One of the ways in which Martin Luther broke from the Catholic church was by not seeing marriage as sacramental: he wanted to be able to acknowledge marriage between non-Christians rather than just marriage between Christians. Thus, from the perspective of Protestant theology, it's not clear that the church should have much to do with marriage. (This was most succinctly summarised for me thus: have a civil wedding, and then come back to the church for potato salad and a party.)

What about the civil arrangement, then? For me, the clearest argument for a non-paternalistic state granting some people preferable treatment (e.g. untaxed inheritance, etc.) is that those people are reducing the burden on the state somehow. In the 'traditional marriage', they do this partly by providing (on average) a more stable environment in which to raise children (thus, raising somehow more productive - on average - citizens for the state), and partly by caring for each other in their old age (thus, saving the state costs). From this point of view, whether or not they have sex, on whatever basis, with each other is irrelevant: an adult son living with and caring for his elderly mother is saving the state in the same way that an wife caring for her husband is. Thus, when France introduced its 'pacte civil', I thought that they missed the opportunity to get right out of the bedroom.

I expect nothing less from a [redacted] like yourself. Cranial rectosis is cureable, but you would miss the savory fecal flavor.

In the last 3 years Trump's mismanagement has added >$4 trillion to the debt during an inherited economic expansion, with a current deficit of well over $1 trillion per year and rising. Yes, the economy seems relatively strong, but my bank account would look great too if I put 1/3 of GDP on credit and didn't pay any off. America is turning around alright, problem is it was headed in the right direction before the turn. *facepalm

Hate to tell you, but Trump loses handily to all remaining candidates in polls, and not within the margin of error like with Clinton.

Great, yeah, they're still counting the lies, and the calculators are smoking from the effort. Presidential medal of freedom to an obese, racist, uncivil, uneducated, divisive drug abuser. Way to devalue our nation's highest honor to less than a happy meal prize. Only an America hater would call that great, Bobski.

Utter Russian/Ukrainian separatist propaganda bullshit Bob. Not a single letter of truth in how it's presented.

The Burisma investigation began before Biden was hired, and was not being investigated by Shokin before or at the time he was fired for being corrupt himself.

April 18, 2014: Hunter Biden, 44, son of Joe Biden, joins the board of directors of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company. Biden’s directorship attracts attention because Burisma is owned by Mykola Zlochevsky, a minister under Yanukovych. Zlochevsky and subsidiaries of Burisma had faced accusations of money laundering, fraud and tax evasion. (Zlochevsky and the company have denied the allegations.)

Feb. 10, 2015: Ukraine appoints Viktor Shokin as prosecutor general. Shokin inherits some of the investigations into Zlochevsky and his company. But Vitaliy Kasko, who serves as Shokin’s deputy overseeing international cooperation until he resigned in protest, told Bloomberg in 2019 that, under Shokin, the investigation into Burisma remained dormant. Kasko said the matter was "shelved by Ukrainian prosecutors in 2014 and through 2015," and Bloomberg reported that documents backed up his account.

Winter 2015-16: Many Western leaders and institutions, as well as Ukrainian anti-corruption activists, view Shokin as corrupt and ineffective for failing to prosecute anybody of significance, and for protecting members of Yanukovych’s and Poroshenko’s circles. A frustrated Biden threatens to withhold $1 billion unless Shokin is fired. (He would later brag that his pressure tactics succeeded.)

https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2019/oct/03/timeline-trump-impeachment-inquiry/


Well son of a bitch....Bob's Russian style cranial rectosis flares up again.

Biden used sanctioned government pressure with international support to publicly route out corruption, Dumb Donald's corruption gets more difficult to ignore daily, and is ALL about personal enrichment, and is done through secretive unsanctioned back channels like his personal attorney who has no business interfering in foreign affairs, then hidden in super top secret servers where they have no business being hidden.

How much money have Trump's children taken from other countries in the last 3 years? All accounts based on their own filings indicate it's hundreds of millions, much through new business dealings created after Trump took office and gifts like dozens of patents from China worth tens of millions.

Trump first.
He has lived in New York longer than AOC has been alive. He has the resources to effect positive change there, but did nothing in the way of public service and instead cheated on his taxes and charities, running pyramid schemes, hiring and underpaying undocumented immigrants, repeatedly taking from those who could ill afford it to line his own pockets for decades. Trump had a significant hand in making New York the shit hole city it is today, and has done nothing whatsoever to fix it, he's worked to make things worse as president too, because New York didn't vote for him, just like his multiple (failed) attempts to hurt California and our economy out of spite.

