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Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

reuters.com

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Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

#141

Post by sgift »

zzzzzzzzzman wrote: post #96
denom wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When the banana production facility is predicated on the collective effort and value that all of the monkeys provide, then refusing to pay taxes is tantamount to sealing from the society. Since the society provides for the common good, including the production of bananas, it follows that the individuals must honor and provide for that social function--which in the end serves _them_.

I appreciate your POV, but why is this monkey not able to produce his own bananas from the trees and the soil?

Okay, so the monkey produces all he needs for himself. And all he ever needed? That would be 10k bananas for previous monkey education. Monkey may pay them over time.

Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

#142

Post by edblarney »

edblarney wrote: post #131
kalleboo wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You started talking about "anti-business and anti-entrepreneurial", now you moved the goalposts to "big business". Yes Swedes don't worship people like Trump like Americans do. But people going into business (hairdressers, contract work, running a supermarket, startups) is very different.

I didn't say 'big business' - I referred to 'anything that was not a cool startup'.

?

That referred to 'big business' at one point, that does not imply my point was entirely about big business.

In fact, it's obviously not.

Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

#143

Post by wavefunction »

krisroadruck wrote: post #75
3poundkilograms wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One monkey says to a group of other monkeys: "We all need to take one of the 5 bananas we individually have to feed the doctor monkey, the asphalt monkey and the teacher monkey, from whom we receive services." One monkey from the group, which just came back in his car from the doctor monkey with his daughter that goes to the local monkey school: "I refuse to give up my bananas!". Remember context. Full context is imp…

One monkey says to a group of other monkeys: "We all need to take one of the 5 bananas we individually have to pay for a 1.2 trillion banana fighter jet that doesnt work, and also to give bananas to people who aren't contributing any bananas at all" One monkey from the group, who makes 4 of the 5 bananas, and doesn't want a 1.2 trillion banana fighter jet notices that all the people who are clamoring to take bananas…

The 4 of 5 Banana Monkey not only owns the Fighter Jet Company but also the Banana Plantation.

Remember context. Full Context is important.

Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

#144

Post by ovao »

krisroadruck wrote: post #75
3poundkilograms wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One monkey says to a group of other monkeys: "We all need to take one of the 5 bananas we individually have to feed the doctor monkey, the asphalt monkey and the teacher monkey, from whom we receive services." One monkey from the group, which just came back in his car from the doctor monkey with his daughter that goes to the local monkey school: "I refuse to give up my bananas!". Remember context. Full context is imp…

One monkey says to a group of other monkeys: "We all need to take one of the 5 bananas we individually have to pay for a 1.2 trillion banana fighter jet that doesnt work, and also to give bananas to people who aren't contributing any bananas at all" One monkey from the group, who makes 4 of the 5 bananas, and doesn't want a 1.2 trillion banana fighter jet notices that all the people who are clamoring to take bananas…

And that monkey may actually be using the bananas it withholds from one group to do social good in a much more efficient manner for another group.

Not to condone tax evasion or fraud — I condemn illegal tax evasion — but there are many interesting dimensions to this.

Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

#145

Post by zzzzzzzzzman »

jackmaney wrote: post #115
zzzzzzzzzman wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am an American and I pay for all of my medical care privately, without insurance :)

You must be fortunate not to have any preexisting conditions or to not need any medical procedures that, without insurance, can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars.

I appreciate your response :)

The real question is why are medical procedures so artificially expensive.

The only thing I would really need medical insurance for is a rare emergency procedure like an appendectomy. Information online says an appendectomy can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $150,000.

Why is there such a deviation? This is how insurance companies make their money.

When we consider that medical insurance in the USA is several hundred dollars per month, $1,500 out of pocket seems completely reasonable.

Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

#146

Post by zzzzzzzzzman »

DasIch wrote: post #127
zzzzzzzzzman wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is the average able bodied citizen unable to protect himself the local and national level? Why don't the concerned citizens pool their funds together to pay for their own defence? If we must pay taxes for these things, why must their be so much corruption and fraud (think of the expensive fighter jets and missiles that government agents purchase at inflated prices, from companies that funnel profits to a very sel…

The concerned citizens do pool their funds together to pay for their own defence, they do this with a system called "government".

You are correct. So then why do those same citizens yell at me to pay my taxes, when I am not concerned as they are, and don't want the sub-par and expensive defense services they are providing me :)

Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

#147

Post by zzzzzzzzzman »

sgift wrote: post #141
zzzzzzzzzman wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I appreciate your POV, but why is this monkey not able to produce his own bananas from the trees and the soil?

