US Elections (& Politics) :)

[BORIStheBLADE]

I have a brainless liberal Obama-loving neighbor who can't seem to communicate with me about anything without including a put-down of Trump of celebration of Biden. I'm having a hard time restraining myself.

Yeah the need to always throw some jab at Trump in every other sentence is pretty annoying. It just shows that all they watch is CNN on loop..

 

[TonyR]

View attachment 80372

Yeah, I recall Bernie Sanders having to lay off some of his campaign workers shortly after giving a raise to the new min @ $15/hour!

 

[bigredfish]

Amazon Demands In-Person Union Vote After Arguing Mail-In Ballots 'Raise Risk Of Fraud' | ZeroHedge

The world’s largest online retailer said that a mail election raised the risk of fraud and the coercion of workers. It also said the process would depress turnout, arguing that as many as 29% of its more than 5,800 employees eligible to vote wouldn’t do so or would return incorrectly completed ballots.

 

[rahhazar]

You are mistaken. Most pay less income tax. We pay fixed rates that include everything including social security:

Band	Taxable income	Tax rate
Personal Allowance	Up to £12,500	0%
Basic rate	£12,501 to £50,000	20%
Higher rate	£50,001 to £150,000	40%
Additional rate	over £150,000	45%

So, the 1st £12,500 is free and untaxed.

The next £50,000 is taxed at 20% (you still get the free £12,500 in addition to that)

Between £50,001 and £150,000 is taxed at 40% (you still get the 1st £12,500 free and the 1st £50,000 after that at 20%)

Over £150,000 is taxed at 45% (however, as before you get the 1st £12,500 free, the 1st £50,000 after that at 20% and the £100,000 between the £50k and £150k at 45%)


Examples:

Someone on £12,500 pa will pay no tax at all

Someone on £30,000 pa will pay tax at 20% on £17,500 only (£30k-12,500)

Someone on £62,500 pa will pay 20% tax on £50K only.

For that you get totally free Health Care - free A&E, free ambulances, free operations (ALL except cosmetic unless as a result of disfigurement or accident in which case free), free cancer care and drugs, free MRI / CT Scans / Xrays, free GP's, free consultants, free hospital stays, free mid wives, all with unlimited access, free physio, free health care visitors, free innoculations, subsidised Dental Care, prescriptions at a fixed cost irespective of the cost of the drug eg £10,000 per month you still pay a fixed £9.15 charge, subsidised or free eye care / tests / glasses for those on low income or with certain diseases in the family that make them prone to eye disease eg glaucoma, a comprehensive benefits system for unemployed or disabled people, free care homes for the elderly although it is means tested and those with savings will have to pay until the savings are exhausted down to I think £6K.

In the US you also pay additional income tax to your local municipality at between 1-10% of your income. In the UK we pay on house value and it's a fixed amount on average around £100 per month for a house of average value but that gives you free refuse collection, access to refuse dumps, free fire, police, libraries, education, comprehensive social care, maintenance of street furniture, trees, verges, roads, pavements, council housing for the poor (subsidised with cheap rents and free maintenance / decoration), free grafitti removal, free school meals for low income children, housing benefit, council tax benfit for those on low incomes, etc.

To give you an idea of Council services, a council website is here listing theirs: Welcome to Wiltshire Council - Wiltshire Council

Still think the US is system is better? Apart from your sales tax, our income tax is 5% cheaper for most low ot moderate income levels, with £12,500 free and all those benefits.

1: Again Britain Got the highest homelessness in world.
2: high crime rate with knife
3: if your country is that good why your British people still leaving for US. Why not enjoy the low tax rate.
4: there is not 30 day return policy. Talking about fixing our tax system when you guys have gone south since 1600s.
5: learn from mistakes maybe British could keep its position in the world not end up being a toy.

 

[chipjumper]

Minimum wage increases benefit high schoolers 85% of the time. This is fact and has been over-proven over and over every time it’s brought up. Allegedly, 3 million jobs will be lost immediately due to $15/hr Fed min. I’m somewhat liberal but also believe in free markets and less government.
Trumps admin cut US regulations from 38,000 to 22,000 pages? Bin-lidan vows to add them back in? During a “time of crisis”?
I’m quite disappointed in Bin-lidan’s fresh start. They are still going to impeach the Trump? Huh? That is the most important issue in Congress?

