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stilicho25
Joined: 05 Apr 2010
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 Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 4:39 am Post subject: Things that grind my gears |
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Let's all have a go and vent our displeasure at the state of the world.
The idea that no one was fired over the rolling stone article that led to the suspension of a fraternity, and cast a pall of suspicion over the men in that fraternity really bothers me.
What also bothers me is that Libya continues to be a hellhole, with ISIS and al-queda squaring off against a cia backed strongman. Let's not forgot Syria and the Ukraine. Why doesn't Obama and the demos come in for the same kind of hate that Bush did?
I was going to hit on rotherham and then the wierd pedo ring that apparently infested high levels of British gov for nigh on 50 years, but i ran out of steam.
So what grinds your gears? |
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Sector7G
Joined: 24 May 2008
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| Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 5:03 am Post subject: Re: Things that grind my gears |
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| stilicho25 wrote: |
Let's all have a go and vent our displeasure at the state of the world.
The idea that no one was fired over the rolling stone article that led to the suspension of a fraternity, and cast a pall of suspicion over the men in that fraternity really bothers me.
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Well, they would probably have to fire too many people, as a lot of people dropped the ball on that one, not just the reporter. To their credit though, they admitted this, and even asked for a review from an outside source - Steve Coll, dean of the Columbia School of Journalism, and a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter - to make sure it was not a whitewash. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 5:49 am Post subject: |
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I hate that capital gains tax on income under $50,000 and the estate tax. Let young investors get their feet wet and be able to also look into short-term investing. And when you die, that should go to your family (or whomever you care to designate), not the government.
Snowden should return to the US face trial, be convicted, and given a softball sentence. He was right, but he was wrong, and you don't run to another country if you are a real whistleblower. Bradley Manning deserves what he got, and should go to a men's prison and not get a dime for any sex change operation. Bode Berghdal? Meh. You gotta get him back, its just what you do. If for no other reason than to find out what he knows. Give him a year or two in Leavenworth and then let him live in Colorado or whatever and grow dope.
People who think the RFRA is an easy call one way or the other are dumb and can't see past their narrow agenda. No one on the left would mind if someone used the RFRA to do a Native American peyote ritual, and no one on the right would support it if it let some Wiccan use some wack religious exemption to cast spells on day care kids or some crap like that.
Left-wing media is bad these days as Salon has become borderline unreadable and Slate is good for anything but the news (Emily Yoffe is really really good), but right-wing sites are just nuts with some of the crap they say.
Can everyone around the world just admit that they would think it would be totally badass if Putin was their president? Sure you'd have a few less freedoms, but you'd have the most feared man in the world backing you up. |
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actionjackson
Joined: 30 Dec 2007
Location: Any place I'm at
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| Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 3:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
I hate that capital gains tax on income under $50,000 and the estate tax. Let young investors get their feet wet and be able to also look into short-term investing. And when you die, that should go to your family (or whomever you care to designate), not the government.
Snowden should return to the US face trial, be convicted, and given a softball sentence. He was right, but he was wrong, and you don't run to another country if you are a real whistleblower. Bradley Manning deserves what he got, and should go to a men's prison and not get a dime for any sex change operation. Bode Berghdal? Meh. You gotta get him back, its just what you do. If for no other reason than to find out what he knows. Give him a year or two in Leavenworth and then let him live in Colorado or whatever and grow dope.
People who think the RFRA is an easy call one way or the other are dumb and can't see past their narrow agenda. No one on the left would mind if someone used the RFRA to do a Native American peyote ritual, and no one on the right would support it if it let some Wiccan use some wack religious exemption to cast spells on day care kids or some crap like that.
Left-wing media is bad these days as Salon has become borderline unreadable and Slate is good for anything but the news (Emily Yoffe is really really good), but right-wing sites are just nuts with some of the crap they say.
Can everyone around the world just admit that they would think it would be totally badass if Putin was their president? Sure you'd have a few less freedoms, but you'd have the most feared man in the world backing you up. |
What on earth are you doing in Korea if you're worried about the estate tax? The estate tax is the biggest scam rich people continually feed the poor.
| Quote: |
| Most relatively simple estates (cash, publicly traded securities, small amounts of other easily valued assets, and no special deductions or elections, or jointly held property) do not require the filing of an estate tax return. A filing is required for estates with combined gross assets and prior taxable gifts exceeding $1,500,000 in 2004 - 2005; $2,000,000 in 2006 - 2008; $3,500,000 for decedents dying in 2009; and $5,000,000 or more for decedent's dying in 2010 and 2011 (note: there are special rules for decedents dying in 2010); $5,120,000 in 2012, $5,250,000 in 2013, $5,340,000 in 2014 and $5,430,000 in 2015. |
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Underwaterbob
Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Location: In Cognito
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| Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 3:50 pm Post subject: |
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That enough Koreans were somehow blind enough to the fact that the current president is the daughter of a man who terrorized this country with a military dictatorship for nearly twenty years and was only stopped when he was assassinated to get her elected. Half her bloody government are people from that same old regime as well. Unsurprisingly, mere moments after her election, she was forced by her party to break promises she had made.
