Is this the dumbest idea ever?

[ReaperFett]

5th District GOP hopeful wants sci-fi to aid NASA
Williams sees tax on science fiction books as space funding solution

04/22/02

From Staff Reports

Michael Williams, a Republican candidate for the 5th Congressional District seat, has a novel plan to fully fund NASA: Tax science fiction.

Williams proposes a 1 percent "NASA tax" on science fiction books, science fiction comic books, space sciences books and any other space-related literature.

The tax would also apply to "space, space-related, and science fiction toys, puzzles and games," Williams said in a listing of his platform.

Williams wants Congress to adopt a resolution establishing a "global grand convention" that would ensure all inhabitants of Earth the same basic rights found in the U.S. Constitution.

His resolution would also require holding a constitutional convention when 30,000 colonists have settled or been born "on the moon, Mars or any other celestial body besides the Earth."

[Gurney Devries]

Three letters. W, T & F.

[sirdizzy]

omg i think i need to kill some politicians on my days off

[Streetpizza]

Michael Williams can got to hell as far as I'm concerned.

This is the single most stupid idea I've ever heard. And I've heard alot of stupid ideas.

[ReaperFett]

ANyway, how do you define Sci Fi? Could I demand money back because I feel SW isnt true SF? :)

[Gav Mortis]

Oh that's absurd, it never ceases to amaze me at how utterly stupid politicians can be; he's really grasping at straws now just to get elected - he might be pleasing NASA, well I'm sorry but no! I mean where do these inbred, aloof little people get spawned? I put my money on the Funny Farm because to be quite frank, he is going to irritate the hell out of millions of people - including myself - who pay enough money as it is to keep their respective nation off it's backside, how in the name of sanity did such a dosile, little man with big ideas and few brains ever get nominated to be a candidate for a seat on Congress?

It truely makes me shudder to think that he is the type of person being nominated to help run a country. When I become a barrister I swear to God I'm gonna have my law against idiotic politicians passed at least in England, that way we can just fine the living daylights out of them just for considering to try to be intelligent.

[Dark Lord Dyzm]

Time like this, Dictatorship even looks good

words can not express the sheer idiocy of all this

[Lady Vader]

NOOOOOOO! No more taxes!

Jeebus... somebody go slay with with a lightsaber already for even suggesting something so ridiculous... |I

[ReaperFett]

Need to research sabres. Pay tax :)

[Gav Mortis]

Not to worry anyhow, something like that wont wash with anyone who has half a brain.

[ReaperFett]

Gav, it's the US

























J/K!!! :)

[ReaperFett]

May be a bit of a descision for Bush:
http://members.aol.com/richidscal/images/pic75.jpg





:)

[Gav Mortis]

Oh God, after that performance, Fett, you've just given the go-ahead for a mob to rise up and all hell to break loose and guess what - I'm in the minority and you've thrown me into the path of the raging mob! :cry

[Lady Vader]

Uh-huh...

*:headbash:headbash:headbash:headbash:headbash
:headbash:headbash:headbash:headbash:headbash Fett.*

[Strider]

uh....looks painful...

[Taylor Millard]

Well first off, Bush wouldn't sign off on this one. He's been against a tax hike for a long time (and I don't see him changing positions now). Taxing Sci-Fi is stupid, heck taxation of any kind is stupid, if it falls in the category of too much (which this and most other taxes does). Congress does have the right to tax, but a taxing such as this is wasteful, dumb, and not a conservative platform. If the Fed wants to save NASA, then it should cut funding from other programs which are wasteful, and put the money there.
I have a list of programs to get rid of, but will refrain for the sake of sanity and that I consider SWFans a Politic Free Zone.

[Miryan no Trunks]

That's an awesome idea. I'm going to go out right now and buy myself a gun.

I'll go find this Michael Williams, ask him to autograph it, and then cross out his name after shooting him dead =P

[Makoto Neosis]

God, Imported Metals and now Sci-Fi Books?! I'm getting that ol dusty 4/10 out and going politic hunting. -___-

[Charley]

We could always suggest a bill to tax Britney Spears and help fund the synthetic materials industry.

[Darth Viscera]

I think that the tax is a good idea. 1% isn't that big of a deal, and NASA could use more funding. Heck, anything to help get humans off this planet.

[Palpatine]

a) Reaperfett, stop the pointless Bush bashing.

b) The Sci-Fi tax actually aint a bad idea

c) It's his other ideas that scare me. LListen, some places, free and democratic places as well dont want the USA's ideas and values. Dont you dare think for a moment your going to foist them onto us you arrogant fool of a politcian. When some Australian is being held without trial in a USA built prision, without charges even beign laid....... why the hell aint you worried about that? Because he's an accused terrorist? Well you want a valid critisim? Human rights are not being held up here either. People like this are being two faced hypocrites if they think they can sprout human rights while the USA hold people without trial or without charges, in contridiction to the Geneva conventions.

My apologies if this is out of line, but right now when a 46 y.o. father of four, whom is a citizen of Australia was arresting Pakistan, is being helpd in conditions the USA would scream about if it's soldiers were held in,, without charges, only a vague "Oh he he's learnig to be a terrorist".... can you understand why I would be fuming at the arrogance of this snot faced politician?