 

[Jessie.slimer]

You are mistaken. Most pay less income tax. We pay fixed rates that include everything including social security:

Band	Taxable income	Tax rate
Personal Allowance	Up to £12,500	0%
Basic rate	£12,501 to £50,000	20%
Higher rate	£50,001 to £150,000	40%
Additional rate	over £150,000	45%

So, the 1st £12,500 is free and untaxed.

The next £50,000 is taxed at 20% (you still get the free £12,500 in addition to that)

Between £50,001 and £150,000 is taxed at 40% (you still get the 1st £12,500 free and the 1st £50,000 after that at 20%)

Over £150,000 is taxed at 45% (however, as before you get the 1st £12,500 free, the 1st £50,000 after that at 20% and the £100,000 between the £50k and £150k at 45%)


Examples:

Someone on £12,500 pa will pay no tax at all

Someone on £30,000 pa will pay tax at 20% on £17,500 only (£30k-12,500)

Someone on £62,500 pa will pay 20% tax on £50K only.

For that you get totally free Health Care - free A&E, free ambulances, free operations (ALL except cosmetic unless as a result of disfigurement or accident in which case free), free cancer care and drugs, free MRI / CT Scans / Xrays, free GP's, free consultants, free hospital stays, free mid wives, all with unlimited access, free physio, free health care visitors, free innoculations, subsidised Dental Care, prescriptions at a fixed cost irespective of the cost of the drug eg £10,000 per month you still pay a fixed £9.15 charge, subsidised or free eye care / tests / glasses for those on low income or with certain diseases in the family that make them prone to eye disease eg glaucoma, a comprehensive benefits system for unemployed or disabled people, free care homes for the elderly although it is means tested and those with savings will have to pay until the savings are exhausted down to I think £6K.

In the US you also pay additional income tax to your local municipality at between 1-10% of your income. In the UK we pay on house value and it's a fixed amount on average around £100 per month for a house of average value but that gives you free refuse collection, access to refuse dumps, free fire, police, libraries, education, comprehensive social care, maintenance of street furniture, trees, verges, roads, pavements, council housing for the poor (subsidised with cheap rents and free maintenance / decoration), free grafitti removal, free school meals for low income children, housing benefit, council tax benfit for those on low incomes, etc.

To give you an idea of Council services, a council website is here listing theirs: Welcome to Wiltshire Council - Wiltshire Council

Still think the US is system is better? Apart from your sales tax, our income tax is 5% cheaper for most low ot moderate income levels, with £12,500 free and all those benefits.

I remember the Alfie Evans case from a couple years ago, where they wouldn't let the parents take their own child from the government run hospital to seek treatment elsewhere, including the US. Many in the US offered to examine or treat the child pro bono but the socialist system over there would not allow it. Many of us were ridiculed for suggesting socialized medicine might result in "death panels". This, in my opinion, proved that situation true. No thanks. I'll pass.

Our health care system needs some serious reform, no doubt, but handing it over to the government is absurd.

 

[chipjumper]

Canadians that live near the border commonly go to the USA to receive prompt family medical care. Of course, only the wealthy can afford this. They pay an annual fee to a US based physician who gives them an email, cell, and office number too. No more waiting 58 hours in the ER or months to see a practitioner.

 

[Ssayer]

 

[Parley]

Biden Stops Trump Order To Slash Price Of Insulin, EpiPen

President Joe Biden’s United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Thursday stopped executive orders from his predecessor designed to significantly lower prescription drug prices for Americans, including insulin and epinephrine.
The new administration will apparently re-evaluate the executive action from President Donald Trump toward the end of March. It remains unclear if it will be reinstated.
“The HHS Thursday froze the former Trump administration’s December drug policy that requires community health centers to pass on all their insulin and epinephrine discount savings to patients,” Bloomberg Law reported Thursday. “Centers that don’t pass on the savings wouldn’t qualify for federal grants.”

Biden Stops Trump Order To Slash Price Of Insulin, EpiPen | The Daily Wire

My Comment: How much did Biden's cronies get paid by big Pharma for this manuever?

