Campaign of deception

[catswiththum]

Originally Posted by Tom Joad

Yeah, it's really extreme to expect the United States of America and the State of Florida to come through with the retirement benefits that they promised me and for which I exchanged the best years of my life.

And it's also really extreme to think that the United States of America can provide all of it's citizens decent healthcare like all of western Europe, Canada, Hell even fucking Cuba.

No, we can't afford that.

All we can afford is one useless wasteful trillion dollar war followed by another plus another trillion or so to bail out Wall Street because they made some bad bets with other people's money. That's reasonable.

But what I want, that's extreme.

Stop bothering me - I'm counting $.

And then I'm going to read myself to sleep with Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

Adios.

[Tom Joad]

Originally Posted by catswiththum

Stop bothering me -

Me, bothering you?

You're the one that threw down, Bro.

Originally Posted by catswiththum

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by catswiththum

People have grabbed on to this 1% like a liferaft. Does anyone have the ability to read or gain information and process it?

Is anyone concerned with reality or just taking tidbits and fitting them in to their little preconceived, uninformed, comfortable notions?

Who is screwing you? Are you being prevented from earning more $? Are you being denied something you are owed? Are you sick and can't see a doctor? Been a victim of a crime and can not get justice?

Preconceived notions = defining contrary positions as "extremism."

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by BeamOn

I hope you are being sarcastic. I am Tom's age and whereas I am not dependent on state support nor draw a pension, I do know that I am either screwed or on my own at the current rate of 'entitlement cuts'.

How can you justify the GOP congress cutting taxes for those who can most afford yet cut every conceivable social safety net program for those who really need it. Quite interesting that you listed the current gasoline prices in Europe but not their social programs.

The rejection of any sort of collectivist structure through the principle of "rugged individualism" is how it's justified. Along with the two other sick principles upon which this nation was founded...puritanism and utopianism. We're on our own, we're chaste, and this is heaven on earth. Some sick motherfuckers founded this country.

[Oerets]

Originally Posted by barbara

This boils my blood. ��
PP helps so many women in many ways.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/07/22..._r=0&referrer=

OK, life would be O so simple if the man carried the child. Leaving the women to lay the keel and not worry about the launching.

Yes no need for any help there.

This prevision distortion of the truth only reinforces my dislike of the GOP and the Right on issues.

Barney

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by catswiththum

Read these two:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...a-1022629.html

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs...s/index_en.htm

The first is quite interesting. Cogent criticisms of European structure and policy occupy the first part of the interview. But criticism is of course easy, while practical solutions take a lot more work. So I am most interested when Piketty gets more prescriptive, in the later part of the interview. Here's an extended quote:

Piketty: We need to invest more money in training our young people, and in innovation and research. That should be the most important goal of an initiative to promote European growth....

We need a fiscal union and a harmonization of budgets. We need a common debt repayment fund for the euro zone, like the one proposed by the German Council of Economic Experts, for example. Each country would remain responsible for repaying its portion of the total debt. In other words, the Germans would not have to pay off the Italians' old debts, and vice-versa. But there would be a common interest rate for euro bonds, which would be used to refinance the debt.

SPIEGEL: But that would create the risk of a big debt coalition. Who determines how much debt is allowed?

Piketty: We need a communitization of debts, but it has to be democratically legitimized. I propose a European parliament for the euro zone that would consist of members of the national parliaments. Each country would be represented in this parliament in proportion to its population size. In other words, Germany, with its 80 million inhabitants, would have the largest number of members. These politicians would then vote democratically on how high the deficit could be in the euro zone.

SPIEGEL: And the Germany lawmakers, with their aversion for large deficits, would be routinely outvoted by their more free-spending colleagues.

Piketty: I do, in fact, assume that this type of parliament would have saved less in recent years, and would have instead spent more on growth and fighting unemployment. It would have been good for us all. Germans shouldn't be afraid of democracy. If we have a common currency, at some point we have to accept that we also spend money together.

SPIEGEL: How do you intend to ensure that a country like Greece doesn't just return to living beyond its means?

Piketty: Greece would be subject to greater fiscal discipline. The amount of debt would be fixed by a European parliament in which Greek members would only play a subordinate role. In the long run, we need a fiscal union in Europe that is democratically legitimized.

...

SPIEGEL: How could Hollande and Merkel inspire voters to support more Europe?

Piketty: They need to explain to voters, for example, that even Germany and France can no longer manage to efficiently tax multinational companies, because the companies are playing countries off against each other. To this day, many major corporations from the United States and Europe pay less in taxes than small European companies. A common corporate tax for the euro zone, which would be determined by the new euro-zone parliament, would be helpful and would certainly be popular among voters.

SPIEGEL: At this point, voters don't seem overly keen to shift more power to Brussels. On the contrary, EU-skeptic parties are becoming popular everywhere.

Piketty: No matter what you think of Syriza's election victory, it could serve as a shock therapy of sorts for those in power. Suddenly they'll realize that what they've been doing isn't working, and that they have to take a different approach. But a leftist party like Syriza or Spain's Podemos isn't nearly as dangerous as the extreme right. The National Front here in France is more popular than ever at the moment. That's why it's so dangerous for the established parties to continue fueling these nationalists. Constantly berating the lazy Greeks or Portuguese is irresponsible.

Piketty in short is for a new and strong trans-national government in Europe, and see neo-fascist reaction as the greatest danger in the current crisis. I broadly agree, though I certainly see no quick or likely route to implementing such a new power structure.

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by catswiththum

Read these two:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...a-1022629.html

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs...s/index_en.htm

In the case of the second, a quick look at the "presentation" part conveyed no obvious notable conclusions to me. I must query your expertise: what am I missing?

[donquixote99]

Nla





456

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by catswiththum

Read these two:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...a-1022629.html

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs...s/index_en.htm

Nobody's talking about recreating the EU here, Cats. How would we do that anyway? Return to the Articles of Confederation?

[icenine]

Originally Posted by Ike Bana

The rejection of any sort of collectivist structure through the principle of "rugged individualism" is how it's justified. Along with the two other sick principles upon which this nation was founded...puritanism and utopianism. We're on our own, we're chaste, and this is heaven on earth. Some sick motherfuckers founded this country.

Leave It To Beaver is the distillation of Calvinsim in Eisenhower America.