What’s a Philanthropist? Are they wealthy, rich?!?

@zahlanzi said
it's not hypothetical. Socialist countries already do that. You can ask a taxi to take you 1000 kilometres somewhere and pay out of the wazoo for out of town charges or you can get a train ticket for a small fraction.

This dumb american just can't comprehend that a country might invest in public transportation. They have like 4 trains going coast to coast and that's it (one might have derailed though they are trying to remove safety regulations regarding freakin brakes)

Get this. We ALL pay taxes to cover firemen, police, utitilities. This is indeed a form of socialism in the USA. Your government pays for a lot more, and in our eyes, they own you. Another thread, maybe?
However, I myself drive and fly, I would never get on one of those public transports. 'Why' is not relevant. So, I do not want my taxes to pay for them. I also don't want a sorry dam government to control it, if for no other reason to get more control over the citizens.

So what do you think about this point of view? The main point is that you like government controlling what you do, I don't. You literally imply just one more 'free' thing (train), which leads to another free thing. You can't kid a kidder, Zhalanzi.
My Avatar: "Gimme it! Free Stuff!" Can you not get your own stuff? And you have to know my Suzy ride to Newfoundland is not a literal idea, because I am afraid that being in a car with a socialist will result in the , ahem, loss of my wallet.
Seriously, why can't you people get your own stuff? Not someone else's stuff

@zahlanzi said
price gouging is often illegal. especially for essential items.

Oh....where is the price gouging when I negotiate a ride with someone in the midst of thousands of cars.?
If anything, she would be gouging me if I were desperate to have the ride.
Oh Zhalanzi. The anger.

@averagejoe1 said
Yes, there is no reason to look at a fish and ask why its legs won’t work, because the fish has no legs. Whew. . But back to the subject, if a person voluntarily cuts off his two arms, should there be some government program instituted to take care of that person, like there seems to be government programs now, to take care of trans people who voluntarily do what they d ...[text shortened]... .
Could you stick to that question. You are getting like marauder, Sonhouse makes more sense.

Why would someone cut off their own arms?
Probably mental health issues? So, yes, society looks after people in need.

@averagejoe1 said
Get this. We ALL pay taxes to cover firemen, police, utitilities. This is indeed a form of socialism in the USA. Your government pays for a lot more, and in our eyes, they own you. Another thread, maybe?
However, I myself drive and fly, I would never get on one of those public transports. 'Why' is not relevant. So, I do not want my taxes to pay for them. I al ...[text shortened]... ss of my wallet.
Seriously, why can't you people get your own stuff? Not someone else's stuff

Next, you'll be telling us you NEED a tax cut so you can give away more money.

There's one born every minute.

@suzianne said
Next, you'll be telling us you NEED a tax cut so you can give away more money.

There's one born every minute.

Of course this is exactly what the welfare state has done to genuine noble benevolence, it has destroyed this virtue. In the UK there once existed hundreds of what were called 'friendly societies' local voluntary groups that used to band together to help the less fortunate, a fantastic effort that not only helped the intended person in need but built friendships and community fellowship.

Along comes the welfare state, stomp, stomp, stomp, "Citizens can no longer be trusted to help their fellows" and as the state has increased it's interference so people have pulled back from genuine benevolence and all the good things that came with it.

The state is killing community.

It, and those that worship it, are evil.

@wajoma said
Of course this is exactly what the welfare state has done to genuine noble benevolence, it has destroyed this virtue. In the UK there once existed hundreds of what were called 'friendly societies' local voluntary groups that used to band together to help the less fortunate, a fantastic effort that not only helped the intended person in need but built friendships and community ...[text shortened]... hat came with it.

The state is killing community.

It, and those that worship it, are evil.

Sorry, I can't answer this without cursing and swearing, so you have a great day, k?

@suzianne said
Sorry, I can't answer this without cursing and swearing, so you have a great day, k?

On internet message boards that's known as a win.

@averagejoe1 said
Oh....where is the price gouging when I negotiate a ride with someone in the midst of thousands of cars.?
If anything, she would be gouging me if I were desperate to have the ride.
Oh Zhalanzi. The anger.

if there would be thousands of cars trying to take your decrepit ass to newfoundland the price wouldn't be 850 and you wouldn't be desperate.

