World News Thread (Politics,whatever)
- Thread starter Wally
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Wait a moment. Didn't you ban politics completely from those boards at some point?
I vaguely remember that when you closed one (of my?) threads some time ago.
elw3
ƐʍlƎ
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Speaking of USA bombing things that _likely_ produced chemical weapons:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Shifa_pharmaceutical_factory
Conspiracy theorist should claim the attack was planned by the pharma lobby.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Shifa_pharmaceutical_factory
Conspiracy theorist should claim the attack was planned by the pharma lobby.
levi
Still fresh, damnit!
I don't think many Syrians can afford the cost of most US made drugs in either case, so unless you're referring to the Indian or Chinese big pharma lobby there, I don't quite follow 
JDTAY
Half Pepperoni, All Cheese
Just found out today that the PlayStation Store decided to start charging me sales tax.
NOOOOOOOOO
Thanks a lot, Trump.
NOOOOOOOOO
Thanks a lot, Trump.
Caine
Hardcore Member
You did not have sales tax? Hard to imagine. What pay 21% VAT on all items except essentials such as food and medicine for which we pay 6%.
levi
Still fresh, damnit!
America's weird, especially when it comes to online sales. Some states have no sales tax, and rely purely on non-progressive forms of taxation instead, I assume. Used to be the online stores would all set up in those states, and technically it was down to purchasers to report it on their annual tax report, but hardly anyone did. I read a few years ago they were clamping down on this, but I'm not sure what happened since then.
AIUI in the UK we don't pay any sales tax on essential foods. For some reason, cakes seem to be included in that, or at least they're taxed less harshly than biscuits are (or at the very least that seems to be been the case when the Jaffa Cakes trial occurred to settle the case of which of the two they were)
AIUI in the UK we don't pay any sales tax on essential foods. For some reason, cakes seem to be included in that, or at least they're taxed less harshly than biscuits are (or at the very least that seems to be been the case when the Jaffa Cakes trial occurred to settle the case of which of the two they were)
Null
Snug
Can't remember whether this has been changed in the interim, but in in the UK VAT isn't charged on paper books though it is on eBooks, whereas of course it should be charged on neither.
Pink Floyd concert in Spain. Stops music to give a speech...
I dislike the Dutch income tax of 52%...
Caine
Hardcore Member
I have never liked any form of taxation, but having to pay the majority of your income on taxes hurts especially bad.
Naturally everything stacks. So you pay 52% income tax. Put the remaining 48% on a savings account where you pay 30% over an assumed (and unrealistic) interest rate of 4% (i.e. 1.2% on all your savings, every year). When you pass away and pass it to your children they will pay 27% inheritance tax and again 1.2% every year. Finally when they actually spend it on something you get to pay the 21% VAT.
In the end you pay more than 3/4 of every buck you make to the state. Modern slavery.
levi
Still fresh, damnit!
It's not really anything like slavery, because if you don't want to work you don't have to, and then you won't pay any income taxes. Paying the majority of your income does feel weird, and they shouldn't really bother telling you your full wage ever, just tell you what you'll actually get. If you want an unfair equivalence, you could call it communism, because you work the shirt off your back but you only get paid a pittance, but at least the trains are cheap to ride on. Unfortunately food and books and things aren't super-cheap like they would be if it were real communism (at least before the economy goes tits up) but on the positive side, the secret police aren't quite as likely to disappear you in the middle of the night.
Caine
Hardcore Member
It indeed seems like the government does not want me to work. Those who choose not to are rewarded by welfare schemes (unless they have some money saved up).
I don't really get your communism story. But then again, I never understood how communism could work.
I don't really get your communism story. But then again, I never understood how communism could work.
These guys have good intel on syria and mideast.
http://www.moonofalabama.org/
http://www.moonofalabama.org/
levi
Still fresh, damnit!
Seems more like contrariness for the sake of it, but I guess the truth is probably somewhere between the two.
ible
professional vim user
i wrote a random sentence generator and it says very thoughtful things sometimes. this one seems to apply to world news.
