Do what you want, and I will me.

Good day.:salute:

Just don't cry when the Niemoller happens to you.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me.

Don't tread on me.

"Hey, lay off Detroit. Them people is going through Mad Max times."

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__...oe_Szyslak.png

Nothing a "Flaming Homer *cough* Moe" won't fix.
:D
..

I should also point out the logical flaw in the assumption that everyone deserves what they earn. If there's no ethical restrictions on how to spend the money, why should there be any on how it's earned? After all, if it's theirs, who cares...

(the real answer is that of course, most of that major investment money is earned by speculation, i.e. not actually earned at all in the first place)

So I don't come home sweaty and covered in dirt every day?

I know how I earn my money, not off the back of others, thats for sure.

Call me what you want, but I work for a living, not read the Wall Street Journal, and "bet" on a companys prosperity.

I work, unlike most. Yet I am still called a socialist demoncrat because I want everyone to have the chance I got. A fair wage, and a shot at the American dream. Despite my poor upbringing, I am a homeowner. Because I was given a chance.

I dont think that they have to be an American Muslim in order to not be unreasonable we just hear about the bad ones on the news and therefore assume that they all feel they way if they come form X place.There are some very Zionist Jews in the US and Israel but most people do not assume that every Jew is a hard core Zionist or at least I don't.

There are good people and bad people everywhere the bad ones want you to see everyone of their kind the same way.

The thing that we forget in America is that we have freedom of the press and a huge amount of media sources to get information from.In some countries the government has the final say meaning anything that they see on TV or hear on the radio or read in a news paper it was approved by the government.
They dont fathom what that anyone can pump out what ever they want and our government doe not really care and has no desire to approve anything.

When the "crazy" ones hear about something another "crazy" has made they flip out because they assume that the US government surely must have sanctioned it.These people don't get any real education either so it should not be very surprising that they would trust a persons word especially if they are a religious leader.

I bet a pristine 1905 nickel that 99% of the guys protesting/rioting never even saw that movie and a good portion of them are also teenage and early 20's young men just looking for a reason to tear ass around they even said on the news that in Egypt they could hear the crowd yelling out football (soccer) chants.

Your Iranian co-worker is most likely either a Persian or a Lur not an Arab.If he is a Lur especially he will naturally have a fairly lax view about religion I'm half Lur myself on my mothers side and not a single family member is a big fan of organized religion they are either christian or muslim but mildly so. I have one cousin that is heavy into the crazy Pentecostal only praying heals illness though.


Myself I read both the bible and the koran(a translated copy) during basic training mostly out boredom I found both to be both equally entertaining and contradictory and I already knew real right from wrong so they did not teach me anything there either.I think it is funny when people truly believe that a burning bush spoke to a man and Mohammad sounds like perhaps he was
maybe a paranoid sycophantic he wanted to strike down the heathens and their false idols yet then he wants to pray towards a freaking rock they did not have psychotropic drugs back then sadly anyway I'm sure that he meant well.Then you have the Jews and muslims in love with same rock only not the same one that has the bling ass box around it and you are not required to pray towards it but you are supposed to kill the other dude that loves it because your cousins or something so they put a bling ass golden dome on top of it.

I am not insulting god Im just saying that people use the claim of his divine inspiration to control people by making thm fear that if they do not follow X way they go to hell but how can man know such things when he reads something written by another man.

I kinda chopped your post up. Pardon. Makes a good jumping off point.!

I agree most of them barely know what a TV is and did not see it, but were incited by local clerics. Using "suitable beliefs."

I also read the Quran, more out of curiosity, and see alot of passages related to Jihad, yet see alot of passages leading to judging people on their intentions.

They even acknowledge Jesus (esau) as a prophet, Abraham (IBRAHIM) is one of their biggest prophets, second only to Muhammad. Amazing they hate the Jews so much... They really are almost the same, except it is easier to become Muslim than jew.

Silly really, IMHO.

They are both semitic people.

As a religion Islam is not evil.

But the morons who do all the "interpreting" are stuck in the crusades.

Even Salahudin was tolerant (after he kicked our asses back to europe), and shared with the Christians. What is wrong with these guys?



I know, but I will spare you my rants.

