The Obamanation

[Happy Monkey]

Right. You don't need to change to a flat tax, and you don't need to take the herbal supplements. You can just close loopholes and exercise more.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

Right. You don't need to change to a flat tax, and you don't need to take the herbal supplements. You can just close loopholes and exercise more.

It would still involve you getting money from me and I can't participate in that.

[Happy Monkey]

What would?

[TheMercenary]

I read your post wrong. I thought you were still trying to sell me down the river with your stupid supplements.

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

Right. You don't need to change to a flat tax,

I don't think you have your facts straight. You don't know what I need.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

You can just close loopholes and exercise more.

Ding ding ding - We have a winner. I'm in.

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

You don't know what I need.

Perhaps not, But I'll still tell you & you'll like if I have to beat it into you.

[TheMercenary]

Thank you may I have another.

[classicman]

Who do you think I am Sugarpop?

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by classicman

Who do you think I am Sugarpop?

Dude, you are no Sugarpop. I know Sugarpop. And well... you're a dude. She is hot.

[TheMercenary]

[sugarpop]

Originally Posted by lookout123

You're right comrade, all jobs are important. If we didn't have someone doing them then there would be a problem. What you don't seem to understand is that pay is not based on whether a job is important or not, but rather supply and demand.

How many people can bag groceries? Pretty much anyone. Welcome to minimum wage.

How many people can efficiently push auto financing through so John Q Public can drive his new Nissan? Not all that many really so the job pays pretty damn well.

How many people have gone through the education and licensing procedures to become financial planners and are willing to deal with the stress? Not that many, that is why the pay is much much more than the grocery bagger.

How many people have gone through medical school and have specialized in neurosurgery? Not many, so they get megabucks.

How many people scratch and claw their way to the top of major corporations? Only a few so they're fucking wealthier than I can even imagine.

How many people have sold their souls and formed the right networks to get them into the White House? Only a few guys so they get to write their tickets for life.

The people themselves are of no more intrinsic value than one another, but the skills and abilities they bring to the table are of a vastly different value. This isn't about the value of man, but the value of skills.

And for the record, minimum wage isn't supposed to be liveable. You can raise the dollar amount to anything you want and it won't make a damn bit of difference ten years later. If you raise the grocery bagger to $30/hour ($60K/year) every job up the ladder will rise in the same curve and in ten years the rich will still be rich and the poor will still be poor and only the numbers will have changed.

I get what you're saying, and I agree, to an extent. I do not believe any CEO is worth 4-500 times what the average worker is worth. We have this mentality in this country that is... evil, for lack of a better word. WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ELIMINATE POVERTY IN THIS COUNTRY. So why shouldn't we try? Not everyone wants to be filthy rich. Everyone DOES want to be able to live, to have a life, and to be treated with respect. Why can't we create that? It's in our power. NO ONE should have to work 3 jobs just to survive. Not in this country.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by sugarpop

Everyone DOES want to be able to live, to have a life, and to be treated with respect. Why can't we create that? It's in our power. NO ONE should have to work 3 jobs just to survive. Not in this country.

You are right, but you will never be rich if you don't.

[sugarpop]

I don't care about being rich. Many people don't care about being rich. They do care about having a good quality of life, where they can afford to live and pay their bills and make their obligations, and save a little for later in life, and still have some money left over to have some fun, and people should be able to that without having to work 2 jobs to make ends meet. People should not have to live paycheck to paycheck, no matter what job they do. Not in this country, supposedly the best country in the world. You can't argue that we have the greatest country when so many people, people who work hard, are struggling just to survive.

[lookout123]

WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ELIMINATE POVERTY IN THIS COUNTRY.

No we don't. We have the ability to raise incomes across the board, thus bringing everyone above the current poverty line. Yippee! oh wait, what was the definition of inflation again? If minimum wage is $50K/year, within a short period of time it will cost $60K to be above the poverty line. That is how it works, like it or not.

[TGRR]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

You are right, but you will never be rich if you don't.

Meh. Shrouds don't have pockets.

[TGRR]

Originally Posted by lookout123

No we don't. We have the ability to raise incomes across the board, thus bringing everyone above the current poverty line. Yippee! oh wait, what was the definition of inflation again? If minimum wage is $50K/year, within a short period of time it will cost $60K to be above the poverty line. That is how it works, like it or not.

It also depends on what you call "poverty". 3 square meals and a roof over your head is unheard-of luxury, historically speaking.