Setting all the passions aside for a moment.. What are you willing to give up for the greater good?

[Peacetrain]

I just buzzed through the TV channels to see what the talking heads were on about.. and on Fox, caught a minute or two of a discussion about wealthy seniors being taxed more.. not exactly sure of what the gist was, or why, because I literally landed on it for 30 seconds.. But it did make me stop and think.

All of us, and that includes me, have priories that we want met. All of us come in with a predetermined agenda.

But the truth is, not all of us can have everything. It is just not possible.

So considering where you are on life's journey, what are you willing to compromise on for the greater good.

I am not that far from retirement myself.

As a part time teacher, I have been lucky to my retirement package, and will be quite fine.

I would be more than willing to pay a higher premium for medicare, or reduction in SS if it means that the program will stay healthy and in the black, and accessible to all people.

Just a conversation, not a flame war..

CLARIFICATION: I am talking about financial issues..money..Budget priorities..

Edit for spelling error

[niyad]

1. I am NOT willing to give up my rights and my bodily integrity

[madfloridian]

2. That's why we gave Democrats a majority.

So we would could quit "compromising" so much.

Apparently our party can't handle having a majority.

[T Wolf]

3. For peace, universal healthCARE, an end to corporate control of government, and removal

of all rethugs (and DINOs) from positions of influence, and a true, liberal, people-over-profit approach to government, ...

I would give up my life. In a heartbeat.

[Sinti]

21. Absolutely. n/t

[mike_c]

4. I agree with you-- EVERYONE needs to sacrifice for the "greater good" but...

...with an important caveat. If everyone sacrifices and sacrifices and sacrifices, pretty soon the "greater good" we're all sacrificing for is not so great any longer. Pretty soon the "greater good" becomes defined by the things we've sacrificed rather than the things we've gained, and no one wants it any longer.

The reason is that we're starting from a REALLY bad place, where the top few percent enjoy more of the benefits of the greater good than all the rest of us combined, so that we feel the negative impact of sacrifice well before we realize much of the good we're sacrificing for. Asking that we all sacrifice for the greater good makes more sense if we all start out on a more-or-less level playing field where small sacrifices from everyone create large surpluses that all can realize some benefit from.

I DO think we all need to make sacrifices for the greater good. That's one reason I teach in a public university rather than work in far more lucrative private industry. But when cheaters use the willingness of the rest of us to sacrifice-- or just use the fruits of our labor to enrich themselves at everyone else's expense-- then calls for further sacrifice become pretty mean spirited. We ask the poor and the struggling to sacrifice so that the rich-- and I mean the really rich-- can enjoy their riches more.

[Peacetrain]

7. I have insurance because my husband covers me.. otherwise I would not

My brother has no insurance.. but when I retire in a few years, I will be covered by the government, I have a tidy retirement.. I really am willing to pay higher taxes in my income range to make sure that the program is solvent to all people eligible.

[aquart]

5. I gave up Whole Foods. Don't push me.

[guitar man]

6. what are we talking here, money, posessions?

I will be happy to sacrifice for the greater good just as soon as I see the upper crust doing the same. As it is, I have sacrificed and sacrificed over again and I'd say most of my sacrifice has directly benefitted the upper crust....it's their turn now..

[Toucano]

8. I think you're coming from a false premise that we have to give up something for the greater good.

That said, I am willing to give up the military industrial complex and the pharma/health care industrial complex.

I will give up all free trade agreements that punish labor and concentrate wealth in the hands of a few.

I'm willing to give up tax cuts to the wealthy.


I can sacrifice all those things for the greater good. :)

[Individualist]

11. +1

[Peacetrain]

13. Well seriously it only works if it impacts us personally... trust me

I have no problem with giving up tax breaks for the wealthy either ;).. I pay ss taxes on every penny I make.. I wonder if someone who makes beyond the limits would be willing to pay ss taxes on every penny they make for the greater good

I will be happy to pay taxes in retirement, if it means the system stays solvent.. that is where I am headed with this

[Toucano]

23. The cogs have nothing to sacrifice to make the machine more efficient.

If you want to make the machine more efficient, strengthen the cogs or build a better machine.

[taught_me_patience]

16. Basically, you're saying others should do everthing

while you give up nothing?

[Toucano]

22. It's not about sacrifice.

What kind of head job have they done on you?

It's about PRIORITIES.


If you want to talk about the common good and not what's good for the top 0.1% of 1%, you change your priorities.

[mike_c]

18. + 10

[noiretextatique]

20. +1000

[sinkingfeeling]

9. I'd be willing to kick in another 10% to income tax rates. I'm single, so pay higher taxes already

and I'm just about at $100,000 in income.

[Sinti]

10. I think if all of us

would be more than willing to give up a great deal of what we had if we believed that we would have security in our persons also - meaning a roof over our heads, enough to eat, education for our children, and access to those things required for good health and so on.

It is unfair of our current system to pit one human being against another for the benefit of the few who hold far too much power over all the rest. And that is what our current politics does. We are not living in the ice age. One must not starve so another can eat.

I think it's difficult to see so much around you, and have so little yourself for your labor, while others have $10,000 ice sculptures for a cocktail party. People don't believe any one cares about them, so they don't care about others right back. FU, I will survive this no matter what - it's an instinctive reaction.

They think this way naturally, because they see images of the homeless, the starving (mostly in foreign nations), they know their job could go at any time. If their heads are above water, they know a wave could come and pull them under any minute now.

Many people are very hurt in this nation. They don't believe there is kindness left in the world. These people live on both sides of the political spectrum. Someone has got to be the first, I guess, to put out their hand and say, hey, I don't want to hurt you, I don't want to get ahead by pushing you down, but we've got a problem here and I think we could work together on it.

The Banksters and Coin-Worshiping Cult members have really messed up our heads - yet, we keep looking to them for answers.

[taught_me_patience]

12. I'm willing to pay a $1/gallon gas tax

as long as it goes to developing better roads and a comprehensive mass transit system.

[Peacetrain]

14. Wow, that would have a great impact

[taught_me_patience]

17. I'm willing to pay an extra $30/mo utilities

if it mean price floors to foster alternative energy.

I'm also willing to pay social security tax on all income (I would be affected) if it meant shoring up social security.

[Peacetrain]

19. I am impressed, seriously..

People are so tax averse on a personal level..no matter what the income bracket.

[LeftHander]

15. being nice....nt