Why Korea, why?!? |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 9:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Underwaterbob wrote: |
That enough Koreans were somehow blind enough to the fact that the current president is the daughter of a man who terrorized this country with a military dictatorship for nearly twenty years and was only stopped when he was assassinated to get her elected. Half her bloody government are people from that same old regime as well. Unsurprisingly, mere moments after her election, she was forced by her party to break promises she had made.
Why Korea, why?!? |
I wouldn't say PJH 'terrorized' the country. Sure he may have 'terrorized' his most vocal opponents, but not the country. Most people's daily living routine got a lot easier during those 20 years. Hence, the reason a large chunk of the people who remember living through that era would probably vote for him if he were still alive, and in politics. |
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Underwaterbob
Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Location: In Cognito
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| Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 10:42 pm Post subject: |
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| jvalmer wrote: |
| I wouldn't say PJH 'terrorized' the country. Sure he may have 'terrorized' his most vocal opponents, but not the country. Most people's daily living routine got a lot easier during those 20 years. Hence, the reason a large chunk of the people who remember living through that era would probably vote for him if he were still alive, and in politics. |
Yes, I suppose I knew the reason. It boggles the mind though. A military dictatorship that lasted for almost thirty years brought on by a military coup d'etat and supported by political assassinations, a declaration of martial law and the changing of the constitution still sounds pretty terrifying to me. His rule might have done the country a lot of good, but was it really worth the ensuing decades of rampant corruption and inept bureaucracy that's still going on today?
*checksovershoulder* |
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Leon
Joined: 31 May 2010
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 1:53 am Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
| I hate that capital gains tax on income under $50,000 and the estate tax. Let young investors get their feet wet and be able to also look into short-term investing. And when you die, that should go to your family (or whomever you care to designate), not the government |
Because hooray for entrenched wealth and Erocan aristocracy, right? |
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nicwr2002
Joined: 17 Aug 2011
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 2:22 am Post subject: |
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I hate FATCA and I can't understand how this law can be constitutional. If this kind of monitoring was done domestically, there would be an upheaval.
Also, the Patriot Act grinds my gears and I hope it's discontinued in a vote this June. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 2:51 am Post subject: |
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| Underwaterbob wrote: |
His rule might have done the country a lot of good, but was it really worth the ensuing decades of rampant corruption and inept bureaucracy that's still going on today?
*checksovershoulder* |
Corruption, it seems is unavoidable in all nation's development. Name a country that has not gone through an era without corruption, and inept bureaucracy? And Korea is cracking down on it. Regular audits, people being quietly retired. Encouraging people to report questionable activities. It's in the news all the time. Also, don't compare the hagwon industry to other industries. Koreans at the moment are still very reactionary, waiting until something happens before acting on it.
It does take time to change culture, and remove the 'old-boys'. You can't just remove all your mangers in one mass firing, it would make things worse. Hong Kong tired punishing all their corrupt rank-and-file police force in the 70's. But it was so corrupt, that everyone went on strike. So they had to relent, and only removed the worst ones, and basically reset and set a date on which offences after would be punished. Singapore did something similar.
Also, keep in mind, when PJH came to power, the 10+ years under Lee Seung-Man was probably a lot worse with corruption and political assassinations. Korea's democracy is barely a generation old. |
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happyinhenan
Joined: 01 Feb 2015
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 4:06 am Post subject: |
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| jvalmer wrote: |
Why Korea, why?!?
I wouldn't say PJH 'terrorized' the country. Sure he may have 'terrorized' his most vocal opponents, but not the country. Most people's daily living routine got a lot easier during those 20 years. Hence, the reason a large chunk of the people who remember living through that era would probably vote for him if he were still alive, and in politics. |
People don't like democracy.
They like to be a) left alone and live in peace b) for the powers to be to keep it that way by sorting out the criminal elements so the ordinary punter can walk the street at night and c) food, work, decent schooling and prosperity - A lot of older Spanish people loved Franco and they still do. Same in Chile with Pinochet.
The last thing most people really need are two or more bastards lying to each other and to the greater good about what they won't do when they get into power. Like I said, most people are happier when all the crappy choices of who leads are took away. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 5:00 am Post subject: |
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| Leon wrote: |
| Steelrails wrote: |
| I hate that capital gains tax on income under $50,000 and the estate tax. Let young investors get their feet wet and be able to also look into short-term investing. And when you die, that should go to your family (or whomever you care to designate), not the government |
Because hooray for entrenched wealth and Erocan aristocracy, right? |
It affects assets, not income. Farms/businesses that don't make that much per year but have significant assets or if your family has some sort of valuable heirloom, they'll get hit by it. |
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Drew345
Joined: 24 May 2005
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 5:12 am Post subject: |
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People who use a picture of their 6 month old baby as their own profile pic on facebook or Kakaotalk annoy me. OK, I know the kid is your bundle of joy, but do they really totally define your existence?
