Ben Carson shuts down the liberal media...because he's right

[The Noose]

Modern humans? Humans in 2015 who live in modern countries and adhere to their norms?

Again you're trying way too hard to be the cliche off topic forum guy

Me: mentions pencils
You: So... So, tell me about these "PENCILS", mean, fellas, am I right, WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THAT??? HUH GUYS GET A LOAD OF THIS GUY GUYS!

... Crickets...

You are not on TV calm down and stop trying so hard

I doubt anyone will top your ...

just the fact that you watch boxing would probably kick on some "screw it" effort to defend yourself

I wouldnt worry.

[samouraļ]

I was comparing Singapore primarily to Denmark, because the two are relatively the same in population. Singapore's GDP (nominal) is 308 billion, Denmarks is 291 Billion, Singapores GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity is twice as strong as Denmarks, which we both know means services and goods are cheaper and more affordable to the people there.

The numbers I'm seeing show Denmark having a nominal GDP of $330.8 billion and Singapore having a nominal GDP of $296.1 billion. Either way, not a huge difference.

While we're comparing Scandinavian countries with diverse economies to tiny city-states, why not compare Norway to Singapore instead? Similar population size, both have one of the highest GDPs per capita in the world, etc.

You seem to be missing is the fact that wealth inequality is pretty severe in Singapore, and that Singapore is one of the most expensive cities in the world (funny that you mentioned the high cost in Scandinavian countries earlier but don't seem bothered by this). Oslo makes the list too, to be fair.

You might find this article (written by a Singaporean) interesting. Here are a few key points:

...a low-wage worker in Norway (Accommodation and food service activities) earns a median income of $5,927 but a low-wage worker in Singapore (Cleaners, Labourers And Related Workers) would earn only $1,000. In other words, a low-wage worker in Norway earns 6 times more than a low-wage worker in Singapore.

And for the median income earner in Norway, he/she would earn $8,009. But in Singapore, a median income earner would earn only $3,250. This means that a median income earner in Norway earns 2.5 times more than a Singaporean.

(The number for Singapore is the minimum)

...in Norway, “There is an annual maximum limit for many cost-sharing requirements, above which out-of-pocket costs are waived.” As of last year, Norwegians only need to pay a maximum of $426 every year to see the doctor.

However, in Singapore, there is no cap on how much Singaporeans need to pay for healthcare, so much so that in 2012, there were “over 2,400 MediShield policyholders (who had to make) co-payments of over $10,000 each“.

Singaporeans make less money, pay similar money for most products, a lot more for cars, some of the highest prices in the world for health care and tuition, all the while Norwegians pay practically nothing for health care or university tuition.

Where would you rather live?

And although Singapore is technically a city state, it none the less only reaffirms what a healthy market economy model could do for such a small place, Hong Kong too.

Well, read the above. There are a ton of problems comparing the economic success of a tiny place like Singapore to larger countries with more diverse economies.

You won't find a lot of argument out of me on that topic. I think there is a lot America could learn from other countries. The healthcare system here is really messed up, and it wasn't always like that.

Single-payer is the eventual answer.

[Enayze]

The numbers I'm seeing show Denmark having a nominal GDP of $330.8 billion and Singapore having a nominal GDP of $296.1 billion. Either way, not a huge difference.

What numbers are you seeing? The numbers I listed are official statistics from the IMF, for last year. Insignificant difference in nominal GDP, but significant in PPP.

While we're comparing Scandinavian countries with diverse economies to tiny city-states, why not compare Norway to Singapore instead? Similar population size, both have one of the highest GDPs per capita in the world, etc.

Because Norway is a much larger country with a wealth of resources that Singapore couldn't match, because by your own admission Singapore is a city-state, which leaves it pretty limited to relying on a healthy capitalistic model to attract investors and generate wealth. However, even with all of that it still compares pretty well to Norway.

