BRFR Cake Stop 'breaking news' miscellany

[Stevo 666]

Make accountancy great again?

What do you mean, 'again'?

 

[Stevo 666]

Some of those things might explain why Scotland is running an 11% deficit, despite much higher taxes?

Water quality is just a population density thing. If you can't manage to get decent water in a wet, hilly, sparsely populated country, there's no hope for humanity. But Scotland still contrives to dump poo into the rivers on an industrial scale, only the company doing it is state owned so the government doesn't as vocally blame itself quite so much.

I thought on crime rates, Glasgow was another world leader.

And regardless of teacher pupil ratios, aren't Scottish children racing down the world league tables on literacy and numeracy? Are they ahead, or behind, the UK as a whole?

If you want proof of that last bit, you only have to look at some of 'Loons posts

 

[Pinno718]

I haven't even posted in the Trump thread yet 🙂

Well, you will have to far exceed previous creativity when opposing the consensus.

 

[Stevo 666]

Well, you will have to far exceed previous creativity when opposing the consensus.

So many threads, so little time....

Tbh I didn't odnt post much in the Cake Stop Trump thread, I was more interested in UK politics. There aren't many lefties to bash in the US (metaphorically speaking).

 

[Pinno718]

So many threads, so little time....

Tbh I didn't odnt post much in the Cake Stop Trump thread, I was more interested in UK politics. There aren't many lefties to bash in the US (metaphorically speaking).

Why do you want to bash lefties? Are all lefties wrong? Did your daughter go to a state school? Were you born in an NHS hospital? Have you ever used the NHS?
Surely, the pragmatist (as opposed to the prejudiced) would say that there are ideologies and economic theories from both sides of the political spectrum that have merit and equally, there is the opposite, instead of taking an immovable (stubborn) stand point for some inexplicable fear of socialism?
Ghandi said basically that a society should be judged on how it treats it's weakest.
The Baltic states are amongst the happiest nations with high equality, high standards of living, high standards of healthcare and education yet remain predominantly socialist with very high taxation*.
The country most closely aligned with the Milton Freidman laisses fair capitalist theory is 25th in the world happiness table with 38m people living in poverty and an obscenely bias taxation system.
They need more lefties.

*Slightly arguable.

 

[Stevo 666]

Why do you want to bash lefties? Are all lefties wrong? Did your daughter go to a state school? Were you born in an NHS hospital? Have you ever used the NHS?
Surely, the pragmatist (as opposed to the prejudiced) would say that there are ideologies and economic theories from both sides of the political spectrum that have merit and equally, there is the opposite, instead of taking an immovable (stubborn) stand point for some inexplicable fear of socialism?
Ghandi said basically that a society should be judged on how it treats it's weakest.
The Baltic states are amongst the happiest nations with high equality, high standards of living, high standards of healthcare and education yet remain predominantly socialist with very high taxation*.
The country most closely aligned with the Milton Freidman laisses fair capitalist theory is 25th in the world happiness table with 38m people living in poverty and an obscenely bias taxation system.
They need more lefties.

*Slightly arguable.

I think you're taking this a bit too seriously...

 

[Pinno718]

I think you're taking this a bit too seriously...

(apart from deflecting and not answering questions that you cannot avoid are factual)
So you are trolling?

 

[Stevo 666]

(apart from deflecting and not answering questions that you cannot avoid are factual)
So you are trolling?

Ah, still smarting a bit after our last debate on Bike Radar I reckon 😊. And trying to use the usual Pinno tactics of throwing out loads of questions then saying 'if you don't answer them all you're deflecting or trolling'

As you know I'm a busy boy so let's take one of your 'points' at random while I'm chomping on my sarnis.

Pinno said: "The Baltic states are amongst the happiest nations with high equality, high standards of living, high standards of healthcare and education yet remain predominantly socialist with very high taxation*."

Here are the facts about the Baltic states tax rates:
https://leinonen.eu/articles/tax-ra... calculated as 22/78 from taxable net payment.

So they all have lower personal income tax rates, lower corporate tax rates and only marginally higher VAT rates than the UK, but you say they are happier than we are....not exactly in line with Pinno's mantra of 'they're happy because they pay more tax', don't you think?

