Another reason entitlements need to go bye-bye

[Barkingturtle]

Originally Posted by Daldolma [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

You're setting up a ridiculous straw man. Nobody in this thread has labeled Americans as the most ingenious people on the planet -- not by a long shot. Personally, I said the US is the wealthiest and most powerful nation on the planet. Making any judgment about the quality of the citizenry is external to that fact.

But Norway's success as a nation of 5,000,000 is only slightly more relevant than the successes of Israeli kibbutzim when discussing communism. Scale means everything.

I actually said we weren't the most ingenuous of peoples, which was probably just Freudian.

So the excuse again is the size of our nation? How is that acceptable to you? Why is it acceptable to you? I think it's a cop-out and it's just easier than being honest and admitting we're scared and we don't want to admit that policies other than the ones we've come to know and love are in fact superior. We don't want to do the hard things, so we just call them impossible. We're no longer the wealthiest, most powerful nation in the world, but at least we're still making a strong showing in the greed and cowardice races, thanks to folks like you.

[Daldolma]

Originally Posted by Barkingturtle [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I actually said we weren't the most ingenuous of peoples, which was probably just Freudian.

So the excuse again is the size of our nation? How is that acceptable to you? Why is it acceptable to you? I think it's a cop-out and it's just easier than being honest and admitting we're scared and we don't want to admit that policies other than the ones we've come to know and love are in fact superior. We don't want to do the hard things, so we just call them impossible. We're no longer the wealthiest, most powerful nation in the world, but at least we're still making a strong showing in the greed and cowardice races, thanks to folks like you.

Oh no you di'n't. Am I supposed to be offended? I'm not. You're naive. And, worse, ignorant of what goes into government if you believe that the difference between the average quality of life in Norway and the US is attributable to "policies". There is no policy that turns West Baltimore into Norway. Norway didn't just stumble onto the secret to happiness, which every other nation in the world is conveniently ignoring. Norway is a disproportionately wealthy and minuscule nation that represents less than 1/10 of a percentage of the world population and has essentially no role in foreign policy. It's a small and skewed minority.

And you continue to state that "we" -- which I assume means America -- are not the wealthiest or most powerful nation in the world. That is demonstrably incorrect.

[Barkingturtle]

Originally Posted by Daldolma [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

There is no policy that turns West Baltimore into Norway.

That's racist.

Originally Posted by Daldolma [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Norway didn't just stumble onto the secret to happiness, which every other nation in the world is conveniently ignoring.

Well I sure do wonder why Norway and Baltimore are so different. Gee. Did Baltimore stumble upon the secret to misery or something?

In any event, I think it'd be a great exercise for you to list all the other nations with higher quality of life than the U.S. and then you can make excuses for why each one does a better job than us. I'll give you a day or two because I know all that justification can be time-consuming.

[Slathar]

ITT: priveleged white males arguing over which priveleged white male should be in charge

[Daldolma]

Originally Posted by Barkingturtle [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

That's racist.



Well I sure do wonder why Norway and Baltimore are so different. Gee. Did Baltimore stumble upon the secret to misery or something?

In any event, I think it'd be a great exercise for you to list all the other nations with higher quality of life than the U.S. and then you can make excuses for why each one does a better job than us. I'll give you a day or two because I know all that justification can be time-consuming.

It's got nothing to do with race. It's got to do with socio-economics and history. Do you think Connecticut is wealthy and Louisiana is poor because of US policy?

And I've already posted this. If you're going by the Human Development Index, there are only 3 nations above the US. Those 3 combined (Norway, Australia, New Zealand) have a smaller population than California.

[Barkingturtle]

Originally Posted by Daldolma [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

It's got nothing to do with race. It's got to do with socio-economics and history. Do you think Connecticut is wealthy and Louisiana is poor because of US policy?

Uh, yes? Or did we sell Connecticut to Canada while I wasn't paying attention or something? Anyway, you fucking dipshit, we're talking the nation as a whole compared to other nations, as wholes. We're not comparing Quebec and New Mexico, because that is really a less meaningful endeavor than seeing how long I can play with my balls.

