In all fairness TJs partner owns and rents the flat. Kind of ruins the rachmann overtures some are spinning.
@duckman we could do with a sarcasm emote - I was ribbing 🙂 I'm an unashamed capitalist pigdog who believes the best way to solve everything is to generate and then spend money - as much of it as possible.
@Bikepawl I think it's more the glaring hypocrisy that people are taking the mickey about 🙂
Actually Blair and the political classes across all the main parties as well as every UK taxpayer have all been actively supporting the redistribution of wealth in a very socialist way.Unfortunatley the only people feeling the benefit are the East European underclass who have moved to the UK to take advantage of it.Govan Hill anyone?
TJ
Laudable thought it is, why not take a wee break from this selfless ascetism of yours and treat yourself to that Chris King hub for your tandem 🙂
the glaring hypocrisy
Yeah TJ - don't you dare be left wing unless you live on a park bench and eat used cardboard.
Me, I've just realised I own four bikes, which is undoubtedly much higher than the national average, so I'm going to slit my own throat.
Bad idea - irritating for the Police, Ambulance and hospital staff who have to clear up the mess you will leave.Me, I've just realised I own four bikes, which is undoubtedly much higher than the national average, so I'm going to slit my own throat.
Just give 3 of them away to bikeless poor people and you can sit and be smug for quite a long while.
I think that both mboy and myself have produced a reasoned argument against the sweeping generalisations that you have produced.
Well I'm glad you think so, it would be rather sad if you didn't have faith in your own argument.
Dontcha reckon ? 🙂
[i]Property is theft![/i]
Yeah, so you mentioned a few weeks ago, 🙄
[i]They're beautiful looking pieces of kit bought by people with lots of dosh.
Why should there be anything else to it?[/i]
Have you got your priorities right DS?
It is an indisputable fact that one of the motivating factors behind owning an ostentatious vehicle in the £1.4 million price bracket, is to shamelessly flaunt your obscene level of wealth and invite others to be impressed. They are unquestioningly asking to be judged. Which is precisely what I do, although obviously not in the manner which they would prefer.
When I won a large lottery prize, I always planned on buying several nice, but not too ostentatious cars, like an Audi A5, a Citrôen DS3 Racing, a nice 4x4, nothing extreme in order to not attract the unwelcome attention of jealous class-warfare types eager to make a point about the unequal distribution of wealth, but now I'd actually buy something really flashy just so that I could flaunt in front of all the asshats on here, and then be able to tell them to go screw themselves.
We're all equal, it's just some are more equal than others.
Ain't that so, TJ?
Ain't that so, TJ?
You quoted me not TJ, so it would probably be better if you directed your rhetoric at me. Correctly identifying who you want to wind up will help you when it comes to flaunting in front of all the asshats.
Perhaps he got us confused Ernie? Or was he just confused?
TandemJeremy - Member
Perhaps he got us confused Ernie? Or was he just confused?POSTED 3 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST
You mea you two AREN'T the same person?
Is this still going..................
Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, New Zealand.
As an NZ citizen, resident and tax payer I would suggest that we actually have quite a shocking level of rich/poor imbalance. We also have an ageing population that cannot be sustained by the current levels of tax. And as a top 5% taxpayer, yes that's right I am one of [b]them[/b] it pains me to see such a massive disparity in our society. We also have a major issue with pakeha/maori which presents itself mainly in the form of poverty & unemployment for pacific islanders and maori. Strangely everyone has access to the same levels of social support and education irrespective of colour, race, ethnicity or location. So what do i do about it I hear you all cry, especially the slumlord TJ ? I pay tax.
Finland, Sweden, [b][u]Norway[/u][/b], Denmark, New Zealand.
Isn't Norway the massively oil rich one with a tiny population?
mikewsmith - MemberIs this still going..................
Yep. In the time that this thread has been running somebody has crashed another one of the bloody things. 🙄
The funny thing is it might not even be insured.
Oh how i pissed myself when i read that.
Have you got your priorities right DS?
Don't you ever get bored of following me around? I'm flattered that you take such an interest, but I do find it a little bit weird the level of attention a grown man is paying another.
And to answer your question, my priorities would seem to be perfectly right.
mboy - Member
I do with to pish on your chips, because the unemployment rate of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland an New Zealand are lower than the UK. And all those 'problems' you highlight, are the reason why income inequality is less than the UK. I think you may have missed the point.
