I believe taxes are equalizer. For the most reasons of social services and function. It's fair in a sense that you live in a society where services don't discriminate.
But for you to know how isn't fair, you have to observe or look at poor countries where taxation is a matter of bribery. No public toilet, no medical benefits etc.
Here's how it works, a rich businessman doesn't give his actual due payment or tax to a legitimate honest public servant. Instead he pays the corrupt employee and puts that payoff to his pocket. Now who's been unfairly treated? The public. I will continue, that person who collected the business tax? He won't get investigated if he has a mansion, a Ferrari, etc. Yes tax in that country is not only unfair, it's a disservice to the people.
In our country? I don't think so. Bill Gates who clears about half a billion every year goes to most of his tax shield, his foundation which is serving the whole world.
I believe that our capabilities to make money is a gift therefore sharing it to the society that gives us back in terms of services, protection and ability to prosper, for me, it's fair.
Tom from this information it is clear that China is not on the prime shell in comparison to UK, yet if you look at the build up of their recent forge on money matters, I believe Conrad73 once presented the latest union of the two in terms of monetary banking? I'm not sure but strategically like Ken mentioned on the relevance of one island to reach china's annihilation. Philippines would become an valuable location to initiate such a call.
Hi Lolette yes indeed on your line of history per the relationship of the Philippines and China. It started as only for commercial and fishing purposes. It never showed intention of invading the country for world dominance. Friendly and while Chinese maintain s very serious non intermarriage between the two culture there's plenty of proof on dominating the social and political areas here. Cojuangco, like you said, once the most richest person there is in political machine and so is the ancestors of the Aquino family.
But the presence of the USA during the presence of the USA which started in 1898 up until the war shaped the Philippines future in politics. We were offered to become a part of the USA long before Alaska and Hawaii was but the elite members of the politics during that time didn't ratify for some fears of losing freedom. If only they knew the advantages it would have by now.
Sorry guys just woke up but very interesting comments generated by this act.
On the account of buying power, yes China holds the king ship in being the creditor in the IMF. USA as the rest of the world are all debtors. There was an article sometime last year from either Newsweek or Times about the grand scale of profit generated by China from this investment. Not to mention the world as its market to its product.
In the USA alone its Walmart which market mostly products from China, generates Z revenue of 200 grand per store per day. Heck the Walton family is becoming billionaires just from this commerce alone. Why I'm mentioning this because it opens up a chess move from the rest of these debtors. If China will wage war and lost, voila all those debts go kaput. Anyways this is a sure set up for China to show dominance and then fall.
Being the second richest country by GDP second to USA with 5.6 trillion, it probably wants to show to the world that it has both monetary and military power to be dominant. That's more like an stance it wants to convey.
Yap, should it tests it's provocative acts, and once aggression is established and none pats attention, of course, it marks it's power play as a mouse ignored by the cats if you ask me. ..
Obama's administration is very vigilant I suppose, as the retired bases in the Philippines are reactivated.
Epirb thanks for joining just the same, and I personally couldn't care less but if it is the place that provides 10 percent of global fishing, then it will be affected.
"The leaders of Southeast Asian nations recently took the extraordinary step of warning China that its island-building activities in the contested South China Sea "may undermine peace, security and stability" in the region."
The above caption is from the latest news from CNN.
Note: These islands located around South of Taiwan, Northeast of Malaysia, West of the Philippines had been occupied by these countries since 1956. China only came in in the early 1980 according to the article. There is about 120 islands that are considered THE SPRATLEY ISLANDS.
The question is why would China be so aggressive on pursuing this venture when the whole world is agitated?
An island in the eyes of the law? Can you build your own island? Certainly! But it won't be the same as a "normal" island -- not in the eyes of international law, anyway.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which China and all of the South China Sea claimant states are party, draws a sharp distinction between naturally formed and artificial islands.
UNCLOS is explicit in stating that man-made structures do not possess the status of islands, have no territorial waters of their own and their presence does not impact on the delimitation of maritime boundaries.
While land reclamation may indeed be possible around features that already qualify as islands, simply building up a feature so that it is elevated above the high tide mark will not transform it into a "real" island.
I believe there's a good way of handling this without being too negative Obs. I'm not encouraging illegal entry at all but from the humanitarian point of view, I believe all they are petitioning is for a better treatment. Now how bad they're being treated is not known to me.
Hello there lady. Interesting and adventurous blog. :
I have enjoyed the most trains in Europe. My best friend of 40 years who lives in CHINA and also in the Philippines and I enjoy our travels through the rails. The most beautiful one is from Geneva to st. Moritz in spring. Then one time also is when we went to Venice from Geneva. Summer, the smell of the country, so beautiful. Both occasion were with the Bullitt train.
In my country, I took the Amtrak from San Francisco to Seattle and it was most adventurous that I'm planning on taking the whole USA trip. At least before I die.
From Australia I took the ride from Sydney to Newcastle.
lindsyjones Forum Posts (8,532)
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China Building Island in Disputed Waters
Hello Conrad, nice to see you back.