We don't really have property taxes over here Don - though out houses are valued in bands for the payment of council tax. Our governments don't tend to spend as much of our GDP on wars. The US was broke back in Nixon's day when France insisted and got payment in gold and the UK put in a later request to be told the 'gold window was closed' (i.e. the US was bankrupt). We may be sitting waiting for the next depression over the weekend. It's time we had some new ideas in action in our economies - we could have boosted consumption GDP by giving £50K to everyone at the bottom. This raises hackles on the basis it isn't earned, yet we don't think the same way about the parasite rigged markets in which so many have 'made' fortunes. We need something that rewards effort and understands productivity gains should be shared around. We have medieval systems really - it's all wizardry and needs to be rendered to a simple core. There really is no clever banking or accounting - it's all concealment and theft. There are other systems such as potlach and 'gift' in economics that recognise wealth should not be for ever. We should be asking why we should work for such small parts of the reward, but also about how we might be able to invest our work in communities that are not so commodified as ours has become.
On Aug 5, 3:47 pm, Lee Douglas <[email protected]> wrote: > Ahh Rigsy she has been so good for me, of course she can have what she > wants. > > On Aug 5, 2:45 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > My daughter married a man like you! Thank the Lord! :-) > > > On Aug 5, 8:40 am, Lee Douglas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Hah hah Don. She is my beautiful wife of 21 years, she can have > > > anything she wants, and as I say my wants are tiny. > > > > On Aug 5, 2:03 pm, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Ok, that's just nuts. You should have gotten yourself a nice bottle of > > > > Crown Royal and just given her the bag. Sheesh. > > > > Many happy returns for you both Lee. > > > > > dj > > > > > On Aug 4, 8:07 am, Lee Douglas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > This is true Rigs and indeed I like it not. > > > > > > Meh! Perhaps it is just part and parcel of the Lee beast, perhaps I am > > > > > differant from others(lord knows I get told it enough). I'm not rich > > > > > man myself, I earn a good wage and enjoy the fruits of my labour, I > > > > > spend more on good food than a lot of people I know,and I get the > > > > > stuff that I desire(that being reading materials and music), and my > > > > > wife and kids also get to get stuff. I have about enough money to > > > > > live a comfatable life but still not enough to own my own home, or > > > > > car9not that I really want a car). Another 5k a year will do me > > > > > nicely thank you very much, but more than that I just couldn't spedn > > > > > it all. Ahahahah although Mrs Douglas would give it a bloody good go! > > > > > > It was her birthday two weeks back, the big 40 (shsss you didn't hear > > > > > that from me, right) so I had to go out and buy her exactly what she > > > > > desired, yep a bloody £640 hand bag! > > > > > > On Aug 4, 1:40 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > Often, those families self-destruct. The tuxedo to shirtsleeve > > > > > > business. Wealth breeds a kind of hubris. There is a sad story in > > > > > > this > > > > > > month's "Vanity Fair" about a potato farmer and Texas oil lawyer > > > > > > haggling over land in the Hamptons which is a illustration. Anyway, > > > > > > the super rich duck their moolah in states with beneficial tax laws > > > > > > or > > > > > > tie them up in irrevocable trusts. > > > > > > > Isn't America also on trial for funding Mubarek for 30 years? > > > > > > > I am not "in" to money though my parents were so I guess I should > > > > > > thank the convent and camp and ups and downs for helping me develop > > > > > > other values. But- my parents were typical of their era, Lee. Money > > > > > > still makes the world go round, like it or not. > > > > > > > On Aug 4, 7:16 am, Lee Douglas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > I don't e-bay myself Rigsy, I don't do credit and so have no > > > > > > > cards. > > > > > > > > As to the supper rich, what is the uses of keeping millions in the > > > > > > > bank? I mean you can't spend it all before you die, you can't > > > > > > > take it > > > > > > > with you, so I guess you leave it to the kids, and then they still > > > > > > > wont be able to spend it all, nor their kids. > > > > > > > > Money simply does not 'trickle down', those who have vast > > > > > > > ammounts of > > > > > > > it do all they can to keep it, and I can see no logical reasons > > > > > > > for > > > > > > > doing so. Share the wealth, yes indeed. > > > > > > > > Materialism, yes I guess you are right, although I hope not. I > > > > > > > think > > > > > > > whne the day comes when the whole world is fed and has a nice > > > > > > > pile of > > > > > > > stuff it may cease to be so important. Once again I must declare > > > > > > > 'Robot Work Force' Yeah baby come on, I hope I see the day. > > > > > > > > On Aug 4, 1:01 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Have you checked out e-bay? Plus the super-rich have