[Charley]

(dodges flamebait deftly)

[Darth Viscera]

Terrorism suspects don't qualify for human rights priveleges. :)

And I'm being sincere in that. ***k 'em.

[Marcus Telcontar]

Viscera, you just proved my point.

[Darth Viscera]

Your point was that terrorists are the scum of the earth and therefore undeserving of the slightest inkling of leniency from the people they try so hard to massacre? Well then we are very much in agreement.

These idiot terrorists have devoted their dying breaths to slaughtering us en masse. They are the personifications of villainy, and will take whatever drastic measures they deem necessary to ensure their place in eternal paradise. They have no reservations about utilizing illegal methods of warfare. They are not the legal representatives of a vast, tax-paying populace, but rather fugitives from humanity. These are not humane foes.

I will be damned if they destroy more life while subject to the lethargy of the legal process, aka a man pleading with a judge for a warrant. Their termination requires far greater expediency than that.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

*stakes sign*

POLITICS FREE ZONE

Go create your own board to yell at each other in!

>_<

:(

[Darth Viscera]

Yaggh! Fine. Just don't frown at me!

[Lilaena De'Ville]

:(

[Rama]

I actually kinda like the idea......I mean most people who read/Watch Sci-Fi are the ones that support further space Travel




Or we could just start shooting billionnares into space like Russia. :lol

[Marcus Telcontar]

Viscera, before you relpy again, re-read what I wrote. What was I really saying? Because it certainly was not what you replied about.

As you seem not to be able to get the point, I'll say it clearly. An Australian, a middle aged Islamic with 4 children, apparently a good family man, whom was lawfully in Pakistan, was arrested by US authorities and is being held without trial, or charges. All anyone knows is he is supposed the training to be a terrorist. Well, where's the proof? Why has he not been charged? Why has his right to presumption of innocence been denied?

And this prospective Congressman want to foist USA rights onto the rest of the world. Well, as an ally and friend of the USA, dont you think I view the treatment of a citizen of Australia like he is with total disgust? Okay, so he might be trainign to be one. I dont know..... but what if he is totally innocent?

Well let me make this clear for you.

WHY is the USA, Defender of peace and justice, withholding rights and justice now? WHY?? Is this man guilty? Well how do we know if he's not been tried???? Where is the defence of his rights and freedoms? IF he's a terroist, fine, feed him to wolves. But nothing Australia has bee told so far suggests he is.

My USA friends, I have to make this clear. This angers Aussies to see this. This is not right and it is not fair. You have David Hicks, who WAS fighting for the Taliban. Fine, you can have him.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/04/25/1019441285612.html

Is this fair? Is this the justice sought? Come on, he's a citizen of your ally. Dont you think this is not just a bit wrong?

As I said, if he's a terrist, he deserves what's coming. But so far.... we in Australia have seen nothing that says he is.



I apologise for my worked up tone now and say I'm only taking a shot at this prospective Congressman and if the admins think I went over the top, please edit if you see fit.

[Darth Viscera]

Marcus, we are in a war. Hell, I don't even know if we're winning. Times like these, rights and freedoms can be stowed temporarily on the back burner. It's safety that is paramount.

It's not a very naive thing to say, I know. It's not fair, I know. However, it is necessary. Ask the Japanese-Americans who were put in concentration camps (the British version of a concentration camp from the Boer War, not the Nazi version) during WW2. They got a raw deal, boy howdy, but they lived to complain about it.

It'll pass. That's all that can really be said. There's no real way to defend it, it's simply an unhappy byproduct of war.

[Marcus Telcontar]

That is one of the most stupid and illogical statements I have read in a long time. If you want a proof on how idiot that is, go watch AOTC in a few weeks, because it deals with the exact subject.

Guess what happens in the end. Oops, not allowed to tell you tho. Spoliers you know.

[ReaperFett]

a) Reaperfett, stop the pointless Bush bashing.
Didnt you notice it was a joke? Or is the pole up your rear making you too uptight?



b) The Sci-Fi tax actually aint a bad idea
Why should people who enjoy SF be taxed, but not fantasy, or real life? It is basically picking on one group.

And who would decide if something if SF anyway? It's all a matter of opinion

And that case Marcus showed is just dumb. They're not even being given info? So basically, they could be holding him because he said the word bomb. If the US wants countries to help them(Aside from the UK, who will always follow while Blair is in power, even if they wanted to invade the UK), they should start being a bit more cooperative.
And war is only war when you are fighting a specific enemy. Terrorists arent something you are in a war with. Otherwise, Britain, Spain and Russia would have been at war for the last 30 years.

[Gurney Devries]

The entie concept of taxing fiction based on a genre is incredulously laughable. "We're going to put an extra tax on action movies to help fund the military." I'm sorry, no. It's unjust, impossible to properly enforce, and just plain stupid.

[Darth Viscera]

-_-

Bla bla bla, stupid illogical statements, USA is turning into the Galactic Empire run by a very old Sith. Yeah, gotcha.


