Not new, but newly relevant

[MsRowdyRedhead]

Notice - this isn't partisan. Everyone needs to be concerned.

This is too true to be funny.

The next time you hear a politician use the word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about whether you want the 'politicians' spending YOUR tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.

A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.

While this thought is still fresh in your brain...let's take a look at New Orleans. It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.

Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D) was asking Congress for $250 BILLION DOLLARS to rebuild New Orleans. Interesting number... what does it mean?

A. Well...if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman and child) you each get $516,528.

B. Or... If you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.

C. Or... If you are a family of four...your family gets $2,066,012.

Note to Washington , D.C.

HELLO!
Are all your calculators broken??

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? *

There are at least 50 taxes now that didn't exist 100 years ago...and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt...
We had the largest middle class in the world...
And many moms stayed home to raise the kids.

What happened? Can you spell politicians?

And you still have to press '1'  for English.


What the heck has happened to our country?

[Rakoua]

Eh, it just happens, the great material continuum can be treacherous.

[KnightsFan]

Well, several things have happened.
1. Apathy. People no longer seem to care about politics, which is why voter turnout is at an all-time low - well under 50%.
2. Of the people who vote, most are uneducated politically. They vote along party lines because their family or neighbors do. No one actually knows what their candidate stands for.
3. Rise of super-corporations. Since the 60's, income of the middle class has risen by a few percent (adjusted for inflation). CEO income has risen by several hundred percent - 23% raise in 2010 alone.
4. Lobbyists who have an inordinate amount of control over politics.
5. Lawyers who can do things like tax evasions, medical lawsuits and other wasteful practices
6. Millisecond stock market trading that doesn't add any long-term value to the stock market, and can hardly be termed investment.
7. Possibly worst, we're seeing extreme polarization of the parties and little attempt at creating independent parties or bipartisan legislation.

I could go on for a while.

[.]

There are at least 50 taxes now that didn't exist 100 years ago...and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt...
We had the largest middle class in the world...
And many moms stayed home to raise the kids.

Our tax rates (especially income) are lower than they were 50 years ago, and nearly half of all Americans don't even pay income tax. We still are the most prosperous nation in the world.
There was only one time we were not in debt, and that was in 1835 for a short time under Andrew Jackson.
We still do have the largest middle class in the world.
I am not sure what point you are making here, so I don't have a comment =P

I do agree that we are not in good shape. If you were to comment on income disparity, losing personal freedoms,  voter turnout, or our education system, among other things I would be in agreement.

[MsRowdyRedhead]

http://jobmarketmonitor.com/2012/04/14/u-s-taxes-rates-over-the-last-50-years-the-wealthiest-pay-40-less-while-middle-class-pay-roughly-the-same/

[Flipz]

PEOPLE are meant to be LOVED,
THINGS are meant to be USED.
The reason the world is slipping into CHAOS is that THINGS are being LOVED and PEOPLE are being USED.

[MsRowdyRedhead]

PEOPLE are meant to be LOVED,
THINGS are meant to be USED.
The reason the world is slipping into CHAOS is that THINGS are being LOVED and PEOPLE are being USED.

QFT!