Keep buying crap made in China suckers

[GodOfRhythm]

I feel sorry for all the people that have been completely brainwashed by libertarians and anti-communist propaganda for decades on end. You want government-run social welfare, trust me, you want it.

[hippietim]

My fundamental opinion is that the more government gets involved in thing, the more things get screwed up. Just look at income taxes for example.

Please explain what is screwed up about income taxes. Is it that very wealthy people and large corporations have so many loopholes? I have my own issues with income taxes but don't believe they are fundamentally screwed up.

[hippietim]

And Tim, I'd really like to see what a completely free market society looks like. As far as I know, there has never been one. I don't know about you, but if the CEO is getting filthy rich off of my work and I'm making diddly squat, I'm looking for another job. Ideally, if the company makes money, the workers make money.

Maybe that's how it works on your planet, but it simply does not work that way here on planet Earth.

Left unchecked and unsupervised corporations will rape and pillage us like Christians in the Bible.

[Endrik]

You said it yourself - Norway is expensive. How much is a pint of beer at a normal bar? Over here it goes between $3 and $5. A quick Google search shows it to be about 50Kr in Norway, which is about $7.50.

My fundamental opinion is that the more government gets involved in thing, the more things get screwed up. Just look at income taxes for example.

booze has been very expensive since forever in Scandinavia, I wouldn't base everything on that, besides after the taxes and stuff they still have more money in their pockets than average american and you can't even compare the quality of life... also while clothes and food may be more expensive then real estate and rent prices are a lot cheaper than in US. A beer price doesn't mean anything.

and it depends greatly in what the government gets involved in... in the Northern areas the government doesn't control the free trade etc. a lot but many are also high welfare countries... for example like utopian Denmark which is highly regarded for economic freedoms but also for advanced welfare system (which doesn't mean giving money to everyone who doesn't want to have a job)
In Euro welfare countries the majority of people have agreed to pay for a complete "package" with the tax so they wouldn't have to spend much for anything else.
And if the rich have a problem with high taxes then no one is stopping them for registering in Monaco or any place like that where the income tax is 0%.
EU passport allows pretty freely to jump around countries... if you don't want the welfare package/high taxes you can go where there isn't such a thing. Very few have done that.

Your pure numbers logic doesn't work out in reality.
The beer here used to cost 50 cents a couple of years ago, and the taxes were and still are much lower than in other Nordic countries but the life quality and the average income was and is crap compared to them.

[Spivonious]

With wealth distribution do you mean that a lot of money from the rich are taken away and then directly GIVEN to every single person who makes less?
If that's the case I don't see why are you worried about that... things like that have never happened and never will. What has happened is that the money is taken away and kept in pockets of those who are in power.

Anyway about the price thing... I can't really agree with you... for example the average wage in Norway is 50-60K dollars a year and the wages are pretty similar. The wages over here vary greatly, but the average is a little bit over 10K dollars a year. The milk in Norway isn't 6 times more expensive than it's over here, Norway is expensive but I believe milk and many other things are more expensive over here. And both have high economic freedoms like every Nordic county.

You said it yourself - Norway is expensive. How much is a pint of beer at a normal bar? Over here it goes between $3 and $5. A quick Google search shows it to be about 50Kr in Norway, which is about $7.50.

My fundamental opinion is that the more government gets involved in thing, the more things get screwed up. Just look at income taxes for example.

[horns666]

i breed hatred each and every day Joe. I like it.

Yeah...me too. It's a bag o' laughs..

[OnlineStageGear]

No, I don't think the UAW is responsible for the auto industry going to shit. Sounds like you've been watching too much FOX news. The fact is, abolishing unions is just the start. When that goes, the dominoes will keep falling and the middle class will get the shaft in terms of compensation, health care, and maintaining a safe work environment.

Why do you buy the things you buy? I'm sure price plays a role, but I'll bet you're willing to pay more for a product that suits your needs and is of better quality.

Personally I think some of the reasons why the US auto industry is having difficulties is because it is a bit bloated (Chevrolet, Pontiac, and GMC offering too many similar vehicles for example), putting too much emphasis on SUV's and other vehicles with poor fuel economy in a time when gas prices have gone through the roof, the inability to adapt to the global market place/chaging consumer tastes, and producing vehicles of inferior quality/features when compared to some imported brands for example. Also, the fact that the economy has taken a downturn I'm sure hasn't helped. New cars are a luxury item and when people are unsure about their future, they are less apt to buy these types of things.

