"Occupy" Protests

 

King of Loss wrote: My family came to America and we were able to accumulate a lot of money BY NOT SPENDING. I have no idea why people making over 100,000$ a year are getting their houses foreclosed.

Well, it depends where you live...

I don't believe that a maximum income law could ever be effectively implemented.

The Doctor wrote: Epignosis wrote: The Doctor wrote: ^It's got so far gone, that a good yank is going to be necessary before getting down to the work of making sure it never happens again.   I'm baffled at your prejudice against the rich, as though most of them are crooks who just played the system to get where they are, and that the poorer folks would know what to do with a fortune if they had it. Redeal the cards as many times as you like- some folks know how to create and manage wealth, while most of us will never have that skill.  Many folks will swindle every opportunity given to them and still wind up needing a handout. It's a shame to think that if somehow, I became a wealthy and successful CEO, you would detest me for it and say I needed to be punished. I do think a lot of them are crooks and got to where they are by stepping on others.  I think most wealth is generated by underpaying employees and overcharging customers.  Still, it's not so much about punishing the rich (although some of them certainly deserve it) as it is about saving the middle class and helping those in need.  It's about creating a system where everyone has some bargaining power and some political voice (and no, I don't believe we still have a democracy, I believe our government is up for sale to the highest bidder).

Why not pass a law saying that everyone has to start a business?

Epignosis wrote: The T wrote: I think we should raise the minimum wage to 1000$ an hour (that way everybody is rich) and we put a maximim wage at 1001$ an hour. Therefore, I propose government decrees that we should all earn the same. Yes, this will certainly solve all problems.    That's when I start bringing on independent contractors, baby.

Think that should be outlawed as well, in cases where the person is really an employee.  Wait a minute.  That is illegal, at least from a tax standpoint.  Independence should be the criteria for determining whether the person is an IC or an employee. and is for tax purposes.

Henry Plainview wrote:   King of Loss wrote: My family came to America and we were able to accumulate a lot of money BY NOT SPENDING. I have no idea why people making over 100,000$ a year are getting their houses foreclosed. Well, it depends where you live... I don't believe that a maximum income law could ever be effectively implemented.

I happen to live in the Greater Boston area and it's ridiculously expensive around here, but still..... 100,000$ is not a little amount of money.

The Doctor wrote: Epignosis wrote: The T wrote: I think we should raise the minimum wage to 1000$ an hour (that way everybody is rich) and we put a maximim wage at 1001$ an hour. Therefore, I propose government decrees that we should all earn the same. Yes, this will certainly solve all problems.    That's when I start bringing on independent contractors, baby.    Think that should be outlawed as well, in cases where the person is really an employee.  Wait a minute.  That is illegal, at least from a tax standpoint.  Independence should be the criteria for determining whether the person is an IC or an employee. and is for tax purposes.

I'm beginning to doubt your sincerity about saving the middle and lower classes.

Were it not for an independent contractor position I've had for almost 3 years now (when I used to work as much as or more than an employee would), our family would be homeless. 

And it isn't illegal.    My earnings get reported to the IRS and I am require to pay taxes on them if my return says I must.  Independent contracting allows the worker to perform all tasks under the agreement in a specified time frame, as well as subcontract.

I didn't say they should all be illegal.  It depends on the circumstances, dude.  Are you truly independent in the work you do, or are you under the supervision of another?  And it is "illegal" for the employer from a tax standpoint if you are not truly independent.  In other words, the company could be responsible for paying their portion of social security taxes as well as what they should have withheld from your paycheck.  Those I.C. positions are just another way employers can abuse their employees by making them pay all of their social security obligations and not providing benefits.  If the person is not truly independent that is.  

TheDoctor is even more of a Stalinist/Maoist that he himself concedes....  I mean, he asks for a LOT of caps, laws, punishments, etc etc etc. 

The T wrote: TheDoctor is even more of a Stalinist/Maoist that he himself concedes....  I mean, he asks for a LOT of caps, laws, punishments, etc etc etc.

Have I mentioned that Maximillian Robespierre is one of my heroes? 

The Doctor wrote: I didn't say they should all be illegal.  It depends on the circumstances, dude.  Are you truly independent in the work you do, or are you under the supervision of another?  And it is "illegal" for the employer from a tax standpoint if you are not truly independent.  In other words, the company could be responsible for paying their portion of social security taxes as well as what they should have withheld from your paycheck.  Those I.C. positions are just another way employers can abuse their employees by making them pay all of their social security obligations and not providing benefits.  If the person is not truly independent that is.

Being an independent contractor does not mean you are not supervised by someone else.  I actually had 2-3 supervisors at a time overseeing the various kinds of work I was doing for the company. 

Why not ask me if I felt like I was taken advantage of rather than assume the company was screwing me?

Reminds me of one of Jesus' parables:

For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Your insistence that companies routinely screw their employees or ICs is insulting to the latter at best: Can an employee or IC accept less than ideal terms and still be happy with his decision, or is he always being duped?

What about all the employees who fart around on the Internet, chat with friends, take smoke breaks, and are cheating their employers?  Any rage for them?  Or is this to be read as a universal sign of oppression?




Edited by Epignosis - October 19 2011 at 18:05

The Doctor wrote: He is one of our greatest presidents, and certainly the greatest of the last 100 years.  Another FDR is what this country truly needs.

He was a confused, petty, ignorant man. He was a disaster.