Russians Consider Boosting Divorce Tax, Citing 'Moral And Demographic Decline'
22 replies, posted
[QUOTE]In the United States, we’re all familiar with the so-called “marriage penalty” – but what about the divorce tax?
Russia is considering upping the tax on splitting up to 30,000 rubles ($941 US) from the current rate of 400 rubles ($13 US). The increase of nearly 7500% has two goals: raising revenue and discouraging divorce.
The tax increase could put more than 19 billion rubles ($595 trillion US) back into the Russian treasury each year. That would help plug holes in the budget as concerns about Russia’s deficit continue to mount: current projections indicate that the country’s deficit will clock in at 650 billion rubles ($20.4 billion US) in 2014. The revenue raised from boosting the divorce tax would cover about 4% of the lag. Since spending is already set for 2014 and 2015 (that’s right: Russia has an actual budget on paper and we don’t), the deficit will continue to grow if there isn’t offsetting revenue – the trick, then, is to find more money.
In addition to raising revenue, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has another consideration: growing conservative values. Making divorce more difficult, Medvedev reasons, makes it less likely that Russians will rush into marriage without thinking about it a little more beforehand. It may well work: the proposed tax would be more than the average monthly salary in Russia.[/QUOTE]
[URL]http://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2013/09/24/russians-consider-boosting-divorce-tax-citing-moral-and-demographic-decline/[/URL]
More moralistic bullshit spewing out of Russia. Color me surprised. It's almost funny to witness the complete paradigm shift from the Soviet Union to the Russia of today. Except then you realize that it's not really funny at all but disturbing.
Making miserable couples stay together is moral?
Divorce isn't necessarily evil you know. Sometimes its for the best.
[QUOTE=Vodkavia;42300461]Good luck with that.[/QUOTE]
It should say $595 million US.
Well at least Russia's asinine social conservatism isn't only trampling all over gay people anymore. Is this progress or regress I can't even tell.
[QUOTE=Explosions;42300426]More moralistic bullshit spewing out of Russia. Color me surprised. It's almost funny to witness the complete paradigm shift from the Soviet Union to the Russia of today. Except then you realize that it's not really funny at all but disturbing.[/QUOTE]
Shit like that's gonna keep happening until the mentality that making the country strong justifies tyranny goes away.
this just in:
Russian is ruled by a bunch of grumpy stuck up old men who feel afraid, emasculated, and threatened by the changing times!
Despite the fact that recent Russian legislation seems awry or backwards to us Westerners, the passage of such laws represents a very important democratic principle: majority rule. The fact of the matter is that our culture is particularly indulgent and liberal whilst Russian culture is extremely puritan, at least in beliefs. Experts estimate that a near 90% of Russians support recent LGBT discriminant laws, and I would imagine the same may be true for this law, on religious grounds. While, yes, protection of minorities is important, in the case of Russia you have to reconcile such necessary protection with rather overwhelming majority rule, and that is not an easy thing to do.
[QUOTE=PolarEventide;42300807]Despite the fact that recent Russian legislation seems awry or backwards to us Westerners, the passage of such laws represents a very important democratic principle: majority rule. The fact of the matter is that our culture is particularly indulgent and liberal whilst Russian culture is extremely puritan, at least in beliefs. Experts estimate that a near 90% of Russians support recent LGBT discriminant laws, and I would imagine the same may be true for this law, on religious grounds. While, yes, protection of minorities is important, in the case of Russia you have to reconcile such necessary protection with rather overwhelming majority rule, and that is not an easy thing to do.[/QUOTE]
actually it represents one of the biggest dangers of democracy: tyranny of the majority
[QUOTE=PolarEventide;42300807]Despite the fact that recent Russian legislation seems awry or backwards to us Westerners, the passage of such laws represents a very important democratic principle: majority rule. The fact of the matter is that our culture is particularly indulgent and liberal whilst Russian culture is extremely puritan, at least in beliefs. Experts estimate that a near 90% of Russians support recent LGBT discriminant laws, and I would imagine the same may be true for this law, on religious grounds. While, yes, protection of minorities is important, in the case of Russia you have to reconcile such necessary protection with rather overwhelming majority rule, and that is not an easy thing to do.[/QUOTE]
The thing about social reform though is that if the majority is exclusively listened to, you're never going to change anything. If you're violent towards the minority like Russia tends to be, then things aren't going to end well.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;42300615]Well at least Russia's asinine social conservatism isn't only trampling all over gay people anymore. Is this progress or regress I can't even tell.[/QUOTE]
It's like if your brakes stopped working, and you ended up half in a lake. Then, instead of calling a mechanic to pull your vehicle out, you decide to gun it and drive through the lake.
[QUOTE=PolarEventide;42300807]Despite the fact that recent Russian legislation seems awry or backwards to us Westerners, the passage of such laws represents a very important democratic principle: majority rule. The fact of the matter is that our culture is particularly indulgent and liberal whilst Russian culture is extremely puritan, at least in beliefs. Experts estimate that a near 90% of Russians support recent LGBT discriminant laws, and I would imagine the same may be true for this law, on religious grounds. While, yes, protection of minorities is important, in the case of Russia you have to reconcile such necessary protection with rather overwhelming majority rule, and that is not an easy thing to do.[/QUOTE]
The legislation [B]IS[/B] awry and backwards. Just because the majority is support discriminatory LGBT laws doesn't make them any less of bigots.
