Haikus, Live From Socialist Europe

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Originally Posted by Hazir

morcels of dead fish
slabs of greasy grind
green eyed monster looms.

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:up: Yumm, grind. Though the structure generally has seven syllables in the second line.

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Originally Posted by Khendraja'aro

Yes, that line "it's only fun" is common among trolls and bullies. Once or twice, okay. But making a thread out of it, abusing your mod status and being an asshat all-around while displaying your breathtaking ignorance... not so much "fun".

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Once again, criticism is not racism or bullying. It's also not against the rules/some kind of moderator abuse when you are allowed to make similar criticism/threads of your own. And it's not my fault "your" various governments want me to stay here for months on end to experience the grinding slow-motion failure of democratic socialism.

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Originally Posted by Dreadnaught

And it's not my fault "your" various governments want me to stay here for months on end to experience the grinding slow-motion failure of democratic socialism.

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If that is your idea of "criticism" then I weep for your brain, because clearly the part which makes up intelligence has long since absconded.

Fyi, that is a criticism of your thought process.

Heh, you clearly have a very two dimensional view of...well, a lot of things, now that I think about it.

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Originally Posted by Dreadnaught

...And it's not my fault "your" various governments want me to stay here for months on end to experience the grinding slow-motion failure of democratic socialism.

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If you're on a business trip from America, you might want to reconsider whose at fault --or whom to thank-- for your paid international jaunts and enjoyable pursuits. Next thing we know, you'll be demanding "hazard pay" for your suffering sacrifices. :popcorn:

Or

$60 dollar sushi
the value added taxed
cheaper fish for all

Ah, I forgot the GGT trope that I'm some kind of ungrateful cheap billionaire.

And Hazir is partly right-- I probably should have clarified that this was a meal for two.

€28,50 all you can eat Sushi in Amsterdam by the way. Comes with all you can drink non-alcoholic beverages. For two that makes €57,- plus tip. Which for that type of amount would be €5 or €6 in Amsterdam. To be honest, that doesn't strike me as very expensive at all. If you paid that amount in dollars, it would be even on the cheapish side for a sit-down place in my part of town.

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Originally Posted by Khendraja'aro

Yes, that line "it's only fun" is common among trolls and bullies. Once or twice, okay. But making a thread out of it, abusing your mod status and being an asshat all-around while displaying your breathtaking ignorance... not so much "fun".

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Is making fun of countries against the rules? This forum isn't based in Britain. :noob:

Don't know about the continent, but I did notice that fast food in Britain is almost across-the-board 50% more expensive than in the US (the only exceptions are American franchises). Even the stores that had a US equivalent tended to cost as much in pounds as that store did in dollars (1 pound = $1.60).

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Originally Posted by Dreadnaught

Oh relax and cheer up. :p You're welcome to make a thread of "Haikus from Rapaciously Capitalist Amerikan".

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Fat American
Travels civilized countries
Complains all the way

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Originally Posted by Dreadnaught

You get a ticket to wait in line for your welfare/rations/free sushi? :noob:

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Well, not sushi, but almost everywhere else ;)

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Under socialism, most things become expensive to make politically-favored things "affordable". :o

Since I got here, I've had similarly-overpriced sushi in France and Ireland. I don't make a habit of aiming for pricey spots, so not sure what's going on. Then again my sample size is small. Though I was recently in Italy and got some pretty quality and cheap meals. Though Germany is still winning on the affordability front. :up:

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Over here, all you can eat sushi, with decent quality, is generally between 15 and 20 euros p.p. here. In general restaurants are more expensive than in most countries here I think.

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Originally Posted by Khendraja'aro

Yes, that line "it's only fun" is common among trolls and bullies. Once or twice, okay. But making a thread out of it, abusing your mod status and being an asshat all-around while displaying your breathtaking ignorance... not so much "fun".

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I find it amusing.

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Originally Posted by Loki

Don't know about the continent, but I did notice that fast food everything in Britain is almost across-the-board 50% more expensive than in the US.

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Fixed that for you
Everything here costs and costs
Value added tax?

~

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Originally Posted by Flixy

I find it amusing.

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I do too
Khen should pen funny Haikus
In withering retort

The VAT is only ~11% higher than the sales tax in NY and Illinois. True about the rest. One thing in particular I don't understand is why soda costs 50-100% more in the UK...

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Originally Posted by Ziggy Stardust

Fat American
Travels civilized countries
Complains all the way

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Originally Posted by Timbuk2

Fixed that for you
Everything here costs and costs
Value added tax?

~


I do too
Khen should pen funny Haikus
In withering retort

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That's the spirit. :up:

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Originally Posted by Loki

The VAT is only ~11% higher than the sales tax in NY and Illinois. True about the rest. One thing in particular I don't understand is why soda costs 50-100% more in the UK...

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The same reason cheap-ass ramen noodles cost 400% more. VAT + other regulations/taxes reverberate down the whole production/distribution chain as added costs of business.

American is robbed
On the Streets of London
Calls it being taxed

Anglo radio
Neverending stories of
Stabbing. That is all.

