whats a Billion

[cybollox]

The next time you hear a politician use the
word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about
whether you want the 'politicians' spending
YOUR tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend,
but one advertising agency did a good job of
putting that figure into some perspective in
one of its releases.

A.
A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B.
A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C.
A billion hours ago our ancestors were
living in the Stone Age.

D.
A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

E.
A billion Pounds ago was only
13 hours and 12 minutes,
at the rate our government
is spending it.


Stamp Duty
Tobacco Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Income Tax
Council Tax
Unemployment Tax
Fishing License Tax
Petrol/Diesel Tax
Inheritance Tax
(tax on top of tax)
Alcohol Tax
V.A.T.
Marriage License Tax
Property Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago...
and our nation was one of the most prosperous in the world.

We had absolutely no national debt...
we had the largest middle class in the world...
and Mum stayed home to raise the kids.

What happened?
Can you spell ‘politicians?'

[Tommy J]

That puts it into perspective. So who's going to vote Labour again......

[Nibb]

I think you'll find that income tax existed much longer than 100 years ago in one form or the other!

[mij]

I think you'll find that income tax existed much longer than 100 years ago in one form or the other!

Robin Hood thought so

[TwoPlAnKs]

We still are one of the richest countries in the world.

Difference now is that we don't have streets full of poor people starving to death, nobody dies because they can't afford simple healthcare, we have running water that's clean, and some other parts of the world are catching up a bit.

A good description of how much a billion is spoiled by stupid moaning about taxes imo.

[BBK]

Difference now is that we don't have streets full of poor people starving to death, nobody dies because they can't afford simple healthcare,

You been to London recently? Hundreds of people living rough on the streets, many of them would be startving to death were it not for volunteers and charities. And maybe people don't die because they can't afford simple healthcare, but what about our "postcode lottery" whereby people die because their local healthcare wont provide a certain drug where a mile down the road it would have been given to them? We are texed to death (its the fishing license one that hurts the most ) and then taxed after we die too!

Clegg is on the right lines here as far as Im concerned. Tax the rich, its the only way. And if the rich then leave, maybe we should stop them earning out of the UK .......

[tombott]

Lets hope our Government measures in US Billions and not real billions.

[cybollox]

Its not called " Rip off Britain" for nothing....

[Tommy J]

A good description of how much a billion is spoiled by stupid moaning about taxes imo.

That's what puts the whole thing into perspective isn't it?

[TwoPlAnKs]

You been to London recently? Hundreds of people living rough on the streets, many of them would be startving to death were it not for volunteers and charities. And maybe people don't die because they can't afford simple healthcare, but what about our "postcode lottery" whereby people die because their local healthcare wont provide a certain drug where a mile down the road it would have been given to them? We are texed to death (its the fishing license one that hurts the most ) and then taxed after we die too!

Clegg is on the right lines here as far as Im concerned. Tax the rich, its the only way. And if the rich then leave, maybe we should stop them earning out of the UK .......

I'd imagine it's more than hundreds of people who are homeless, but it's still nothing compared to how it once was where every city was full of slums. A tiny percentage of people with a tiny percentage of illnesses not being able to get a drug that would add weeks to their life that has already been extended by months or years by the NHS is hardly on the same level as nobody having any healthcare but the very rich.

I agree we need Clegg though, he'll sort it out

[flumperino]

er, 100 years ago, there was no technological infrastructure like there is now, and people dying of disease in their thirties wasn't uncommon. Bit of a daft comparison I think

[super mike]

You been to London recently? Hundreds of people living rough on the streets, many of them would be startving to death were it not for volunteers and charities. And maybe people don't die because they can't afford simple healthcare, but what about our "postcode lottery" whereby people die because their local healthcare wont provide a certain drug where a mile down the road it would have been given to them? We are texed to death (its the fishing license one that hurts the most ) and then taxed after we die too!

He's Scottish, that's considered normal.

Clegg is on the right lines here as far as Im concerned. Tax the rich, its the only way. And if the rich then leave, maybe we should stop them earning out of the UK .......

How? Shoot them? The rich are taxed more, tax them even further and they are the ones that can afford to leave, they will take their success with them.

[MsDG]

Welcome To circa 1990 America!

The original post is using an American Billion

Do the maths...
A British Billion seconds is over 31 thousand years
A American Billion seconds is only 31 years (which means the original reference to 1959 means that this email was created circa 1990...and the cocks passing it on couldn't be arsed to do the maths)

Workers compensation tax? Since when do we have that???????

I think if you look into the whole thing, the facts are total bollox!

In fact, see the use of this in America in 2007

http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin...es;read=115345

[flumperino]

It's pretty well established that 1,000,000,000 is a billion regardless of where you live, no?

[gunner]

100 years ago we were reaping the rewards from one of the biggest atrocities in human history - the slave trade. We raped millions if not billions in equivalent cash from nations we ruled and pillaged.

Hardly comparative with society today.

[MsDG]

It's pretty well established that 1,000,000,000 is a billion regardless of where you live, no?

Even if you wanna argue that point, the maths (and most of the post) go to show that it is nothing to do with UK today and everything to do with recycling some old crap for more than its worth!

[Ganty]

It's pretty well established that 1,000,000,000 is a billion regardless of where you live, no?

No, technically, A British Billion is 1,000,000,000,000. (A Million million, 2=Bi).

[BBK]

How? Shoot them? The rich are taxed more, tax them even further and they are the ones that can afford to leave, they will take their success with them.

The richer you are the more likely you can afford an accountant to ensure you pay minimal tax, investing in the right areas, setting up companies and paying dividends etc. There's so many ways you can fiddle your tax, I just wish I was bright enough to do it myself!

[TwoPlAnKs]

No, technically, A British Billion is 1,000,000,000,000. (A Million million, 2=Bi).

Technically, yes, but I think it is certainly well established that 1,000,000,000 is a billion here now. Certainly all the press, the government and the media in general refer to that number as a billion.

[Ganty]

Technically, yes, but I think it is certainly well established that 1,000,000,000 is a billion here now. Certainly all the press, the government and the media in general refer to that number as a billion.

True, but it's bullshit, and a complete misuse of the word.