Now, if say a citizen of a supposedly civilized country had diabetes and couldn't afford the insulin he needs to not die because of a combination of corruption and callous greed, even though it costs like 10 dollars to make, that would be price gouging. Also that member of the supposedly civilized countryu cannot negotiate the price for drugs because corruption made it so.

"If anything, she would be gouging me if I were desperate to have the ride. "
Obviously that's what i meant by price gouging. How the fuk did you misunderstand that

@zahlanzi said

Also that member of the supposedly civilized countryu cannot negotiate the price for drugs because corruption made it so.

The goobermint made it so. You could be onto something here zahlooney bamboozle, the answer is the free market, where people can negotiate and there is competition.

"When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first to be bought and sold are the legislators." P J O'Rourke

For an excellent film on this check "The Dallas Buyers Club" based on a true story.

You're welcome.

Get goobermint out of the medical business watch the free market drive prices down.

@averagejoe1 said
Get this. We ALL pay taxes to cover firemen, police, utitilities. This is indeed a form of socialism in the USA. Your government pays for a lot more, and in our eyes, they own you. Another thread, maybe?
However, I myself drive and fly, I would never get on one of those public transports. 'Why' is not relevant. So, I do not want my taxes to pay for them. I al ...[text shortened]... ss of my wallet.
Seriously, why can't you people get your own stuff? Not someone else's stuff

"However, I myself drive and fly, I would never get on one of those public transports"
It's not about you, you selfish arrogant ashole. How do you still not get it. It's about providing a choice for those that CAN'T drive or fly. Those that absolutely need to get from A to B but lack a car to do so. It's about those that can't afford medical insurance but they should still get to see a doctor from time to time without having to skip meals for a week. It's about those that have the intelligence to go to college and make a career in an advanced field but can't because they don't have the money and also it's about not indebting them for the rest of their lives.

All socialism does, the REAL kind, the one Norway or Denmark has, not the one your feeble mind received from Fox News propaganda, is providing safety nets for those that fall. So that they don't go splat and have a chance to get up again and get back to being contributing members of society instead of stuck in a loop of misery.

"So what do you think about this point of view?"
It makes you a garbage person.

"The main point is that you like government controlling what you do, I don't."
You're a moron who would need instructions to put on pants

"Can you not get your own stuff?"
I pay taxes, it IS my stuff. And if i am not using it, i am happy to give it to someone who is not yet paying taxes so that they eventually get back on their feet and (re)start contributing as well. Because i am not a sociopath thinking someone sould pay obscene amounts of money (or any money) for chemo.


"You literally imply just one more 'free' thing (train), which leads to another free thing"
Deja vu. I thought i already told you you're dumb and can't understand what he is reading so you should try again because that wasn't what i said.
Sure, i can tell you again: You're dumb and can't understand what you're reading, read my post again.

"And you have to know my Suzy ride to Newfoundland is not a literal idea,"
No!? Really? I had no idea!!?!!1!!

@zahlanzi said
if there would be thousands of cars trying to take your decrepit ass to newfoundland the price wouldn't be 850 and you wouldn't be desperate.

Now, if say a citizen of a supposedly civilized country had diabetes and couldn't afford the insulin he needs to not die because of a combination of corruption and callous greed, even though it costs like 10 dollars to make, that w ...[text shortened]... the ride. "
Obviously that's what i meant by price gouging. How the fuk did you misunderstand that

Classic, Zhalanzi, ,I myself have forgotten the issue in the wake of all this invented dribble. Gouging, diabetes, insulin, corruption, greed, (callous?),......and you keep taking issue at the $800. That is the funniest, because the two countries are separated by 2500 miles of water. HA, distance-wise, that means $850 was a bargain...what is the gouging you are talking about??
If y'all weren't so angry and pent up, you would be able to enjoy debating and take a few analogies with a bit of the 'writer's license' to create one. The debater, Jimm634 of a year ago wrote back ":YOU DON'T have a yacht!' one time when I did an analogy saying that I could be rich and have a yacht which creates jobs' or some such. He didn't get it, you don't get it.