Stupid is as stupid does and stupidity votes Obama

[regexcellent]

Richest yet with that wealth in the hands of such a small minority.

Our poor people are wealthier than European poor people. I believe Jaguar used the example of rural Tennessee farmers owning $30k trucks and nice houses while the Italian poor drive ****ty scooters and live in miniscule apartments.

I know around here the farmers ain't all that wealthy but damned if I don't see a lot of awesome lifted Fords.

[kentonio]

Our poor people are wealthier than European poor people. I believe Jaguar used the example of rural Tennessee farmers owning $30k trucks and nice houses while the Italian poor drive ****ty scooters and live in miniscule apartments.

Which was an utterly ridiculous example at the time, and hasn't gotten any more sensible since.

I know around here the farmers ain't all that wealthy but damned if I don't see a lot of awesome lifted Fords.

Shame that one unexpected illness or accident could send them plummeting into bankrupcy isn't it.

[regexcellent]

Which was an utterly ridiculous example at the time, and hasn't gotten any more sensible since.

How is it not sensible?

Shame that one unexpected illness or accident could send them plummeting into bankrupcy isn't it.

I doubt that's the case; I believe most of the farmers work for some kind of large agribusiness and they get health benefits.

[Ben Kenobi]

Bigots are free to be bigots. They're still bigots in my eyes.

You believe everyone should support homosexuality. Do you not see this? This is not a relativist position.

[Ben Kenobi]

Which was an utterly ridiculous example at the time, and hasn't gotten any more sensible since.

Well, seeing as it's nonetheless true...

[Asher]

You believe everyone should support homosexuality. Do you not see this? This is not a relativist position.

Your stupidity is so consistent that I'm continually amazed you can function enough to type.

[kentonio]

How is it not sensible?

To base the economic condition of poor folks in the western european nations based on some anecdotes of a holiday in Italy? Yeah I'd say that was pretty ridiculous.

I doubt that's the case; I believe most of the farmers work for some kind of large agribusiness and they get health benefits.

How about the farm labourers? The street sweepers? The shelf packers? The cleaners?

[Ben Kenobi]

Your stupidity is so consistent that I'm continually amazed you can function enough to type.

You can't argue that something is bigotry and that 'people should be free to believe x' at the same time. If you're calling a particular belief as bigotry - you believe everyone should believe the same thing as you do.

Do you believe that marriage commissioners should be free to decline to do gay marriages?

[regexcellent]

How about the farm laborers? The street sweepers? The shelf packers? The cleaners?

They are wealthier than their European equivalents.

The notion that our wealth is concentrated in the upper echelons is not an indictment. Our rich are richer but our poor are not poorer. You and all the other eurotards talk like having some really rich people is somehow bad.

[Guynemer]

You can't argue that something is bigotry and that 'people should be free to believe x' at the same time.

Stating this does not make it so, Ben.

You can believe whatever you want. You can say whatever you want. I would never deny those rights to you. HOWEVER, that does not mean you are not a bigot.

[kentonio]

They are wealthier than their European equivalents.

Whatever makes you think that? They may have slightly more disposable income, but a single illness can utterly ruin them and there are far more social protections in place over here that prevent anyone slipping to American levels of poverty.

The notion that our wealth is concentrated in the upper echelons is not an indictment. Our rich are richer but our poor are not poorer. You and all the other eurotards talk like having some really rich people is somehow bad.

Your poor are poorer. People over here simply would not accept the kind of poverty you see in parts of the US. We don't have any problem with rich people, but we're damned if they'll make their hundredth million at the expense of an exploited underclass who are one illness away from absolute ruin, **** that noise.

[Asher]

Do you believe that marriage commissioners should be free to decline to do gay marriages?

Yes, because I don't think everyone has to believe the same thing I do. Such a man who would decline to do gay marriages is, however, a bigot.

[MRT144]

I don't care if he's compassionate. Obama's "compassion" has led to disaster. Results are important. Romney will repeal Obamacare and reform Medicare. That's a much more compassionate policy than what we have now, intentionally or not.

Disaster? Please, do go on.

Disaster...

[kentonio]

They are wealthier than their European equivalents.

I was curious about how much worse off they might be btw so I did some back of an envelope maths (please excuse any errors).

UK Minimum Wage = £6.08 which comes out at £12,646 based on 40 hour week. No tax on the first £7,475 so that leaves £5171 taxed at 20%. I make that an after tax of £11,612. There's also an £11.66 a week for National Insurance contributions, so £606 annually. I make that £11,006 which works out at about $17,856.

US Minimum Wage = $7.25, so $15,080 on a 40 hour week. Do we need to take any tax off that?

[giblets]

Exactly. The US GOP is uniquely pro-market. So why is the US the richest country in the world? Is that in spite of the GOP?

Those numbers are fishy. The US is spending seven times what Norway spends on education? Did they ignore all of the government education spending? If so then yes, the GOP definitely helped carry the US to the top of that list.