Comments for Freethinker http://fthink.org Religion is the survivalism of higher reasoning Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:28:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on The budget explained in simple English by Dave McCray http://fthink.org/the-budget-explained-in-simple-english/#comment-124 Dave McCray Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:28:19 +0000 http://fthink.org/?p=529#comment-124 .I am sure you believe what you are saying. Keep this in a household mentality.... IF Your house/ your family did not have enough money to cover costs...(and a lot do not) you would make cut backs.. Hot dogs instead of steak, no dining out, turning lights off when not in use, only driving when you need to, not helping out your neighbor, sorry community college, kids can’t go to Yale this year. no family vacation, and the list could go on. So just few cuts i could see the Gov. making that would be an inconvenience but not disastrous. Cut yes CUT foreign aide,, take care of home first. If we don’t we will be Third world country as you say, anyway. Stop giving tax breaks to immigrants. Stop having parades fireworks etc. putting Christmas lights up , fourth of July decorations, etc., Yes I like these things, but are they needed when we can’t pay the bills? I could go on and on with things that could be cut without cutting things that are necessary. But I hope you see my point of view. Taxes need to go up? I really don’t agree, just have everyone pay taxes, at the same rate . Yes a flat tax! 20 % for everyone, poor, middle class and rich. After all everyone uses the services you mentioned. My 2 cents..... Off my soap box .I am sure you believe what you are saying. Keep this in a household mentality…. IF
Your house/ your family did not have enough money to cover costs…(and a lot do not) you would make cut backs.. Hot dogs instead of steak, no dining out, turning lights off when not in use, only driving when you need to, not helping out your neighbor, sorry community college, kids can’t go to Yale this year. no family vacation, and the list could go on.
So just few cuts i could see the Gov. making that would be an inconvenience but not disastrous. Cut yes CUT foreign aide,, take care of home first. If we don’t we will be Third world country as you say, anyway. Stop giving tax breaks to immigrants. Stop having parades fireworks etc. putting Christmas lights up , fourth of July decorations, etc., Yes I like these things, but are they needed when we can’t pay the bills? I could go on and on with things that could be cut without cutting things that are necessary. But I hope you see my point of view.
Taxes need to go up? I really don’t agree, just have everyone pay taxes, at the same rate . Yes a flat tax! 20 % for everyone, poor, middle class and rich. After all everyone uses the services you mentioned. My 2 cents….. Off my soap box

]]> Comment on The budget explained in simple English by Greg Durocher http://fthink.org/the-budget-explained-in-simple-english/#comment-123 Greg Durocher Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:28:16 +0000 http://fthink.org/?p=529#comment-123 This is a bunch of babble designed to confuse the mathematically illiterate. There is no apples-to-apples comparison - more like apples to watermelons! On this chart, the top 20% income is compared to the taxes for the top 1%. The bottom 80% income is compared with the taxes for the bottom 99%. Huh? Isn't a significant portion of the bottom 99% also part of the top 20%? Are these the guys who wrote our tax code?!! Why is there nothing on the TAXES for the top 20%, and the INCOME for the bottom 99%? The thing is entirely disconnected! And who deemed that Dad is equal to 20% and Mom equal to 80% of income earners. Why not 50-50? Because it would look ridiculous!.People with agendas love to take advantage of mathematical ignorance within the American populace. Here are the facts: Top 1% pay over 36% of ALL taxes. Bottom 50% pay less than 3% of ALL taxes. How does that fit in with the apples-to-watermelon comparison the chart was trying to make? It doesn't. The whole thing is a deception. This is a bunch of babble designed to confuse the mathematically illiterate. There is no apples-to-apples comparison – more like apples to watermelons! On this chart, the top 20% income is compared to the taxes for the top 1%. The bottom 80% income is compared with the taxes for the bottom 99%. Huh? Isn’t a significant portion of the bottom 99% also part of the top 20%? Are these the guys who wrote our tax code?!! Why is there nothing on the TAXES for the top 20%, and the INCOME for the bottom 99%? The thing is entirely disconnected! And who deemed that Dad is equal to 20% and Mom equal to 80% of income earners. Why not 50-50? Because it would look ridiculous!.People with agendas love to take advantage of mathematical ignorance within the American populace.

