I still get surprised on how so many UK people are glued to american politics. I guess you are our puppet. you have to watch the people pulling your strings.
It's not just UK people!
Everywhere in the world is affected by US foreign policy decisions, hence the interest.
Depends on your conception of government. Ask the Scandinavian countries where the majority of people are happy to pay higher taxes for public services, including health.
Yours is the textbook political conservative view.
Redistribution of income via taxation, regardless of working very hard or not (you can also inherit wealth or steal it, not just work), is a central tenet of any democratic government to guarantee services for the general public. The higher the level of taxation the more to the left the government leans.
textbook conservative view? I dont think so.
you make it sound inheriting and strealing are the norm for anyone who has money. I came from nothing and have worked extremely hard to get where I am. I dont feel I should be forced to give that money back.
Read any political theory book and you will find out that conservatives oppose, with varying degree, government intervention, or in their eyes interference. Taxation is regarded as one of those government activities to limit vis-a'-vis individual responsibility, property and autonomy.
Your original post argued that taxation is not cool because it means - and I am paraphrasing you - hard-working people giving back what they earned to give to those who have less.
People of a more progressive political tendency (that's why I mentioned Scandinavia, where there is a social democracy with very high level of taxation) do not regret redistributing their wealth via taxation not only for the ordinary public services (such education, transport, health) but also to provide welfare for those who for whatever reason do not have as much.
That is why I argued your position was text-book conservative.
you make it sound inheriting and strealing are the norm for anyone who has money. I came from nothing and have worked extremely hard to get where I am. I dont feel I should be forced to give that money back.
I did not mean that stealing and inheriting are the norm for those who have money. I mentioned it just to highlight the fact that those who have money also may have it for other reasons than hard work, which your original post seemed to imply. And conversely, those who do not have money must not work very hard, which again I do not believe to be true.
Finally, you say you don't want to give back the money that you earned via hard work. But you are living in a society and community that are part of a state and because of that your money as well must be used to guarantee the running of such a state. It is a social pact between state and individual. However, a conservative would always try and limit the obligations that the state would impose on an individual. A progressive does not, by and large and to varying degrees, oppose state intervation.
That is why I claimed your view was textbook conservative.
The Republicans won in 94 with Newt Gringrich but formally proceedings to impeach Clinton for his sexual shenanigans and related lawsuits started with Kenneth Starr prosecuting later on in... 1998 was it?
for the record, i voted democrat because the republicans have been taken over by religious extremists and corruption. conservatism to me meant small government, more state rights, cuts in spending, and immigration reform.
Bush has completely abandoned every single one of those ideals since he took office.
i dont need the government to tell me whats moral, i only ask that they keep the king of england off my back and not wreck the economy.
Just to clear things up, 1998 was also a midterm election year, and the impeachment proceedings started shortly after those elections took place.
Yes, you're right but in the 1998 mid-term elections the Republican party retained control of Congress, whereas the 1994 mid-term elections were politically more significant because like in a political earthquake Republicans won control of the House and Senate for the first time since the end of WWII, I believe.
Comments
It's not just UK people!
Everywhere in the world is affected by US foreign policy decisions, hence the interest.
And yes, I am not British.
I
textbook conservative view? I dont think so.
you make it sound inheriting and strealing are the norm for anyone who has money. I came from nothing and have worked extremely hard to get where I am. I dont feel I should be forced to give that money back.
www.amnesty.org.uk
Read any political theory book and you will find out that conservatives oppose, with varying degree, government intervention, or in their eyes interference. Taxation is regarded as one of those government activities to limit vis-a'-vis individual responsibility, property and autonomy.
Your original post argued that taxation is not cool because it means - and I am paraphrasing you - hard-working people giving back what they earned to give to those who have less.
People of a more progressive political tendency (that's why I mentioned Scandinavia, where there is a social democracy with very high level of taxation) do not regret redistributing their wealth via taxation not only for the ordinary public services (such education, transport, health) but also to provide welfare for those who for whatever reason do not have as much.
That is why I argued your position was text-book conservative.
How would you call it otherwise?
I did not mean that stealing and inheriting are the norm for those who have money. I mentioned it just to highlight the fact that those who have money also may have it for other reasons than hard work, which your original post seemed to imply. And conversely, those who do not have money must not work very hard, which again I do not believe to be true.
Finally, you say you don't want to give back the money that you earned via hard work. But you are living in a society and community that are part of a state and because of that your money as well must be used to guarantee the running of such a state. It is a social pact between state and individual. However, a conservative would always try and limit the obligations that the state would impose on an individual. A progressive does not, by and large and to varying degrees, oppose state intervation.
That is why I claimed your view was textbook conservative.
But you are happy to use the services provided with tax money... roads, hospitals, schools, etc......
don't forget - Corporate Welfare...
I dont use government resources more then someone who makes less then me. actually probably the opposite.
Just to clear things up, 1998 was also a midterm election year, and the impeachment proceedings started shortly after those elections took place.
Bush has completely abandoned every single one of those ideals since he took office.
i dont need the government to tell me whats moral, i only ask that they keep the king of england off my back and not wreck the economy.
Yes, you're right but in the 1998 mid-term elections the Republican party retained control of Congress, whereas the 1994 mid-term elections were politically more significant because like in a political earthquake Republicans won control of the House and Senate for the first time since the end of WWII, I believe.