Why do we pay our taxes?

Energize · 27 Apr 2008 at 21:52

Munky1080 said:
ummm....referencing a PBS show (which as a network is highly biased) and that michael moore freak of nature don't exactly give a convincing argument....I just know that neither myself, or anyone i've EVER known (and I used to live in the ghetto) has ever had a problem getting medical help in anything....if the NHS is so great why does my wife have to wait 6 months for a dentist silly?

I never said the nhs was perfect, just that paying taxes for it, is better and cheaper than the american system and doesn't result in 1/5th of the population not having healthcare and thousands of people dying every year because of it. The W.H.O seems to agree with me. You can ignore the evidence if you want but it doesn't change that the american health system is dire in comparison to every other rich nation.

Sankari · 27 Apr 2008 at 22:23

American system = fail.
NHS = win.

It's that simple.

Tefal · 27 Apr 2008 at 22:26

semi-pro waster said:
Sounds very much like an urban myth to me, I've seen it attributed to a few sources but it was probably as apocrophal then as it is now. Here is Snopes' take on the matter.

Well if he tried it then we'd of found out if it worked.

snowdog · 27 Apr 2008 at 22:34

Biohazard said:
I'd rather the police be called out to real emergencies tbh.

You mean people speeding by a mile or 4 on a motorway?
Or people being too late for their parking by 2 minutes ?

Biohazard · 27 Apr 2008 at 22:39

Sonea Fifer said:
Didn't know you were also in Fife Biohazard?

I'm not, I live in Edinburgh. Many of my collegues live in Fife and some are specials on top of that.

Kirkcaldy, Lochgelly and Dunfermline are the main ones I can remember

Biohazard · 27 Apr 2008 at 22:43

snowdog said:
You mean people speeding by a mile or 4 on a motorway?
Or people being too late for their parking by 2 minutes ?

What do you think I mean? *******

Where did I say that? You are putting words into my mouth. I defend the police and all of a sudden I am condoning things like over zelous speed enforcement? Parking? Police up here have little to do with that? :confused:

I am talking about rape, murder, serious attacks, robberies, medical emergencies that require police attendance, likewise with the Fire Brigade.. the list is endless. Some yobs and a 80 quid head unit do not top that.

Why can't you lot see this? :confused:

Tefal · 27 Apr 2008 at 22:46

Biohazard said:
I am talking about murder, serious attacks,

Why can't you lot see this?

Because this incident could have turned into those very quickly, with or without the op's involvement.

But of course I guess it's easier to deal with the aftermath, and just tag the body, or take a statement once the guys out of hospital than stop it before it happens...

Biohazard · 27 Apr 2008 at 22:48

Tefal said:
Because this incident could have turned into those very quickly, with or without the op's involvement.

But of course I guess it's easier to deal with the aftermath, and just tag the body, or take a statement once the guys out of hospital than stop it before it happens...

yes of course it is.

what a wonderfully bs way to make an argument.

Gaygle · 27 Apr 2008 at 22:53

Tefal said:
Because this incident could have turned into those very quickly, with or without the op's involvement.

So the officer stops attending the RTA or the stabbing or whatever he's dealing with which has been deemed more serious.....to go to an incident of drunk teenagers because they *might* kick off or something?

Is that really your argument??

snowdog · 27 Apr 2008 at 23:01

Biohazard said:
What do you think I mean? *******

Where did I say that? You are putting words into my mouth. I defend the police and all of a sudden I am condoning things like over zelous speed enforcement? Parking? Police up here have little to do with that?

I am talking about rape, murder, serious attacks, robberies, medical emergencies that require police attendance, likewise with the Fire Brigade.. the list is endless. Some yobs and a 80 quid head unit do not top that.

Why can't you lot see this?

Because I couldn't care less if people drove 4 times the speed limit in front of my home, yet the police whine about such minor offenses.
I do care about my property for example not being wrecked by drunk 18 year olds. I want them to come if a group of drunk 18 year olds are in my street... Yet they seem more worried about getting cash for the government in.

Police have got to do with parking and speeding etc, half their force is ******** about that and keeping busy with that.

Why can't you lot see this?

Because I seen them ***** standing near the road all the time or in a bike tunnel fining school going kids like me for anything they can find. Or stopping me and my dad for no reason for a full check wasting 30 minutes of our life while we only went out to quickly buy a menu @ MacDonalds 5 mins before it closed... And not coming when our neighbors had burglars in their home or when there were a couple of boys leaning against cars in our street etc ending up with a few scratches here an there in the morning.

2 cars full of drunk 18 year olds could just as well destruct personal property or start fighting innocent passerby's and I find that much more serious than some cycling kids on the sidewalk or not waiting for a green light when the road is empty or some person that came back 2 mins too late than his ticket allowed or some guy in a hurry that drives too fast.