not > > > > > > > > changed their > > > > > > > > desires/shopping patterns as far as I can tell. It will be > > > > > > > > difficult/ > > > > > > > > impossible to inhibit materialism as it springs from insecurity > > > > > > > > or > > > > > > > > hostility and is held as a positive value in a capitalist > > > > > > > > society. In > > > > > > > > a sense, we "barter" cash for goods and services. > > > > > > > > > On Aug 3, 9:47 am, Lee Douglas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Indeed I am, I don't think bartering is a viable option. > > > > > > > > > > On Aug 3, 2:51 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > You are talking about the super-rich. Money attracts > > > > > > > > > > thieves and > > > > > > > > > > lawyers. Most want money to remain independent and "just > > > > > > > > > > enough" is > > > > > > > > > > just fine. We could barter. > > > > > > > > > > > On Aug 3, 6:44 am, Lee Douglas <[email protected]> > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Meh! It's all the same ole same ole innit . > > > > > > > > > > > > It's greed plain and simple, I think how much money does > > > > > > > > > > > one perosn > > > > > > > > > > > need to libe as they wish. > > > > > > > > > > > > Why do the extreamly rich do all they can to keep their > > > > > > > > > > > money, I mean > > > > > > > > > > > what are they going to do with it? > > > > > > > > > > > > Ultimatly we must find a better way, a replacement for > > > > > > > > > > > material > > > > > > > > > > > wealth, and get rid of the whole concept of money. How > > > > > > > > > > > though ummmm? > > > > > > > > > > > > On Aug 3, 8:43 am, allan deheretic <[email protected]> > > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > Rigsy,, boy are you a sensitive extreme conservative > > > > > > > > > > > > republican > > > > > > > > > > > > as president Rosevelt put it.. a conservative a person > > > > > > > > > > > > with two perfectly > > > > > > > > > > > > good legs and refuses to walk... > > > > > > > > > > > > > all wealthy people have no right to live off the > > > > > > > > > > > > poor... they all > > > > > > > > > > > > regardless of political view or party need to pay their > > > > > > > > > > > > share of taxes! > > > > > > > > > > > > > don't tell me that they create job because they don't. > > > > > > > > > > > > > as for people sending money to relatives.. you put a > > > > > > > > > > > > maximum that can be > > > > > > > > > > > > sent tax free. say 5000 dollars. > > > > > > > > > > > > Allan > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 4:09 PM, rigsy03 > > > > > > > > > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > Who would invest under your system? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > What about the government reducing its expenditures > > > > > > > > > > > > > by 35%? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Nothing's to stop wealthy Liberals/Democrats from > > > > > > > > > > > > > sending their excess > > > > > > > > > > > > > wealth to their government(s)-federal, state, local. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Why don't > > > > > > > > > > > > > they? :-) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Immigrants send money to their relatives also. I > > > > > > > > > > > > > thought the world was > > > > > > > > > > > > > flat, at last! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Why would people turn their labor/income over to a > > > > > > > > > > > > > bloated/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > spendthrift/ incompetant government like > > > > > > > > > > > > > robots/slaves? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Aug 2, 2:31 am, allan deheretic > > > > > > > > > > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Being american,, I think taxes are necessary but > > > > > > > > > > > > > > taxes need to be > > > > > > > > > > > > > dependent > > > > > > > > > > > > > > income.. the greater the income the greater the > > > > > > > > > > > > > > taxes.. and removal of > > > > > > > > > > > > > all > > > > > > > > > > > > > > tax exemptions especially on capital gains..... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I am beginning to think that a petition needs to be > > > > > > > > > > > > > > circulated placing > > > > > > > > > > > > > > a mandatory 35% on income over $250,000.oo with no > > > > > > > > > > > > > > exemptions. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > That would go a long way to helping the relive the > > > > > > > > > > > > > > national debt.. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I also think all nation should have a 35% tax on > > > > > > > > > > > > > > money leaving a nation.. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Allan > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ( > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I_D Allan > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > > > > ( > > > > > > > > > > > > ) > > > > > > > > > > > > I_D Allan > > > > > > > > > > > > > If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken > > > > > > > > > > > > Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,- Hide > > > > > > > > > > > > quoted text - > > > > > > > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text -
