Someone unmoored DeVos' stupid boat

[Gulo Blue]

People are free to exercise bad judgement, that's part of the beauty of America.

I'm not saying they aren't free. Just picking which criticisms I agree or disagree with.

 

[tinselwolverine]

it doesn't matter, just being a billionaire automatically makes you a bad person.

Well, I don't know if supporting Democrats and liberal causes exonerates a billionaire from being a bad person in any way, but there a number of billionaires who are classified as left leaning.

A Lot of Billionaires Are Giving To Democrats. Here's A Data-Driven Look At Their Agenda.

From Forbes.

Old man De Vos was pretty involved in supporting Republicans.

Betsy DeVos's parents were pretty socially conservative religious people; I can't find anything much about their involvement with the Republican party, although they were involved with socially conservative organizations that would typically more likely be associated with the Republican party than not.

 

[Michchamp]

Do some unpacking of the Forbes stat:

"39% of billionaires"... so not most but some.

"are backing Democrats more than Republicans" ... so even among that 39% they're still giving money to Republicans, just a little more to Democrats.

And all Democrats are not equal, nor are they actually "leftists" or "socialists." There isn't a lot of daylight between the policies and voting records of Steny Hoyer, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Manchin, etc. and any given Republican.

I doubt these billionaires are giving money to Bernie... or his edge of "the Democrats."

 

[Spartanmack]

Well, I don't know if supporting Democrats and liberal causes exonerates a billionaire from being a bad person in any way, but there a number of billionaires who are classified as left leaning.

A Lot of Billionaires Are Giving To Democrats. Here's A Data-Driven Look At Their Agenda.

From Forbes.

Old man De Vos was pretty involved in supporting Republicans.

Betsy DeVos's parents were pretty socially conservative religious people; I can't find anything much about their involvement with the Republican party, although they were involved with socially conservative organizations that would typically more likely be associated with the Republican party than not.

If I've learned anything from mc, it's that the grotesque accumulation of wealth is a sin against mankind (in the secular, nonreligious sense). Presumably that line is crossed well before one reaches a billion dollars. If the grotesquely rich person is also a conservative, especially a religious conservative, then they're just that much more evil.

 

[Spartanmack]

I'm not saying they aren't free. Just picking which criticisms I agree or disagree with.

My point is that income inequality isn't a real problem in America. You said it depends on the criticism (presumably in response to me). Whether income inequality is a problem in America isn't at all dependent on what a rich person spends their money on and whether or not anyone thinks it demonstrates poor judgment.

 

[Gulo Blue]

My point is that income inequality isn't a real problem in America. You said it depends on the criticism (presumably in response to me). Whether income inequality is a problem in America isn't at all dependent on what a rich person spends their money on and whether or not anyone thinks it demonstrates poor judgment.

You always find the weirdest ways to re-interpret what I write. Here it is again:

Depends on the nature of the criticism. Should a person be allowed to have 10 recreational boats? Of course. But my impression from boat owners is that the main thing you do with a recreational boat, is bitch about the expenses and how stupid it is to own a boat. 10 boats is a display of exceptionally bad judgement.

How do you get from there, to wherever you are now? How do you see a criticism of wealth inequality in America and not a joke about boat ownership?

 

[tinselwolverine]

You always find the weirdest ways to re-interpret what I write. Here it is again:

How do you get from there, to wherever you are now? How do you see a criticism of wealth inequality in America and not a joke about boat ownership?

I got the joke.

The rich man with 10 boats has twenty best days - the day he buys each of the ten boats and the day he sells each of the ten boats - fucking hilarious.

And I'm not even really that good at math.

 

[Spartanmack]

You always find the weirdest ways to re-interpret what I write. Here it is again:

How do you get from there, to wherever you are now? How do you see a criticism of wealth inequality in America and not a joke about boat ownership?

I'm not used to you telling jokes. It would have to something a lot funnier to be obvious that you're kidding around - like post #18 in this thread.

 

[Michchamp]

after a certain point, those ladies stop getting invited and younger ones take their place on the boat.

I don't mean age... if his aphorism "the bigger the boat, the bigger the..." were to hold true, Bill Gates' cruise-ship-sized yacht would just be stocked with fatties with enormous ones.

Not exactly how billionaires like to be seen...

 

[Gulo Blue]

I'm not used to you telling jokes. It would have to something a lot funnier to be obvious that you're kidding around - like post #18 in this thread.

Funny or not, I said "Should a person be allowed to have 10 recreational boats? Of course." and you thought that was a criticism of wealth inequality.

 

[tinselwolverine]

Funny or not, I said "Should a person be allowed to have 10 recreational boats? Of course." and you thought that was a criticism of wealth inequality.

You tell jokes all the time. You followed your statement that you just quoted here with a variation of the joke about what a pain in the ass boat ownership is.

I always get your jokes.

EDIT: It was your post number six, and I recognize it as an old joke in post number seven.

 

[Spartanmack]

Funny or not, I said "Should a person be allowed to have 10 recreational boats? Of course." and you thought that was a criticism of wealth inequality.

and I sarcastically responded that freedom to exercise bad judgement was part of the beauty of America. After you reacted to that the way you did, i thought your criticism of their exceptionally bad judgement was actually a criticism of wealth inequality - there have been more outlandish arguments than that and you've nit picked enough of my posts, I don't think it's that big of a miss by me.