No, even MSNBC and CNN were on the bash the UAW train. $74/hr is outragous to have to pay to put nothing more than a skilled laborer to work. Oh thank the lord that the UAW dropped it's jobs bank program that was forcing the big 3 to pay laid off workers 95% of thier wages for 3 years.

Matt

[atomic charvel guy]

i breed hatred each and every day Joe. I like it.

[Joe_Steeler]

Opinions are like assholes everyone's got one and most, if not all, stink to others senses and perspectives.
Solution, IMHO, (there goes my asshole) stay away from each others butts.

Unless it is Shakira's butt and then I'll eat yogurt and peanut butter of that thing.

Life is too short not to hate each other, or something to that effect.

[Flametop]

We are all going to die..... just saying.

A: I agree
B: This is the WWW so anyone other that the current cyberdouche posting doesn't know shit and is totally fucking wrong about every fiber of what he/she is posting about.
C: Someone is about to post so that would make me the second part of B.
D: That's why I usually post early and not often.
E: Why did I even bother......

[Joe_Steeler]

We are all going to die..... just saying.

[Endrik]

If all that wealth was spread about to everyone, I can guarantee you that prices on EVERYTHING would go up.

(making up numbers)

Right now, average person makes $30k/year. Milk costs $3/gallon.

Wealth is distributed, average person makes $70k/year. Milk costs $7/gallon. Businesses fail because there are no rich people to invest in them. Technology stagnates because no one can afford to buy cutting edge electronics.


You're upset that someone makes more than you? Do something about it! Start a business, get higher education, switch careers, get lucky on some investments.

Bill Gates was not born into the billions he has now. He saw an opportunity and he took it.

With wealth distribution do you mean that a lot of money from the rich are taken away and then directly GIVEN to every single person who makes less?
If that's the case I don't see why are you worried about that... things like that have never happened and never will. What has happened is that the money is taken away and kept in pockets of those who are in power.

Anyway about the price thing... I can't really agree with you... for example the average wage in Norway is 50-60K dollars a year and the wages are pretty similar. The wages over here vary greatly, but the average is a little bit over 10K dollars a year. The milk in Norway isn't 6 times more expensive than it's over here, Norway is expensive but I believe milk and many other things are more expensive over here. And both have high economic freedoms like every Nordic county.

[eakinj]

I just want to comment on Unions since they are brought up.

Two different people two different results.

My father was a truck driver and was member of the Teamsters union. They did good by him every step of the way.

I worked in a grocery store. I was also a member of the Teamsters union. The only time we saw our rep was when he swung buy to show off his new BMW.

There was a time and place where union was a good thing and very needed. I think based on laws today that unions are probably more hurtful then good. But I'm in California so I cant say that Unions are bad in Arkansas because I don't know the laws there. I'm not sure you can entirely condem the unions until you know for sure everyone based on law were on the same page / level. if everyone is protected then unions are useless and simply a drain on the persons pay check.

[Jason1212]

If everyone were wealthy then why would there be no one to invest? Why would that effect the cost of milk? Please expound on how spreading the wealth will cause these things to happen. Also please note I am not talking about one guy or the guy that makes a nice 6 figure salary. I am talking about the people that dictate the way things will be done regardless of what Washington says because they have the money to make it go their way. I am talking about the people whose names are not commonly known. I have no problem with someone that has a Phd making more than me. I do have a problem with a person that sees no problem taking jobs from one country moving them to another country so they can see a .01% profit to add to their billions.

[Spivonious]

If all that wealth was spread about to everyone, I can guarantee you that prices on EVERYTHING would go up.

(making up numbers)

Right now, average person makes $30k/year. Milk costs $3/gallon.

Wealth is distributed, average person makes $70k/year. Milk costs $7/gallon. Businesses fail because there are no rich people to invest in them. Technology stagnates because no one can afford to buy cutting edge electronics.


You're upset that someone makes more than you? Do something about it! Start a business, get higher education, switch careers, get lucky on some investments.

Bill Gates was not born into the billions he has now. He saw an opportunity and he took it.