Here are the facts:
Top 1% pay over 36% of ALL taxes.
Bottom 50% pay less than 3% of ALL taxes.
How does that fit in with the apples-to-watermelon comparison the chart was trying to make? It doesn’t. The whole thing is a deception.

]]> Comment on Flying Spaghetti Monster Holiday eCard by Dale http://fthink.org/flying-spaghetti-monster-holiday-ecard/#comment-109 Dale Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:51:28 +0000 http://fthink.org/?p=9#comment-109 I wanna say I love this a lot! I wanna say I love this a lot!

]]> Comment on The budget explained in simple English by adam strange http://fthink.org/the-budget-explained-in-simple-english/#comment-91 adam strange Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:01:31 +0000 http://fthink.org/?p=529#comment-91 Why America is failing explained in simple English. US Gross Domestic Product: $14,580,000,000,000 Income for the top 20%: $13,559,400,000,000 Income for the Bottom 80%: $1,020,600,000,000 Tax rate for the top 1%: 15% Tax rate for the bottom 99%: 40% United States Tax Revenue: $2,170,000,000,000 Fed Budget: $3,820,000,000,000 Now remove 8 zeroes and pretend it’s a household budget. Annual Family Income: $145,800 Dad's Income: $135,594 Mom's Income: $10,206 Dad's Household Contribution: 15% Mom's Household Contribution: 40% Combined Household Contribution: $21,700 Total Household Expenses: $38,200 Amount Dad is willing to pull from his Vegas Fund for Grandma’s doctor and our kid’s education: $0 Stop the insanity. If the rich don’t want to pay their fair share, it’s time to for them to find another place to live. Why America is failing explained in simple English.

US Gross Domestic Product: $14,580,000,000,000
Income for the top 20%: $13,559,400,000,000
Income for the Bottom 80%: $1,020,600,000,000
Tax rate for the top 1%: 15%
Tax rate for the bottom 99%: 40%
United States Tax Revenue: $2,170,000,000,000
Fed Budget: $3,820,000,000,000

Now remove 8 zeroes and pretend it’s a household budget.

Annual Family Income: $145,800
Dad’s Income: $135,594
Mom’s Income: $10,206
Dad’s Household Contribution: 15%
Mom’s Household Contribution: 40%
Combined Household Contribution: $21,700
Total Household Expenses: $38,200
Amount Dad is willing to pull from his Vegas Fund for Grandma’s doctor and our kid’s education: $0

Stop the insanity. If the rich don’t want to pay their fair share, it’s time to for them to find another place to live.

]]> Comment on The budget explained in simple English by Jordan Brooke http://fthink.org/the-budget-explained-in-simple-english/#comment-70 Jordan Brooke Sat, 31 Dec 2011 08:43:02 +0000 http://fthink.org/?p=529#comment-70 Please note the The Annual Income as well as the Outstanding Debt figures. Next add the amount of New and Outstanding Debts together. Never mind I will do it for you: $21,700 Yearly Revenue. $159,210 Total Debt. 159,210 / 21,700 = 7.33 years of living in a third world nation, no Government, no Military, no schools, fire department, police, road maintenance, no social security payments, no imports or exports, no emergency response for natural disasters. NOTHING! And yet we would still be collecting taxes at the current rate in order to pay off national debt. 7.33 years of hell just to get us in the black, plus the cost to get everything back up and running when those 7.33 years are finally over, not to mention the costs associated with repairing the massive amount of damages and decay that would no doubt take place during those dark dark years. You can't cut your way out of debt. We need to increase revenues. Taxes need to go up. Please note the The Annual Income as well as the Outstanding Debt figures.
Next add the amount of New and Outstanding Debts together.

Never mind I will do it for you:
$21,700 Yearly Revenue.
$159,210 Total Debt.

