Thread: Got Pension? Don't bet on it.

The Daily Show, it's like Glen Beck for the lefties.

Originally Posted by Big Pimpin

The Daily Show, it's like Glen Beck for the lefties.

How so?

Originally Posted by Big Pimpin

The Daily Show, it's like Glen Beck for the lefties.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiight

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiight

He is.

It is the opposite of Oreilly, I think this is a well known fact. I take what I hear there with the same skepticism as Oreilly; the same as everyone should with all media.

So you're admitting that Glenn Beck's show was mostly comedy and not serious?

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

Ellen Schultz - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - 10/17/11 - Video Clip | Comedy Central


Nice, pretty soon we will have gotten enough money in the hands of job creators and they can start creating minimum wage jobs for you and you family! Sweet!

The same question I always ask of all critics, what is the solution oh wise one? I know I don't know what it is, some good ideas are thrown around but I dont hear much more than more taxes and more debt lately. Wages are low, how do you plan to force companies to pay more in the private sector? Are you going to employ more inefficient government workers who cost so much more than private workers to tax payers? I see the post office is doing great lets use its model as an example. These are the questions people don't and can't answer no matter the side of the isle you are on. There in lies the problem, people don't want to admit there is no quick fix and spout rhetoric just to get their agenda across that benefits them, not you and Me.

Pensions - even for the few that have them - are in jeopardy.

Even the federal pension for federal govt employees is broke. The US post office pension has been depleted since the US govt spent it on other stuff. Don't worry, they'll pay it back.

Many state pensions are underfunded.

401Ks? Buh-bye.

We'll work until we drop. That's OK, because if you expect to do so, you can plan your life accordingly.

Do what you want to do in life, now.

Originally Posted by oufinny

It is the opposite of Oreilly, I think this is a well known fact. I take what I hear there with the same skepticism as Oreilly; the same as everyone should with all media.

This I agree with, but definitely not Beck. Beck would make baseless claims and connect them together in some form of conspiracy theory. Stewart doesn't do that, he reports the news and adds comedy, more like O'Reilly. I actually like O'Reilly, I think he is inflammatory for the sake of being inflammatory, but I like him.

Originally Posted by oufinny

The same question I always ask of all critics, what is the solution oh wise one? I know I don't know what it is, some good ideas are thrown around but I dont hear much more than more taxes and more debt lately. Wages are low, how do you plan to force companies to pay more in the private sector? Are you going to employ more inefficient government workers who cost so much more than private workers to tax payers? I see the post office is doing great lets use its model as an example. These are the questions people don't and can't answer no matter the side of the isle you are on. There in lies the problem, people don't want to admit there is no quick fix and spout rhetoric just to get their agenda across that benefits them, not you and Me.

Simple:

Public financing of Campaigns
Limit political contributions for people and corporations
A 2 term limit for all politicians
I think tax rates should be dropped, the tax rate flattened, and all loopholes closed. The only way for this to work is for it to increase revenue, not be revenue netutral
I believe some new loopholes should be created for companies who are 100% US based
I think all income, including capital gains, should be taxed the same
A small tariffs on all imports to dissuade companies from buidling shit overseas.

The reason the post office is a failure is because it is an outdated mode of communication, not because it is run by the government. Remember when stamps were 19 cents and the Post Office was doing fine? That's because there wasn't email, the web, and it cost a bazillion dollars to call long distance. I am 100% for killing the post office, it's a waste of money.

As for how can you force companies to pay more in the private sector? You can't and I'm not for the gov't stepping in and forcing it. I do know that companies are not willfully doing it, so I don't think putting money in the hands of the job creators will change this so it won't help any of us. It may help some Chinese kid make 50 cents a day, but it won't help us.

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

Simple:

Public financing of Campaigns
Limit political contributions for people and corporations
A 2 term limit for all politicians
I think tax rates should be dropped, the tax rate flattened, and all loopholes closed. The only way for this to work is for it to increase revenue, not be revenue netutral
I believe some new loopholes should be created for companies who are 100% US based
I think all income, including capital gains, should be taxed the same
A small tariffs on all imports to dissuade companies from buidling shit overseas.

