Income Inequality?

[Cow Poke]

How much luxury did Abraham have? Or Moses? Or David? Or Solomon? Or the Pope today?

Reading the bible, I see God using a lot of rich people as his chosen leaders, and they all had luxurious belongings compared to the people they led or lived around. I don't recall God telling them to give away all of their riches, do you?

Also, I bet if you compared your lifestyle and belongings to someone who lives in poverty in Ethiopia, for example, you would be living in luxury. Does that make you greedy? Should you give away everything you own and live in a ditch somewhere?

The guys who started the gas compression company I worked for started out broke, and became filthy rich -- TWO of them are incredibly generous, and one of them is sitting on his treasure. BESIDES the fact that they employed over 800 people with very good wages and the absolute best "Cadillac" health care plans, 401k, and quarterly bonuses.

[Zymologist]

This may be a trivial thing to point out, but the fact that we are all discussing this on the internet (presumably using our own computers) means that we are wealthier than the majority of people in the world.

I'm not accusing anyone in this thread of this, but it seems to me that many discussions of "the rich" just kind of ignore that. We are rich. Just thought I'd point that out.

[Paprika]

How much luxury did Abraham have? Or Moses? Or David? Or Solomon? Or the Pope today?

Reading the bible, I see God using a lot of rich people as his chosen leaders, and they all had luxurious belongings compared to the people they led or lived around. I don't recall God telling them to give away all of their riches, do you?

Did I ever say that God did say that, or that people should give away all of their riches?

Also, I bet if you compared your lifestyle and belongings to someone who lives in poverty in Ethiopia, for example, you would be living in luxury. Does that make you greedy? Should you give away everything you own and live in a ditch somewhere?

Ah, the tu quoque. I was wondering when it was coming.

[Bill the Cat]

We also have no mandate from Christ to force them to not murder. Legalize murder now, it's the TRUE conservative position.

The bible tells us to seek justice and love mercy. We have a mandate to protect the innocent. Therefore, we have a mandate to oppose murder.

[Bill the Cat]

Except that your original point was that they would collect less tax revenues;

No. It was that they had to PAY the defendant in the Windsor case, to the tune of over $300K. But, yes, there will be a loss of revenue due to inheritance tax loss in some cases.

from your own link, "A second effect of same-sex marriages on federal revenues could come through the estate tax, but that effect is almost certain to be small." However, I take it that you're dropping that original point and are arguing that "substantial drain" would arise from increased payouts, which is undesirable.

The CBO had to make an educated guess in this matter because they have no clue (and they admit as much) about the overall financial state of the same sex partners.

Now, yes, your link does say that "CBO estimates that additional Social Security benefits would total about $50 million in 2005 and grow to $350 million in 2014 (equivalent to $250 million in today’s dollars[from 2004], adjusted for intervening wage growth and cost-of-living increases", but does it not also say that "Revenues would be slightly higher: by less than $400 million a year from 2005 through 2010 and by $500 million to $700 million annually from 2011 through 2014"?

Same here.

What are these tools, and how are they beneficial?

Consumer Protection laws and regulations.

[Paprika]

Same here.

Your latest point is that extending civil marriage would lead to an estimated hundreds of millions increased costs in terms of Social Security benefits, but are not the estimated increase in revenues higher?

Consumer Protection laws and regulations.

Are not such laws and regulations intended to protect individuals or society in general from certain forms of avarice?

[Bill the Cat]

Your latest point is that extending civil marriage would lead to an estimated hundreds of millions increased costs in terms of Social Security benefits, but are not the estimated increase in revenues higher?

Social Security is but one form of outlay while "revenues" are all forms of inlays

Are not such laws and regulations intended to protect individuals or society in general from certain forms of avarice?

No. They are typically to protect consumers from criminal behavior

[Sparko]

Did I ever say that God did say that, or that people should give away all of their riches?


Ah, the tu quoque. I was wondering when it was coming.

You are the one who said we can tell who is greedy by what they own. But my response was not just to you but Sparticus too, who seems obsessed with "avarice" and how we should control how people spend their money or riches.

Just look at the vatican. There are gold and jewels everywhere. If the church was all about serving others and remaining in poverty, then the vatican should be a slum and the Pope should be wearing a burlap sack instead of silk robes and sitting on a gilded throne.

[Zymologist]

You are the one who said we can tell who is greedy by what they own. But my response was not just to you but Sparticus too, who seems obsessed with "avarice" and how we should control how people spend their money or riches.

Just look at the vatican. There are gold and jewels everywhere. If the church was all about serving others and remaining in poverty, then the vatican should be a slum and the Pope should be wearing a burlap sack instead of silk robes and sitting on a gilded throne.

"Burlap sack" is a phrase that I could just say over and over again.

[rogue06]

"Burlap sack" is a phrase that I could just say over and over again.

Like David Letterman's reliance on the name Buttafuco during the early 90s

[Spartacus]

http://americamagazine.org/issue/market-assumptions

Zymo, you might find this interesting if you still want to know more about the whole "humane economy" bit.

[Paprika]

You are the one who said we can tell who is greedy by what they own.

I implied that having many expensive belongings is a sign of greed. Pray tell, what does that have to do with God or me saying that people should "give away all of their riches"?

Just look at the vatican. There are gold and jewels everywhere. If the church was all about serving others and remaining in poverty, then the vatican should be a slum and the Pope should be wearing a burlap sack instead of silk robes and sitting on a gilded throne.

I see you have nothing of relevance to say.

[Paprika]

Social Security is but one form of outlay while "revenues" are all forms of inlays

I am curious: when you claimed that recognising same-sex marriages would cause a "substantial drain" on government monies, did you just consider outlays, without considering inlays?

No. They are typically to protect consumers from criminal behavior

And criminal behaviour has nothing to do with avarice.

[Sparko]

I implied that having many expensive belongings is a sign of greed. Pray tell, what does that have to do with God or me saying that people should "give away all of their riches"?

You are the one who stuck her nose in the middle of a conversation I was having with Sparticus regarding avarice. So I answered you and him at the same time.

I see you have nothing of relevance to say.

Or maybe you should stop making comments from the peanut gallery and then trying to back out of the conversation after someone answers your silly comment.

In other words, mind your own business.

[Paprika]

Or maybe you should stop making comments from the peanut gallery and then trying to back out of the conversation after someone answers your silly comment.

In other words, mind your own business.

This is an open thread, which means I can make a post directed at you if I so choose.