avoid certain areas at risk. Islamists and rights groups accuse the Security forces of summary executions and the use of violence against the Muslim population. Since the beginning of 2004, the death toll has already exceeded 2,800.

[Hugh Conway]

'Kay.

 

Thanks for proving my point. South Thailand bombings = seperatist insurgency. Connections to global islamist movement = specious at best.

 

India = bombing and killings by Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists and Maoists. Much more linked to local politics than any type of pan-islamic movement. The Kashmiris want to be part of Pakistan, not india, and have since 1947. The Hindus want nobody but Hindus and have for a very long time.

 

In Sri Lanka the Buddhist guerillas slaughter the Muslims.

 

What does that mean? Nothing. The causes are local and the funding is pretty local as well. There's no Commmunist International funding islamic revolutions across the globe.

[mattp]

This pretty well establishes that whatever they are motivated by, it's quite a bit larger than support for, or participation in the war in Iraq.

 

This appears to establish that Jay can't seem to fathom the possibility that there may be more than one set of motivating factors that influence different groups of actors in different locations or at different times. The fact that some may target Spain does not in any way disprove the idea that the way we are going about our War on Terror or our attempt to establish permanent bases in Iraq may motivate others. You're wasting your time arguing, Hugh.

 

--------

 

Lets get back to the stimulus plan.

 

Does anybody really think that a tax rebate is going to cure a bad economy? David Brooks said tonight that nothing like that has ever had any measurable influence on the economy (he might have said it did once back in 1950 or something). And Ron Paul last night put it this way: "they can print money and hand it out but this won't fix the fundamental problems with the economy." Paul was referring both to the interest cut AND the tax rebate. Its great that the Democrats and Republicans are falling all over each other to "get out in front" on this, but is this really anything more than pandering?

 

Whadda you think, Jay? Will it work?

[TREETOAD]

This sounds more like welfare than a tax rebate. GW has got the whole country on welfare...

[KaskadskyjKozak]

This sounds more like welfare than a tax rebate. GW has got the whole country on welfare...

 

then you should love him, you socialist Canuck mother fucker!

 

[minx]

i'll take money. quit yer bitchin

[Hugh Conway]

sprayito ergo bitcho

[mattp]

Good morning everybody. Does anybody here think the "stimulus plan" is going to work? I'll be glad to spend my rebate on some new climbing gear if that will help, but isn't this just baldfaced pandering to the electorate in an election year?

[Fairweather]

Sounds like the "D's" are gonna try to hang some Christmas ornaments on this bipartisan love tree. I predict it will fall over a couple times before the gifts are opened. What a bunch of shit. Federal income taxes are reasonable - yes, even for the middle class. (There, I said it.) It's the state and local Hyenas we need to get under control. If the feds want to stimulate the economy, why not suspend the federal gas tax for a couple/few months? Or cut capital gains?

Edited January 26, 2008 by Fairweather

[Crux]

Good morning everybody. Does anybody here think the "stimulus plan" is going to work? I'll be glad to spend my rebate on some new climbing gear if that will help, but isn't this just baldfaced pandering to the electorate in an election year?

 

The extra cash to spend can keep the economy going until the Democrats get the office. That's the important thing -- to make sure the crash doesn't happen on the Republican watch, else the blame go their way and voters discontinue their support for conservative Republican economic policies.

[tvashtarkatena]

My right hand gave my left hand twenty bucks so half of me could go on a spending spree.

[TREETOAD]

This sounds more like welfare than a tax rebate. GW has got the whole country on welfare...

 

then you should love him, you socialist Canuck mother fucker!

 

I am a socialist but not a motherfucker you welfare bum

[tvashtarkatena]

It has started.

[mattp]

If the feds want to stimulate the economy, why not suspend the federal gas tax for a couple/few months? Or cut capital gains?

 

Cutting the gas tax would certainly inject some money into the system because it could presumably be put into place fairly quickly, but I don't understand your capital gains tax proposal.

 

Capital gains taxes were lowered in 2003 and I'm not clear whether anybody thinks this did or will stimulate the economy. And capital gains taxes are a tax on profit from sales of appreciated assets, so I'm a little unclear on the connection between decreased capital gains and increased economic activity. How would this work?

[sexual_chocolate]

Good morning everybody. Does anybody here think the "stimulus plan" is going to work? I'll be glad to spend my rebate on some new climbing gear if that will help, but isn't this just baldfaced pandering to the electorate in an election year?

 

perhaps bald-faced pandering; perhaps an attempt at alleviating the anxiety of King Consumer, who makes the economy go 'round. With so much talk about recession, a legitimate fear is that with a spooked populace, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

another factor that could sustantially impact the economy is the possible lifting of fannie mae's and freddy mac's restrictions on mortgages above 417,000. couple that with recent drops on long term interest rates to 5.5(!), and you have a real potential for market stabilization in many areas.

 

so do i think the package might help? it depends on what you mean by "help"!

[sexual_chocolate]

If the feds want to stimulate the economy, why not suspend the federal gas tax for a couple/few months? Or cut capital gains?

 

because saving 18 cents per gallon of gas priced at 3.20 would have miniscule ramifications on consumer confidence. it would be a nil factor.

 

and capital gains cuts would again affect the larger populace very little. most folk aren't so directly and viscerally affected by capital gains as to boost consumer confidence significantly.

[marylou]

Yeah, that only goes to people who report less that $75K a year. That ain't everyone.

[kevbone]

The fact that is that Islamists have been actively plotting mass-murder in France, Germany, and Canada despite their active opposition to the war in Iraq.

 

And you know this how?