To my friend

17 comments on “To my friend ”

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1. Tim Ellis 1

   29 August 2009 at 4:49 pm

   To my friend Zorr,

   If you’re too sick, or too old, or too young to look after yourself, I will help you. If you’re none of those, then work hard to get a job and show you’re trying to stand on your own two feet if you can, and I will help you.
   • Bill 1.1

     29 August 2009 at 5:06 pm

     Tim. ( and others who have expressed similar)

     How is getting a job ‘standing on your own two feet’? Isn’t having a job a form co-dependency rather than independence? If not , then it seems odd how all those ‘independently minded people who are ‘standing on their own two feet’ get all fucked up when they wind up jobless. Even suicidal.

     The ‘get a job’ brigade…and I readily admit it is a very big brigade encompassing the left as much as the right….reminds me somewhat of the psychology of circumcised mothers who make damned sure the shit that was visited upon them is visited upon their daughters.

     Just saying.

     Of course if you all really do ‘live to work’ as opposed to ‘working to live’ then good for you and the comparison/analogy of the above para is herewith withdrawn.
     • Tim Ellis 1.1.1

       29 August 2009 at 6:29 pm

       Interesting ideas, Bill. I am a fan of the welfare state to help those in need, not those who can already help themselves. I think most people are quite happy to pay tax, when they can, if they know that their tax money is being spent wisely on those in real need, who can’t help themselves.

       If the people who pay tax don’t think they’re being taxed fairly, or the money they are paying is being wasted, then they will withdraw their taxpaying services in one way or another. They either will move elsewhere, work less hard (so the government doesn’t get their money), or become tax consumers themselves. The welfare state is reliant on a lot of people paying tax.

       Personally I doubt there are many people already paying a lot of tax who think they’re under-taxed. If you think you’re undertaxed, or if Mr Goff or Mr Cunliffe think they’re being under-taxed, there isn’t anything stopping them from making a cheque out to the IRD.
       • Zorr 1.1.1.1

         29 August 2009 at 6:42 pm

         Nice how you single out Goff and Cunliffe there while ignoring the giant tax consuming elephant in the room in the form of Bill English.

         Seems interesting that the initial point of my writing has been so perverted already… it’s wonderful. The initial spark in my head for writing this was very much actually predicated on the perception that those who have succeeded seem to see the help that they received as a waste of money when someone else is claiming it. Not at all to do with people claiming erroneously or just “breeding for cash” (as seems to be one of the generalizations about the DPB), but to express some of my anger and malcontent at those who attempt to pull up the ladder behind them and throw boiling oil on those left on the ground.

         And Bill, doesn’t help when you start bringing up female circumcision. Next time, just bring up male circumcision… less emotive baggage attached to that one but it is a practice that is just as barbaric.
         • Bill 1.1.1.1.1

           29 August 2009 at 7:43 pm

           Sorry for perverting your post. Not intentional. Was just exploring an angle.

           As an aside, male circumcision is not even close to being on the scale of heinous that applies to female circumcision. And the victim turned perpetrator psychology doesn’t apply.

           Anyway.
       • Bill 1.1.1.2

         29 August 2009 at 7:36 pm

         So why do you think any people are in need (materially) after over 100 years of the supposedly best production and allocation system that the human mind could conceive?

         Wasn’t 100 years with all the developing advances in production technologies etc, etc a long enough time for us to produce all of our material needs?

         If not, how much longer?

         I mean. We can manufacture machines,engines and appliances that last 100 years or more. But we choose not to?

         You buy that? So you buy the idea that your life is worth 8+ hours a day/ 5 or 6 days a week for 40 odd years engaged in a system that unnecessary reproduces material needs it could have easily satisfied some time back?

         I don’t buy it at all Tim. But because you and many others apparently do it means that I am locked into the same shit as you. But unlike you, I am locked in against my will. In fact, I’m locked in because of you and that confers the same responsibilities on you as would apply to any gaoler.
         • Jeremy 1.1.1.2.1

           30 August 2009 at 5:20 pm

           Now that’s just stupid: we CAN manufacture a whole bunch of stuff but there’s no point because most people couldn’t afford to buy it.
       • QoT 1.1.1.3

         29 August 2009 at 10:01 pm

         You know, it’s the weirdest thing, Tim, but strangely the IRD website is just not telling me how I can voluntarily pay more tax than legally mandated.

         Help a sister out? Or admit that that’s a particularly moronic strawman, your pick.
         • Tim Ellis 1.1.1.3.1

           30 August 2009 at 8:27 am

           Sure you can QoT. Write out a cheque and send it to the IRD. Tell them you want to make a voluntary donation.
           • Adders 1.1.1.3.1.1

             30 August 2009 at 12:34 pm

             Well, that figures. Reduce the IRD to a charity.
           • QoT 1.1.1.3.1.2

             30 August 2009 at 8:58 pm

             Alas, Tim, for I am merely a Gen Y young woman of the 21st century and do not have this “cheque” thing of which you speak. Direct debit details would be great, since you evidently understand this “pay voluntary tax” thing and it’s not still a really stupid derailment device.
           • Pascal's bookie 1.1.1.3.1.3

             30 August 2009 at 9:09 pm

             Hey Tim. if you want a tax cut, get a full time job cleaning toilets.
         • HTH's 1.1.1.3.2

           31 August 2009 at 7:26 am

           http://www.ird.govt.nz/how-to/making-payments/electronic-payments/
2. Herman Poole 2

   29 August 2009 at 9:32 pm

   Such astounding immaturity.
   • Zorr 2.1

     29 August 2009 at 10:26 pm

     Hey Herman,

     If you are going to be critical would you at least mind being constructive with it. If you are going to choose to call what I have said immature (and apparently, astoundingly so) then obviously there are some fairly flagrant flaws in my expression of self. If you would do me the favor of providing the necessary information as to the errors in judgement I have made then maybe I won’t be so immature next time. Or would asking you for any details be too much?
3. nic 3

   29 August 2009 at 11:20 pm

   This thread brings this lyric to mind:

   “There are homeless people everywhere.
   This homeless guy asked me for money the other day.
   I was about to give it to him and then I thought he was going to use it on drugs or alcohol.
   And then I thought, that’s what I’m going to use it on.
   Why am I judging this poor bastard.
   People love to judge homeless guys. Like if you give them money they’re just going to waste it.
   Well, he lives in a box, what do you want him to do? Save it up and buy a wall unit?
   Take a little run to the store for a throw rug and a CD rack? He’s homeless.
   I walked behind this guy the other day.
   A homeless guy asked him for money.
   He looks right at the homeless guy and says why don’t you go get a job you bum.
   People always say that to homeless guys like it is so easy.
   This homeless guy was wearing his underwear outside his pants.
   Outside his pants. I’m guessing his resume isn’t all up to date.
   I’m predicting some problems during the interview process.
   I’m pretty sure even McDonalds has a “underwear goes inside the pants” policy.
   Not that they enforce it really strictly, but technically I’m sure it is on the books.”

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJeNok-lTEw
4. Brett 4

   30 August 2009 at 9:00 pm

   I would recommend a coarser hair shirt.

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