AOC, after graduating Cum Laude (Trump has gone to great lengths to hide his embarrassing transcript), had the resources of a bartender trying to save her mother from foreclosure, yet she launched Brook Avenue Press, a publishing firm for books that portray the Bronx in a positive light, and worked as lead educational strategist at GAGEis, Inc. Ocasio-Cortez also worked for the nonprofit National Hispanic Institute, serving as the Educational Director of the 2017 Northeast Collegiate World Series, a five-day-long program targeted at college-bound high school students from across the United States and other countries, where she also participated in the panel on the future of Latino leadership.

In her few years as an adult with minimal resources, AOC has done infinitely more than Trump, with all his inherited advantages, to fix their city.

*facepalm

Because I don't buy into the concept that money is above all else. I feel a life well lived and enjoyed responsibly is better than one that made money but not happiness.
Also because I'm broken and was disabled throughout what should have been my "productive years". Getting off opioid medications has helped with that more than I would have believed....but I'm still fairly unemployable.
...and because I made my money the old fashioned way....I inherited it....but family members just aren't dying rich like they used to. ;-)

Watch it, inheritance tax will get you when you're not looking.

Lot of good that heavy artillery was.

The ants shall inherit the earth.

As a percentage of income, businesses and the rich pay nothing compared to the poor, who can least afford it.

I'm all for simplification, no loopholes or special deductions, including religion (wow, would that fill some coffers!), I could even go for one tax rate on all income (edit: including inheritance), with a huge standard deduction. I absolutely agree what we have is a convoluted mess that benefits the rich and penalizes the poor and unconnected....particularly business taxes. I also think they should be simplified and standardized, with no more special tax handouts to any businesses added as new law, and any bailouts should be pure stock transactions nationalizing any businesses that need bailouts, paid at current market rates.
Unfortunately, as I mentioned, I think going to only national sales tax effects the poor in a way that's not equal or just, even if you include businesses, and puts excessive additional burden on those who already need help.

$3 billion? Aaaaaahahahaha! Says him?! Oh Bob, hang your head in shame.

Edit: How much has he and his family milked the presidency for so far? Hundreds of millions certainly when you include Ivanka's special trade deals, the apartments sold to foreign agents at 10-100 times market value, and the rental of his properties by the same and other foreign agents at above market value, the milking our treasury, requiring the secret service pay him to be allowed to guard him at his properties.....sweet zombie Jebus, no one has ever abused the office or any other like he has, with your full blessing. Don't feign indignation now at others.

Earned?! Aaaaaaahahahaha! He inherited it Bob....and stole it from rubes like you pretend to be.

Are you claiming McCain got his money in some untoward way, or just implying it because you have zero evidence of any such thing but want people to think you do? You, as a Trumpeteer, have some gall accusing others of making their money in some underhanded way, no matter what they might have done it pales in comparison to the known, admitted frauds and swindles your leader brags about with pride.

Bob, Trump's administration's leaders have been found guilty on 24 counts so far in under 2 years with 89 charges SO FAR.....and many more removed in disgrace for abusing their offices for personal enrichment..... that's far more corrupt than Nixon after the break in and cover-up. There has never been another administration 1/4 as swampy as Trump's. NEVER.

Trump himself is an admitted and convicted fraud who stole money from the ignorant poor with his fake schools....and charities....and businesses....and every contract he's ever been involved with.
He's called the swamp thing for a reason.

Look on the bright side. I hear the meek shall inherit the Earth. If that's OK with everyone else.

Holy Crap! These are the guys that will inherit the earth and probably the moon from the looks of this!

Also, I thought it was an unspoken rule that only ant posts ant videos.

And the solution is?

Only let the passing of a small amount at ones death?
Or to say cap inheritance it a 1 Million / child and dissolve the rest of the estate?




At 70K I think this is middle middle class. I don't think the 10%ers are keeping me poor. I think the lessening of the value of the dollar is.

They should explain Giles Corey: Back in the day, if you were convicted of a felony, for example, witchcraft, you forfeited all your property to the crown. He died so that his family could inherit.

Refusing to plead, and being pressed by stones, wasn't that rare at the time.