My point of this post is that they are not evil people, as our government and media implies. (EDIT: more misguided, due to religious authorities dictating what goes, and doesn't)

Yeah Stealhead, he calls himself Persian. Good call.:)

Oh dear, some people are being reasonble. I can't see that lasting
How long till skybrd says all those muslims you are talking about are not real muslims and the hardcore jihadi passages are the only ones to follow while the only version of sharia is the one him and the taliban say it is?

The answer is out there, what this topic needs is some....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H40wUz-Fd8

It's a good thing not everyone is stupid enough to believe that.

Sure I call em Muzzies sometimes, but they are just people. Sure I mock their extremists, but they do not have differing media sites.

You read Fox, I read MSNBC (news sewers, I know) 2 skews of the same story, but I know I can crossover to another source, they have one source. What some mullah/imam tells them.

I can understand their jealousy and hatred, but that is up to them to change, not us, or anyone else.

Our will and wants is not absolute, NATO/UN is not god. (its a joke)

Except that it is earned. Investing in the stock market involves financial risk. More than one fortune has been wiped out by bad or ill timed investments. It's also the same risk that people are taking when they invest their 401k and pension plan money. Same tax rate too. If Obama wants to raise the tax on the money Mitt and the so called 1% are making he's going to have to raise it on every Americans retirement fund investments as well. That'll go over well.

Lets not forget that the upstart company needs investors. The stock market is the tool used to keep account of what the individual invested. A company is built. Jobs created. Somehow working the stock market is a bad thing now? Lets see, MR company outsources and its a bad thing. If anyone else outsources its called a world economy. Painting a picture that MR is a pioneer in outsourcing is ridiculous. I wonder what it made Jobs look like with Apple's i-whatever manufactured in China? If I'm going to invest my money in The Little Giant Vacuum Company I would expect a return if the company does well. As August said, if you have a 401k you are in the markets. If you don't have a 401k or IRA I recommend you start one. Social Security is not enough to retire on.

Ok then if returns on investment are socially responsible allocations of capital as you say, then why do they need to be incentivized with a lower tax rate? If it's honest work to invest in the stock market and earn a return, why is that work not taxed at the same rate of the income someone earns building bridges or healing children or anything else? Why is capital valued more than labor when both are equally needed for an economy to function? And don't go there with the "job creators" stuff - consumer demand creates jobs, not some guy with money burning a hole in his pocket. No one creates a job that demand doesn't call for.

And while it's true that the average American has a stake in the capital markets, you're thinking too theoretically. Look at it practically: how can you argue that the rules don't disproportionately favor the top 1% or 10% or whoever who actually takes home the vast majority of investment income? Can't find the exact figure, but something like 90% of the investment income in this country goes to the top 10%.

Lower tax incentives to get people to invest and start retirement accounts. Tax deferred. Early withdrawal a higher tax rate. Capital gains from stocks taxed at thle individuals tax rate. Interest on home loans as a write off yearly and incentive to purchase a home. So you believe investing is not honest work. With the dishonest investors then where would companies like GE and Ford be? Who said capital is valued more than labor? Sounds like you did. Why should the bridge builder company be taxed more than the laborer who built the bridge? Because they are the fat cats living off someone's back? Fine, as the laborer, go take the risk and start your own company. When you become successful you make pay more taxes. It's your patriotic duty.

The rules don't favor everyone. Get over it. The responsibilities of the company owner and the worker are not equally shared. The top 10% took the risk. They should not be rewarded? The common worker has the same opportunities to become the top 10%. Take a risk.

Doesn't the fact that they're tax deferred provide the incentive?

Putting words in my mouth. Said no such thing.

The tax code did. Capital gains is taxed at a maximum of 15%. Earned income's top marginal tax rate is 35%. Since one is taxed more and one is taxed less, one is valued more and the other is valued less. I'll let you figure out which one's which.

That's not the question. Don't mischaracterize the argument. The question is why should he be taxed less.

Assuming you meant "anyone", the tax code would suggest otherwise.

Touched a nerve?

To use your example - fat chance trying to use your money to build a bridge if you have no one to pour the concrete. Labor and capital are both needed equally to accomplish anything.

Do they? Do we truly enjoy perfect social mobility?