Okay, so the monkey produces all he needs for himself. And all he ever needed? That would be 10k bananas for previous monkey education. Monkey may pay them over time.

Why is the monkey being forced to pay for services already rendered to him that were paid for by taxes? Is there a budget shortfall somewhere?

This is like saying I need to pay Oracle $10,000 for all those years that my drivers license info sat on an Oracle database :)

Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

#148

Post by dx034 »

kuschku wrote: post #94
daemin wrote: post #85

My take on the whole Uber vs Taxis thing is much more about just convenience and user experience. If the taxis got together and created an app that you could hail a taxi, track its progress, and follow it to your destination, and take the payment automatically, there would have been no (or far less) need of Uber. I have had several experiences where I called for a taxi, but none arrived. Then I went to the main road…

> If the taxis got together and created an app that you could hail a taxi, track its progress, and follow it to your destination, and take the payment automatically, there would have been no (or far less) need of Uber. They did. Before Uber even existed. Check out http://www.taxi.eu/en/

The problem is that it doesn't solve the problem with availability. With surge pricing, Uber is able to get you a ride whenever you want, if you are willing to pay for it. With fixed pricing it regularly happens that you won't be able to get a taxi for hours during busy periods. I've just been to Potsdam (Germany, Uber is banned there) and wanted to get a taxi back at night. I tried for 45 minutes by hailing and calling the local number several times, with no success. Either I couldn't reach anyone or they told me they don't have anyone available. Luckily I did this while already walking in the right direction, so I was at the hotel after 80 minutes. With uber I'd have paid more but would've had a ride within 10 min or so.

This ability to always get a ride within a few minutes, no matter where and when, that is what I (and many others) like about uber. Tracking cars in the app is nice but hardly the defining factor.

Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

#149

Post by dx034 »

Bartweiss wrote: post #100
aedron wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would use any taxi company that charged me the price up front, paid through the app, calculated based on distance from source to destination and some heuristics about time-of-day, time-of-year, etc. The driver would be incentivized to get you to your destination quickly and there wouldn't be that awkward tension about whether the guy is taking the best route, driving too slow or whatever. Even if they occasionally…

I feel like the discussions of what Uber does undervalue this. Medallion systems are silly, Uber is using some shady legal arguments, etc, fine. But the actual taxi experience is often terrible . Last time I took an actual taxi in a new town, the driver spoke next to no English, misunderstood my destination, and got lost 3 times. He tried to drop me off in the middle of the woods because his outdated Garmin told him…

It's not that exceptional, I've experienced that in several countries. Of course you could complain, but first you have to know who to contact at the local authority. With uber it's easy. If the driver tries to rip you off, you contact them and get fast and helpful support. And you won't have to pay if the driver decides to take a detour.

Re: Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits

#150

Post by Ma8ee »

zzzzzzzzzman wrote: post #68
3poundkilograms wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One monkey says to a group of other monkeys: "We all need to take one of the 5 bananas we individually have to feed the doctor monkey, the asphalt monkey and the teacher monkey, from whom we receive services." One monkey from the group, which just came back in his car from the doctor monkey with his daughter that goes to the local monkey school: "I refuse to give up my bananas!". Remember context. Full context is imp…

I appreciate your response and POV :) Why can we not assume that the doctor monkey is operating a private medical practice, his daughter is sent to a private monkey school, and they drove together in a privately produced car on privately maintained roads? In the USA, I pay income taxes, and I still have to pay for all of these things above (fees, fines, tolls, surcharges, sales tax...)

That is called Starve the Beast and has been the strategy of the right for decades. It goes like this: Use a slight budget deficit as an excuse to immediately cut back on services and infrastructure investments. Never raise taxes. If there's no deficit, lower the taxes on the rich while promising 'dynamic effects' that will magically increase revenue for the government. Repeat until the services are so underfunded so that they are more or less useless. Use that as proof that the government is worthless and never can provide anything of value, so it is better to privatize what is left of it. So in the end the only thing you actually pay for with your taxes is wars overseas to keep the oilprice low and corporate welfare.

It's no wonder Americans are complaining about their taxes.

I pay 25% VAT (less on e.g. food) and about 30% income tax. For that I've got a free eduction (Ph.D), can commute to work with (mostly) very good public transportation. Currently my pregnant wife is getting weekly checkups free of charge. I look forward soon start working halv time sharing 390 days of paid parental leave with my wife.

Sometimes I think I don't pay enough taxes.

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