How Long Do We Have?

[SteveH]

Steve has used a 200-year-old statement to make a political point, since any later commentator might have to observe that the thesis had already been proved wrong.

Andrew,

I'm sure you understand I did not write this stuff?

[angib]

I've travelled a lot, and always find it interesting to go out of the country to see that there is another version of reality.

And changing the subject, to towing trailers, you can see another example of this. The habits of trailer towing in Europe are very different from the US - a hitch weight percentage that's considered normal here would be considered highly dangerous in the US. It's probably a result of this that the towing capacity of a vehicle in Yurp is often twice what it is for the same vehicle in Merka. Of course it's possible that we have different gravity here, but I wouldn't bet on it.....

Not that this is a worry to those pulling teardrops behind 3/4 ton trucks, which looks odd to me - my grandmother would have described it as being "like a pimple on a pig's bottom".

Andrew

[Laredo]

Well, to go straight to the heart of towing and associated perceptions of danger, Angib, do the UK car insurance people MANDATE what you can and cannot do with the vehicle you already own?
Do they MAKE you refit seatbelts in a '48 Ford?
Can they FORCE you to prove you have insurance in order to renew your license plate (which is a tax you pay on the vehicle in order to be able to use it on the road)? Or to get your safety inspection sticker?

It's not just politicians.
What we used to do as kids -- ride a bicycle down a dirt road with no helmet, knee or elbow pads, going downhill fast and taking feet off pedals to jump over a tilted board and fly -- is literally illegal today.
Why?
Because insurance company actuaries have provided so many thousands of pages of carefully chosen filtered statistics to show that letting our kids have fun makes our insurance cost more.
And we hate paying for anything. Especially insurance, which is a ripoff anyway because you pay and pay and pay and pay and then when you have a claim they deny it or reduce your benefit or raise your premium or all of the above.
It isn't Democratic politicians who are the ruination of this country.
It's insurance companies.
Like the one in California (Blue Cross Blue Shield) that selectively ran its customers through a computer program to identify pregnant women and chronically ill people and SHUT DOWN PAYMENT FOR PREAPPROVED TESTS AND MEDICAL CARE. The hospitals and doctors promptly stopped treating the patients, and some of them have, in fact, died.
But is that insurance company being charged with negligent homicide or with manslaughter or, as it so richly deserves, with murder?
No. It's paying its CEO a merit bonus and giving its shareholders a bigger dividend, because DENYING PREAPPROVED CARE saved it billions of $$$.
And that's the point: when it becomes all about the $$$$ instead of about doing what your contract calls for for your paying customers, your company should go out of business, permanently and irrevocably, and every dime customers ever paid in should be refunded to them plus interest.

[angib]

No, insurance companies here are not very interested in towing - which rather shows that the low hitch weights we use aren't a big problem.

And just so you can see what your Big Brother may be doing shortly, when we want to tax a vehicle, we must prove that it has a current safety inspection and is insured. All British vehicle and driver details are held on a single national computer. The safety inspections are now done online, so the central computer knows if the car has passed or not, and the motor insurance companies have to supply online insurance information, so the computer knows if a car is taxed too.

The police are now introducing number plate recognition software to their in-car video cameras so if your car isn't taxed or insured or inspected, or the owner's licence is suspended, it will set off an alarm in the police car as you drive past it. This is proving to be spectacularly effective in picking up not only the unlicensed, untaxed, uninsured or un-inspected but also those who turn out to have other criminal activities.

Seems entirely sensible to me, but then I tax and insure my inspected vehicle....

Andrew

[Dixie Flyer]

I've always liked this quote, "When you're robbing Peter to pay Paul, you can always count on Pauls vote."

[Ira]

I know how I feel about the gimme gimme people and the illegals, and it's not good. I am one of the people that pay my way through life paying for those jerks that don't.

Hey, you really gotta lighten up on this and study a little bit:

YOU pay your way through life and everyone else are JERKS?

Think about this long and hard:

Believe me:

You work no harder than most other people in this country, you are no more deserving, and you've done nothing so special as to stand on a bully pulpit...

AND NEITHER HAVE I, I ADMIT!!!

We're all just human beings trying to make a Goddamn living and feed our kids.

Doon, I hope you know that I didn't want to direct this to you specifically, but the "blame game" is not only pretty appalling, it's totally inaccurate.

God willing you don't break a hip next year and be out of work, and then become one of those "Gimme, gimme" people you talk about. Because the NERVE of them:

Asking for assistance so you don't lose your house, and that your kids can stay in college. A little assistance until at least that damn hip is healed.

This country is not just going to hell in handbasket. We're creating a NEW hell, which is a lot worse.