Jeez, I don't know where to start. Fett can't even agree that we're in a war. Some people may need to read up on the gravity of the situation.

[ReaperFett]

You dont have to call it a war to be serious. By saying war though, you can get it into the common mans mind more.



Some people may need to read up on the gravity of the situation.
By not allowing other countries to see their people, you can lose their trust, meaning long run problems.

I dont get it though. Why disallow seeing this one, when UK officials could meet up with some from Britain in that camp(I forget its name)?

[Darth Viscera]

Camp X-Ray.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

:( :(

I said no MORE TALKING! NO TALKY!

:p *scampers off, taking her stupid sign with her*

oh, and Marcus, your post that you said Visc didn't understand..I couldn't understand it either. Spell check! :D

[Marcus Telcontar]

:: Runs up and FORCE PANTS Deville::

:: Runs off::

[Lilaena De'Ville]

O_o

[ReaperFett]

Camp X-Ray
Sounds like something from a comedy act :)




Thanks for telling me

[Beldarine]

I just want to throw my two cents in.

Does anyone remember reading about the Boston Tea Party? Does anyone remember WHY that happened? Two words -- Excessive Taxation.

The tax on Sci-Fi is stupid. Let's just overtax everyone to the point where they take home NOTHING !! I make 30,000 a year.. Does anyone know what I clear? about 75% of that.. Meaning that even before sales tax, and state tax, and county tax, and homeowner taxes, and property taxes.. The government gets a quarter of my income. Most of that goes to Medicare and Social Security.. two things that I probably won't see because I'm paying for the baby boomer's retirement.. and Social Security will run out way before I'm 65.

Personally.. and I hate to say this.. but... Who cares about NASA? With everything going on so wrong in our country now, who should care about Mars? I certainly don't, and I don't want to fund NASA thru yet ANOTHER tax.

Why don't we just add taxes on everything possible. Britney Spears poster? Tax it 2% to support the Plastic Surgeon foundation. Beer? Tax it EVEN MORE to support George Bush's next campaign (or even better, a picture of the various drugs he's done). Cigarettes? Oh wait.. Those are already taxed about 1.00/pack... Nevermind... Well.. hmm... Let's increase that to $2/pack.. That'll teach those damn smokers. Gasoline? Let's tax that more than the already in place 46.2 cents/gallon..

It's just ridiculous.. and I'm not saying this to be inflammatory towards anyones beliefs (one of the reasons why I refuse to comment on how I feel the Middle East and all terrorists should be handled)... But come on now... Let's be reasonable..

[Darth Viscera]

True, but 1% isn't going to make or break anyone. Come on, another 7 pennies for a paperback.

[ReaperFett]

ANd then it's 2%. Thena further 1% so they can launch more ships. Then they put 3% to speed something up. And then they realise how easy it is, and just make 10%. ANd so on

[Gurney Devries]

DV: Yeah, and sales tax is only 6.5%.... what's your point?

[Beldarine]

I agree with what Fett just said 100%..

That's what the US has been slowly doing for the past 100 years.. slowly adding more and more taxes.. Finally some of the public is waking up and taking notice.. Too bad they're too apathetic to actually DO anything about it.

[Sanis Prent]

I'll be all for a small tax increase if it goes for something that freakin matters. I'm sorry, but space exploration doesn't have "High Priority" written on it.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Yeah, been there, done that. Put our flag on the moon. *ho hum* And I didn't even get a T-Shirt!

I like Oregon. We have no sales tax, and don't even have to pump our own gas! :D

[Darth Viscera]

Space exploration would be nice. Seeing as how it'll probably take 10 millenia before we can become a Type 2 civilization, I think we'd better hop to it, start contributing to the penny jar.

Besides, the sooner that we can spread out beyond good ol' Sol 3, the higher chance that the human race will survive a catastrophy. Example: use of weapons of mass destruction, or an asteroid.

I mean, what happens if a slow-evolving race of lizard creatures with technology 2 generations ahead of us arrive in a conquest fleet and proceed to demolish our major cities by detonating nuclear warheads in the stratosphere and thus creating EMP fields which will knock out our communications capabilities? I mean, the conquest fleet wouldn't want to use atomic weapons too frequently, lest they turn the planet into a sterile stellar body (and they DID spend 800 years in transit at just below the speed of light while in cryostasis just to get here and claim our planet in the name of the Race, let's not forget). And even after 20 years of garrisoning India and China, something which has depleted the lizards' armed forces, even after becoming addicted to ginger, they can still turn us into a dead stellar body. Well are we going to let them eradicate us with their skelkwank devices? Heck no. Put me onto a starship and let's get spread out into the asteroid field in order to do some mining. So dangit, write your congressman and tell him to vote yes on the 1% sci-fi tax. That'll show those lizards who's boss, by gum!

[Marcus Telcontar]

If Interstellar space travel was possible, we would have gotten the big howdy by now.

Face it, we are stuck here. The only place we could go to is the Moon and that would be better off to the private sector to exploit.

[Darth Viscera]

Well that's a disconcerting thought. I hope, for all our sakes, that you're wrong.