Last of Syria’s chemical weapons handed over for destruction, international body says
https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...ory.html?utm_term=.25d29288afc2&noredirect=on
UN Team’s Security Concerns Keep Inspectors Out of Douma
https://news.antiwar.com/2018/04/19/un-teams-security-concerns-keep-inspectors-out-of-douma/
The Deep State and the Big Lie – Douma Deposed
https://original.antiwar.com/David_Stockman/2018/04/18/the-deep-state-and-the-big-lie-douma-deposed/
The search for truth in the rubble of Douma – and one doctor’s doubts over the chemical attack
https://www.independent.co.uk/voice...uma-robert-fisk-ghouta-damascus-a8307726.html
In briefing to Congress, DNI, SecDef, and SecState provided zero real evidence
Syria: Boy in White Helmets FAKE Chemical Attack Video Reveals Truth
LVMI: Against War in Syria
https://mises.org/wire/against-war-syria
Former UK Ambassador Reveals Truth About Syria
Trump’s Syria Airstrikes are Unconstitutional
https://www.libertarianinstitute.org/articles/trumps-syria-airstrikes-are-unconstitutional/
Trump’s Syria Airstrikes violate International Law
https://consortiumnews.com/2018/04/11/international-lawyers-strike-against-syria-would-be-illegal/
Takeaway: The false-flag attack that failed to start WWIII
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2018/04/syria-manipulated-videos-fail-to-launch-world-war-iii.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...ory.html?utm_term=.25d29288afc2&noredirect=on
UN Team’s Security Concerns Keep Inspectors Out of Douma
https://news.antiwar.com/2018/04/19/un-teams-security-concerns-keep-inspectors-out-of-douma/
The Deep State and the Big Lie – Douma Deposed
https://original.antiwar.com/David_Stockman/2018/04/18/the-deep-state-and-the-big-lie-douma-deposed/
The search for truth in the rubble of Douma – and one doctor’s doubts over the chemical attack
https://www.independent.co.uk/voice...uma-robert-fisk-ghouta-damascus-a8307726.html
In briefing to Congress, DNI, SecDef, and SecState provided zero real evidence
Syria: Boy in White Helmets FAKE Chemical Attack Video Reveals Truth
LVMI: Against War in Syria
https://mises.org/wire/against-war-syria
Former UK Ambassador Reveals Truth About Syria
Trump’s Syria Airstrikes are Unconstitutional
https://www.libertarianinstitute.org/articles/trumps-syria-airstrikes-are-unconstitutional/
Trump’s Syria Airstrikes violate International Law
https://consortiumnews.com/2018/04/11/international-lawyers-strike-against-syria-would-be-illegal/
Takeaway: The false-flag attack that failed to start WWIII
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2018/04/syria-manipulated-videos-fail-to-launch-world-war-iii.html
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I'm not sure tax (itself) is the problem. The government pays for policing, paved roads, public parks and a plethora (that's enough alliteration) of other good things that I, and most of the UK population, depend on day-to-day.
Duplicating infrastructure in the name of a market economy is grossly inefficient, in most cases (Two roads to every house?!). If you can't have competition, then the infrastructure has to be a monopoly. If it's a monopoly, I'd like it to be one where I get some control over the decisions they make. (i.e. a meaningful democracy)
Who seriously wants privatised policing, where justice goes to the highest bidder? Who thinks viacom should own the road network? Imagine if private companies were allowed to set arbitrarily high prices on life-saving medication? </me ducks>
The government may be run by the worst sort of people, but I really can't imagine private owners doing any better.
As I'm sure I've said before, it's the implementation that's at fault, not the concept!
Duplicating infrastructure isn't the problem you imagine it is. We have multiple competing providers of most services, and it's precisely those areas with high degrees of competion ("duplicate infrastructure") that we have the best service for the lowest waste of resources. (The exceptions you now feel impelled to mention do nothing but prove the rule.)
Private providers do better because they must serve their customers, as opposed to agents of the state who can command their subjects.
Nobody ever proposed two roads to every house, so that is a strawman argument. As someone who has lived in two communities with private roads, please let me assure you from my own experience that this implementation of private property is, in fact, trivial.
I enjoy introducing people who show evidence of curiosity to the theory and history of voluntary cooperation, so if you'll allow me...
Some reading/listening links:.
Robert Murphy: Choice
http://www.independent.org/store/book.asp?id=116
Hans-Hermann Hoppe: The Economics and Ethics of Private Property
https://mises.org/library/economics-and-ethics-private-property-0
If you have fully digested those, you can attempt Grokking the concept of market law.
Murphy - Chaos Theory: Two Essays on Market Anarchy (audio)
https://mises.org/ko/library/private-law
If these whet your appetite I would be glad to share more literature reccommendations.
Lastly, I frequently debate positions against voluntaryists and anarcho-capitalists as well. So please do not assume I identify as one.
Cheers.
[EDIT] P.S. Would you rather have the status quo of a market anarchist beverage system, where you can decide to buy water, milk, cola or whatever you choose? Or would you prefer a democratic beverage system, where you are forced to buy coca-cola, but you can vote for who is president of the company?"
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