Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I never implied that charities aren't important, so please re-read my posts. My point is that they cannot be solely relied upon as a way of helping the less fortunate in a country such as this, as donations tend to suffer when economic times are at their worst, which is when they are generally needed more.
I don't think you want to accept that if millions of people fell into absolute poverty that it would be bad news for everyone; it's just common sense. Crime would skyrocket, the risk of infectious diseases among the poor would increase and we would truly become a two tier society. All that small government crap works in non-complex, homogenous countries that don't suffer as much from the same levels of immorality, crime and rampant greed that we suffer from.
This isn't the 1800's anymore when people in need could rely on their communities for help. Many people in 2011 are alone, struggling and marginalized. They don't have the support and often the assistance they receive from the government is their only lifeline. That is just the nature of the society we live in - a society that in many ways has taken two steps forward and three steps back.
I also wonder how many would donate to charities to help millions of inner city black people, who are clearly the scapegoats and the targets of many ASSumptions about poor people, even if you won't admit that?
And yes, not that it's any of your business or concern, but I give. The difference is that unlike you, I don't use it to make a political statement or to try to get the one up in an internet pissing contest.
A few things:
1. You still are simply assuming that an absence of government run social programs would descend society into chaos. Look at the history of the red cross as an example to the contrary. Your 'common sense' solution does nothing but help plunge our country deeper into debt while providing the exact same benefit that private charity could offer.
2. Why on earth are you bringing racism into this conversation? Do you seriously not want to help black people? I hate to break it to you, but this isn't 1960 any more. Personally, all of the money I give to charity goes towards improving the lives of the disadvantaged in my city, regardless of race.
3. Was it so hard simply to say you give to charity? It isn't an 'internet pissing contest' as you so eloquently put it. It is a point in a conversation, and one which went completely go over you head. I am trying to have a discussion, and you view it as a 'pissing contest?' Please try to have a simple discussion without resorting to thinking of any disagreement as an argument.
4. Maybe not all of us are so heartless that we think "people cannot rely on communities any more". You might be, but most of us are not. Hell, my neighborhood (in an inner city with many of those awful black people you put down in your post) gets together once a month to clean up the city, we help each other find jobs, we cook meals for the elderly/sick, etc. Maybe you need to rethink your attitude and join one of the communities that most likely exists right in front of your nose.
And what of those who work their buns off despite having physical handicaps or disorders and find it damn near impossible to get good insurance? I've actually been fired from a job after they realized I had a disorder that *might* cause thei premiums to go up.
Insurance companies are in business to earn money. They are not charitable ventures.
For instance, upon applying for life insurance, I found myself as a higher risk because of Sleep Apnea. Therefore, my premium is higher. I understand.
If you apply for auto insurance and have had a series of speeding violations and accident claims, your premium will be higher than someone with a clean record.
The fact of the matter is we can't rely on charity alone, b/c there needs to be a steady stream of revenue, not the "hit or miss" that you get with charity. That's why we need medicare and medicaid.
Here is a google search about charitable donations this year. For the most part, they are down, due to the recession.
I just had hip replacement surgery, and I got a statement from the hospital for $76,000 for 3 1/2 days in the hospital and the surgery. This is not the dr's bill, either. There is no way little charities can pick up this kind of cost for everyone who is uninsured.
You do what you need to do to financially survive and thrive. If that means giving up your "independence" to share housing space with another person or family who is similarly situated, then that is exactly what you do. And with that extra $200 to $800 month in rent and utilities etc that you save, you purchase your damned "health insurance" instead of holding out your hand and expecting me to do it.
You have to choose between satisfying infantile urges and meeting basic needs. It isn't hard, you just have to want to do it.
I can walk into any household and find $100 just like that. I mean there are people in "poverty" who spend that freaking month on beer and lottery tickets every month.
Here's a novel idea: buy your own insurance.
Do you have group auto or group homeowner's insurance through your employer? Why not?
Because that's stupid, just like having "health insurance" through your employer is stupid.
If you started paying for your own health care, you would find that you suddenly have the clout to force more choices, like tailored plans, for example.
Hopefully you people wake up before it's too late.
Wow, it's that easy? Why didn't I think of that? Now, all I have to do is come up with $250,000 a year to my medication and another couple thousand for doctors visits, tests to make sure my bones aren't disentigrating yet etc.
I could always ask charities... Oh.. I'm 28 and none of them will help because it's a chronic condition. Or, I could get private insurance... Nope, none of them will even give me a quote.
I wonder if any of the people who apparently have 'all the answers' have dealt with an ACTUAL medical problem. My parents acted like that to until I got diagnosed.
When your first response is always, "you have a choice, cable (netflix, ipod, smart phone, etc) or insurance", you are not being rational. It is simply an incorrect assumption that everyone w/o insurance is spending all sorts of money on "luxuries" and then doesn't have enough left for insurance. Such an assumption is demeaning to people who are working hard yet can't afford insurance.
Do what the uninsured working poor do now, clog the ER with sore throats and headaches. Isn't it the wingnuts plan to let the hospitals fail because of the uninsured drag on them?
Then the premiums for the rest of us go up, because over use of the emergency rooms causes a huge increase in health care costs. I'm a R, and I think this is one issue where the tea party is being ridiculous. There is a reason why every other developed country has some sort of national health care program. I don't agree with Obama on lots of things, but using a private industry approach (Obamacare is a republican plan) was a more market oriented approach to trying to solve the problem vs. creating some huge monster government paid doctor socialist plan. I think you tea party people hate him for breathing, and you don't have the common sense to work with the other side when it benefits everyone. If we don't do something about health care, and we keep screaming personal responsibility vs. finding a way to contain costs, we all wind up paying more in the end, and decent insurance won't be affordable for anyone except a tiny percent of the population. It's dumb.
Many of which are either part time work, low paying, offer no health care benefits, or a combination of those. So who pays for health care when those are the only jobs left? It's pretty much where we are headed anyway.
Yet remittances to Mexico and India are way way up in 2011. Just for Mexico alone, there are $2 billion every month in the form of remittances being sent by it's people working here.
There are obviously jobs, the immigrants are having no trouble at all finding jobs, and also having a combined $2 billion left over after paying bills and living costs here to send back every month to their own country.
I think the situation is that there are health care jobs for some Americans, unemployment handouts for others and the rest of the work is being done by immigrants, both legal and illegal.
Just allow insurance companies to sell across state lines.
What's so bad about that?
Competition will lower costs.
Too simple?
Yes. High-risk individuals still deserved to be covered at reasonable prices, and there is no guarantee your "free-market" would result in such a thing. In fact, there is no reason to suspect it'll help prices at all.
The fact of the matter is we can't rely on charity alone, b/c there needs to be a steady stream of revenue, not the "hit or miss" that you get with charity. That's why we need medicare and medicaid.
Here is a google search about charitable donations this year. For the most part, they are down, due to the recession.
I just had hip replacement surgery, and I got a statement from the hospital for $76,000 for 3 1/2 days in the hospital and the surgery. This is not the dr's bill, either. There is no way little charities can pick up this kind of cost for everyone who is uninsured.
The average cost of the hip replacement in our international hospital network varies from $7,000 to $ 15,000.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