You seem to be missing is the fact that wealth inequality is pretty severe in Singapore, and that Singapore is one of the most expensive cities in the world (funny that you mentioned the high cost in Scandinavian countries earlier but don't seem bothered by this). Oslo makes the list too, to be fair.

You might find this article (written by a Singaporean) interesting. Here are a few key points:

Wealth inequality isn't too great in the United States. However, the less fortunate people in the U.S. still can afford far more things than some of the better off in Europe. But since we are talking about Singapore, I'll make the point that even though wealth inequality is high, over 90% of people in Singapore own their home, and over 80% of them support their government, indicating that the folks living in Singapore, rich, middle, or poor are pretty satisfied.

PS the articles you listed have numerous inaccuracies or misinformation. Like the poverty rate, among other things which it lists Singapore as having 28% when its really closer to 12%
https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/3-...230035808.html

Singaporeans make less money, pay similar money for most products, a lot more for cars,

Singapore pays cheaper money for overwhelming majority of its goods, they are not similar. Your links were pretty clear in indicating that, so whether they pay .10 .25 .50 1.00, 5.00 or 10.00 less, they are still paying less in just about every single category of product. They are also not being taxed out the a$$, so even though they make less, they don't have to give away up to half of their income. Also cars are not a domestic luxury, and are practically universal in price all over the world, the increased price stems from shipping costs.

some of the highest prices in the world for health care and tuition,

Singapore's health expenditures are very low for a developed country and its healthcare system is 5 notches above Norways. The World Health Organisation ranks Singapore's healthcare system as 6th overall in the world in its World Health Report, with Norway at 11. It also has the 4th best life expectancy in the world
(http://thepatientfactor.com/canadian...ealth-systems/)

all the while Norwegians pay practically nothing for health care or university tuition.

Norwegians pay up to 50-55% in taxes for it. Do you want to call half of your income practically nothing?

In any case Singapore has one of the best education systems in the world, they are consistently at the top of international league tables, and their tuition costs are heavily subsidized, making cost of tuition affordable when considering that half of their income isn't taxed.
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-32608772

Singaporeans make less money, pay similar money for most products,

Singaporeans make less money, pay less for products and services, and are not taxed on 50% of their income

some of the highest prices in the world for health care and tuition,

Wrong, one of the most affordable and top notch health care systems for a developed country. As well as one of the most subsidized education systems that ranks at the top of the world.

all the while Norwegians pay practically nothing for health care or university tuition.

Wrong Norwegians pay 50% of their income for healthcare and tuition, nothing is free. What do you think these taxes are being spent on?

Where would you rather live?

Well, read the above. There are a ton of problems comparing the economic success of a tiny place like Singapore to larger countries with more diverse economies.

I think Singapore does pretty well.

[samouraļ]

Wealth inequality isn't too great in the United States.

Huh?

Global inequality: How the U.S. compares

Before accounting for taxes and transfers, the U.S. ranked 10th in income inequality; among the countries with more unequal income distributions were France, the U.K. and Ireland. But after taking taxes and transfers into account, the U.S. had the second-highest level of inequality, behind only Chile. (Mexico and Brazil had higher after-tax/transfer Gini scores, but no “before” scores with which to compare them; including them would push the U.S. down to fourth place.)

All of the aforementioned Scandinavian countries have much lower wealth inequality.

However, the less fortunate people in the U.S. still can afford far more things than some of the better off in Europe. But since we are talking about Singapore, I'll make the point that even though wealth inequality is high, over 90% of people in Singapore own their home, and over 80% of them support their government, indicating that the folks living in Singapore, rich, middle, or poor are pretty satisfied.

Singapore pays cheaper money for overwhelming majority of its goods, they are not similar. Your links were pretty clear in indicating that, so whether they pay .10 .25 .50 1.00, 5.00 or 10.00 less, they are still paying less in just about every single category of product. They are also not being taxed out the a$$, so even though they make less, they don't have to give away up to half of their income. Also cars are not a domestic luxury, and are practically universal in price all over the world, the increased price stems from shipping costs.

