WE buy him tobacco, beer and canned meat product.Mary said:
JIM
Why Invest? - Disarming Damocle's Sword
- Thread starter duncan_m
- Start date
JIM
I don't think Jamie was being either pedantic or humourous. The person in question chooses not to contribute but to effectively demand subsidies from others.Mary said:Hi Jamie, i assume you're being a bit of a pedant in the definition of self-sufficient?
Ok, he has a vege patch, chooks & ducks. The dole buys him tobacco, beer and canned meat product.
He simply contributes to others being caught in the trap, by demanding that others pay for his luxuries.
Damocles without the sword, in my not very amused opinion.
quiggles said:
Hi quiggles,
Yes he's like a lot of the hippies in the area and has decided he doesn't want to contribute to society anymore. He's had enough of the life Duncan talks about and i guess he's not financial enough to collect rental income, dividends, live off equity etc.
I haven't seen him for nearly 2 years so i'm not sure if he's still there doing the bush thing or has been kicked off or moved on. He's actually a friend of a friend so i'm not even sure if he's still alive (he's aged about mid-late 50's) - not saying due to old age of course!
But i'm not sure if you can say it's Damocles without the sword - there's no Damocles to begin with unless you consider it beer and tobacco. He certainly doesn't live a luxurious lifestyle in his leaky 1 room cabin.
If you want to discuss tax cheats, or those that don't contribute to society, i can think of much worse offenders than him such as people who commit crime (fraud, embezzlement, armed robbery, burglary, theft, drug dealing, insider trading etc) to maintain their lifestyle.
Hi Mary,Mary said:Hi Jamie, i assume you're being a bit of a pedant in the definition of self-sufficient?
Ok, he has a vege patch, chooks & ducks. The dole buys him tobacco, beer and canned meat product.
So he is content to sit back and enjoy the fruits of the labours of others, and contribute nothing to those supporting him - basically he is happy to continue taking, and is quite content to give nothing in return.
And his taking isnt even for staples, its for beer and tobacco.
Spin it however you like, but your friend is neither noble nor enlightened - he's a parasite.
Hows that for pedantry?
Jamie.
Jamie said:
Hi Jamie,
Yes that's great
Basically, yes, this unemployed parisitic bum sits in his cabin by the stream smoking and drinking to his heart's content. What makes me angry is that my tax dollars provide this. And maybe you should read my post a bit S L O W E R, so that you can find where i described his lifestyle as noble or enlightened?
I agree he's also a parasitic leech that is a waste of society's resources (a bit like the Royal family). I haven't been to Nimbin for awhile now but it amazed me that there were so many unemployed drug pushers running around the streets during the day. I mean, haven't they got jobs up there? And lots of kids too - don't those hippies at least build schools up there? And don't get me started on those bloody war veterans in the hills who sit around drinking beer and smoking weed all day just because they had to fight in a war all those years ago. I also know a Vietnam Vet who gets about $600 a week pension AND also works for cash in hand as a sparky! This bum clears about $1,500 a week and doesn't pay ONE dollar in tax! That's right, not ONE dollar as his pension is untaxed.
Hows that for pedantry?
Pretty poor, actually...Mary said:
Ive read every post youve made in this thread, and it wouldnt matter if I took as long to read your posts as a snail took to run the Boston Marathon, you still dont make any sense - ever considered that your inability to inspire coherence in others could possibly be a fault of your own, and not of someone else's? Seems Im not the only one having a problem with the finer points of your argument.
Instead of using sarcasm, where exactly do you stand - you're quite happy to support the "self sufficient" welfare recipients who are able to work, but choose not to because it might impinge on their lifestyle?
Mary said:
Where did anyone say these people aren't criminals?
But who romanticises their lives like youve done with your friend, the welfare cheat? Ever heard anyone on the forum say:
"Hey, I have a friend who is an embezzling, drug dealing armed robber, he leads a self sufficient lifestyle and has no need for consumerism... perhaps thats a lifestyle we can all learn something from!
Im still cant see how someone who chooses to be on the dole has turned their back on society, when they still put their hand out for money every fortnight...
Jamie.
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Hi Jamie,
Perhaps you should re-read all of my posts again (much, much more: S L O W L Y) if you're having such difficulty understanding where i stand. You sound like a moderately intelligent boy so i'm not sure why you're having such difficulty comprehending my posts as any mentally proficient person could.
Who else is having a problem understanding my posts?
Where have i been oscillating between shock, sarcasm, and irony?
Why do you think that i'm happy to support the "self sufficient" welfare recipients who are able to work?
Where have i expressed happiness at spending a portion of my tax on welfare payments?
Jamie, perhaps you need to re-read my posts more literally before making such misguided remarks. I have never romanticized my "friend's" lifestyle. Please show me where i've done this. I simply said that i know a guy who lives in the woods on Crown land and collects the dole. PERIOD.
I was giving an example related to Duncan's comment about people not being "allowed" to build cabins in National Parks or Crown land and hunt the wildlife for food.
My point about criminal activity to support a lifestyle was made to emphasise the difference between someone on welfare and someone who commits an indictable offence to support their lifestyle.
Yes, there is a difference and there's definitely a sliding scale of cheating others out of money according to our law makers.
You honestly don't believe that someone who refuses to work and collect welfare is on the same level as someone who commits an armed robbery?
These incoherent and inane ramblings of yours don't sound like you've spent much thought on them. You should spend your time replying in a meaningful and constructive manner and add something to the discussion instead of getting distracted and going off topic.
Do you know where you stand? Because i can't see any contribution on this topic from you except for this ugly diatribe. Please share with us your enlightened thoughts on Damocle's sword and Duncan's observation of the same.