The reason the post office is a failure is because it is an outdated mode of communication, not because it is run by the government. Remember when stamps were 19 cents and the Post Office was doing fine? That's because there wasn't email, the web, and it cost a bazillion dollars to call long distance. I am 100% for killing the post office, it's a waste of money.

As for how can you force companies to pay more in the private sector? You can't and I'm not for the gov't stepping in and forcing it. I do know that companies are not willfully doing it, so I don't think putting money in the hands of the job creators will change this so it won't help any of us. It may help some Chinese kid make 50 cents a day, but it won't help us.

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

Simple:

Public financing of Campaigns
Limit political contributions for people and corporations
A 2 term limit for all politicians
I think tax rates should be dropped, the tax rate flattened, and all loopholes closed. The only way for this to work is for it to increase revenue, not be revenue netutral
I believe some new loopholes should be created for companies who are 100% US based
I think all income, including capital gains, should be taxed the same
A small tariffs on all imports to dissuade companies from buidling shit overseas.

The reason the post office is a failure is because it is an outdated mode of communication, not because it is run by the government. Remember when stamps were 19 cents and the Post Office was doing fine? That's because there wasn't email, the web, and it cost a bazillion dollars to call long distance. I am 100% for killing the post office, it's a waste of money.

As for how can you force companies to pay more in the private sector? You can't and I'm not for the gov't stepping in and forcing it. I do know that companies are not willfully doing it, so I don't think putting money in the hands of the job creators will change this so it won't help any of us. It may help some Chinese kid make 50 cents a day, but it won't help us.

I agree with a lot of what you say (terms limits and public financed campaigns especially) but your idea of a tariff is illegal. Import tariffs are legal, export tariffs are illegal and a will dissuade international trade. Actually, free trade agreements promote trade and the selling of goods outside the country (to an extent, it is not perfect as we see with NAFTA) which nets the country more jobs and tax revenue, win win.

As for a flat tax I am with you, I think 2 taxes one that is for people under a certain amount of income and another for people over say $400-500K (close but not the same amount, think something like 10 and 15 as an example of what I am getting at). Capital gains is double taxation and it dissuades savings which is the country's biggest issue. If you make 1% on a savings account but pay taxes that you already paid on the money in it yet again, who is going to save? The moral of that story is interest rates need to go up, artificially keeping them low benefits the huge borrowers significantly more than the little guy and incentivises unwise investments as the risk diminishes (low cost of borrowing). Lot of rambling I know but none of this is simple.

I am not for a national sales tax unless you have a single flat tax (or what I suggested above) and get rid of capital gains, you can't have all 4/5 (income, nat'l sales, state, local and capital gains). Once you look at how much that all adds to it is ridiculous. As an example, in IL where I grew up, I lost 45% of my paycheck to the government. I may have gotten maybe 5-7% of that back but I made shit for money (under $10K a year, how is that fair?). I bring that up because I like the flat tax idea, I like the fair tax or national sales tax idea but I don't like that combined with capital gains as well. Pick one of the other, and there needs to be a law written into the constitution that prevents a VAT from developing, that is the goal of the conservatives that no one talks about and I despise being one myself.

I hear you on private companies, that lies in the hands of the employees but I don't support the US unionizing either. I negotiate for my salary and negotiate hard, it is a merit based system so do your job and you should be rewarded. If not, find a new employer who will reward your hard work. Americans now a days want everything handed to them, get the fuck over yourselves and realize it never did and never will work like that. Put down the stupid knit hat, take a shower, wear some clean clothes and get a job. Sure it may not be glamorous right away but getting a job when you are employeed is a lot easier than when your not.

Ok, end rant. And Dale, this may be one the most agreeable exchanges we have ever had.

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

This I agree with, but definitely not Beck. Beck would make baseless claims and connect them together in some form of conspiracy theory. Stewart doesn't do that, he reports the news and adds comedy, more like O'Reilly. I actually like O'Reilly, I think he is inflammatory for the sake of being inflammatory, but I like him.

Well said on both points, I like John Stewart and watch the Daily Show at least once a week. Same goes for O'Reilly but I can only take him in small doses so I catch segments that I like online most mornings. The one thing both do that many news anchors on CNN/MSNBC/major networks don't is force the people they interview/talk with to answer questions. Rarely do you see someone beat around the bush and get away with it on either program which I like, regardless of what side of the political spectrum you are on.