West Virginia Republican: The minimum wage is archaic

[Heracles 417]

I'm just pointing out your bs, no need to get all huffy over it.

There isn't any BS there at all actually. Whether you personally admit it or not, the fact is that the US no longer ranks highly in most international comparisons - end of story.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

There isn't any BS there at all actually. Whether you personally admit it or not, the fact is that the US no longer ranks highly in most international comparisons - end of story.

Your statement was pure bs, I merely pointed it out. Please provide me with a link that shows every first world country using the US as a bad example. And please provide me with supporting information as to why all of these superior countries continually compare themselves with the third world US. Thanks.

[Heracles 417]

You are right again!

We just need to start another world war wherein all of the industrial countries are left in a pile of ruble so we can benefit from the rebuilding of them.

Actually the debt of WWII was still being paid off during the 50's and 60's. You guys don't manufacture anything anymore, so the old notion that war gets the economy rolling is now bogus. It's why Iraq and Afghanistan have bankrupted the country, not to mention the tens of billion a year paid in interest to fund these wars and the military.

PS You dodged the fiscal and ideological differences towards government and taxation.

Edited October 15, 2010 by Heracles

[Heracles 417]

Your statement was pure bs, I merely pointed it out. Please provide me with a link that shows every first world country using the US as a bad example. And please provide me with supporting information as to why all of these superior countries continually compare themselves with the third world US. Thanks.

Don't need any link, how many have policies in areas such as unemployment, minimum wage, health care, military expenditure etc etc that are similar to the US? To the contrary, a majority of first world countries share a number of similarities: from the VAT/GST, to lower cost health care, to a decent [livable] minimum wage.

[Danno 1,228]

Actually the debt of WWII was still being paid off during the 50's and 60's. You guys don't manufacture anything anymore, so the old notion that war gets the economy rolling is now bogus. It's why Iraq and Afghanistan have bankrupted the country, not to mention the tens of billion a year paid in interest to fund these wars and the military.

PS You dodged the fiscal and ideological differences towards government and taxation.

But you are the one suggesting "we can go back to that golden time".

To do that one would have to recreate more than tax laws.

[mawilson 2,133]

Actually the best thing to do to eliminate wastage and bureaucracy is move taxes to a federal level. The feds would collect income tax and have the GST/VAT, and then distribute the tax collected back to each state. Not only does this eliminate the tens of billions lost in tax loopholes, it's a much more efficient - business oriented - approach to tax collection; sure as hell works well abroad.

That's a terrible idea. The Federal government should not be involved in anything at all,

except law enforcement, the military and (maybe) social security. Everything else should

be done at the state level.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Don't need any link, how many have policies in areas such as unemployment, minimum wage, health care, military expenditure etc etc that are similar to the US? To the contrary, a majority of first world countries share a number of similarities: from the VAT/GST, to lower cost health care, to a decent [livable] minimum wage.

Like I said, pure bs on your part. Show me where the rest of the first world uses the US as a negative example and then explain your continual comparisons with such a third world country as the US? Why the comparisons? Everyone I know compares themselves with the best, not the worst. Unless they have low self esteem.

[Danno 1,228]

Don't need any link, how many have policies in areas such as unemployment, minimum wage, health care, military expenditure etc etc that are similar to the US? To the contrary, a majority of first world countries share a number of similarities: from the VAT/GST, to lower cost health care, to a decent [livable] minimum wage.

Why is it if Europe is so fantastically strong and successful ..... why are US bases all over the place defending them?

300 mil Americans defending 500 Mil europeans.

How much do you figure that costs us.... and saves them?

[Heracles 417]

That's a terrible idea. The Federal government should not be involved in anything at all,

except law enforcement, the military and (maybe) social security. Everything else should

be done at the state level.

That might be in a 200+ year old Constitution, however that does not mean it's the most efficient model. The most efficient model is federalism, something replicated in every other single first world country and now in emerging countries.

Being that you are business savvy, how can you sit here and claim having tax structure after tax structure in each state is more efficient than a single federal GST/VAT and a single income tax, with the funds distributed proportionally to every state. That's a no brainer to me. Best of all, extremely efficient as it reduces bureaucracy and the duplication of jobs; where people are doing the exact same task in each city, county, state and federal level. It also closes the billion dollar tax loopholes and black market. Under GST/VAt, you have to pay tax somewhere, no getting around it.

What you recommend is essentially the equivalent of Walmart having a different payroll office, marketing, HR, strategy divisions, analysts, purchasing departments and so forth in every single state. Is that efficient? Since we like business so much, why not apply these logical consolidations and improvement in efficiency to the government?

Edited October 15, 2010 by Heracles

[Heracles 417]

Why is it if Europe is so fantastically strong and successful ..... why are US bases all over the place defending them?

300 mil Americans defending 500 Mil europeans.

How much do you figure that costs us.... and saves them?

A more appropriate question would be since you guys are bankrupt and apparently hate wastage, pork as you call it, then why are you continuing to pump money into ####### like that?

The right carries on and on about wastage and big-government, yet the biggest government department, the biggest socialist program of them all, is the United States Military and the private contractors who milk the American taxpayer.

[Danno 1,228]

A more appropriate question would be since you guys are bankrupt and apparently hate wastage, pork as you call it, then why are you continuing to pump money into ####### like that?

The right carries on and on about wastage and big-government, yet the biggest government department, the biggest socialist program of them all, is the United States Military and the private contractors who milk the American taxpayer.

Many on the right (and left) think it is long past time to close those bases, or at least put them in mothballs.

What do you think would happen to those economies in some of those towns and areas should we do it?

[mawilson 2,133]

Being that you are business savvy, how can you sit here and claim having tax structure after tax structure in each state is more efficient than a single federal GST/VAT and a single income tax, with the funds distributed proportionally to every state.

Because you can't paint all the states with the same brush.

Is there a "European income tax"? No. Spain has its own and Germany has its own.

Spain and Germany are too different to use the same tax system.

[Heracles 417]

Because you can't paint all the states with the same brush.

Is there a "European income tax"? No. Spain has its own and Germany has its own.

Spain and Germany are too different to use the same tax system.

Well yeah, they are a union, rather than a single nation.

That said, a number of the leading European nations have a few things in common, with one being a decent minimum wage and excellent benefits for workers. Considering 94% of Americans work for someone, I'd be paying attention to what they do too.

PS Europeans also have a larger number of people that are self employed than America does.

Edited October 15, 2010 by Heracles

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

You are absolutely right.

Well, that's the story of my life.

How dare you demand I pay someone enough to support a family when they have done nothing to prepare them self for this roll.

Prepare themselves for this role? Like by learning how to properly communicate in writing? Yeah...

Look, turn this argument on it's head: How dare businesses operate on the assumption that the taxpayer will feed, house and medically care for the people that work for them? If you can't run a business in a way that offers gainful employment to the people that you ask to work for you, then you have no business running that business.

As a taxpayer, I am sick and tired of subsidizing these fcuked up businesses that can't take care of themselves. Or, to put it in your terms, that haven't prepared themselves for that role.

[mawilson 2,133]

Well yeah, they are a union, rather than a single nation.

The US is a union too. US states have more in common that EU countries, but they are not all the same.