 

[laurentian]

With regard to taxation and happiness, I thought these two sets of statistics were interesting when I looked at them last week:

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/highest-taxed-countries

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/happiest-countries-in-the-world

Finland, Denmark and Sweden coming in the top 5 of both

 

[Pinno718]

Ah, still smarting a bit after our last debate on Bike Radar I reckon 😊. And trying to use the usual Pinno tactics of throwing out loads of questions then saying 'if you don't answer them all you're deflecting or trolling'

As you know I'm a busy boy so let's take one of your 'points' at random while I'm chomping on my sarnis.

Pinno said: "The Baltic states are amongst the happiest nations with high equality, high standards of living, high standards of healthcare and education yet remain predominantly socialist with very high taxation*."

Here are the facts about the Baltic states tax rates:
https://leinonen.eu/articles/tax-rates-in-the-baltic-countries/#:~:text=Standard CIT rate is 16% – starting 2025 year tax period.&text=21% CIT rate is applicable,applied under certain conditions 2.&text=22% calculated as 22/78 from taxable net payment.

So they all have lower personal income tax rates, lower corporate tax rates and only marginally higher VAT rates than the UK, but you say they are happier than we are....not exactly in line with Pinno's mantra of 'they're happy because they pay more tax', don't you think?

(I meant Scandinavian countries, my bad)

Swedish workers generally pay higher taxes than their counterparts in the UK, especially on higher incomes, due to a combination of national and local income taxes, as well as a higher VAT rate.

I did not say 'they're happy because they pay more tax'. Distortion does not proffer a foundation for argument. It's not inconceivable that I suggested that even though they have higher rates of tax, they are happier?
I am not smarting after my 'last debate'. I got plenty of people in agreement. I think I replied to one of your comments as 'bollox' and no one contradicted me.

Again and in the exact same vein of deflection (you've just proved the point):

"Why do you want to bash lefties? Are all lefties wrong? Did your daughter go to a state school? Were you born in an NHS hospital? Have you or your family ever used the NHS?"

Care to comment? I refuse to enter into any 'debate' until you answer the above. Until you do, I am certain that you simply want to bash lefties because you want to bash something (other than your bishop) and that you are determined to deflect by throwing the question back as a question because you dare not find yourself a hypocrite, sucking your thumb in the corner - to which you are the architect.

On the back of that: Do you think there are merits to both ideologies?

You know - give me a balanced view and one that doesn't avoid the question. I want your opinions on the ideological left and the ideological right. No soundbites. A really comprehensive critique.

 

[BoldonLad]

With regard to taxation and happiness, I thought these two sets of statistics were interesting when I looked at them last week:

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/highest-taxed-countries

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/happiest-countries-in-the-world

Finland, Denmark and Sweden coming in the top 5 of both

Don't some, or all of those countries have higher suicide rates that the UK?, not exactly a sign of happiness, I would have thought.

Just my uneducated observation, but, a Countries "true" economic situation cannot be measured with a few snapshot statistics, the effect of economic measures is sometimes more or less instant (think Liz Truss), however other things can take years to filter through (say for example, raising taxes to improve education, no "fruit" may appear for 10 or 15 years, by which time tax rates may have changed). I am sure there are other examples where cause and effect may be separated by a significant time period (improved healthcare springs to mind immediately).

 

[laurentian]

Don't some, or all of those countries have higher suicide rates that the UK?, not exactly a sign of happiness, I would have thought.

Just my uneducated observation, but, a Countries "true" economic situation cannot be measured with a few snapshot statistics, the effect of economic measures is sometimes more or less instant (think Liz Truss), however other things can take years to filter through (say for example, raising taxes to improve education, no "fruit" may appear for 10 or 15 years, by which time tax rates may have changed). I am sure there are other examples where cause and effect may be separated by a significant time period (improved healthcare springs to mind immediately).

Higher than the UK but nowhere near the highest

Finland 30th
Sweden 52nd
Denmark 62nd

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/suicide-rate-by-country

From the same source:

"In 2019, Sweden had 14.7 suicides per 100,000 people. Historically, Sweden has had a high suicide rate, with the most suicides in the developed world during the 1960s. That may have been due, at least in part, to cultural attitudes regarding suicide and long, dark winters, particularly in the northern regions. The government responded to the crisis with social welfare and mental health services, and the numbers have dropped dramatically. Today, Scandinavian countries – Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland – have very high happiness rates and relatively low suicide rates. However, the dark winters – 20 hours of darkness or more in each day in some areas – causes seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression, which has been known to correlate with higher rates of suicide.