OK, having just checked todays unemplyment rates, because of the current unemployment farce we have in the UK you are actually right. But in the case of Denmark, Sweden and Finland, only just... These 3 countries have consistently high unemployment problems, the UK is experiencing a fairly extreme peak right now, but is usually lower. New Zealand isn't far off either, though to be fair Norway does seem to have very low unemployment.
The history of unemployment is much more complex than your assertion, at least according to the stats [url= http://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=z8o7pt6rd5uqa6_&ctype=l&met_y=unemployment_rate#!ctype=l&strail=false&bcs=d&nselm=h&met_y=unemployment_rate&fdim_y=seasonality:sa&scale_y=lin&ind_y=false&rdim=country_group&idim=country_group:non-eu&idim=country:fi:dk:se:uk&ifdim=country_group&hl=en_US&dl=en_US&ind=false ]here[/url].
The "problems" I highlighted, as you put it, are BIG problems... What the hell do you do when all your skilled workforce is leaving the country to work elsewhere because they are taxed to high heaven in their home country, and don't see the benefit of this?
You said earlier it was half the workforce of Copenhagen who commute from Sweden, not you're suggesting it the entered skilled workforce. There are some numbers of wikipedia (i'm not going to bother to research it further than that) which suggest 14,000 people commute from sweden over the bridge to Copenhagen. The latter's population is 1.2m. Moreover, the same article suggests that Swedes also commute to Denmark for shopping, entertainment and to use the airport - these will be of great benefit for the economy. Might i suggest you wind in the hyperbole when trying to make a point, and add some stats instead of relying on your own experiences (and that of some friends). It is easier to make a convincing and robust case that way. 😀
Think i'll spend a few hours in the garage today & give the One-77 & the Aventador a valet... 8)
The funny thing is it might not even be insured.Oh how i pissed myself when i read that.
That says a lot about you
NZCol - MemberAs an NZ citizen, resident and tax payer I would suggest that we actually have quite a shocking level of rich/poor imbalance.
Perhpas but I believe it is much less so than the UK
That says a lot about you
A wicked SOH ?
Or is it only appropriate to laugh at the misfortunes of overweight low-income Tesco shoppers, preferably with some reference to Darwin ?
Does anyone have the stats to allow me to make a comparison of wrecked supercars (driven by the small penised super-rich) and wrecked "enhanced" tatty chav-mobiles (driven by scrotes)? I'd be interested to see how that works out in relaation to number of crashes per head of target population.
I suspect that the cost of said vehicle as a proportion of owners' earnings may be tilted one way more than another too.
Oh, and I agree fully with the argument for the Maclaren F1. A stunning piece of engineering. Whilst I would accept any super car, that's probably one I would keep, instead of selling on so that I could pay off the mortgage and buy a slightly less aged Passat estate.
That sounds like a reasonable argument willard - the enhanced safety features in a £1 million + car, plus the ability of the owner to pay for repairs or a replacement, puts the whole incident in a completely different light.
It's clearly no laughing matter and the owners of these incredibly safe cars should be able to smash/destroy them, despite no other vehicle being involved, without being subjected to ridicule or rebuke.
randomjeremy - MemberThe funny thing is it might not even be insured.
Oh how i pissed myself when i read that.
That says a lot about you
No more or less than what yours says about you.
No doubt you find people who shop in Oxfam funny.
Might i suggest you wind in the hyperbole when trying to make a point, and add some stats instead of relying on your own experiences (and that of some friends). It is easier to make a convincing and robust case that way
Well said!
And interestingly, I've just found an index of international rich/poor gaps which had Denmark top of the field, with an astonishing 82% of the population who are classed as "thriving" (the other categories being "struggling" and "suffering"). Seems like those Danes are doing okay despite the murderous taxes they all seem to be so keen to get away from.
If you look at any indices re social equality, quality of life, happiness etc., the countries which top those tables tend to be those with higher taxation. Which says to me that, at a very fundamental level, what makes people generally content with their lives is not adding an extra 2" to the size of their plasma telly every 12 months, or having a big daft car to wrap around a lamp post, moreso living in a fair and equal society with decent civic services. And even little things, which might stupid at first, but matter, like provision of plentiful, safe cycling lanes. That "you're only happy when you've got bags of disposable income" talk is specious propaganda.
TandemJeremy - Member
Perhpas but I believe it is much less so than the UK
Almost identical actually....