159,210 / 21,700 = 7.33 years of living in a third world nation, no Government, no Military, no schools, fire department, police, road maintenance, no social security payments, no imports or exports, no emergency response for natural disasters. NOTHING! And yet we would still be collecting taxes at the current rate in order to pay off national debt. 7.33 years of hell just to get us in the black, plus the cost to get everything back up and running when those 7.33 years are finally over, not to mention the costs associated with repairing the massive amount of damages and decay that would no doubt take place during those dark dark years.

You can’t cut your way out of debt. We need to increase revenues. Taxes need to go up.

]]> Comment on What is Morality? by Silviu Bogan http://fthink.org/what-is-morality/#comment-24 Silviu Bogan Thu, 13 May 2010 13:42:38 +0000 http://fthink.org/?p=269#comment-24 Right is what assures evolution. Right is what assures evolution.

]]> Comment on My Imaginary Friend Jesus by Matt Mikalatos http://fthink.org/my-imaginary-friend-jesus/#comment-19 Matt Mikalatos Wed, 05 May 2010 14:33:45 +0000 http://fthink.org/?p=216#comment-19 Hey Jon-- This is a really interesting post. I've had similar questions (I'm a Christian still). This one and "Why does a good/powerful/loving God allow human suffering on the scale currently extant in the world?" are two of the more troubling questions I think about. I wrote a book about this, too, which just came out recently. I was amazed that a Christian publisher was interested. But it turns out a lot of people wrestle with these questions, even in the church. Anyway, thanks for the post. Matt Hey Jon–

This is a really interesting post. I’ve had similar questions (I’m a Christian still). This one and “Why does a good/powerful/loving God allow human suffering on the scale currently extant in the world?” are two of the more troubling questions I think about.

I wrote a book about this, too, which just came out recently. I was amazed that a Christian publisher was interested. But it turns out a lot of people wrestle with these questions, even in the church.

Anyway, thanks for the post.

Matt

]]> Comment on Morality Without God by Freethinker http://fthink.org/morality-without-god/#comment-20 Freethinker Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:18:45 +0000 http://fthink.org/?p=230#comment-20 Nice video. Nice video.

]]> Comment on What is Morality? by Freethinker http://fthink.org/what-is-morality/#comment-23 Freethinker Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:13:22 +0000 http://fthink.org/?p=269#comment-23 Who defines what is "right"? Who defines what is “right”?

]]> Comment on My Imaginary Friend Jesus by seally http://fthink.org/my-imaginary-friend-jesus/#comment-18 seally Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:31:12 +0000 http://fthink.org/?p=216#comment-18 Kiara, I understand what you're trying to point out, but the Jesus you are talking about fits exactly my personal definition of 'imaginary friend'. To me, imaginary friends are imaginary beings we create ourselves that isn't a physical being but we feel that he/she/it exists. It is usually created when we are lonely and in need of companion, which occurs quite often in children. But that doesn't say they occur only in children--older people can have them as well (who psychologists sometimes label them as having a mental disorder). We think only children creates them because they are usually the most prone to loneliness and in need of support. And I also think that we shouldn't pave the way for our children, but rather they should make their own. This means they can think for themselves and it also helps bring fresh, new ideas. That is very important to progress and innovation. I was raised Buddhist, but I have little care for the religion. My country is far too dogmatic and shortsighted to realize that making laws not to insult the 'main religion' (which should be Hinduism, not Bhuddhism) of Thailand may limit innovation, development and creativity. Kiara, I understand what you’re trying to point out, but the Jesus you are talking about fits exactly my personal definition of ‘imaginary friend’.

To me, imaginary friends are imaginary beings we create ourselves that isn’t a physical being but we feel that he/she/it exists. It is usually created when we are lonely and in need of companion, which occurs quite often in children. But that doesn’t say they occur only in children–older people can have them as well (who psychologists sometimes label them as having a mental disorder). We think only children creates them because they are usually the most prone to loneliness and in need of support.

And I also think that we shouldn’t pave the way for our children, but rather they should make their own. This means they can think for themselves and it also helps bring fresh, new ideas. That is very important to progress and innovation.

I was raised Buddhist, but I have little care for the religion. My country is far too dogmatic and shortsighted to realize that making laws not to insult the ‘main religion’ (which should be Hinduism, not Bhuddhism) of Thailand may limit innovation, development and creativity.

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