What's happening in Spain could be done in the US?
- Thread starter distropia
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2004
- Posts
- 2,948
It'll be interesting to see how not voting works out for them.
My guess is the right wing party will win handily and the protesters will get even less in unemployment benefits, leading to further protests
My guess is the right wing party will win handily and the protesters will get even less in unemployment benefits, leading to further protests
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2003
- Posts
- 18,418
yes, of course it could happen here, all you have to do is take a quick look at the numbers
europe is a little ahead of us, in that they've begun to face reality (i.e. they realized that they're going to have to start shitting all over the taxpayer)
we're still papering over the problem amassing ridiculous deficits (~12% annually with a 2-3% growth rate), but it's just a matter of time before the bond vigilantes start to get nervous, and the cost of servicing our debt goes through the roof. china is already starting to dump its holdings quietly
then we'll be looking at another "unprecedented event" that "no one could've seen coming"
and then our president will come on TV and tell us that we need to stick together while they stick it to us
sorry folks, we're doubling your taxes, slashing your already shitty benefits, and .... yeah, we're gonna be raising the retirement age 'til sometime after your dead
then people start starving, and have nothing to lose, then they take to the streets
europe is a little ahead of us, in that they've begun to face reality (i.e. they realized that they're going to have to start shitting all over the taxpayer)
we're still papering over the problem amassing ridiculous deficits (~12% annually with a 2-3% growth rate), but it's just a matter of time before the bond vigilantes start to get nervous, and the cost of servicing our debt goes through the roof. china is already starting to dump its holdings quietly
then we'll be looking at another "unprecedented event" that "no one could've seen coming"
and then our president will come on TV and tell us that we need to stick together while they stick it to us
sorry folks, we're doubling your taxes, slashing your already shitty benefits, and .... yeah, we're gonna be raising the retirement age 'til sometime after your dead
then people start starving, and have nothing to lose, then they take to the streets
- Joined
- May 26, 2004
- Posts
- 22,221
At least in Europe you get something to show for being screwed on taxes. That's where the US's very soon future is going to differ.
We're going to be taxed to death and back, but we'll see nothing in return for it. No healthcare, less unemployment payouts, less social services. On the bright side, we'll still be fighting terrorism and lining banker CEO pockets.
We're going to be taxed to death and back, but we'll see nothing in return for it. No healthcare, less unemployment payouts, less social services. On the bright side, we'll still be fighting terrorism and lining banker CEO pockets.
Even in Europe, those that could afford to offer good social services are socialist nations with a 70-90% tax rate.
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2001
- Posts
- 20,324
There's no socialist government in Europe. Surely you mean social-democratic?
Here are some current maximum tax rates (meaning that 80% of the people of the respective countries pay considerably less than that): Sweden (56%), Belgium (54%), The Netherlands (52%), Great Britain (50%), Germany (48%), France (46%) (Source: Eurostat). With my meager income, I have to pay about 28-30% tax. The streets would burn if we'd have to pay 80% or even 90% tax, eh.
Oh, and the reason why the Euro goes down in value is because of the crises in Greece and Portugal, the two fucked up their finances and the rest of the EU has to pay for it, simple as that. This will go on for a while I fear...
God, I hate that Euro bullshit. Burn in hell, Waigel!!
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2001
- Posts
- 15,918
yep and ireland are on the way down with portugal. if only we coulda won the eurovision we need the money. a lot more than azerbaijan does. shoulda entered johnnie logan again.
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2001
- Posts
- 20,324
Ah yes, forgot to mention our broke Irish friends!
Btw., Eurovision is bullshit lie. Those East Euro states always vote for eachother, that's how Azerbaijan won. We only won in 2010 because of Lena's nude pics...
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2001
- Posts
- 15,918
Ah yes, forgot to mention our broke Irish friends!
Btw., Eurovision is bullshit lie. Those East Euro states always vote for eachother, that's how Azerbaijan won. We only won in 2010 because of Lena's nude pics...
ireland is always broke, save for a few years in the late 90's/early 00's when the country was like a cowboy on payday spending it up, making it rain all over the EU.
and yeah the eurovision is a waste of time, first time watching it this year, three hours of former soviet states voting for other former soviets and anyone in western europe just sat there, fucked. i honestly thought iceland and italy were the best, but doesn't seem to matter what with the block voting. also the fact that half of the polish nation immigrated to ireland in the past 10 years and they don't give us a thing! its a total bullshit lie. i wouldn't watch it but my girlfriend loves it. probably because she's irish and they won every thing in the 90's according to her.