Biohazard · 27 Apr 2008 at 23:07

snowdog said:
Because I couldn't care less if people drove 4 times the speed limit in front of my home, yet the police whine about such minor offenses.
I do care about my property for example not being wrecked by drunk 18 year olds. I want them to come if a group of drunk 18 year olds are in my street... Yet they seem more worried about getting cash for the government in.

Police have got to do with parking and speeding etc, half their force is ******** about that and keeping busy with that.

Because I seen them ***** standing near the road all the time or in a bike tunnel fining school going kids like me for anything they can find. Or stopping me and my dad for no reason for a full check wasting 30 minutes of our life while we only went out to quickly buy a menu @ MacDonalds 5 mins before it closed... And not coming when our neighbors had burglars in their home or when there were a couple of boys leaning against cars in our street etc ending up with a few scratches here an there in the morning.

2 cars full of drunk 18 year olds could just as well destruct personal property and I find that much more serious than some cycling kids on the sidewalk or not waiting for a green light when the road is empty or some person that came back 2 mins too late than his ticket allowed or some guy in a hurry that drives too fast.

In your country maybe, not in here. I've never seen a police officer give a parking ticket in my life. speeding yes.

Naff off at the rest of it as I wasn't talking about cyclists or macdonalds. The thing is, as much as you might shudder at the thought of stepping outside its not that fearful for the rest of us. So when the next time a lot of louts come along, I hope the police do come along for your well being. However if they don't please don't start dribbling at the mouth screaming your nuts off about something you don't understand and then come bouncing about OcUK to bore us all to tears with it.

Snowdog that whole paragraph was nothing but ****.

Gaygle · 27 Apr 2008 at 23:07

snowdog said:
Because I couldn't care less if people drove 4 times the speed limit in front of my home, yet the police whine about such minor offenses.

Assuming you live in about a 30mph limit area, you wouldn't care if people were doing 120mph past your house? And the fact you call 120 in a 30 a "minor incident". :-\

Plus the fact you live in the netherlands and unless you are regularly in the UK, your arguement is pretty much invalid?

Wicksta · 27 Apr 2008 at 23:09

Biohazard said:
In your country maybe, not in here. I've never seen a police officer give a parking ticket in my life. speeding yes.

I had a parking ticket last year issued by a Police officer (Thames Valley Police).

snowdog · 27 Apr 2008 at 23:10

I watch Traffic cops, which indicates the UK has far too much traffic cops too.

you wouldn't care if people were doing 120mph past your house?

No, I'm all pro cars and fast movement. Besides I live in a 30 kph zone which is roughly 20 mph.
4x is exaggerated though, 2x as fast would be acceptable by me.

Except on the motorway, I believe any country should follow Germany's example, no national limit and only limit the truly dangerous/congested roads.

Biohazard · 27 Apr 2008 at 23:10

Wicksta said:
I had a parking ticket last year issued by a Police officer (Thames Valley Police).

Wow. Good for you. Don't park on motorways then.

Biohazard · 27 Apr 2008 at 23:11

snowdog said:
I watch Traffic cops, which indicates the UK has far too much traffic cops too.

No, I'm all pro cars and fast movement.

Haha. You clearly know nothing, and base your assumptions on bs TV programmes.

I will not take your bait any longer.

Sonea Fifer · 27 Apr 2008 at 23:12

I think the main point is the police like many other services have to prioritise all individual cases. Sadly not everyone has the same ideas when it comes to which case should take priority over another, hence no matter what they do they're not going to make everyone happy.

In a perfect world there would be plenty of fully trained police officers available as soon as a call came through - unfortunately we dont live in a perfect world though

snowdog · 27 Apr 2008 at 23:15

Biohazard said:
Haha. You clearly know nothing, and base your assumptions on bs TV programmes.

I will not take your bait any longer.

Fair enough, I doubt the UK is so much different but okay, I indeed have no real point and make my assumptions from talking to people and TV programmes.

All I can say is that If I have a few drunks causing trouble in my street, I want them gone...

Biohazard · 27 Apr 2008 at 23:15

snowdog said:
Fair enough, I doubt the UK is so much different but okay, I indeed have no real point and make my assumptions from talking to people and TV programmes.

All I can say is that If I have a few drunks causing trouble in my street, I want them gone...

Well keyboard them in the face ffs

Slinwagh · 27 Apr 2008 at 23:16

When people harp an about the Police and traffic offences they seem to forget a couple of rather obvious points.

1. Some crimes by there very nature are hard to detect, burglary for example being one of them, the very nature of the offence means that it is normally committed in a covert way, with the intention of the offender to leave no trace og himself at the crime scene.

2. Traffic offences by there very nature are very easily detectable and enforceable, they are also very easy to avoid.

Unlike a fair few people here I do have experience of the very incident that the OP posted, unfortunately there are times when you can not go to that incident because there is another more serious one to attend.