Saffire

[ame=http://video.yahoo.com/watch/3819551/10455122]Deal or No Deal: Biggest Bonehead Move on Yahoo! Video[/ame] He had a guaranteed $603,000 and he didn't take it.

Not a good choice from what I've heard. I think Japan has high taxes and high cost of living. But I'd like to visit.

What's Dr. Who? Is that like Dr. Seuss?

Oh wow, that video of Russell Brand apologizing was actually pretty classy. Not used to seeing that sort of thing.

Singapore is a nice choice, I think. The climate is similar to Florida and it has more English-speakers. Very low taxes and a big financial district also make for a good quality of life.

What's funny is how some voters think if we take all the rich peoples' money, there will be enough to make everyone in America well-off. That's simply not true. If you took all the money from the top 400 richest people in America, and divided it equally among everyone in the country, that would only be about $2,500 per person. The government has already spent ten times that amount this year. If Obama institutes socialist policies, money will flee the country and into places with higher growth rates and lower taxes. An analyst on CNBC said 90% of the growth in the world over the next 20 years will occur in developing countries. So it makes no sense to have any of your money in American stocks - it's a bad bet.

Well the key thing to remember is that in economics, everything is interconnected. The middle class isn't left out of the loop at all. Businesses borrow money by issuing corporate bonds, which are just contracts that say "Give us money and we'll pay it back later with some interest added". The buyers of these bonds are usually pension funds and insurance companies. The pension funds and insurance companies get their money from the middle class. So as much as the Democrats make fun of the idea of "trickle down" economics, it's a very real thing. Democrats talk about moving money toward the lower class (by reducing the health insurance burden on those who don't pay taxes, among other things). This has the effect of increasing consumer spending, because the poor typically don't save as much money as the middle class in America. Consumer spending can only prop up the GDP in the short-term, because eventually the money runs out.

Chuck, you're exactly right about making it easier to run for office. Right now it's a pain unless you're an incumbent or you have powerful friends. As for the effects of slavery... it's an apt comparison because government IS slavery. It is a certain form of slavery, one that derives its legitimacy primarily from the sloth and fear of the majority of people.

"When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." ~Benjamin Franklin

Is anybody watching this 30 minute Obama advertisement? It's pretty bleak. Basically he's portraying Americans as being people who lack the basic means to support themselves and their families.

British rednecks? Well at least they can pretend to be rich for a day...

Just.... no. :wreck:

Question for Brits: Since these guys work for BBC, are their salaries coming from the British taxpayers? Or is it from ad revenue alone? What they did is harassment, not free speech.

I don't get why this guy is popular... I enjoy a lot of British comedy but this is crap. Especially compared to Ricky Gervais.

So, what you're saying is that political philosophies grow moldy with time, like a loaf of bread left uneaten. How quaint.

He looks intelligent! :rolleyes:

I agree with this, I think Atheists have a stronger sense of morality than most believers in God. But I think it is due to their love of thinking and logic. They aren't as interested in shaping the world as they are in figuring out the world. And I get why you're trying to avoid mysticism, I hate that also. So maybe I'm not so different from an Atheist, because as a deist, I'm quite open to the idea that God is something abstract like a mathematical equation or a force of physics. I think science is very beautiful, moreso than magic. I couldn't sit through a Harry Potter movie without getting bored out of my mind.

Well you have to believe there's something sacred about human life... otherwise you'd be a nihilist, and that's dangerous territory. I just wonder where the "sacredness" comes from for an atheist?

Well yeah, that's what government is. The majority votes to take the minority's stuff in the name of "justice". If you don't comply they shoot you. But at least the figurehead of government is a smiling skinny man who you'd want to have a beer with. That's what counts.

They were probably tr'rsts. Don't you Brits understand the gravity of this situation?? ;)

Is it a religion or a philosophy? And I've heard of Buddhists attacking people, it's been in the news lately. It's interesting to me that religion seems to take these baby-steps over time toward logic. Older religions call for the taking up of arms against enemies. Then later ones start to acknowledge that violence generally isn't a good idea... but they still advocate bigotry and disdain for trivial stuff like what you eat or who you marry. The logic is "God doesn't like that" and that's the end of the debate.

Or maybe you're nice to people because it's socially convenient. ;) Of course, the true test of kindness is empathy... are you capable of having it? I'm a deist, but I understand the atheist's views... but I'm not a materialist as they are.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/505416304022264f/ Here's me. I think I said "um" too many times...

Let's trade places. I'm sick of this cool fall weather! :P

Lore, I envy you being in Chile now. It must be spring or summer there, right?