The below graph is an interesting analysis of who is paying their fair share in Federal taxes in the USA. Basically, it divides households up into quintiles, averages their taxes paid, subtracts how much in receipts back from the Federal government they receive, and determines net tax liability. The numbers are very interesting. Based on … Continue reading Pay Their Fair Share
Category: Politics
Star Wars Senate — A lesson for the United States?
http://www.c-span.org/video/standalone/?c4466009 (Note: the above clip is an embed code from Cspan -- which of course, being Cspan, doesn't actually embed.) Okay, I didn't choose the above clip to discuss the Affordable Care Act. Forget about that now. I chose it for just one thing -- the Star Wars reference. I started today's blog with a … Continue reading Star Wars Senate — A lesson for the United States?
Down With Democracy! Long Live the Republic!
I was sitting around Tuesday evening, trying to decide how to blog about the elections, without getting political. I know, why blog about politics if you don't want to get political? But the truth is, I don't feel that I have a lot of skin in the game for anything specific in the races -- … Continue reading Down With Democracy! Long Live the Republic!
White (dis)privilege
What is the advantage, to anyone, of bringing up specific group numbers showing that certain people, in certain "defined" groups have privilege over other people? The correlation of numbers is just as good as the correlation between the stock market and the price of butter in Bangladesh (follow the price of butter in Bangladesh and … Continue reading White (dis)privilege
It is your destiny …
Destiny. Do we find it or does it find us? Do we make it or does it make us? Or is it all just something to fake us out of doing the things we really want or really should? Avatar: The Last Airbender had a lot of talk about destinies, and finding them, being favored … Continue reading It is your destiny …
Restoring the Constitution
Over the years the constitution has been "improved" by a list of amendments. The purpose of this blog today is to look at some of them, and how rolling certain ones back, "restoring" the constitution, might actually be a better, and more "progressive" act than the keeping of those "progressive" amendments. 1) Roll back the … Continue reading Restoring the Constitution
Science Fiction — A Human Wave musing
What is common about all the popular science fiction television series? Okay, I don't have enough background to really make a conclusion about anything with "all" in it on a topic like this. But I will make conclusions based on the experience that I have. The common theme is Human Wave. The viewing of the … Continue reading Science Fiction — A Human Wave musing
Living life in the Trash Lane
The reemergence of the bicycle as a means of both exercise and transportation in the United States is also being experienced here in Kansas City. Most of the time it is met with honking by motorists at inappropriate and inopportune times (the ones most likely to startle the cyclist into a dangerous swerve that could … Continue reading Living life in the Trash Lane
Reasonableness affects membership
One of the dangers of starting a debate, is that you never know for sure where logic might go. It is about the same as Bilbo, in the Lord of the Rings, warning Frodo about walking out his door. It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if … Continue reading Reasonableness affects membership
In Praise of Ambiguity
I found the below video by Penn & Teller to be very thought-provoking. Watch it and reflect. Where we want to be definite and certain about what we know, they present a compelling argument that it is the ambiguity through which we celebrate our freedom. Totalitarians are the ones who want things certain and specific. … Continue reading In Praise of Ambiguity
At The Rainbow 