News Stories

[ganbaru]

Mubarak detained for investigation: Egypt TV
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...73B1D120110413

[sa547]

Originally Posted by solomon

Figuring out the political pulse of young people in Japan will single handedly be the thing I look most forward to doing when I go overseas. I heard anecdotedly that kids just don't give two shits because they can't find work anyway but still....

I honestly don't understand what Ishihara-jiji's support base is.

Watching tonight's newscast on NHK World, I wasn't surprised but PO'ed when it was reported that the old coot, now freshly reelected, was flexing his hands to go after and shut down "smut" in the city for the "sake of the kids".

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by sa547

Watching tonight's newscast on NHK World, I wasn't surprised but PO'ed when it was reported that the old coot, now freshly reelected, was flexing his hands to go after and shut down "smut" in the city for the "sake of the kids".

Looks like anime and pop culture fans are going to "live in interesting times" for the next election cycle. Does this sound familiar? Elect me on the basis of there being a real crisis that needs addressing... o, hey, I"m elected now I'll focus on symbolic issues that had nothing to do with the reasons you voted for me

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by iLney

Oh haizzz


inb4 "but GDP has been decreasing."

What chart is that? Nominal, real or "as-reported-each-year"?

The term GDP, in fact by itself, is rubbish. One has to compare it to per-capita, per person or per land size in order to get some useful result.

Originally Posted by GundamFan0083

A national sales tax or flat tax will make the rich poorer and the poor richer, however, it will be useless without reversing the outsourcing of jobs, massive government spending, and the influx of cheap slave labor.
If these things are changed, we'll see a return of jobs, and an increase in the buying power of the dollar.
Until then, the rich will get richer, the middle class will continue to evaporate, and the poor will slip further into economic slavery.
Raising taxes will only accelerate the process.

Taxes always have loopholes - one major one is taxing based on reported income.

Though over here, our government doesn't tax investment incomes, but I have seen that there are some delibrate loopholes left inside the tax law so they can tax investment income - if they need to. It is only a matter of enforcement.

[killer3000ad]

China bans time travel from TV

[Ithekro]

No more Haruhi for them I guess.

[sa547]

Originally Posted by killer3000ad

China bans time travel from TV

Even then, they can't catch Homura.

[iLney]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

What chart is that? Nominal, real or "as-reported-each-year"?

The term GDP, in fact by itself, is rubbish. One has to compare it to per-capita, per person or per land size in order to get some useful result.

Useful result for what? I showed that tax revenue actually increased as the tax margin decreased in response to "And yet, strangely, in the 1950s we had a 90% tax margin for the top-end and it was one of the most productive eras in American history." That's it.

I absolve myself of all reasonable implications any person with an active brain can come up with.

But don't worry, I'll give you a strawman to play with. Aw, don't be shy.

[Jinto]

Originally Posted by iLney

Useful result for what? I showed that tax revenue actually increased as the tax margin decreased in response to "And yet, strangely, in the 1950s we had a 90% tax margin for the top-end and it was one of the most productive eras in American history." That's it.

I absolve myself of all reasonable implications any person with an active brain can come up with.

But don't worry, I'll give you a strawman to play with. Aw, don't be shy.

This chart tells you what you interprete into it. I mean the ingenuity of this thing is, that lower incomes have to make up for the gap that is left by the super wealthy. Every non-super-wealthy has to pay for their gain in wealth and power.
This is what makes many middle class people run to radical parties like the TeaParty.
While this chart is meant to make a point for the super wealthy, it will not work for the middle class (to make a case for them), because you cannot reap more from classes below them. Still such people will most likely support your interpretation of the chart. Which is just an own goal.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by iLney

Useful result for what? I showed that tax revenue actually increased as the tax margin decreased in response to "And yet, strangely, in the 1950s we had a 90% tax margin for the top-end and it was one of the most productive eras in American history." That's it.

I absolve myself of all reasonable implications any person with an active brain can come up with.

But don't worry, I'll give you a strawman to play with. Aw, don't be shy.