[editline]25th September 2013[/editline]
it doesn't matter what the fuck culture you're from when you dehumanize people and strip them of rights, your sense of humanity should come first
[QUOTE=PolarEventide;42300807]Despite the fact that recent Russian legislation seems awry or backwards to us Westerners, the passage of such laws represents a very important democratic principle: majority rule. The fact of the matter is that our culture is particularly indulgent and liberal whilst Russian culture is extremely puritan, at least in beliefs. Experts estimate that a near 90% of Russians support recent LGBT discriminant laws, and I would imagine the same may be true for this law, on religious grounds. While, yes, protection of minorities is important, in the case of Russia you have to reconcile such necessary protection with rather overwhelming majority rule, and that is not an easy thing to do.[/QUOTE]
For centuries the majority claimed that Jews were a scourge on humanity and that blacks should be subjugated into slavery. There is a reason why liberal democracies are set up to protect against majority faction power.
[QUOTE=PolarEventide;42300807]Experts estimate that a near 90% of Russians support recent LGBT discriminant laws[/QUOTE]
First, it's bullshit, no legitimate research on that has been published. Those that were, are not in any way legitimate - they're either state-funded, or they don't ever publish the figures and methods of statistical research they used.
Second, most people only support this law because they don't see how it is "discriminant". The law in question is called "a law against propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships among minors", implied "you're free to do what you won't, just don't tell kids to try it". The fact that this, by itself, never happens, isn't exactly a common knowledge, most people don't bother really thinking about. Same for the legislation itself - no one bothers to read what there is, to know how incredibly wide an asinine the texts really are.
We may be ignorant and irresponsible in terms of legislation, but we're not "90% bigots".
[QUOTE=gudman;42300985]First, it's bullshit, no legitimate research on that has been published. Those that were, are not in any way legitimate - they're either state-funded, or they don't ever publish the figures and methods of statistical research they used.
Second, most people only support this law because they don't see how it is "discriminant". The law in question is called "a law against propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships among minors", implied "you're free to do what you won't, just don't tell kids to try it". The fact that this, by itself, never happens, isn't exactly a common knowledge, most people don't bother really thinking about. Same for the legislation itself - no one bothers to read what there is, to know how incredibly wide an asinine the texts really are.
We may be ignorant and irresponsible in terms of legislation, but we're not "90% bigots".[/QUOTE]
All of my Russian friends are homophobic assholes
[editline]25th September 2013[/editline]
The people over here are homophobes most of the time too
[QUOTE=Rangergxi;42300493]Making miserable couples stay together is moral?
Divorce isn't necessarily evil you know. Sometimes its for the best.[/QUOTE]
Russia is having a population growth issue. I'm guessing they surmise that if couples stick together, eventually more babies will appear.
[editline]25th September 2013[/editline]
[QUOTE=Laserbeams;42301185]All of my Russian friends are homophobic assholes
[editline]25th September 2013[/editline]
The people over here are homophobes most of the time too[/QUOTE]
I met my first Russian yesterday at my university.
He was gay and very flamboyant about it :v:
[QUOTE=Laserbeams;42301185]All of my Russian friends are homophobic assholes
[editline]25th September 2013[/editline]
The people over here are homophobes most of the time too[/QUOTE]
That's just as much of an anecdote as what I can present. What I think, if government has to use made up figures to simulate support, it's kinda telling that not everyone is stupid in this country.
But then again, for one region like mine where people seem not to care at all, there might be two where people still burn witches and nobody knows about it.
[editline]25th September 2013[/editline]
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;42301193]
I met my first Russian yesterday[/QUOTE]
I can't help but feel like a kind of exotic animal now. "My first Russian".
[QUOTE=Vodkavia;42300461]Good luck with that.[/QUOTE]
Wouldn't that just mean that the divorces they are trying to stop are planned to happen at the rate they refused to accept, yet are actually hoping for so they can get money?
[QUOTE=Sableye;42300766]this just in:
Russian is ruled by a bunch of grumpy stuck up old men who feel afraid, emasculated, and threatened by the changing times![/QUOTE]
Nope. Russia needs babies. The fertility rate is incredibly low and this is a probably an attempt at creating more children.
[QUOTE=gudman;42301211]
I can't help but feel like a kind of exotic animal now. "My first Russian".[/QUOTE]
I live in a backwater area of the East coast of the US. We hardly get any kind of foreigner here, let alone ones from Russia :v:
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;42301496]I live in a backwater area of the East coast of the US. We hardly get any kind of foreigner here, let alone ones from Russia :v:[/QUOTE]
i work in an office that develops financial software.
seriously considering learning russian just so i can understand the watercooler talk.
[editline]25th September 2013[/editline]
depends on the city
[QUOTE=sloppy_joes;42301349]Nope. Russia needs babies. The fertility rate is incredibly low and this is a probably an attempt at creating more children.[/QUOTE]
trying to prevent people from getting a divorce won't really increase the fertility rate lol.
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