(Anyway, I know that is kind of light compared to other posts here. Just saw it twice today and found it annoying.) |
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Plain Meaning
Joined: 18 Oct 2014
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 1:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Leon wrote: |
| Steelrails wrote: |
| I hate that capital gains tax on income under $50,000 and the estate tax. Let young investors get their feet wet and be able to also look into short-term investing. And when you die, that should go to your family (or whomever you care to designate), not the government |
Because hooray for entrenched wealth and Erocan aristocracy, right? |
Children of the wealthy should have a leg up, because personal responsibility. Or something.
| Quote: |
Leon wrote:
Steelrails wrote:
I hate that capital gains tax on income under $50,000 and the estate tax. Let young investors get their feet wet and be able to also look into short-term investing. And when you die, that should go to your family (or whomever you care to designate), not the government
Because hooray for entrenched wealth and Erocan aristocracy, right?
It affects assets, not income. Farms/businesses that don't make that much per year but have significant assets or if your family has some sort of valuable heirloom, they'll get hit by it. |
Federal Estate Taxes
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| The impact of the Federal estate tax varies by farm type. ERS classifies farms as retirement/off-farm occupation family farms (with gross cash farm income (GCFI) under $350,000), farming occupation family farms (with GCFI under $350,000 and primary occupation is farming), and midsize/large-scale family farms (GCFI $350,000 or more). Nonfamily farms are not included in this analysis. Based on 2011 ARMS data, the average value of farm assets for larger family farms was roughly $3.2 million. Thus, despite estate tax relief targeted to farmland (see Federal Estate Taxes Affecting Fewer Farmers but the Future Is Uncertain: Special-Use Valuation in the June 2009 issue of Amber Waves), an estimated 7.3 percent of the estimated 2,103 larger family farm estates (representing about 64 percent of all taxable farm estates) are likely to owe Federal estate taxes in 2013. |
Steelrails wants to increase wealth inequality because fewer than 160 large family farms (average assets $3.2 million) pay some measure of estate taxes each year. Note also that assets include more than land, and land value has doubled in equity over a decade and a half.
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| The average amount of farm property was $2.2 million. However, on average these farms had more nonfarm than farm assets. Since 2000, farm equity has more than doubled, primarily due to the increased value of farm real estate. |
These "farms" are a bit more than traditional agricultural ventures.
Federal Estate Tax on Farm Households
The average tax on farms with $5 million or less of size of gross estate (including non-farm assets) is less than 10%.
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Of the 1,480 taxable estate tax returns filed in 2011, 228 or about 15% had some farm property in the estate, including farmland and other farm assets (Table 1). These estates reported an average of $2.162 million in farm property for a total of $493 million. Overall, this represented only about 2.5% of total assets for all taxable estates. While farm property represented about one-third of the total estate for those estates less than $10 million, it represented only about 5% of total assets for those estates larger than $20 million. The average federal estate tax rate for estates with farm property was 15.5%.
The increased exemption levels and resulting lower effective tax rates—combined with the continued availability of special provisions, including the installment payment provision—should greatly reduce or eliminate any potential liquidity problems created by the estate tax on the transfer of the farm to the next generation. Thus, while a larger share of farmers will continue to be subject to the estate tax relative to the general population, over 99% of all farm estates will be exempt and those estates that are subject to the tax should have the resources to pay the tax without selling farm property. |
This objection leveled at the current estate tax is bogus, as efforts have been made to protect farms from these taxes, and there are strong indications that these "farms" are using the special farm exemption to protect themselves from the estate tax with regard to non-farm assets. |
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Underwaterbob
Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Location: In Cognito
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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| jvalmer wrote: |
| Corruption, it seems is unavoidable in all nation's development. Name a country that has not gone through an era without corruption, and inept bureaucracy? And Korea is cracking down on it. Regular audits, people being quietly retired. Encouraging people to report questionable activities. It's in the news all the time. Also, don't compare the hagwon industry to other industries. Koreans at the moment are still very reactionary, waiting until something happens before acting on it. |
I don't deny any of this, but I think that things just might have gotten better a little faster if it weren't for the 30 years of military rule. Electing the dictator's daughter (and more pertinently her party consisting of a great deal of those old, likely-corrupt bureaucrats) just seems like a large step backwards to me.
| jvalmer wrote: |
| You can't just remove all your mangers in one mass firing, it would make things worse. |
Yeah, where would baby Jesus have slept?
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