Euthanasia, or physician-assisted suicide, is still illegal in Sweden but is accepted in some instances. A physician may not administer lethal drugs to a terminally ill patient, but he or she may end life support of the patient requests doing so and demonstrates that they understand the consequences. This form of physician-assisted suicide, known as passive euthanasia, is not included in suicide statistics. Active euthanasia, when a physician administers lethal drugs to a terminally ill patient with the patient and family’s consent, may soon become legal in Sweden, as it is becoming more accepted in European countries."

The above suggests (to me) that government spending of taxes has improved the previously high suicide rate which somewhat backs up the point of high taxes and better happiness.

 

[BoldonLad]

Higher than the UK but nowhere near the highest

Finland 30th
Sweden 52nd
Denmark 62nd

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/suicide-rate-by-country

From the same source:

"In 2019, Sweden had 14.7 suicides per 100,000 people. Historically, Sweden has had a high suicide rate, with the most suicides in the developed world during the 1960s. That may have been due, at least in part, to cultural attitudes regarding suicide and long, dark winters, particularly in the northern regions. The government responded to the crisis with social welfare and mental health services, and the numbers have dropped dramatically. Today, Scandinavian countries – Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland – have very high happiness rates and relatively low suicide rates. However, the dark winters – 20 hours of darkness or more in each day in some areas – causes seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression, which has been known to correlate with higher rates of suicide.

Euthanasia, or physician-assisted suicide, is still illegal in Sweden but is accepted in some instances. A physician may not administer lethal drugs to a terminally ill patient, but he or she may end life support of the patient requests doing so and demonstrates that they understand the consequences. This form of physician-assisted suicide, known as passive euthanasia, is not included in suicide statistics. Active euthanasia, when a physician administers lethal drugs to a terminally ill patient with the patient and family’s consent, may soon become legal in Sweden, as it is becoming more accepted in European countries."

The above suggests (to me) that government spending of taxes has improved the previously high suicide rate which somewhat backs up the point of high taxes and better happiness.

Same source I used.

It also (I think) supports my point that cause and effect of economic policies are not always immediate.

 

[laurentian]

Same source I used.

It also (I think) supports my point that cause and effect of economic policies are not always immediate.

Score draw

 

[Stevo 666]

(I meant Scandinavian countries, my bad)

Swedish workers generally pay higher taxes than their counterparts in the UK, especially on higher incomes, due to a combination of national and local income taxes, as well as a higher VAT rate.

I did not say 'they're happy because they pay more tax'. Distortion does not proffer a foundation for argument. It's not inconceivable that I suggested that even though they have higher rates of tax, they are happier?
I am not smarting after my 'last debate'. I got plenty of people in agreement. I think I replied to one of your comments as 'bollox' and no one contradicted me.

Again and in the exact same vein of deflection (you've just proved the point):

"Why do you want to bash lefties? Are all lefties wrong? Did your daughter go to a state school? Were you born in an NHS hospital? Have you or your family ever used the NHS?"

Care to comment? I refuse to enter into any 'debate' until you answer the above. Until you do, I am certain that you simply want to bash lefties because you want to bash something (other than your bishop) and that you are determined to deflect by throwing the question back as a question because you dare not find yourself a hypocrite, sucking your thumb in the corner - to which you are the architect.

On the back of that: Do you think there are merits to both ideologies?

You know - give me a balanced view and one that doesn't avoid the question. I want your opinions on the ideological left and the ideological right. No soundbites. A really comprehensive critique.

Moving the goalposts again after I debunked your theory. So you're claiming you got Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia mixed up with Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland?

Anyway, your turn. Explain why apparently we are such a miserable bunch when the UK is a high tax country.

Been out for few beers and cba to answer too many questions. As mentioned above, your tactic of asking loads of questions when not everyone is sitting around with time on their hands like you is pretty obvious and I'm not falling for it.