David Beckham & French tax

[scspkr99]

good quote from steinbeck:
“Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.”

So deeply does this seem to run that people would rather not have things now in case they are expected to pay for them when they become rich.

Aka my dog doesn't have healthcare

[kingGhost]

i like to look at things in percentages... that's like if you have $200, and you give someone $3.

No it's not.

from the perspective of the fact that you can DO more with $3 million, sure. from the perspective of the giving being a SACRIFICE for beckham? nah. it's like me giving the spare $1's in my wallet to the homeless guy on the street. yea it was nice of me to do that i suppose but it's not sacrificial, doesn't make me a "hero." that's was my only point

[kingGhost]

good quote from steinbeck:
“Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.”

Similar but from vonnegut and more verbose:

"America is the wealthiest nation on Earth, but its people are mainly poor, and poor Americans are urged to hate themselves. To quote the American humorist Kin Hubbard, ‘It ain’t no disgrace to be poor, but it might as well be.’ It is in fact a crime for an American to be poor, even though America is a nation of poor. Every other nation has folk traditions of men who were poor but extremely wise and virtuous, and therefore more estimable than anyone with power and gold. No such tales are told by the American poor. They mock themselves and glorify their betters. The meanest eating or drinking establishment, owned by a man who is himself poor, is very likely to have a sign on its wall asking this cruel question: ‘if you’re so smart, why ain’t you rich?’ There will also be an American flag no larger than a child’s hand – glued to a lollipop stick and flying from the cash register…

Americans, like human beings everywhere, believe many things that are obviously untrue. Their most destructive untruth is that it is very easy for any American to make money. They will not acknowledge how in fact hard money is to come by, and, therefore, those who have no money blame and blame and blame themselves. This inward blame has been a treasure for the rich and powerful, who have had to do less for their poor, publicly and privately, than any other ruling class since, say Napoleonic times. Many novelties have come from America. The most startling of these, a thing without precedent, is a mass of undignified poor. They do not love one another because they do not love themselves." ~ K. Vonnegut

[jaydot]

You could say he bent it around the wall here.