Also, the racism comment was an obvious joke, you dumb fuck.

Originally Posted by Daldolma [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

And I've already posted this. If you're going by the Human Development Index, there are only 3 nations above the US. Those 3 combined (Norway, Australia, New Zealand) have a smaller population than California.

Flawed methodology puts us fourth, adjusted for inequality their own numbers drop us to twelfth. Imagine that, we have the capability, and should by all rights be the number four but due to the greed of one percent of us we're languishing in twelfth, at best. Other reports have us as low as 31st.

All that really matters is that we aren't first, and there's no excuse for it. Oh, except the "we're too massive a country to live as well as these micro-nations" excuse which I've already explained is nothing but fear fucking with you, and you're letting it because I guess you're just a pretty huge pussy. Like Tralina's but probably less hairy.

[Ennoia]

Originally Posted by Barkingturtle [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Uh, yes? Or did we sell Connecticut to Canada while I wasn't paying attention or something? Anyway, you fucking dipshit, we're talking the nation as a whole compared to other nations, as wholes. We're not comparing Quebec and New Mexico, because that is really a less meaningful endeavor than seeing how long I can play with my balls.

Also, the racism comment was an obvious joke, you dumb fuck.



Flawed methodology puts us fourth, adjusted for inequality their own numbers drop us to twelfth. Imagine that, we have the capability, and should by all rights be the number four but due to the greed of one percent of us we're languishing in twelfth, at best. Other reports have us as low as 31st.

All that really matters is that we aren't first, and there's no excuse for it. Oh, except the "we're too massive a country to live as well as these micro-nations" excuse which I've already explained is nothing but fear fucking with you, and you're letting it because I guess you're just a pretty huge pussy. Like Tralina's but probably less hairy.

Just shut up before you damage what little brain cells you have left.

[Daldolma]

Originally Posted by Barkingturtle [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Uh, yes? Or did we sell Connecticut to Canada while I wasn't paying attention or something? Anyway, you fucking dipshit, we're talking the nation as a whole compared to other nations, as wholes. We're not comparing Quebec and New Mexico, because that is really a less meaningful endeavor than seeing how long I can play with my balls.

Also, the racism comment was an obvious joke, you dumb fuck.



Flawed methodology puts us fourth, adjusted for inequality their own numbers drop us to twelfth. Imagine that, we have the capability, and should by all rights be the number four but due to the greed of one percent of us we're languishing in twelfth, at best. Other reports have us as low as 31st.

All that really matters is that we aren't first, and there's no excuse for it. Oh, except the "we're too massive a country to live as well as these micro-nations" excuse which I've already explained is nothing but fear fucking with you, and you're letting it because I guess you're just a pretty huge pussy. Like Tralina's but probably less hairy.

Whatever, dude. I can't go over the same shit again and again. I'm not sure whether it's the concept of averages or government that you don't understand, but you're clearly having an intellectual breakdown somewhere along the way if you can't reconcile the fact that the US is the richest, most powerful nation in the world with the fact that their average quality of life is "only" 4th in the world. That doesn't represent a governmental failure.

But fuck adjustments for equality. Equality of lifestyle isn't and never has been a governing motive in America.

[nilbog]

Glancing out my window at work, I notice a newly constructed federal building obtaining metallic gargoyles on the corners of the roofing. This building, which looks like the Parthenon, is being funded by tax dollars. I like gargoyles as much as anyone else, but should that money be taken from me without my consent for nothing more than aesthetics?

When I get called to provide IT support for the United States Army Corps of Engineers, I notice additional tax money being wasted. A job which requires one person to press a button every 30 minutes requires 5+ USACE members working 12 hour days? Mind you, this is only one location. Within ~100 miles, there are probably 300+ of these people doing absolutely nothing.

This is a small portion of what I noticed TODAY... in a small area. If this is the same way our money is spent across the nation, and has been for a long time, it is bewildering that we just now have been degraded in credit score.

The United States has such potential for riches, it's a shame that we can't manage resources.

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