[url= http://www.oecd.org/document/40/0,3746,en_21571361_44315115_49166760_1_1_1_1,00.html ]OECD Rich/Poor stats[/url]
You're not rich NZCol, not Aston 77 rich - if I've read correctly you pay your tax in the country you earn it which also happens to be the country you are resident in. I doubt that's true of the Aston owners who have no doubt sorted out their tax affairs so they pay a mere token in some tax haven. I also suspect the only work Aston 77 owners do is instructing the people who manage their money.
interesting hilldodger
@ernie - I shop at Tesco
@stevewhyte - Oxfam is one of the charities I support
Look let's cut to the chase, the issue here is some of you can't stand the fact that some people have more money than you. It makes you furious and dents your fragile ego. The chip on your shoulder weighs more each day, knowing that there are people out there who are so loaded they can buy cars for a million pounds and not bat an eyelid.
You call these people names, question their morals, infer that they have small genitalia - because it makes you feel better about the way things turned out for you. Maybe you were unlucky, maybe you should have worked harder, who knows. Some people are richer than you. It is what it is so your impotent rage is just a waste of energy.
Think about and appreciate the privileges you are lucky to enjoy rather than envy those who have "more" than you.
Stop being a patronising ****heed RJ, at least for 10mins and give us peace.
yes, particularly how some of the countries usually thought of as "better than us" in respect of wealth equality (NZ, Finland, Sweden, Germany) seem to be the ones with the most widening gap from '85 - '08.
:EDIT: reply to TJ's post
They still are less unequal and actually NZ is still a chunk better than the UK
Random jeremy - no - I cannot stand the fact that the wealth of this country is so unevenly shared so that we have people in poverty while a tiny elite hoover up so much of the wealth - usually because of the power they hold not for what they do.
Eveyone is impoverished by this - people even the rich are happier in a more equal country.
Why is it right we have pensioners struggling to make ends meet while other have riches that can never be spent
The Gini coefficient, a standard measure of income inequality that ranges from 0 (when everybody has identical incomes) to 1 (when all income goes to only one person), stood at an average of 0.29 in OECD countries in the mid-1980s.
By the late 2000s, however, it had increased by almost 10% to 0.316. Significantly, it rose in 17 of the 22 OECD countries for which long-term data series are available , climbing by more than 4 percentage points in Finland, Germany, Israel, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United States.
Income inequality followed different patterns across the OECD countries over time. It first started to increase in the late 1970s and early 1980s in some English-speaking countries, notably the United Kingdom and the United States, but also in Israel.
From the late 1980s, the increase in income inequality became more widespread. The latest trends in the 2000s showed a widening gap between rich and poor not only in some of the already highinequality countries like Israel and the United States, but also – for the first time – in traditionally low-inequality countries, such as Germany, Denmark, and Sweden (and other Nordic countries), where inequality grew more than anywhere else in the 2000s.
At the same time, Chile, Mexico, Greece, Turkey, and Hungary reduced income inequality considerably – often from very high levels. There are thus tentative signs of a possible convergence of inequality levels towards a common and higher average level across OECD countries
[url= http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/40/12/49499779.pdf ]full report here[/url]
actually NZ is still a chunk better than the UK
If you look at the data for 2008, NZ has a Gini of 0.33 against UK 0.34 so not that big a chunk....
Stop being a patronising ****heed RJ, at least for 10mins and give us peace.
Obviously hit a nerve, mission accomplished. It's a shame you're not capable of a more measured, coherent response but I guess you play the hand you're dealt 😀
You call these people names, question their morals, infer that they have small genitalia
Not knowing ronjeremy, would I be correct in thinking that he's made his money by doing things of questionable morality with generously proportioned genitalia?
edit:
Why is it right we have pensioners struggling to make ends meet while other have riches that can never be spent
So why is the dude who's trying to spend, and then trash, his vast wealth getting it in the neck?
[i]- I cannot stand the fact that the wealth of this country is so unevenly shared [/i]
what about the wealth that is earned TJ? me and gf have plans, we are studying, saving, working our butts off in fact.
emsz - its fine if yo earn it and its a reasonable amount. the fact that richest 1% of the country have 21% of the wealth is wrong while the poorest 50% of the country have 7% of the wealth
emsz - its fine if yo earn it and its a reasonable amount.
TJ, who are you to determine what is a reasonable amount?
How many of the poorest 50% don't have access to basic necessities or don't have the opportunity to work their way out of poverty, legally?
Hardly real poverty, is it? Real poverty is quite disturbing to see, and we don't suffer from that in the UK.
define reasonable? 😆
Yes, strive to be mediocre.
I'm not sure this thread went in quite the direction the OP hoped
emsz - lets say 5 times average earnings? thats nearly £150 000 pa. that would be enough for me. Riches I will never have.
