I would add that it's not only irresponsible but malicious. Tax codes weren't created by or for middle and lower class America. Look at any major city. Do you see strip clubs and high density of bars located evenly across all parts of the city? Crime, schools are all designed by city planning, similar to gerrymandering.

@ToddBurrough

I'm curious as to any suggestions you might have to level the playing field.

Spit roasted Long White pig or boiled into broth you reckon @JiunnWong?
Listen to The Yarn of the Nancy Bell by WS Gilbert (MONO-079) by GypsyJackBoggleShow #np on #SoundCloud
[soundcloud.com]

@Stevil Interesting that you ask. I remember a vegetarian Jewish woman who claimed that I smelt and tasted different to her ex boyfriend who was also vegetarian. All a little strange as back then I smoked like a chimney and so probably smelt and tasted of smoked jerky or kippers.

@Stevil damn chewy...get out the pressure cooker or crock pot!

Look out for those humans on gmo based diets though. The worst. Studies suggest gmo fed human causes cancer. Best to go for all organic Californians.

if people taste like bacon they are not worthless

@SocraticAddict Aren't they now irradiated from Fukushima fallout?

@btroje Got to smoke them first for the flavour! And don't forget that the first example of human mad cow like disease came from cannibals eating human brains...Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD)

So we are in the same boat. I am hardcore pro-choice, freedom of thought and expression and so on. Regularly clash with righties and lefties alike...

I'm socially liberal, and politically conservative. In other words, I don't care what you do as long as I'm not paying for it in any way. You do you, I've got me undercontrol.

@jayneonacobb well said.

I am, but only in the sense that gun control means using both hands.

@Stevil lol

@Stevil LMAO whilst ROFL! Now got pains in the ribs. The old "pass the palm of the hand over the crown of the head" sign comes to mind or as a long dead adopted brother always said "when someone is pissing on you from a great height it is a thin mist by the time it gets to your level!"

@Stevil Even better but don't try saying it repeatedly whilst drunk!

Are we getting close to that revolution part? Time to dust off that ak47, they'll never take me alive!

I'm confused as to how private weaponry would affect any modern military attack. It's sounds like paranoid delusion. If they want you, they are going to get you, but they don't want you.

@BenPike well, I appreciate being called paranoid and deluded buddy. Good on ya!

What is anti-liberal about a family sticking together?

@DragonDust It's not anti-liberal. Conservatives like addressing themselves as the "family" party.

What is the role of the word "should" in your text? Everyone agrees that we all want to be happy with our family and it would be great if everything went so well. I think the question is, in what way should the government encourage or force this to happen?

The liberal vs conservative view would come in at who is responsible for the "should." A conservative would want to cut off food stamps to unmarried woman if they could. Or make divorce illegal. Or force parents to marry.

A liberal would want to fund daycare, thus increasing the well-being of the family. Or support pregnant girls and help them get through school. Or mandate paid maternal and paternal leave policy.

What do you support?

Never let conservatives define what a liberal is! We love family, mostly love our country, and value a work ethic!!

A bunch of unorganized armed people keeping a government with the most advanced weapons systems to ever exist on this planet in check is an interesting thought. Militias back in the day we're a joke and got in the way of conventional forces regularly. Hollywood plays up historic militias, but a bunch of bafoons with guns not able to coordinate simple tactics didn't get us independence. I could care less about the 2nd amendment, so leave it alone. I don't think weak reasoning for why it exists in modern times should be left at the door. It's a settled issue like abortion, so let's address real issues.

A lot of drug company profits among other corperations can certainly can be considered plunder .

"My most liberal view is vaginal cosmetic surgery (It's usually minor and isn't harmful)..." Now if someone would just explain what that is...I don't have a clue what is meant by that.

@dahermit I know what it is. What I am baffled by is how that is considered a political view by any stretch of the definition. "We demand vaginoplasties for all!"

@SKDeitch Is I don't think all men (or people) look better with makeup?

@BlueWave Thank you, but that does not answer my question. I would appreciate if someone would just plain, explain it to me.

@dahermit Oh, I didn't know you wanted me to explain it to you. I opened Google.com and put in "What is vagina cosmetic surgery?" Here's the search that it came back with.
Apparently it is also called Vaginal Rejuvenation. [google.com]

@BlueWave Thank you...never heard of it.

@dahermit Yup! SOME people have medical reasons -- and/or they were truly dealt not such a fair deal down there. OTHER people have insecurities about perfectly "normal" genitalia - body dysmorphia.

I think tax evasion is plunder

@Gianni Well yeah. That isn't profit and most companies and people do pay/lodge their taxes.

@DragonDust exceptions drug dealers, terrorist groups, dodgy politicians who steal their countries wealth as revealed in leak of panama papers

weed rules, a twenty-one gun salute to that!

How do you mean that?