You apparently didn't read the portion of the article dedicated to comparing taxation in Norway and Singapore. Despite similar prices on goods, even after a somewhat higher tax rate, the much higher wages in Norway result in still having a lot more money left over after taxes.

Singapore's health expenditures are very low for a developed country and its healthcare system is 5 notches above Norways. The World Health Organisation ranks Singapore's healthcare system as 6th overall in the world in its World Health Report, with Norway at 11. It also has the 4th best life expectancy in the world
(http://thepatientfactor.com/canadian...ealth-systems/)

Well, what's important to note is that if we're talking about how any of these countries compare to the United States, Singapore's government plays a pretty heavy-handed role in the healthcare system. I would agree that Singapore's system would be better than what we have in the US, though so would Norway's.

Norwegians pay up to 50-55% in taxes for it. Do you want to call half of your income practically nothing?

The point is that if Norwegians make more money even after taxes and yet also don't pay out of pocket for health care, they're even better off. How is that controversial?

Singaporeans make less money, pay less for products and services, and are not taxed on 50% of their income

They make quite a bit less, pay marginally less (in general) for goods/services, and pay less in taxes but have to pay a fair bit more out-of-pocket for health care/tuition.

Here's a good article on how Scandinavian countries pay for their government spending.

My main point here, just so we're clear, is that these countries are clear examples of higher taxes/government spending but extremely high quality of life and less income inequality. In other words, it's absurd when conservatives bring up Greece as a fear tactic as to what we're headed for if someone like Sanders were to get his way. Mirroring (as closely as we can) Scandinavian social democracies is hardly the worst thing we could decide to do.

[Adamjr91]

] 'So, the very things that they claim are evidence for evolution are the very things that damn the theory.'
'And the other thing is there are no intermediate species,' said Dr. Carson. 'Where are they? It shouldn’t just evolve up to a certain point and then leap to the next species. There should be something in between at all given points of time, and there aren’t, and no one’s ever found them.'

The Modern human is a vicious species that will kill any and anything that competes with their resources. That is the reason there are no intermediate species between Monkey's swinging in the trees and Humans walking the Earth.

However, not to worry. Continued deforestation will eventually lead to the extinction of all forms of Monkeys which will better back up your theory only if you are able to shut your eyes, ears and close off your brain which you seem to be pretty adept at doing.

[Jim Jeffries]

Ah Norway, a country of 5 million with a boatload of North Sea oil and gas, who is also the world's 2nd largest exporter of fish.

Where the line between church and state is rather blurry.

Until 2012 parliamentary officials were required to be members of the Lutheran Church and at least half of all ministers had to be a member of the Christian State Church. As the Church of Norway is the state church, its clergy are state employees, and the central and regional church administrations are part of the state administration. The members of the Royal family are required to be members of the Lutheran church.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway

seems like a perfect model for the US to follow. :shootself:



Go Bernie Sanders! We need a president who lived in an actual kibbutz.

[samouraļ]

Ah Norway, a country of 5 million with a boatload of North Sea oil and gas, who is also the world's 2nd largest exporter of fish.

Where the line between church and state is rather blurry.

Until 2012 parliamentary officials were required to be members of the Lutheran Church and at least half of all ministers had to be a member of the Christian State Church. As the Church of Norway is the state church, its clergy are state employees, and the central and regional church administrations are part of the state administration. The members of the Royal family are required to be members of the Lutheran church.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway

seems like a perfect model for the US to follow. :shootself:



Go Bernie Sanders! We need a president who lived in an actual kibbutz.

[Jim Jeffries]

Don't worry, I'm rather used to rendering morons speechless.

[samouraļ]

Don't worry, I'm rather used to rendering morons speechless.

The fact that you're such a moron renders me speechless.

Hope you enjoy the Norway wiki page

[Jim Jeffries]

The fact that you're such a moron renders me speechless.

If only right?

Hope you enjoy the Norway wiki page

Didn't realize that Norway was so theocratic, or is that just wiki nonsense?