"Rapes"? Taxes exist in every country. How is this raping?You may want to stick to facts from a little closer than half a century ago.
That's a good one. You do realize you live in a country that rapes you with taxes every year?
AntiAmericanism
- Thread starter Phlegmak
- Start date
Shekwan
Kim Chi Quaffing Celt
Good point, it would be interesting to find out. I would say it's pretty similar in all the developed countries. Places like Saudi Arabia have the highest numbers of skilled immigrants I'd say.
We're going a bit off topic now though.
Erik Mesoy
Core Tester / Intern
You're murdering the English language.
Desmond Hawkins
Deity
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2002
- Messages
- 9,922
My point is obviously valid. You were behind a great many other countries in terms of "freedom" for a very long time. You are trying to make America out to be exceptional. I would suggest it is only exceptional in terms of its size and population. And that is a product of the lack of competition when it was expanding. You had what, a half million Canadians, Sitting Bull and some incompetent Mexican army to contend with? Congratulations. When the French went to expand they had Britain, Germany, Russia, and countless others in there way. When Germany went to expand, they had France, Britain, the Russians, the Canadians, the Australians, and (eventually after lonnnnnngggg deliberation) the Americans.
All you are is a standard western, developed nation that has been scaled up by an order of magnitude. America isn't a terrible country, but indexed for population, it isn't THAT impressive either. My argument is that its exceptionalism in other areas (besides size) is a part of its mythology and bears little resemblance to reality
I don't think I am anti-American for pointing that out. But you did perfectly display an example of why people can get so annoyed by Americans.
Why, because they are a 1/5th higher than yours, while I actually live in a city that I can walk around at night without getting shot? Where I can go to universities where enrollment is based mostly on your credentials rather than how much your parents donate? Ya, poor me. I sure am bent over a barrel.
I've never heard guns shots, and I've lived quite a bit in America, and my parents didn't donate a dime to the university I'm going to.
Shekwan
Kim Chi Quaffing Celt
Very true. If you don't like taxes you can move to Somalia.College is a lot more expensive in the US though. It costs me about €200 to enroll for a year at college for example. How much does a college in the US typicall charge?
Dr.Mindbender
King
A little offtrack from your discussion with him, but do you at least agree that there is more corruption in our higher education system? That is tuition increases, ridiculous teachers and administrators salaries to name a few...
Desmond Hawkins
Deity
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2002
- Messages
- 9,922
Do you live downtown? Could wander 90 percent of the inner city neighbourhoods in Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Cleveland, or DC in the middle of the night and feel safe?
This might not be the fault of recent governments per se, but it is an ugly aspect of American society that I would say is rooted in inequality. I would always, for the rest of my life pay more taxes (though not as much more as LordRahl thinks we pay) to live in Canada or another country with similar advantages. It is hardly what I would call being raped.
And obviously not everyone donates to get into good universities, but when it comes to your top schools, from which most of the elite come, it is largely based on donations and connections. How the hell did Bush go to Yale? There are probably a million intelligent, hard-working American high school grads a year who deserve those positions based on merit. In fact there are probably a good 500,000 a year who literally get a 4.0 GPA equivalent. Shouldn't they go first? Isn't that what a meritocracy is supposed to do? If the rich are so much better, their kids should have to compete to get their spots.
I find it ironic that you throw around the phrase "American Myth" around, and then go and post something as dumb as above...
None of your misconceptions about the U.S. are true...
By the way - you may want to double check your tax rate, as compared with the U.S. - the number seems to be 2.5 times as much as the one you stated:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_Freedom_Day
Canadians on average pay 1.5 as much as the Americans in taxes. Socialism at its finest... No thanks - I prefer to spend my money myself.
there's your answer...it's LordRahl's attitude applied and adjusted to a non-American would probably make a anti-american guy
both versions of blind adoration/hate are quite silly IMHO
...the article itself explicitly states that "tax freedom" day isn't the taxes of an average person - average Americans do not pay 30.8% of taxes.
Desmond Hawkins
Deity
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2002
- Messages
- 9,922
Well greatest country on Earth, tell me about the wealth in your nation after this whole housing scam thing finishes panning out. Seems Americans are not nearly as well off as was thought. Exceptional? Seems to me no better than the rest of the countries that had bubbles.
How so? According to wikipedia your murder rate is about three times as high as ours. And 70% of your murders are committed with guns compared to 30% of ours. So saying I would be far more likely to get shot in the US (and specifically US cities) is quite accurate. Considering that I love being able to live in vibrant cities, it would be doubly bad to have to live in one of those stale gated communities - that are so ubiquitous down there - to reach a Canadian level of safety.
What the hell are you talking about? You told me that I was being raped by taxes. The majority of the Canadian middle class (where I will most likely settle as I age) is not paying that much more. And if you consider that our health care coverage is included in taxation, the proportion of my income left over for discretionary spending will be greater than is first suggested. I think median rates after mandatory private expenditures (health care) are more appropriate. But you are the friggen engineer aren't you? Clearly you have taken intro stats and understand that when you are talking about the typical person median levels are more appropriate.
And again, even if I am paying 30 percent more taxes, it is worth it. For that matter, if I was paying 50 percent more it would still be worth it. The point is that the figure is not that much different than the American figure that it is worth having to live in American society.
EDIT: Upon further reading of the Tax Freedom Day article, the Canadian figures were given by the Fraser Institute, which is notorious for its right wing bias. In fact, your very article says that the Fraser Institute likely pushed the Canadian date two months later through flawed accounting and exclusion of several important tax forms.
I think there are at least three definitions
1)Irrational hate for US, bias againist American people
2)By people who should admit US mistakes but feel that until opponents will mention problems of at least in 20 failed states and major countries like Russia, China and European Union it only shows bias againist US.
3)By american patriots who call all critics as antiamerican. They should use word even to fellow-countrymen.
1)Irrational hate for US, bias againist American people
2)By people who should admit US mistakes but feel that until opponents will mention problems of at least in 20 failed states and major countries like Russia, China and European Union it only shows bias againist US.
3)By american patriots who call all critics as antiamerican. They should use word even to fellow-countrymen.
holy king
Deity
do people like lord rahl really exist in real world usa or is this an internet phenomenon?
They really exist.
Also, there is a forum full of Objectivists. Look for Objectivist forum. I tried actually talking to them on that forum but I gave up quickly, after I realized they weren't rational.
bathsheba666
Fast 'n Bulbous
Of course, whatever one's personal thoughts on the matter...
you just have to gasp at the clarity of their thought processes...
Eukaryote
Deity
Arrogant poster is arrogant.
Bugfatty300
Buddha Squirrel
When you americans came to my country and everyone is calling you "gringos"
This word is common around the people and it came since the USA-Mexico war, when mexican citizens shouts to american soldiers "Green, go home"
The sound of green go and "gringo" is the same
Just a silly example
I've never heard that version. Although American soldiers wore blue and not green. I don't even think "gringo" originated in Mexico.
Masquerouge
Deity
Actually I've heard another version, the US soldier were singing "Green grows the grass..." and it was shortened to gringo.
Similar threads