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Originally Posted by Dreadnaught

The same reason cheap-ass ramen noodles cost 400% more. VAT + other regulations/taxes reverberate down the whole production/distribution chain as added costs of business.

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How do McDonald's and KFC manage to retain American prices? :noob: And surely if Coke really did cost twice as much to produce in Britain, it would make sense to just import it from the US?

Transit costs + import duties (if any) + VAT + currency fluctuations would still probably muck it up. This is why I rage against VAT so much. It screws up cashflow and business operations so much that it raises costs.

That's utter nonsense, VAT is less disruptive than any other tax. For most businesses it stays outside of cash flow alltogether. Only at the final point of sale that is different, and that also happens to be the point where the consumer actually provides the VAT due.

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Originally Posted by Loki

Is making fun of countries against the rules? This forum isn't based in Britain. :noob:

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Y'know, the thing about making fun: It's actually supposed to be funny. This here is below even the infamous German humor.

We don't judge. :o

offensive butterfly
can not reach lederhosen
German jackboot ends

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Originally Posted by Hazir

That's utter nonsense, VAT is less disruptive than any other tax. For most businesses it stays outside of cash flow alltogether. Only at the final point of sale that is different, and that also happens to be the point where the consumer actually provides the VAT due.

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This should probably be a separate thread, but how does it stay out of cashflow? You're thinking about the net impact on revenues (excluding compliance costs), not the cashflow impact from VAT recovery and payments.

OR

Taxing every turn
Makes each turn more expensive
Despite the loopholes

This may be of interest:

http://www.tax.org.uk/Resources/CIOT...-2003qxd_2.pdf

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Originally Posted by Dreadnaught

This should probably be a separate thread, but how does it stay out of cashflow? You're thinking about the net impact on revenues (excluding compliance costs), not the cashflow impact from VAT recovery and payments.

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Last time I looked when I did some shopping at Metro (which is a German chain which sells food and related articles only to companies like restaurants, small food shops and the like) when you do some B2B shopping, VAT does not even apply in the first place. You simply don't pay VAT in those cases.

There are two ways to deal with VAT: You've got some kind of established (read: contract) business relationship - then VAT does not even enter the picture. Or you don't have such a pre-established contract, then you get the VAT back through tax-returns.

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Originally Posted by Dreadnaught

Ah, I forgot the GGT trope that I'm some kind of ungrateful cheap billionaire.

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Originally Posted by Dreadnaught

The same reason cheap-ass ramen noodles cost 400% more. VAT + other regulations/taxes reverberate down the whole production/distribution chain as added costs of business.

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Originally Posted by Dreadnaught

Transit costs + import duties (if any) + VAT + currency fluctuations would still probably muck it up. This is why I rage against VAT so much. It screws up cashflow and business operations so much that it raises costs.

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Haiku Gentry whines
noodles, taxes, tariffs, all
thank your employer

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Originally Posted by GGT

Haiku Gentry whines
noodles, taxes, tariffs, all
thank your employer

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This is a preposterous allegation, Dreadnaught has never owned Palominos

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Originally Posted by Dreadnaught

This should probably be a separate thread, but how does it stay out of cashflow? You're thinking about the net impact on revenues (excluding compliance costs), not the cashflow impact from VAT recovery and payments.

OR

Taxing every turn
Makes each turn more expensive
Despite the loopholes

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Businesses don't pay the tax at all, as Khen points out, if they have paid it on any bill, they can deduct it from any VAT they collected before they pay the money due to the tax-office. It's also not really necessary to report on a transaction to transaction basis, it's enough to know what type of transaction it was (B2C or B2B) and how big that category was (turnover). It is a highly effective system of taxation. And what's better still, it doesn't punish working or enterprise.

Distortionary loopholes for certain types of companies don't really help your case. At some point this really merits a separate thread...

Wait, B2B as in business to business and B2C as in business to consumer, right?

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Originally Posted by Aimless

Wait, B2B as in business to business and B2C as in business to consumer, right?

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Yes, in the end only the end-consumer actually pays the VAT.

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Originally Posted by Dreadnaught

Distortionary loopholes for certain types of companies don't really help your case. At some point this really merits a separate thread...

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:mad:

Distortiona-
ry loopholes for certain types
of companies don't

really help your case.
At some point this really merits
a separate thread...

Ziggy McZiggy Star
Forces square pegs through round holes
To fit Haiku

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Originally Posted by Dreadnaught

Distortionary loopholes for certain types of companies don't really help your case. At some point this really merits a separate thread...

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ALL transactions between companies (hence the B2B) are not subjected to VAT. Not just "certain types".

Why do the famous
Do terrible fragrance ads
Only seen in Yurp

Merkin at odds with add
That his own celebrity
Europe did suffer

Empty suitcases
When going to the US
To avoid the VAT

Gentry could have done better. Seriously. :bored:

She did have a flair for fiction.

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Originally Posted by Dreadnaught

Empty suitcases
When going to the US
To avoid the VAT

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When going back you can buy tax free though :p

You can get back the VAT when you leave the country, at least leaving Germany you can.