Toronto - the centre of finance - the center of poverty.

[M.Dancer]

Ah, a grunt eh? You never did know what we were doing up there....

A CDN occifer spiken like he's a 'merican?

Must of did his rotp through the Movie Network......

[Higgly]

I'm retired from the Armed Forces and went on to work on my profession in anthropology. While in the CAF I was able to go to many places overseas (at the expense of our so gratious CAF) and participate in middle east excavations...

Nice attitude. I hope the Canadian anthropoligical establishment recognizes your value. A lot of them spend so much time waiting on grant applications....

[August1991]

I'm retired from the Armed Forces and went on to work on my profession in anthropology. While in the CAF I was able to go to many places overseas (at the expense of our so gratious CAF) and participate in middle east excavations, as well as some in South America. I taught for a while but decided to drop out of that scene and write and pursue other interests. However, I still receive a 6 figure income, not including my pension.

Only 6 figures? Anybody can join an Internet forum and make outrageous claims even to suggest that "anthropologists" go on "excavations".

[Higgly]

Only 6 figures? Anybody can join an Internet forum and make outrageous claims even to suggest that "anthropologists" go on "excavations".

Lay it out, August1991. What is your argument?

[August1991]

Lay it out, August1991. What is your argument?

Anonymity allows anybody to make any personal claim here. I generally discount any such claims.

For example:

In effect, you got yourself into trouble and are now gnashing your teeth and spitting vituperation at everyone else because, doncha know, it's all their fault and not yours. Yet you have the gall to say this: "...the retards have taken over and all of society is about to pay the bill for their horrific ineptness." No, that's not quite right. Society is about to pay the bill for your ineptness. You're not going to starve to death unless you refuse to eat. You're not going to freeze to death unless you refuse a roof. You'll survive because you live in the west, in a society where all that "greed" has produced an ethic and the surplus to act on the ethic, instead of somewhere else, where they wouldn't help you even if they could.

I recall seeing an ambulance taking a frozen cadavre out of a Moscow railway station on a bitter cold morning. I also recall staring at a prostate man on a sidewalk in south India until I noticed that his chest was still moving: not dead yet.

If Oleg had chosen to live his life anywhere else, he probably would be dead now. For this reason alone, he wouldn't have chosen it. In insurance circles, this is known as "moral hazard". Once a person has insurance against foolishness, they change their behaviour and engage in foolishness.

Oleg seems to think that he's a free spirit, independent of society when in fact he's anything but. His choice of lifestyle is entirely dependent on the goodwill and charity of people around him.

Edited November 29, 2007 by August1991

[Higgly]

I also recall staring at a prostate man on a sidewalk in south India until I noticed that his chest was still moving: not dead yet.

If Oleg had chosen to live his life anywhere else, he probably would be dead now.

What? You've been to India and you think Oleg is weird?

[Frankie]

If Oleg does what he/she said he/she does, then I applaud him/her. The greatest and hardest thing for anyone to do is giving up all their wealth, or wealth they could abtain and depend on the financial generosity of other people and be the hands and feet of that generosity. From helping homeless people locally to starving villages across the world. Can you imagine giving up the opportunity to own a house, and other possesions for the sake of helping other people. And on top of that if you're in other parts of the world, you might be sleeping on the grass or in the bushes, as missionaries and other aid workers might do. I mean the single greatest possesion in my life is my bed. Imagine giving that up, out of other people's interest. Let's face it, hard physical work is.....hard work, but it's not something that's hard to do. It's a blessing, and you can make lots of money doing stuff like construction here, and not to mention might be good for the body. Man, give up everything you got, and give your life up for helping other people...it's the hardest thing to do. But what is a missionary or aids worker supposed to do when they get too old to do physical labour, or travel different places, helping different people. That's what I'd like to know, there should be people helping them survive.

It's unfortunate Oleg that society doesn't recognize people like you at your age who've been taking care of other people your whole life and haven't had the luxury of personal wealth and ability to accumlate and save for yourself. And possibly you've had the ability to solve many large or small social problems and other solutions for mankind to be run more effeciantly, but haven't had the opportunity or refusing to work that into a money making job or career. I know many churches from all over that support people like that. An example would be the "Alliance" Churches all over southern Ontario. Like Rexdale Alliance Church, Brampton Alliance Church, or Upper Room Community church. They are churches that extensively work at financing willing people to go on mission trips where ever they are needed all over the world to help people in poverty or other situations at weeks, months, or even years at a time. It's a situation that some people dedicate their lives too. It's one of the greatest things people can do.

