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/lit/ - Literature

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856012 No.856012 [Reply] [Original]

>Are Libraries Necessary, or a Waste of Tax Money?

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/special_report/library-taxes-closed-20100628

>> No.856018

Waste of tax money. They should all be burned as the communist-socialist establishments that they truly are.

>> No.856017

They're not terribly expensive, and if they give one poor kid a good book, it's worth it in mind.

>> No.856038

>>856018
Yeah! Like public education, roads, parks, all branches of the military, government grants, disaster relief, police and fire departments, and idiotic over regulation of potable drinking water and food products. Those things are stupid because public funding = socialism = bad.

>> No.856042

The cost appears to be somewhat excessive..144 mil for a single library? How many fucking books do they buy each year?

>> No.856048

I don't agree but some times I feel like libraries are a waste of money.

I work in a huge Law Library (Boalt). While working today I opened several series of books that had never been checked out in their entire stay in the library. One had been checked into the library in 1961. I can't see that book being checked out any time soon especially with the creation of the internet.

>> No.856052

I don't know, but I sure do save a lot of money not buying any books. I probably wouldn't read much without a library to be honest. They do seem to be becoming outdated in a sense so I would understand if the need came to getting rid of them.

>> No.856054

>>856038
>sarcrastic post about food regulation

Enjoy your high-fructose corn syrup and accompanying obesity epidemic faggot.

>> No.856059

>>856054
I am not obese. Not my problem.

>> No.856067

>>856054
Food Regulation has a little more to be concerned about than high-fructose corn syrup. Enjoy your horrible powers of observation.

>> No.856069
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856069

>>856038

>> No.856070

>>856059

Government pays for fat people's healthcare through the various health programs, you pay taxes.

>> No.856072

>>856054
Consumers dictate the market. Just like fucking magnet therapy, Kinoki footpads, the Ped-Egg, etc. All fucking garbage until someone is willing to pay for it.

>> No.856076

>>856070
Yes, but it is culturally frowned down upon to ridicule someone for their obesity. Light up a cigarette, and HOLY FUCK, the same rules do not apply. Until the stigma attached to being obese gains the level of notoriety that smoking does, it won't be an issue.

>> No.856080

>>856072

Or until the government pays for it.

>> No.856082

I am getting tired of these threads with a person's face, a small bit of writing, and a link. Cut this shit out.

>> No.856081

It's easy to be all libertarian anarco-capitalist when you are a software pirating adolescent still living with your parents.

>> No.856084

>>856080
protip: The "government" doesn't pay for it. Ever.

>> No.856085

No one ever discusses the importance of research scientists -- which are exactly what librarians are. They're not just the people scanning your books at the checkout line.

They're the people who are providing access to information for our schools, colleges, law firms, banks, businesses, and hospitals. They're the brains behind every important institution in America.

>> No.856088

>>856084

wat

>> No.856090

>>856081
no shit. Then again, being supported by parents is a scaled model of socialism. Funny how that works out, right Dave?

>> No.856091

>>856088
Dumbass. The ones who pay are the citizens.

>> No.856093

>>856085
No, that's the Illuminati.

>> No.856096

>>856091

Indirectly, perhaps. But the choice of where to direct money does not lie with the citizens.

>> No.856101

>>856096

Perhaps? Certainly. The people also indirectly control where it goes, through elections, petitions, protests, etc.

>> No.856199

what, do we want to completely rid society of books? What kind of bullshit is this?

I don't get what you Amerifags have against socialism. I'm Belgian, socialism is pretty big here and this country rules.

>> No.856224 [DELETED] 

wait a second... I'm not on /new/!

>:I

>> No.856297

The article would have a point...if everyone had access to the internet as easily and cheaply as they have access to the library. Sometimes they do...but through the libraries.

Obviously internet access is pretty easy to come by, but until it's extended for free to every citizen and permeates the streets of every major city as all-access wi-fi...

>> No.856313

>>856054

What does food regulation have to do with fructose? Fructose dominates in America because it's the cheapest sugar substitute by a very slight margin, and because of the national "farm" (lol) subsidies still being directed at productivity.

>> No.856314

>>856199
don't get them started..

>> No.856321

Why not have private libraries? Like Blockbuster for books?

>> No.856332

>>856199

What are you, 12?
lrn2coldwar.

>> No.856341

Just privatize them.