Corporations receive about $100 billion in corporate welfare each year. I doubt that helps anyone but the rich. The U.S. spends about $212 billion a year on social programs that actually assist those in need. Sure, a small percentage of the poor take advantage of this but it helps many millions of people.

Where do you get your information? That sounds soo... very... Fox News. The percentage of people who manage to exploit welfare is probably less than 1%. It is the conservatives who want to take help away from the other 99% in order not to enable the 1%. Be careful not to let conservatives define your world view.

But missing the point: that some people are being paid more than the national average wage, and not even paying tax on it, for doing sweet fuck all apart from raising their own kids.

The percentages aren't relevant when you're working and can barely afford food, and you see someone who retired the day they left school buying flatscreen TV's and the latest games consoles for each of their children.

And this does happen. In the UK system, at least.

@NicoleCadmium
It seems like people want to scrap the whole system because some are taking advantage of it. People are too preoccupied with those few scamming the system that they fail to see the bigger picture. Throw the baby out with the bathwater scenario. For all if human history there have been scammers and there will be no ending it. Most if the welfare fraud in the US is by businesses receiving the food stamps and such from people on welfare. Not sure how it is in the UK.
It's already been said that corporate welfare is way more than individual welfare and add in the defense budget for endless wars and expensive weapon systems that aren't truly needed, then you find we can have nice things.

@dokala Utter nonsense. There may well be 'people like that', but they are not 'people like me.'

I respect and am happy to contribute into a welfare system for people who need it to maintain an acceptable quality of life. One that I might need myself someday, should my circumstances change. The fact that it doesn't stretch to keep homeless people off the streets, while some welfare claimants have a flatscreen television and latest generation games console for each of their 8 children, is what sticks in my throat. The fact that I'll probably be working into my 70s to pay benefits to perfectly able people who chose to retire at 16, also sticks in my throat.

The welfare system should provide people with the basic requirements for life: food, water, shelter, clothing, heating, electricity, basic entertainment facilities (a television.) But I should not be working to pay for someone who doesn't work to have a better quality of life than I do. And yet I know of cases where people are playing the system and doing exactly that.

Of course we lose a lot more revenue to corporate tax evasion, but it's a separate issue. Even if they are not giving back what they should be, these corporations are contributing to the economy, at the very least by employing people to work for them. What contribution has someone who's sat scratching their nuts while watching Jeremy Kyle every day ever made?

Both situations need to be addressed. I've never been one for ignoring a lesser problem just because there are bigger ones out there. We don't ignore theft and fraud simply because rape and murder are more serious, do we?

@NicoleCadmium ever wonder why they have flat screen TVs and other items of perceived value? They probably stole them or they have a side hustle that involves illict goods. I hear people say that "those people will simply starve if they don't get a job." Not true. People will turn to crime at various levels to get what they need and even thrive. Crime does pay or else people wouldn't do it. There's no stopping it, but it can be minimized.
You are caught up in someone having something over on you and they don't work for it. Their existence sucks. Ever see how people live who you think are getting one over on you? It ain't pretty. They deal in stolen items, drugs, or whatever they can to survive and get. They have no concept of priorities because they are oblivious and live in the here and now. Again, their existence sucks. Why areiyou more pissed about the golden parachutes executives get for failing, causing scandals, or crashing the global economy? I still haven't received from the bill I had to pay for losing money on my place after the 2008 crash, but all those bankster assholes are seeing record profits and salaries while paying next to nothing in taxes. If I happen to get a bonus at my job, it's taxed at 40% on the low end. Those corporate assholes have loopholes that give them hundreds of thousands or millions with zero or next to nothing in taxes. But you are focused on the welfare types getting a stupid TV, car, or some other meaningless item that truly isn't all that expensive in the first place. Sounds reasonable.

@dokala I'm no the least bit fixated with this. Someone asked a question here "Liberals: what is your most conservative view?" And I answered honestly. This issue doesn't consume my every waking moment. Far from it. I don't even think about it daily. Only when the subject comes up, or I see an example of it happening.

I'm not sure where you get the idea that these people are criminals in the conventional sense. There's a degree of benefit fraud involved in some cases (I'll give you an example below) but others just manage to get more money than they need out of the system somehow. I certainly don't believe every flat screen television was bought 'knock off' from 'some bloke in the pub.'

One of my ex's friends had a very tidy arrangement where she and her boyfriend lived together, but not officially. She was a stay at home mum, and got all of her living costs covered by welfare. He was out earning, and apart from covering the cost of his own food, they had no bills to pay out of it. It was purely spending money.

I used to know a guy who claimed he received £30K per year from the government in various benefits, just to stay at home and raise his children. I'm not sure how he managed to claim that figure, but I don't see any reason for him to lie. This was a few years ago, when the national average wage was probably closer to the £20K mark. More like 15K after tax and National Insurance contributions (none of which the other guy had to pay out of his 30K handout.)