[White Doors]

Look - I worked hard all my life and took care of my children - now that I am pushing sixty and having sacraficed the last 25 years in the upkeep and the protection of my children - by the way - this was an arranged breeding - there was no courtship - the children just came naturally like all have for thousands of years - Yes I am smart. And have been offered a few good positions with major companies - but I will not go against my ethics and harm the lower onces to support myself..or to be rich. You are a drain on society - I did my good work and encourged and supported many - You don't understand - I have never been part of the mainstream - My life has been spent outside the system - Yesterday I gave a hungry man money-----that I could not afford - I am an old Christain - and for someone to take care of me who has been in service to others all his life is not a crime - you just resent anything or anybody that is different than you. I took great risks and chances following my dreams.......................did you?

Yep, difference is - mine paid off and I am not a drain on society.

[White Doors]

Wow. look, he never said he devoted his life to being a pauper and helping other people. In fact, he said that he used to be quite wealthy, he just pissed it away and now he is dependant on the generosity of others to live. He depends on the system. He is a net-negative to society. He is getting handouts and taking away from someone who is in genuine need because he is too lazy, or inept to look after himself. He isn't helping anyone out here.

The greatest and hardest thing for anyone to do is giving up all their wealth, or wealth they could abtain and depend on the financial generosity of other people and be the hands and feet of that generosity

And I don't even get this. what is so hard about living off of other people? He is doing it and is whining about it. It's not enough for him apparently. What is redeeming in this? Only the fact that you sound like you are poor too? What is so good about that? What is wrong with this country that people think begging is a good way to spend your retirement years?

BTW, Posit - thanks for the giggles. Please keep these coming!

[Frankie]

And I don't even get this. what is so hard about living off of other people? He is doing it and is whining about it. It's not enough for him apparently. What is redeeming in this? Only the fact that you sound like you are poor too? What is so good about that? What is wrong with this country that people think begging is a good way to spend your retirement years?

Not just living like a bum, I'm talking about giving up everything you own to go help the needy, here or in other countries.

[White Doors]

Not just living like a bum, I'm talking about giving up everything you own to go help the needy, here or in other countries.

Which he did not do.

He isn't Mother Theresa here..

[Oleg Bach]

Which he did not do.

He isn't Mother Theresa here..

There is a tiny elite, growing more exclusive everyday- They DEPEND on the poor who are on welfare. You would assume that the poor were the parisites. Not so - All those on welfare have tons of expensive drugs shoved down their throat - some very addicting. The welfare case will pay 2 dollars service fee for a 200 dollar bottle of pills. Half of welfare cases are on hillbilly heroine not to mention tranx - and so-called very depressing anti-depressants. So in effect the welfare cases act like money laundering bio machines. Those that own the big phrama - effect the governmental and medical policy concerning social welfare...the working poor and middle class are taxed - the money goes into the welfare system - then bounces back - not into the system it came from - which is the tax payer at large - but it by passess society and goes directly into the hands of big pharma etc.

In other words some rich quiet elite want as may of the poor on pharma dope as possible - and these clever folks have the average joe pay for the dope though taxes - and THEY get the huge bulk of profit..what a system and what a scam...Merry Christmas...to all those creeps that support anti-christism - Hope they choke on their profits and their turkey.

[Frankie]

That's an interesting point. Some of that makes sense.

[ScottSA]

That's an interesting point. Some of that makes sense.

It makes sense if one is peaking on Red Dragon microdot. I can hardly begin to count the fallacies in this argument, but as starters, the amount of money made by drug companies servicing mental illness pales beside what they make from paying customers with everyday medicines, and the welfare segment of that market reduces it by leaps and bounds even further. Not to mention that state bought medecine is far more likely to be generic, thus cheaper. And why would these nefarious Richy Riches want to erode the taxbase that's paying for the welfare cases in the first place by trying to drive more people into welfare and mental illness?

[Moxie]

So in brief, Oleg works for twenty years but doesn't pay income tax or CPP or UI. He gets caught and his paycheck is seized for back taxes. He decides he's not going to work anymore because he owns the Feds money. He goes to welfare for taxpayer dollars and a free handout. He wants to use a social safty net and a program that he's never given ten red cents to, and expects the taxpayers to foot the bill. I have a name for that person, free loader and Canada has alot of them. They expect to use the system but they are repulsed at the idea of paying their fair share. He worked in what he classified as "The Arts", a field that is hardly an honourable employment industry. Crappy Canadian Music and bad plays or is that theater.

[Guest American Woman]

He worked in what he classified as "The Arts", a field that is hardly an honourable employment industry.

Since when is "the arts" not an honorable industry??