 

[Oceanslider]

Biden Stops Trump Order To Slash Price Of Insulin, EpiPen

President Joe Biden’s United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Thursday stopped executive orders from his predecessor designed to significantly lower prescription drug prices for Americans, including insulin and epinephrine.
The new administration will apparently re-evaluate the executive action from President Donald Trump toward the end of March. It remains unclear if it will be reinstated.
“The HHS Thursday froze the former Trump administration’s December drug policy that requires community health centers to pass on all their insulin and epinephrine discount savings to patients,” Bloomberg Law reported Thursday. “Centers that don’t pass on the savings wouldn’t qualify for federal grants.”

Biden Stops Trump Order To Slash Price Of Insulin, EpiPen | The Daily Wire

My Comment: How much did Biden's cronies get paid by big Pharma for this manuever?

Bozo the clown

 

[Oceanslider]

Surprise visit to Troops in Afghanistan

 

[sdkid]

Insurrection?

 

[CCTVCam]

You make too many bad assumptions.

We too have a sliding scale based on income. My mother for example pays 0% as she makes under the minimum $18-22k or so.

I pay $1200 per year in property tax.

Other than free health care, we have all the same services you listed with similar breaks for lower incomes.

We pay no other local city tax nor state income tax in Florida. At 100k my taxes would be 40% according to you. I pay 23% now. I pay 6.2% social security tax and our sales tax is 1/3 yours.

Another interesting data point:
The Average Household income in the US was $68,400 last year
Avg Houshold income UK was about $35K pounds or $48,000


Still think it’s a better system? Yes

Pretty much identical sales tax aside and I know that varies state to state.

On a £100K, running your income through a tax calulator you'd pay 30% overall taking into account the different bands and married person allowance. Currently you pay 23% + 6.2% Social Security = 29.2%.

So for an extra 0.8% in the UK you get totally free health care with unlimited access.

How much are you health insurance premiums? Googling I see premiums for a family can be on average $833 and even then someone I know in the US told me a while ago it's a $100 charge to go to the GP as Insaurance doesn't cover it. I can go as often as I want and all medical services are totally free.

What happens when you get cancer and you insurer refuses to pay for the drugs or refuses cover the following year or increases your premiums? A drug can cost £30,000 per month and in the UK you still pay the standard prescription charge of £9.15. For drugs administered in hospital you pay nothing.

 

[CCTVCam]

I guess this makes it all worthwhile....the savings, I mean:Year-long waits for surgery at highest level since 2008, says NHS England

Because of COVID. They've all but shut the Hospitals down to most routine operations to protect people and stop the spread of COVID.

Trump pretty much just ignored it and let 25 Million Americans become infected and let 500,000 die. Probably many more given many cases go reported as other causes. OK if you're not one of the 500,000 who died, or one of the ones who took his advice and injected bleach into their insides to get rid of it.

 

[Plarsson]

Pretty much identical sales tax aside and I know that varies state to state.

On a £100K, running your income through a tax calulator you'd pay 30% overall taking into account the different bands and married person allowance. Currently you pay 23% + 6.2% Social Security = 29.2%.

So for an extra 0.8% in the UK you get totally free health care with unlimited access.

How much are you health insurance premiums? I guessing pretty big and even then someone I konw in the US told me a while ago it's a $100 charge to go to the GP as Insaurance doesn't cover it. I can go as often as I want and all medical services are totally free.

Just as a reference, I pay 30.2% tax in total in sweden on my income. No extra fees anywhere on top of that. "Free" health care, schools, university, no tolls etc.

 

[CCTVCam]

Just as a reference, I pay 30.2% tax in total in sweden on my income. No extra fees anywhere on top of that. "Free" health care, schools, university, no tolls etc.

As a fellow European, I agree. Many Americans have been taught to believe Socialism even in it's mild form is an evil equivalent to communism when they have a system, totally based on greed, where everyone just cares about number 1 and f*ck everyone else. A minority of the population are filthy rich and a majority living in total poverty. Those in society who are less lucky, born in the wrong area, poor, black or disabled are just left to starve, die, or survive by begging or crime or whatever way they can whilst the super wealthy buy a bigger boat as the Government doesn't care so long as it services the fellow wealthy. That's really the best system?


Again not sure where you got your facts from but think Trump has been feeding you propoganda as reliable as his bleach suggestion:


1: Again Britain Got the highest homelessness in world.

Really, official statictics:

UK - 38,000 homeless in a country of 70 million = 0.0005% -

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/930534/Statutory_homelessness_release_Apr-Jun_2020.pdf

US - homeless official figures 0.17% Federal Government statictics taken from the Wiki Homelessness in the United States - Wikipedia

US has a 340 times higher rate of homelessness.