Perhaps you should re-read all of my posts again (much, much more: S L O W L Y) if you're having such difficulty understanding where i stand. You sound like a moderately intelligent boy so i'm not sure why you're having such difficulty comprehending my posts as any mentally proficient person could.
Who else is having a problem understanding my posts?
Where have i been oscillating between shock, sarcasm, and irony?
Why do you think that i'm happy to support the "self sufficient" welfare recipients who are able to work?
Where have i expressed happiness at spending a portion of my tax on welfare payments?
Jamie, perhaps you need to re-read my posts more literally before making such misguided remarks. I have never romanticized my "friend's" lifestyle. Please show me where i've done this. I simply said that i know a guy who lives in the woods on Crown land and collects the dole. PERIOD.
I was giving an example related to Duncan's comment about people not being "allowed" to build cabins in National Parks or Crown land and hunt the wildlife for food.
My point about criminal activity to support a lifestyle was made to emphasise the difference between someone on welfare and someone who commits an indictable offence to support their lifestyle.
Yes, there is a difference and there's definitely a sliding scale of cheating others out of money according to our law makers.
You honestly don't believe that someone who refuses to work and collect welfare is on the same level as someone who commits an armed robbery?
These incoherent and inane ramblings of yours don't sound like you've spent much thought on them. You should spend your time replying in a meaningful and constructive manner and add something to the discussion instead of getting distracted and going off topic.
Do you know where you stand? Because i can't see any contribution on this topic from you except for this ugly diatribe. Please share with us your enlightened thoughts on Damocle's sword and Duncan's observation of the same.
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to turn one's back on society completely??? A thought often relished during my (seldomly) idle moments, but quickly dismissed at the thought of no clean or (instantly) hot running water, no lecky blankey and damn (talk about labour intense) I'd have to kill my own steak before I cooked it!!! Oh well, lucky for me I'm a vegetarian!!!
Come on guys, lighten up, it's a parable.....the sword(s) will vary from person to person, and the degree of sharpness equally so!!! The key is to recognise the swords, never losing sight of their looming presence and most importantly, the BIGGER PICTURE!!!
Try taking a look into the eyes of a mangled domestic violence victim's face, and you'll soon realise no sword hanging over your own head could ever really compare!!!
Oh well, lucky for me I'm a vegetarian!!! Come on guys, lighten up, it's a parable.....the sword(s) will vary from person to person, and the degree of sharpness equally so!!! The key is to recognise the swords, never losing sight of their looming presence and most importantly, the BIGGER PICTURE!!!
Try taking a look into the eyes of a mangled domestic violence victim's face, and you'll soon realise no sword hanging over your own head could ever really compare!!!
interesting
Despite paying 70k in icome tax this year coming i actually dont get too riled about people living of welfare. Taking a wholistic approach to the world suggests that we will always have poeple who make money and always have people who need money and regardless of which group one sits in, everyone is equally as important and desrves lifes basic privileges.
We can get too high and might about how much tax we are paying. As if the amount of money we receive somehow collates exactly with our contribution to society as a whole. One day i could very easily be a beach bum or a out of work writer and i think we need both of them....
Who else would we make jokes about. who else would we deride to make us feel better about what small contribution we make anyway.
We need all types of people and if this means that some of these people are on wlefare then so be it. And btw im not a commo, im just being truthful.
If i pay 70k in tax does that mean im better than joe next door who pays 30k in tax?? and does that mean joe next door is better than the peter next door who receives wlefare....nope!!!
In regards to the sword issue. Like some of the others have alluded two the sword is mostly of our own making. The key to happiness is being in control of your thoughts and understanding that there is no REAL impediment from you being happy right now. Unhappiness is a bad habit. Change the habot and you will be happy....
OHM OHM - doh
Despite paying 70k in icome tax this year coming i actually dont get too riled about people living of welfare. Taking a wholistic approach to the world suggests that we will always have poeple who make money and always have people who need money and regardless of which group one sits in, everyone is equally as important and desrves lifes basic privileges.
We can get too high and might about how much tax we are paying. As if the amount of money we receive somehow collates exactly with our contribution to society as a whole. One day i could very easily be a beach bum or a out of work writer and i think we need both of them....
Who else would we make jokes about. who else would we deride to make us feel better about what small contribution we make anyway.
We need all types of people and if this means that some of these people are on wlefare then so be it. And btw im not a commo, im just being truthful.
If i pay 70k in tax does that mean im better than joe next door who pays 30k in tax?? and does that mean joe next door is better than the peter next door who receives wlefare....nope!!!
In regards to the sword issue. Like some of the others have alluded two the sword is mostly of our own making. The key to happiness is being in control of your thoughts and understanding that there is no REAL impediment from you being happy right now. Unhappiness is a bad habit. Change the habot and you will be happy....
OHM OHM - doh
Cheers Aussierogue,
Yours is a very refreshing & positive outlook, I tend to agree with your reasoning that it takes all kinds to make up our great country. The energy spent being frustrated about dole-bludgers, freeloaders etc. is wasted energy and counter-productive to everything, so just wanted to commend you on your great outlook on the big picture.
JIM
Yours is a very refreshing & positive outlook, I tend to agree with your reasoning that it takes all kinds to make up our great country. The energy spent being frustrated about dole-bludgers, freeloaders etc. is wasted energy and counter-productive to everything, so just wanted to commend you on your great outlook on the big picture.
JIM
jimmy
tks jimmy.
tks jimmy.
I have the answer!!
It came to me in a flash.
THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD!!
sorry..
It came to me in a flash.
THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD!!
sorry..
Sheesh! Wish we had THESE type of discussions when I went to Sunday School!
NOW WASN'T IT A LOVELY DAY TODAY! (Well, for Melb this time of year...)
NOW WASN'T IT A LOVELY DAY TODAY! (Well, for Melb this time of year...)
