Originally Posted by Malorn
Actually the effect of the Bush tax cuts is, unsurprisingly, not concretely known.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_tax_cuts
Read for yourself. I'm sure you'll ignore the pro-argument and just read the con-argument, but there's "evidence" for both sides so you can put that soap box aside.
And the economy did just fine until the housing bubble burst - and that had nothing to do with the tax cuts. |
That had something to do with a lack of regulation and oversight which is something your probably against.
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That's why there's state-run public schools, and why some states like Texas guarantee scholarships based on merit. Top 10% of the class in every public high school in Texas get a free ride to any state school regardless.
Of course a scholarship based on merit does actually require someone to put forth effort and have a culture that values education.
Plus there's countless other forms of financial aid, many of them are not government funded. You have student loans to the private sector who invest in your education with the contract that you'll pay it back when you get out. You have grants and scholarships from the state, charities, churches, and other organizations. Hell you can even get money for simply being born of a particular genetic composition.
The government need not provide you everything and does more than enough.
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I did terrible in secondary(high) school, guess in America I'd be screwed. Begging, hat in hand, for money.
But hey in Britain, I'm on track to get a first in software engineering now, no problems, no begging.
Republicans arent ones to really foster a culture of education with their insane conspiracy theories. "LIBERAL COMMIE PROFFESORS GUNNA BRAINWASH YOUR KIDS!" "ELITISTS!"
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Why do you say the rich don't work hard? Wealth is generated by someone, and that takes effort, and discipline not to blow it all on stupid shit like 32" rims on a camero.
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getting everything paid for you? not having to get a job while at university?
The majority of wealth is generated by the employees, not the guys on top. They only organise things and take a massively disproportionate share of the wealth earned.
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Growing up in a harder circumstance can also breed ambition, perseverence, and a strong work ethic. It serves as inspiration and motivation to others. It's the American dream. This is true of many minority groups who come to America for opportunity and sieze it, only to ensure their children get better educations and excel. If they just got handouts some would not be as motivated to excel do more to overcome their adversity.
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Some cannot even get started, really why should some people have to work their arses off for 30-40 years with no guarantee of success (most fail) and some have everything given to them by the time they are 25?
Way to inspire people!
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Why bother if you can sit on your couch and get a check for doing nothing? Why contribute to society and improve your station when you're content doing nothing and being a parasite to your community?
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FYI being poor sucks. Thought you would like to know.
Entirely unfounded and untrue.
Immigrants come to America and steadily improve. In fact many Americans improve. It's not all greatness due to a variety of factors, but "rare escapes" is a bunch of BS.
Even a liberal nutjob like Paul Krugman said this Studies by the Urban Institute and the US Treasury have both found that about half of the families who start in either the top or the bottom quintile of the income distribution are still there after a decade, and that only 3 to 6 percent rise from bottom to top or fall from top to bottom. Half of people in the bottom quartile move UP in a decade, as in they're now in one of the other quartiles. Culture has a LOT to do with it, there are social groups that have poor culture, no desire to strive. That also says the rich don't always stay rich like you seem to believe. You can educate yourself on wikipedia by looking up social mobility.
Giving handouts doesn't encourage people to do better. Inspiration, strong culture, good work ethic, values all do that. You can achieve it if you believe and work hard and put forth real effort. If you don't or want to settle then you've already given up. |
Of course immigrants work hard, thats the whole point of emigrating.
Also without having to bother to read the wiki I can tell your twisting his words. Seeing as the criteria for a household to move up from the lowest teir is practically one person getting a job (out of a house of 1? 2? 3? 4?) its not a particuarly impressive example of social mobility.
2012-04-17, 08:43 PM
Hybrid Mode