 

[tinselwolverine]

and I sarcastically responded that freedom to exercise bad judgement was part of the beauty of America. After you reacted to that the way you did, i thought your criticism of their exceptionally bad judgement was actually a criticism of wealth inequality - there have been more outlandish arguments than that and you've nit picked enough of my posts, I don't think it's that big of a miss by me.

Nope.

He was making a boat joke.

It was always and only a boat joke and it will always and only be a boat joke.

If you don?t get the joke, refer to post #18.

 

[Spartanmack]

Nope.

He was making a boat joke.

It was always and only a boat joke and it will always and only be a boat joke.

If you don?t get the joke, refer to post #18.

it wasn't as funny as post 18, particularly when I thought he was actually serious.

if flying commercial qualifies as renting, I rented all 3 until my late 30s, now i just rent the first two.

 

[Spartanmack]

I don't mean age... if his aphorism "the bigger the boat, the bigger the..." were to hold true, Bill Gates' cruise-ship-sized yacht would just be stocked with fatties with enormous ones.

Not exactly how billionaires like to be seen...

it's a bad joke on many levels but it's safe to say there's an obvious assumed limit, unless the guy is trying to tell you he's a herdsman (new word of the day - just googled "term for guys who love fat girls"). Considering his fondness for boats, maybe Captian Ahab would be a more appropriate name for him.5

Edit: then again, maybe Bill Gates' boat would be packed with women like the one in this picture someone took of the CN Tower...

https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images...r-massive-tits-huge-demotivational-poster.jpg

 

[Michchamp]

Turns out DeVos' yacht is registered in the Cayman Islands, for tax avoidance purposes (link)

The US Secretary of Education sails US waters, flying the flag of the Cayman Islands...

When buying a vessel or cruising in U.S. waters, American yacht owners like the DeVoses could face state sales or use taxes. However, registering a yacht in a locale like the Caymans ? under what has come to be known as a ?flag of convenience? ? allows those American yacht owners to effectively characterize themselves as foreigners for tax purposes, thereby avoiding the obligation of paying the standard sales and use levies, while enjoying police and Coast Guard services during times their vessels are untied.
...
If the vessel were registered in, say, Grand Rapids, Michigan ? the state where RDV is located and that has in the past made an effort to compel yacht owners to pay use taxes ? the SeaQuest would likely be subject to Michigan?s six percent use tax. That would require the DeVos empire to cough up about $2.4 million ? public revenues that help finance the kind of police services that the DeVos yacht crew called when the boat was untied. And yet with the Cayman flag fluttering on its deck, the family can avoid the levy even as it cruises the Great Lakes.​

 

[Spartanmack]

Turns out DeVos' yacht is registered in the Cayman Islands, for tax avoidance purposes (link)

The US Secretary of Education sails US waters, flying the flag of the Cayman Islands...

When buying a vessel or cruising in U.S. waters, American yacht owners like the DeVoses could face state sales or use taxes. However, registering a yacht in a locale like the Caymans ? under what has come to be known as a ?flag of convenience? ? allows those American yacht owners to effectively characterize themselves as foreigners for tax purposes, thereby avoiding the obligation of paying the standard sales and use levies, while enjoying police and Coast Guard services during times their vessels are untied.
...
If the vessel were registered in, say, Grand Rapids, Michigan ? the state where RDV is located and that has in the past made an effort to compel yacht owners to pay use taxes ? the SeaQuest would likely be subject to Michigan?s six percent use tax. That would require the DeVos empire to cough up about $2.4 million ? public revenues that help finance the kind of police services that the DeVos yacht crew called when the boat was untied. And yet with the Cayman flag fluttering on its deck, the family can avoid the levy even as it cruises the Great Lakes.​

What a waste of internet space. This article can be rewritten in one sentence. Keeping the headline unchanged, the article should begin and end with "Because they're smart."

 

[tomdalton22]

Turns out DeVos' yacht is registered in the Cayman Islands, for tax avoidance purposes (link)

The US Secretary of Education sails US waters, flying the flag of the Cayman Islands...

When buying a vessel or cruising in U.S. waters, American yacht owners like the DeVoses could face state sales or use taxes. However, registering a yacht in a locale like the Caymans ? under what has come to be known as a ?flag of convenience? ? allows those American yacht owners to effectively characterize themselves as foreigners for tax purposes, thereby avoiding the obligation of paying the standard sales and use levies, while enjoying police and Coast Guard services during times their vessels are untied.
...
If the vessel were registered in, say, Grand Rapids, Michigan ? the state where RDV is located and that has in the past made an effort to compel yacht owners to pay use taxes ? the SeaQuest would likely be subject to Michigan?s six percent use tax. That would require the DeVos empire to cough up about $2.4 million ? public revenues that help finance the kind of police services that the DeVos yacht crew called when the boat was untied. And yet with the Cayman flag fluttering on its deck, the family can avoid the levy even as it cruises the Great Lakes.​

$2.4 million a year to the state of Michigan so some local police in Ohio can "investigate" someone untieing their boat? A usage tax is ridiculous. I would do the exact same thing. Why waste $2.4M a year? The boat owner pays taxes where they use the boat via the fuel taxes they pay. I'm certain that a boat like that uses plenty of fuel.