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2001
- Posts
- 20,324
Heh, I've been watching Eurovision (formerly called Grand Prix d' Eurovision de la Chanson, we still simply call it "Grand Prix") since I was little. It never meant anything to us/me but eventually became some sort of tradition. Most of the time it's incredibly boring, though, except for those countries who don't take things too seriously and bring in a bit of fun, like the Ukraine with that crazy guy Verka Serduchka who came in 2nd in 2007 with Dancing Lasha Tumbai. Silly, mindless fun. Either that or folk, anything else should be avoided during the Grand Prix IMO. And why the hell do they all sing in English by now? Ah well.
I also don't get why the UK always fucks up so dramatically. I mean, they have a powerful and productive music scene, should be possible to come up with something more refined than the usual group-dancing glitter clowns.
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2003
- Posts
- 34,075
Fine then. Move to Canada where for many, taxes are a bit less.
And once you include insurance premiums, nearly everybody does better.
aria
Former Moderator
- Joined
- Dec 4, 1977
- Posts
- 39,546
haha, Azerbaijan doesn't need money --in fact they probably earmark some of their petro-money to groom the same "pre-packaged" singer to nail Eurovision every year. Someone in the Aliyev family really likes the show.
I saw this yesterday, it made me LOL:
If anyone reading doesn't know the group, here's the reference:
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2001
- Posts
- 15,918
i fuckin hate jedward. they're in everything here. nintendo ads, the radio, various TV appearances. they did well for themselves losing the X factor and all, but even so they're a major pain in the ass.
as for the eurovision the only reason azerbaijan won wasn't because they had bankrolled a huge act. their act was complete shit. its that all the little shithole eastern european countries vote for each other, so the bulk of the votes go to little shithole european countries. what needs to be done is the little shitty countries should be given a smaller number of potential points to give than the larger places. though that wouldn't fly because it isn't fair. oh well.
anyways tomorrow is national fish and chips day so fuck the whole eurovision debacle fish and chips for half off!
as for the eurovision the only reason azerbaijan won wasn't because they had bankrolled a huge act. their act was complete shit. its that all the little shithole eastern european countries vote for each other, so the bulk of the votes go to little shithole european countries. what needs to be done is the little shitty countries should be given a smaller number of potential points to give than the larger places. though that wouldn't fly because it isn't fair. oh well.
anyways tomorrow is national fish and chips day so fuck the whole eurovision debacle fish and chips for half off!
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2010
- Posts
- 1,075
I'm still not sure what's going on, so I'll just throw on some gasoline:
This whole thing would have never happened had Catalan independence been granted.
Free Catalonia from Spanish tyranny!
¡Visca Catalunya lliure!
To our Basque comrades: Elkartasuna/Solidaritat!
Says the traitor who abandoned his motherland!
These colors don't run:
You dont even think what you say. Do you think Catalonia or Basque could live without Spain? All the world tends to group forces and you want to be like Andorra... hahahaha
aria
Former Moderator
- Joined
- Dec 4, 1977
- Posts
- 39,546
I'm going to roll with this. Join me!
As I said before,
These colors don't run.
Freedom isn't free.
Stop sending taxes towards, um... Andalusia.
As I said before,
These colors don't run.
Freedom isn't free.
Stop sending taxes towards, um... Andalusia.
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2010
- Posts
- 1,075
Broback, as I said before: you don't think what you say. If you want to talk about something, do it with the facts in hand.
Coming back to the original theme... The post have lost completely the original point of view: us being shephered by politicians and bankers
Coming back to the original theme... The post have lost completely the original point of view: us being shephered by politicians and bankers
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2004
- Posts
- 9,961
BTW, the Spanish need to step up their game.
The Mexicans have stolen the spotlight from the Spanish protests in my eyes:
That not stepping up the game....this motherfucker just knocked it out of the park and set the stadium on fire.
If he's part of a gang I wanna join it already.
- Joined
- May 26, 2004
- Posts
- 22,221
Seriously man, where do you get your 90% tax rate from ?
The average person making "average" pay in Europe barely pays any more in taxes then we do here. Remember, it's not just Federal income tax on our plate. SS, Medicare, State tax. After you ad that shit up we're not bringing much more home off a paycheck than Europeans are.
The only reason we don't see shit in return for our taxes is because our military/war budget is 664 billion a year and the interest we pay on the national debt is absolutely raping us. It's forcasted that over the next 10 years, 14-19% of all Federal taxes collected will go towards the debt.
Even the Tea Party influnced hard Republican idea of reducing the debt by 2.5 trillion is nothing. It's asking the car dealer to come down by change. Even if we did reduce it by 2.5 trillion we'd still be paying 12-15% of our tax pool towards the debt.
The US, through both Democrat and Republican leadership has backed us into a corner. Our debt is a brain tumor. You cut it out, we die. Best we can do is ride the storm until we collapse, there's really no fixing this that wouldn't create nationwide chaos.