>> No.856347

>>856038
you hit the spot.
stupid americans

>> No.856349

>>856038
Honestly, a good chink of those can and should be handled by the market.

>> No.856352

What is the thinking behind the idea that if a public utility has no further apparent use (and is a big waste of money), it should be privatised?

You Americans, lol. It happens the other way round, dummies. Who will the new owners peddle their wares to - kids, pensioners, the unemployed, derelicts, retards?

>> No.856353

>>856349
You are retarded.

>> No.856363

>>856332

What are you, a faggot?

>> No.856367

>>856349

Why?

>> No.856386

>>856048

Doesn't understand the overarching purpose of a library, yet works in one (law, no less). It's not there to encourage people to borrow "Tort Law; Texts, Cases". The book is there for the sake of it, if and when someone needs it. Maybe never.

The post talking about "144 million for a single library" is overlooking the long hand of copyright. Libraries have to deal with that shit, in processes and actual fees. Reform that; the library itself merely works within the law.

>> No.856435

>>856199
Belgian socialist reporting in

time to pull out the brofists

>> No.856438
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856438

>>856435

Walloon or Flemish, => PS or SP.A?

>> No.856445

>belgian socialism is working well

lol no.

Here's what's happening in reality: the hardworking Dutch are sending their hard-earned money to the lazy-ass French, and they're getting pissed off about it. It is inevitable that Belgium will split up into autonomous states within a decade.

>> No.856449

>>856438
I have to admit I recently voted Groen because of dissapointment in SP.A, but I still consider myself a Belgian socialist (flanders btw)

brofist.jpg

>> No.856452

>>856445
I live here, asshat. Don't you think I know that?

At least we don't have people dying on the streets because they can't afford healthcare.

>> No.856454

>>856449
Groen? Pleh. Better than VB.

I'm too young to vote, but I would've voted PVDA+ if I could.

>> No.856458

>>856445
It's called solidarity bro, it's the nr.1 principle of socialism, if I'm making big money and my brother is struggling to find a job or even a place to live, despite all his efforts, I'll give him shelter and food, because I consider myself to be a bit more of a decent human being than your average Ayn Rand fool.

>> No.856462

>>856454
well I did vote PVDA+ before that, but I kinda struggle with the kiesdrempel(too lazy to look up the translation) and the idea that my vote is wasted and goes to the big parties anyway :(

>> No.856466

>>856458
>implying your brother isn't abusing your good will

He doesn't even know the language you speak.

>> No.856469

>>856466
Solidarity goes beyond language, if we all make an effort we can understand eachother.

>> No.856471

>>856469

But if you were for universal solidarity you would be against subsidizing frenchie laziness, too. Your money could do much more good in other parts of the world.

>> No.856474

>>856466

Laws will always be broken and abused. That doesn't mean a good system should go down the drain when it's worth maintaining (which it is)

>> No.856479

>>856471
>frenchie laziness

sure isn't bias, have you tried finding a job in wallonia ?

>> No.856481

It's all a question of priority.

Sure, libraries are a good thing.

But if they're very expensive to maintain (or, as in the article, are mostly being used for free internet), and the education system is failing... yeah, it'd be pretty fucking stupid to keep pouring money into them, wouldn't it?

Then again, a single "high-ranked" government employee routinely spends my entire yearly entertainment budget in a single day. Gotta get those 3000 dollars a night hotels and 200 dollar bottles of wine!

Governments are corrupt to the core. If they close libraries they'll just find a way to waste the money some other way.

>> No.856482

>>856462
Ja bon waarom spreken we nog Engels, ja die kiesdrempel, ik vind het bs eigenlijk, ik vind dat het een belemmering is voor een gematigde regering.

>> No.856485

>>856481
Yes, priorities. How much money goes to Irac weekly?

I don't think you can get a proper education without reading, and the lower the treshold, the better.

or like Frank Zappa once said:

"If you want to get laid, go to college.
If you want to get an education, go to the library."

>> No.856491

>Irac

Looks like you need to visit a library, son.

>> No.856492

>>856479

Way to avoid the question, faggot.

