So, in other words, you will work within the system. Somehow, I'm not really surprised. For a guy that has "opted out of society", you sure know how to use the benefits of society.
The More We Learn, the More Stupid We Become
- Thread starter Mowich
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So, in other words, you will work within the system. Somehow, I'm not really surprised. For a guy that has "opted out of society", you sure know how to use the benefits of society.
"Again JLM, you talk of higher taxes like it is a bad thing. It is nothing of the sort."- THAT is strictly a matter of opinion, I say it is a bad thing- a lot of it isn't going where you think it's going - a lot of it goes to satiating the swill in the political trough.
"We are healthier, wealthier, we have many gadgets that we take for granted that were not even imagined in 1959"- NOT according to the health, experts, the current generation is the first in history to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents, due mostly to lack of exercise and obesity. Wealthier today? or better access to borrowing other people's money? # of Bankruptcies today, compared to the number in 1959??????????????
A lot today is good S.J. and certainly a lot is better than in '59, but on the whole depending on who you ask I think it could be pretty much be a dead heat. I haven't made up my mind yet, but love playing Devil's advocate, just to get ALL the facts out there.
"We are healthier, wealthier, we have many gadgets that we take for granted that were not even imagined in 1959"- NOT according to the health, experts, the current generation is the first in history to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents, due mostly to lack of exercise and obesity. Wealthier today? or better access to borrowing other people's money? # of Bankruptcies today, compared to the number in 1959??????????????
A lot today is good S.J. and certainly a lot is better than in '59, but on the whole depending on who you ask I think it could be pretty much be a dead heat. I haven't made up my mind yet, but love playing Devil's advocate, just to get ALL the facts out there.
Indeed that is a matter of opinion. I think tax money is used rather well. Sure there are abuses, like there are abuses about everything, everywhere. Whenever there is a program, an initiative, there is invariably going to be some abuse. If there is abuse, then attempts should be made to stop the abuse.
But that doesn’t mean that taxation is a bad thing. Taxes provide for many services for the poor, for the elderly, for the disabled etc. We pay substantial amount in taxation and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I haven’t seen those statistics, JLM. If you have a link, put it up. I doubt that they are saying that current generation will have a lower life expectancy, I expect it is only a cautionary warning, if something is not done about the epidemic of obesity, life may be cut short. Anyway, even with reduced life expectancy, how does it compare with life expectancy of 1959?
I don’t know what they are saying hypothetically. Life expectancy today is 81 years, in 1960 it was 71 years, that is good enough for me.
And sure we are wealthier today, borrowing has nothing to do with it. The average income median income today is much higher than that in 1959, after accounting for inflation.
You cannot spin the facts and figures, JLM. Figures, statistics tell us that we live longer (greater life expectancy) and are wealthier (higher income) compared to 1959.
You may think it is a dead heat JLM, I think we are much better off today compared to 50 years ago. Let me summarize the reasons.
We are healthier, wealthier and live longer compared to 50 years ago.
We are more tolerant, more civilized. Racial sexual discrimination was rampant 50 years ago. Discrimination against gays was open and all pervasive, they used to imprison gays for consensual sex back then.
Child abuse, spousal abuse was swept under the rug and firmly kept there. We had residential school abuse, Mount Cashel abuse scandal, sex abuse in Catholic Church and many more. All these problems were swept under the rug, hushed up, nobody talked about them.
Now you may think it was a dead heat, I don’t. in my opinion, 50s was a singular unpleasant, unjust decade.
"You cannot spin the facts and figures, JLM. Figures, statistics tell us that we live longer (greater life expectancy) and are wealthier (higher income) compared to 1959."
Just what I've been waiting for, an example of your statistics to disprove their validity. I believe the criteria for "life" is a beating heart and a functional brain.
Just what I've been waiting for, an example of your statistics to disprove their validity. I believe the criteria for "life" is a beating heart and a functional brain.
