On 23/11/2011 9:21 AM, Vito wrote:
> I see that the protesters claim to represent 99%
> They don't represent me.
> Does that make me a 1%'r??
The Occupy Calgary crowd have settled in right in front of my office. I
have seen signs that have said "Capitalism stole my virginity and I want
it back". I have heard interviews where one protester was asked what do
you think will happen when the authorities try to remove you. His
response was, "The cops will come in with shields and riot gear and beat
our heads in". The interviewer asked him if he really believed that. He
replied "Well yeah". Another poster told the guy with the mic they were
protesting for more foster homes for kids.
Although it is nice and warm here right now we have had some very cold
nights. Watching the squatters fend with the cold has been, well,
interesting. Personally I am hoping they will stay. I am looking
forward to seeing how they decorate their tents for Christmas.
This whole thing about 1% of the people controlling 99% of the wealth
reminds me of that old "Ten men went to lunch" fable.
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for lunch and the bill for all
ten comes to $100.
If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something
like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do.
The ten men ate lunch in the restaurant every day and seemed quite happy
with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve ball.
"Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce
the cost of your daily lunch by $20.00." So lunch for the ten men would
now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So
the first four men were unaffected. They would still eat for free. But
what about the other six men? How could they divide the $20 windfall so
that everyone would get his fair share?
They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted
that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would
each end up being paid to eat his lunch.
So the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's
bill by a higher percentage the poorer he was, to follow the principle
of the tax system they had been using, and he proceeded to work out the
amounts he suggested that each should now pay.
And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% off).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% off).
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% off).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% off).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% off).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% off).
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four
continued to eat lunch for free. But, once outside the bar, the men
began to compare the amount they got off.
The sixth man said, "I only got $1 off out of the $20 while the tenth
man got $10 off!"
"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only got $1 off, too.
It's unfair that he got ten times more benefit than me!"
"That's true!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 off,
when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!"
"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison, "we didn't get
anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!"
The nine men surrounded the tenth and told him they they were angry that
he got so much off while they each got very little.
The next day the tenth man didn't show up for lunch, so the nine sat
down and had their lunchs without him. But when it came time to pay the
bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough
money amongst all of them for even half of the bill!
And that is how our tax system works. The people who already pay the
highest taxes will naturally get the largest benefit from a tax
reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they
just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start eating
overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.
--
Disclaimer
Do not believe a thing I have said, unless you already know it to be
true, or can independently verify it from another source.
Reeky Ride To The Rockies
http://actualriders.ca/reekyrockies.htm
Calgary (Don) wrote:
> On 23/11/2011 9:21 AM, Vito wrote:
>> I see that the protesters claim to represent 99%
>> They don't represent me.
>> Does that make me a 1%'r??
>>
>>
> The Occupy Calgary crowd have settled in right in front of my office.
> I have seen signs that have said "Capitalism stole my virginity and I
> want it back". I have heard interviews where one protester was asked
> what do you think will happen when the authorities try to remove you.
> His response was, "The cops will come in with shields and riot gear
> and beat our heads in". The interviewer asked him if he really
> believed that. He replied "Well yeah". Another poster told the guy
> with the mic they were protesting for more foster homes for kids.
> Although it is nice and warm here right now we have had some very cold
> nights. Watching the squatters fend with the cold has been, well,
> interesting. Personally I am hoping they will stay. I am looking
> forward to seeing how they decorate their tents for Christmas.
> This whole thing about 1% of the people controlling 99% of the wealth
> reminds me of that old "Ten men went to lunch" fable.
> Suppose that every day, ten men go out for lunch and the bill for all
> ten comes to $100.
> If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go
> something like this:
> The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
> The fifth would pay $1.
> The sixth would pay $3.
> The seventh would pay $7.
> The eighth would pay $12.
> The ninth would pay $18.
> The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
> So, that's what they decided to do.
> The ten men ate lunch in the restaurant every day and seemed quite
> happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a
> curve ball.
> "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce
> the cost of your daily lunch by $20.00." So lunch for the ten men
> would now cost just $80.
> The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So
> the first four men were unaffected. They would still eat for free. But
> what about the other six men? How could they divide the $20
> windfall so that everyone would get his fair share?
> They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they
> subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the
> sixth man would each end up being paid to eat his lunch.
> So the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's
> bill by a higher percentage the poorer he was, to follow the principle
> of the tax system they had been using, and he proceeded to work out
> the amounts he suggested that each should now pay.
> And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100%
> off). The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% off).
> The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% off).
> The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% off).
> The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% off).
> The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% off).
> Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four
> continued to eat lunch for free. But, once outside the bar, the men
> began to compare the amount they got off.
> The sixth man said, "I only got $1 off out of the $20 while the tenth
> man got $10 off!"
> "Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only got $1 off,
> too. It's unfair that he got ten times more benefit than me!"
> "That's true!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 off,
> when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!"
> "Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison, "we didn't get
> anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!"
> The nine men surrounded the tenth and told him they they were angry
> that he got so much off while they each got very little.
> The next day the tenth man didn't show up for lunch, so the nine sat
> down and had their lunchs without him. But when it came time to pay
> the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have
> enough money amongst all of them for even half of the bill!
> And that is how our tax system works. The people who already pay the
> highest taxes will naturally get the largest benefit from a tax
> reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they
> just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start eating
> overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
> For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
> For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.
And there ya have it . The more ya give 'em the more they demand . Hey ,
whattaya say we just go ahead and kill the goose , cook it for dinner ?
Those rich SOB's don't deserve those golden eggs anyway .
--
Snag
Learning keeps
you young !
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> They don't represent me.
> Does that make me a 1%'r??