so which society has it right? I hear good things about Scandinavia or is that a myth? Or perhaps the Scandinavian model doesn't scale when you have 50 million+ people....
Rakesh On Thu, Aug 19, 2010 at 11:06 AM, Kevin Wright <[email protected]> wrote: > No argument about the UK there, I've worked out that living in just the one > house with my fiance is financially stupid. > We just pretend to break up, then she moves into a new place, and gets the > benefits system to pay her council tax, rent, etc. etc. > She'd even get cash thrown at her for being a single parent AND disabled > (she gets no disability benefit when living with me, as it's means-tested > against my salary) > and I think even tax credits on top of her disability allowance, because > being disabled doesn't quite get classified as being jobless > Even I would be able to pay 25% less council tax, as a single resident. > Between the two of us, the net benefit would easily be over £1000/month > It does make me laugh when I hear government ministers rambling on about how > they must encourage "family values" > It's quite simple, start paying people to stay in families, not to break up > from them. > > On 19 August 2010 10:46, Carl Jokl <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Special Gmail rule? My goodness! It could have been any of us. >> >> *runs away screaming* >> >> The US does seem to be the land of extremes. I visited Boston and >> liked it very much but had the impression Boston was one of the >> extremes and not typical. >> >> I see the UK as having the problem that its social welfare system has >> been totally abused from what it is supposed to do. Lots of things >> have been done in the name of closing the gap between rich and poor. >> In the end it seems like those who work hard and educate themselves >> get nothing (well no help at least, the UK really does nothing to look >> after its professionals and skilled people). There was a time i.e. >> industrial revolution where trying to even the wealth was prudent and >> worked out well. These days it feels like the professionals and those >> who work hard get taxed to death to pay for the people living on >> welfare. As a cruel twist of irony sometimes our professionals >> struggle to keep their heads above water while some individuals who do >> not go out to work at all can afford satellite TV and some luxuries >> which some of our struggling professionals cannot afford. The whole >> system doesn't seem to encourage people to be sensible and >> responsible. It is all very wrong. >> >> In spite of the US having high percentages of people in Jail count >> yourselves lucky that you can lock your criminals up. The UK prisons >> are full so people who really should be going to jail are either >> having sentences too short or punished some other way. >> >> "Well you did murder these people and I would like to send you to jail >> but unfortunately there is no room so we are going to slap you on the >> wrist and let you go." >> >> I suppose it is no surprise that recently it was announced on the news >> that crime levels in the UK have overtaken those in the US. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "The Java Posse" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected]. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. >> > > > > -- > Kevin Wright > > mail/google talk: [email protected] > wave: [email protected] > skype: kev.lee.wright > twitter: @thecoda > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "The Java Posse" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Java Posse" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en.