[Elumia]

To further Ira's point, I've seen lot of high powered people in high paying jobs who don't work any harder than other who make a whole lot less (nor are they significantly smarter). Some people achieve because of their drive to become successful, others get there because of opportunity. Opportunity to get a good education, opportunity to be born in a certain socal status. some have a mix of both.

Likewise on the other end of the spectrum there are those who like to play the blame game. To lump people together is unfair. Many "illegals" work harder than the folks who have every right to claim their "fare share", cuz they "paid there taxes".

Mark

[Nitetimes]

Many "illegals" work harder than the folks who have every right to claim their "fare share", cuz they "paid there taxes".

Mark

Not sure what this statement implies but they can work as hard as they want, if they don't belong here they have no right to claim anything.
If they are illegal they have no business in our Social Security system.
Check Mexico's immigration policy.

[Miriam C.]

:) I've always liked this quote, "When you're robbing Peter to pay Paul, you can always count on Pauls vote."

Something most governments know.

Any chance this will stay on topic........?
Nah, your right, never does.

[PresTx82]

This thread could really go South ya know, but here are my thoughts.

I work for the federal government and I'm paid to baby-sit the Southern Border of the United States. I'm tired of seeing these non-residents come over and get on the US "Dole". My property taxes have tripled in the past five years. The schools here have asked for more increases to offset the non-resident's children coming over and getting a FREE education on "our" dime. I know they are not entitled to our schools because we're letting them come across everyday. Our authority cannot stop them and the school district states they can't ask students for their citizenship. Their parents are entitled to come over to work, but they bring their children across (they reside in Mexico) to go to school. When asked where they're going, they say, "Walmart", or "shopping" while the jkids are all loaded up in the vehicle with their school books.......

New Mexico is only a couple miles from here and many of us are moving over there to cut out taxes by 3/4ths.

It is happening. I see every day. I'm for legal immigration and following the rules. It's my job and I'll do what I got to do, but America has got to wake up.

That's my rant.

Think it's funny? Check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEsdj203RcM

A Congressional candidate rides across the Rio Grande (our Southern Border) on an elephant (while two other elephants follow) as a mariachi band plays.

[Dixie Flyer]

As serious as things are, you know it's really serious when you want to take your tear drop to go camping one weekend and you find an illegal sleeping in it!!

[Elumia]

how much did he charge to mow your lawn?

[Dixie Flyer]

how much did he charge to mow your lawn?

Dang, I wish he'd bring my mower back!!!

[Bobgorilla]

I don't remember the exact words he used but Robert Heinlein once said something about a rude society being in real trouble. Which means we may have a few more years in us yet but France might have a big problem

[Arne]

At first I thought this was funny...then I realized the awful truth of it. Be sure to read all the way to the end!

Tax his land, Tax his bed, Tax the table At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor, Tax his mule, Teach him taxes Are the rule.

Tax his cow, Tax his goat, Tax his pants, Tax his coat.

Tax his ties, Tax his shirt, Tax his work, Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco, Tax his drink, Tax him if he Tries to think.

Tax his cigars, Tax his beers, If he cries, then Tax his tears.

Tax his car, Tax his gas, Find other ways To tax his ass

Tax all he has Then let him know That you won't be done Till he has no dough.

& nbsp; When he screams and hollers, Then tax him some more, Tax him till He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin, Tax his grave, Tax the sod in Which he's laid.

Put these words upon his tomb, "Taxes drove me to my doom..."

When he's gone, Do not relax, Its time to apply The inheritance tax.

Accounts Receivable Tax Building Permit Tax CDL license Tax Cigarette Tax Corporate Income Tax Dog License Tax Excise Taxes Federal Income Tax Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA) Fishing License Tax Food License Tax, Fuel permit tax Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon) Gross Receipts Tax Hunting License Tax Inheritance Tax Interest expense Inventory tax IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax) Liquor Tax Luxury Taxes Marriage License Tax Medicare Tax Personal Property Tax Property Tax Real Estate Tax Service charge taxes Social Security Tax Road usage taxes Sales Tax Recreational Vehicle Tax School Tax State Income Tax State Unemployment Tax (SUTA) Telephone federal excise tax Telephone federal universal service fee tax &n bsp; Telephone federal, state and local surcharge taxes Telephone minimum usage surcharge tax Telephone recurring and non-recurring charges tax Telephone state and local tax Telephone usage charge tax Utility Taxes Vehicle License Registration Tax Vehicle Sales Tax Watercraft registration Tax Well Permit Tax Workers Compensation Tax

COMMENTS: Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What the hell happened? Can you spell "politicians?"