>>>>>>>>>>>>Well put.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>The news yesterday said that the markets have not lost this much after a new president has taken office in over 90 years. But Obama has made it pretty clear that he hates Wall Street, so this really shouldn't come as any surprise.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>lol
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Dow heading for huge one-day gain - must be the effects of the new president ... :0
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>And as they chant at Football grounds "Its all gone quiet over there"
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I don't expect the silence to continue. The whining is going to go on for 4 years or 8 years, no matter what Obama does.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I expect he'll just carry on manipulating the stock market on a day to day or even minute to minute basis. (probably for personal gain so he can invest in left wing groups seeking to overthrow the USA)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Yeah, he is trying to turn them into something as bad, socialist and as uncivilised as Europe! Darn, somebody better stop him!
>>>>>>We have to stand up and fight, for our right - to gauge DowJones index and property prices as we want ! {g}
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>"Socialist" seems to be the current epithet of choice among American conservatives.
>>>>
>>>>Some of us have been using it for years...if the shoe fits and all.
>>>>
>>>>>You wonder how much they understand about European socialism.
>>>>
>>>>Can't speak for others, but for myself I understand enough to know that I despise the entire concept as it goes against everything history has taught us about drive, ambition and the ability to achieve.
>>>>
>>>>>Some of those countries are doing better than we are by about any measure.
>>>>
>>>>I'll bite. Name some European countries that are doing better than America by about any measure.
>>>
>>>Take your pick of the Scandinavian countries for starters.
>>
>>They lose on punitive taxation alone.
>>
>>Norway - Up to 48% individual + 14% payroll + Up to 25% VAT
>>Sweden - Up to 59% individual + 32.42% payroll + Up to 25% VAT
>>Denmark - Up to 63% individual + 25% VAT
>>
>>Ancillary Note : The 2008 World Series of Poker champion was from Denmark. He won a $9.1 million for 1st place and pocketed less than a third after Denmark's tax collectors got through with him. In a comical aside, he tried to establish residency in London during the 3 month break in the tournament in order to avoid the outrageous confiscation of his winnings.
>>
>>If you choose to include Finland - Up to 53% individual + Up to 22% VAT
>>If you choose to include Iceland...well they're bankrupt.
>
>Like a lot of conservatives, you mistake individual economic greed for quality of life.

"by about any measure" was the comparison you put forth. I merely cited one.

Allow me to clear something up as you seem to have a misconception about me. I do not believe individual economic greed equates to quality of life for everyone. For me personally, having lived as a starving student and as a top-bracket earner I greatly prefer the freedom of the latter but I understand that is not the case for many. I believe everyone should be free to make those life choices for themselves as long as they pay their own way.

>No wonder we as a country tolerate social ills that would be intolerable in any other developed country.

In a free society, people must be free to fail. We agree that a society has a responsibility to help the helpless. Where we differ is on the definition of "helpless".