Do you even know what is the difference between nominal and real GDP? And that there is something called inflation, Bretton Woods Agreement, prime rate of interest that indirectly affects the tax revenue as an overall?

Besides, Jinto already elaborated on one of the points why the chart doesn't mean much. If you want to start a flame war, please go elsewhere. No need for that strawman gift if you don't want to play with it anymore.

[ganbaru]

Senate panel slams Goldman in scathing crisis report
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...73C8JR20110414

[iLney]

Originally Posted by Jinto

This chart tells you what you interprete into it. I mean the ingenuity of this thing is, that lower incomes have to make up for the gap that is left by the super wealthy. Every non-super-wealthy has to pay for their gain in wealth and power.
This is what makes many middle class people run to radical parties like the TeaParty.
While this chart is meant to make a point for the super wealthy, it will not work for the middle class (to make a case for them), because you cannot reap more from classes below them. Still such people will most likely support your interpretation of the chart. Which is just an own goal.

Irrelevant.

What you mentioned is basically wealth-distribution. Now I don't want to talk about the moral rubbish attached to it. However, you must have collect something first and then distribute right? Right? If your fund keeps increasing every year, what the heck are you complaining about?? Talking about greed...

Do you even know what is the difference between nominal and real GDP? And that there is something called inflation, Bretton Woods Agreement, prime rate of interest that indirectly affects the tax revenue as an overall?

isn't it obvious? You can go find the source of the graph yourself and read it, if you insist on the obscure.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by iLney

Irrelevant.

It's perfectly relevant when you don't know where the money is allocated if you just look at the chart. Jinto isn't touching on the moral side of it, he's saying the doesn't give a clear perspective of the distribution of wealth within the population. It's quite a common criticism of the concept of GDP. Ergo, the chart doesn't tell you much.

[Jinto]

Originally Posted by iLney

Irrelevant.

What you mentioned is basically wealth-distribution. Now I don't want to talk about the moral rubbish attached to it. However, you must have collect something first and then distribute right? Right? If your fund keeps increasing every year, what the heck are you complaining about?? Talking about greed...

I think you don't get the implications. So, in easier to understand words just for you. If you support what is going on in this chart, you are basically begging to pay even more taxes (unless you are super wealthy). If that is what you want, then I'ld like to compliment you for being so generous with your money (I doubt there will be many like minded people as generous as you though)

[killer3000ad]

Pakistan:Man cleared of blasphemy charge, killed by religious vigilantes

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by iLney

isn't it obvious? You can go find the source of the graph yourself and read it, if you insist on the obscure.

How can something be obvious when it doesn't make sense? And since when is inflation obscure to anything that has got to do with money?

You don't even know what the graph actually means. Or even the concept of economics for that matter. There is a limited amount of "current" money in this world - the rest is all either credit or inflation. Taxes is supposed to only account for current money because they are accounts receivable a.t.m, also known as cash-in-hand, but GDP takes into account credit, which is money from the future assuming that what is produced is consumed or exported.

That is another reason why the chart is incredibly ridiculous to referent something that are two financially different things.

Finally, 1% of $100,000 is more than 5% of $1,000, but in mathematics mean and averages will take the pool of total and divide everything equally. Do the math before you run any claims of "wealth distribution is irrelevant". Also, payrises DO NOT increase proportionately to inflation - someone getting higher pay doesn't mean he can live a much richer life if inflation goes up at the time he receives a new paycheck.

[Tom Bombadil]

Originally Posted by killer3000ad

China bans time travel from TV

Half truth, half exaggeration. Believe what you want to believe, I guess.

[Ithekro]

Explain. What did they get incorrect about China this time?

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Tom Bombadil

Half truth, half exaggeration. Believe what you want to believe, I guess.

Is the exaggeration part about "limiting" rather than "banning"?

Though I am wondering if the CCP learnt anything from the Green Dam or Grass-mud Horse incident a few years back.

[Vexx]

And this is some illumination on why the looting by the robber barons of the US will continue with no recourse for the public from either political party.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/bu...prosecute.html

The peasants who defend the idea of their lords screwing them never fail to astound...