2: high crime rate with knife

UK Knife crime figures - 46,000 offences in 70 million population = 0.0006%

Comparison Chart using figures from the FBI and UK Office for National Statistics:

US vs UK on knife crime - Infogram

infogram.com

US has a 30% higher rate of knife crime


Add in Gun Crime:

US vs UK on gun crime - Infogram

infogram.com

US has an 80 times higher rate of gun crime

..And those figures are per head of population so take into account the larger US population.

You're being sold lies if you're being told the US has lower crime rates. Home Invasion for one is practically unheard of in the UK. Where I live, I've lived there over 50 years and never been burgled or even had an attempt. I've never had a car stolen or broken into. The only crime I've had in over 50yrs is a single occassion of graffiti on a neighbours wall I could see, and the council cleaned it off free of charge in days after I complained thanks to the UK local Government system.


3: if your country is that good why your British people still leaving for US. Why not enjoy the low tax rate.

Not seeing many leaving. In fact UK population growing. Suspect this may also be US propoganda.

4: there is not 30 day return policy. Talking about fixing our tax system when you guys have gone south since 1600s.

What's wrong with a 30 day return policy? It's what makes our consumer system great. You can buy something and if it's not right take it back provided it's in it's original re-saleable condition. I guess retailers make slightly less profit but they just re-sell it as returned goods for a slight discount. Overall the system works and ensures good consumer protection from getting things that are different to what you expected when you saw them in the catalogue or on the web site. Much better than getting home or receiving your item and realising you wasted your money and have to buy again.

The only way our tax system has gone south is by letting the rich and global corporations escape paying their tax dues in the UK. If they were paying their fare share, then the UK would be even wealthier with an even better standard of living for most as the Government would have lot more money to spend on public services. It's by copying the US and allowing the wealthy to avoid paying tax by allowing them to use offshore tax havens or pay tax in low tax economies abraad such as Luxemburg that the UK has gone downhill.

5: learn from mistakes maybe British could keep its position in the world not end up being a toy.

Britain doesn't need to throw it's weight around and it's till not a toy. We still have the best special forces of any country anywhere in the world in the SAS / SBS. Even US forces acknowldge that. Britain could stand alone and win against most countries except maybe Russia and China but that's down to size. The US is a larger country so has a larger amount to spend on armed forces so can take on the other super powers alone.

 

[bigredfish]

Because of COVID. They've all but shut the Hospitals down to most routine operations to protect people and stop the spread of COVID.

Trump pretty much just ignored it and let 25 Million Americans become infected and let 500,000 die. Probably many more given many cases go reported as other causes. OK if you're not one of the 500,000 who died, or one of the ones who took his advice and injected bleach into their insides to get rid of it.

There you go. You just lost all credibility with that stupid statement

 

[SJGUSMC21]

CCTVCam, that's great. I am not going to get into the numbers with you. I will say that I have had friends in the Royal Marines, and they were freak'n awesome! I am glad you are proud of your country and its military, that says a lot. However, as stated before, you can keep your King and Queen, and your socialism as well. But cheers to you and your family.

'Per Mare, Per Terram'

 

[SJGUSMC21]

Because of COVID. They've all but shut the Hospitals down to most routine operations to protect people and stop the spread of COVID.

Trump pretty much just ignored it and let 25 Million Americans become infected and let 500,000 die. Probably many more given many cases go reported as other causes. OK if you're not one of the 500,000 who died, or one of the ones who took his advice and injected bleach into their insides to get rid of it.

Well so much for logic and having a normal conversation with you. Be safe.

 

[CCTVCam]

There you go. You just lost all credibility with that stupid statement

What that the UK shut down to protect it's citizens from infection and the US kept open to protect it's profits but let it's citizens die? Great Government! As I pointed out above, one that cares only about profits for the wealthy and sees people as expendable.

Maybe you should be questioning why your country will go to war with another country over the death of just 1 American but let 1/2 a million (500,000) die at home.

To put that in perspective, you went to war with Afganistan over 2,100 deaths at the World Trade Centre (and rightly so), but don't blink an eye lid where your own Government allow 500,000 to die through inaction. That's 250 World Trade Centres. Think about it....