>> No.856494

>>856482
Ik vind het ook bs, je kan wel zeggen, en dat is het argument dat ook steeds gebruikt wordt, dat een parlement met zoveel kleine partijen die elk een zetel hebben onwerkbaar is, en dat is te verstaan, dat is moeilijk om in te werken, maar moeten we daarom maar de democratie ondermijnen? Een dictatuur is nml. nog gemakkelijker om te regeren. Een meer verdeeld parlement draagt volgens mij zelfs bij aan het respect t.o.v. andere visies omdat je sowieso verplicht bent samen te werken. Al bij al hebben we het hier nog goed, ik vond het nog schandaliger dat in het VK meteen van een hung parliament gesproken wordt wanneer er een derde semi-grote partij bij komt.

>> No.856496

>>856491

Good thing he didn't say Irak.

>> No.856497

>>856492
Avoid what question? One that only has an argument based on pure bias? French lazyness hurr durr

also yes I am for world solidarity but you gotta start with your own neighbours.

>> No.856502

>>856485
Yeah... I remember some teacher at my university mentioning that 3% of the cost of a single military operation would have been enough to run our university for an entire year. It's a pretty big one too, with about 50,000 students.

>"If you want to get laid, go to college.
If you want to get an education, go to the library."

See, maybe with a little more budget we could make colleges into what they're supposed to be. Then libraries wouldn't even be needed.

We're making huge messes and then investing into multiple cheap patches instead of fixing the system at its base. The part of the government that isn't corrupt is disgustingly incompetent.

We can discuss ways to fix things all we want, it won't matter. The government here is a Democracy, which means we have absolutely no say in how the country is run.

>> No.856510

>>856449
Holy shit bro, I voted the same as you!

Snap btw niet hoe NVA zo groot is geworde, de vroegere volksunie was ook al nen hoop zwarten en collaborateurs bijeen!

't Verschrikkelijke is da NVA nog de minste van de 2 is. VB heeft wel stemme verloren maar zijn nog altij een van de grotere partijen.

Vlaanderen is echt een rechts kut gewest.

>> No.856513

>>856494

Nederlander hier. Teveel kleine partijen zorgen voor een onregeerbaar land. Zeker in het geval van België, wat al enorm verdeeld is.

Ik ben overigens benieuwd of de NVA voor een onafhankelijk Vlaanderen kan zorgen.

>> No.856530
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856530

Apparently Fox's investigative news unit could do with some much needed training. Like, basic comprehension shit.

>a full 2.5 percent of our yearly property taxes go to fund them.

lol, property tax. 2.5 percent!

>> No.856574

>Fox "News"

There's your problem. Fox is the propaganda arm of the bloated puss filled boil that oozes bigotry and ignorance known as the radical right. Those who watch it don't read books anyway, unless it's written by someone who echoes their stupidity.

>> No.856577

>>856574

Fox affiliates should not be confused with Fox News the cable news station.

>> No.856698

>>856491

I'm not a native English speaker. I'm a 17-year-old Belgian girl.

>> No.856727

I think we need to continue to fund them for now, but it's something to consider for the future.
Once ereaders come down in price libraries will start to lose some of their point.

>> No.856729

...you know, the scary thing is that republicans can say this without suffering too much political consequences.

>> No.856795

because of retards like those found in this thread, obviously

holy shit

>> No.856808

>>856698
18 year old Amerifag here.

Going to Brussels to visit family this week. I heard it's beautiful this time of year.

>> No.856949

>>856808
It sure is man. It sure is.

It's damn hot here though, we're in the middle of a heat wave. Be sure to visit the SintKatelijneplein (or SeinKat as we call it), it's really nice there when the sun's out, and the roof of the GB, maybe I'll run into you some day.

>> No.856963

>>856729
>too much political consequences

Obviously, libraries have done nothing to improve the literacy even of people that frequent a literature board. What's the point of keeping them?

>> No.856966

the internet is not a substitute for a library.
the internet is like going into a library and finding all the books thrown all over the floor with their pages torn out. and teenagers are drawing cocks all over them. cocks everywhere.

>> No.856971

>>856963
libraries are for that 1 in 1000000 prodigy who actually goes to them and studies and becomes the next einstein.

It only takes one person to change the world

>> No.856973

I practically lived in the library as a child. ._.

I can't stand e-books. If the government thinks that reading online, or on an iPad, or a Kindle, will ever be a proper substitute for a book, they're quite mistaken.

>> No.856975

>>856966

Great analogy.

>> No.856998

>>856966
Someone enjoys cocks.

Haven't used a library since I was 6 or 7. I really don't see the need for physical books other than for obscure things copywrite protects yet aren't worth pirates distributing.

>> No.857000

>>856966
switch cocks with porn and you have the internet.