And what does that have to do with the fact that we are better off today, JLM? Whether we are better off is a matter of statistics, nothing more. Are we earning more, are we living longer, are we beating up (and imprisoning) fewer homosexuals, are we admitting women and blacks into high paying profession etc. What does a beating heart and functional brain have got to do with it?
I didn't think I'd have to spell it out, but that is the definition of life that is used when compiling longevity statistics.
"More tolerant , more civilized? Some of us are in some ways. In other ways some people are far less civilized and tolerant.
That's easy enough, your statistics measure the quantity of life, not the quality.
Sure statistics can measure quality of life, JLM, but it cannot measure happiness. That is why I said in one of my posts, I don’t know if we are happier, that is a different question altogether. I have been careful to say throughout that we are much better off compared to 50 years ago, I did not say that we are happier.
We enjoy better quality of life today in that we enjoy more creature comforts. Quality of life is measured by that, do you have a car, a color TV, a computer, internet etc. But happiness is not measured by that, happiness is something different.
I get the impression that you are confusing quality of life with happiness. Quality of life can be quantified by statistics, happiness cannot.
JLMYour point on the family is bang on - numerous studies have shown that divorce causes emotional injury to the children involved - some minor - more major - Even divorces that are amiable still cause some harm emotionally to the children - That aside - staying together could and probably would cause more harm -
Goober, did you wonder why there was so little divorce in old days? The reason was that there was no freedom to get a divorce. Legally it was difficult to get a divorce (there was no no-fault divorce in those days), and there was a social stigma attached to it.
These days we have more freedom. Now, freedom sets us free, it does not necessarily make us happy. But setting free is good in itself.
Incidentally, there have been many studies as to how divorce affects children. Has anybody done any studies as to how staying in an unhappy marriage affects the woman? Have they asked women who got divorced if they are better off, if they had to do it over again, whether they would do the same thing, say 10 or 15 years after divorce? And maybe ask the same thing to women who stayed in unhappy marriage for 10 or 20 years? That would be an interesting study.
"Legally it was difficult to get a divorce (there was no no-fault divorce in those days),"- That "no fault" business is a double edged sword to generous. I knew one guy who was in a common law relation for several years until his partner decided she'd rather party and screw around, than live with him. Anyway she got a lawyer and ended up with half the house that he had paid for, rather than being turfed out on her ear which the b***h deserved. That was third time she'd pulled that trick.
See, attitudes like that has gotten the system to where it is... How do you like being the serf? pay up to your lords for the fruits of your labour.
Taxes are not a good thing, they are straight up theft.
I would rather pay for the things I need to use then have some criminal steal my money and delegate it to his/her own pocket, which they do. Health care, roads all the other BS welfare. Ya that was money well spent, thats why you can't find a decent doctor now and you have to wait 3 years for any help. Its pathetic, notice how in this recession, the first things to get cut are health, schools and what not, you don't see the fat ass politicians taking a pay cut, yeah... taxes are great.
A consumer tax im all for, income tax, bite me.
lots of places have no tax and do just fine, your just suckered into the brainwashing.
Half the house that he paid for? It doesn’t work that way, JLM. That is not what law says.
My understanding is that whatever you bring into the marriage is yours. If you brought the house in the marriage that is your house, spouse cannot have any claim on ii. In addition, if you inherit something, that is yours alone, and spouse cannot lay any claim on it.
Other than that, everything is community property. Whatever assets you acquire while being married belong jointly to the two of you. In the case of divorce, normally it is split 50:50, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
If your friend was working, his spouse wasn’t, if he alone paid the mortgage on the house and he thinks that is his house, he is totally wrong. Even if his spouse did not contribute a penny to the mortgage, the house still belongs to both of them.
So if the house was community property, then she rightfully got half of it, half of it was hers. Even if she may not have contributed financially, she was as much part of the marriage as he was and fully as much responsible for accumulating any assets. Your friend is bitching about nothing.