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"Unsafe" areas? Any area is a potential threat area - Rich or poor. Upscale or barrio - Any area
Very true, I know someone who got jumped in probably one of the wealthiest areas of Chicago, so while granted some areas are riskier than others, there is no such thing as a risk-free area. Oh, and when it comes to the expressway, moronic drivers who can kill and/or maim you know no neighborhood boundaries.
What does risk of mugging have to do with healthcare? I try to avoid dangerous areas. When I have to be in a dangerous area I am appropriately armed, alert and aware.
I don't know about you (well I actually do) but I am willing to have some of my money spent on taking care of you. I would like you to take care of me with some of your money. Over the large scale and long term it would cost us less than the current system with the incredible profits being mined from the unfortunate or by paying for all our care out of our own pockets.
There are two separate but related topics being considered:
How and who provides the healthcare to whom
and
How much does it cost and how is it paid for and by whom.
GregW3 - It has everything to do with it when people start in on the 'personal responsibility' argument about how if people would just take care of themselves and their own health properly, then they wouldn't have to worry about their own healthcare costs. I can be the most healthy and health conscious person in the world, but that isn't going to stop someone else from doing harm to me (either by accident or on purpose) and causing me to rack up my own healthcare costs.
I guess the option is (if that's your skill level) be homeless, die, or take the crappy wage. You make it sound like they have some better option.
The "system" takes advantage of people, whether intentional or not. But there's no denying that wages have become supressed and worth less this decade and living a middle class life is more difficult.
The government is not, nor should they be, responsible for how much you make. Your success, or failure - personally or professionally, is totally up to you.
Yes, many have better options - but, for whatever reason, they don't excercise those options -
There is proof of them trying to do this already. Take a look at a lot of the proposals in local, state, and federal governments made concerning that very thing. They want to ban fast food, force eating habits on the populace. Mandatory government health care just gives them the excuse to claim they have to do it.
Read up on the issues with France at the moment. They already ban fast food advertisements there and are looking at trying to remove them completely.
Banning Fast Food commercials is NOT the same as banning Fast Food.. They banned cigarette commercials a long time ago.. and people still smoke!
There is proof of them trying to do this already. Take a look at a lot of the proposals in local, state, and federal governments made concerning that very thing. They want to ban fast food, force eating habits on the populace. Mandatory government health care just gives them the excuse to claim they have to do it.
Read up on the issues with France at the moment. They already ban fast food advertisements there and are looking at trying to remove them completely.
Social Engineering - telling you how, what, where you are to live your life will be the result of UHI -
The government is not, nor should they be, responsible for how much you make. Your success, or failure - personally or professionally, is totally up to you.
Yes, many have better options - but, for whatever reason, they don't excercise those options -
Great post !
Some people fail to forget that you are personally responsible for yourself and that includes paying for your own healthcare.
I dont want the government handing me healthcare, then they control your life and your death.
People need to really look into what it has done to Canada, its been a total disaster and that is why Canadians are coming to American for treatments.
If you cannot afford healthcare or your employer doesnt offer it, its is your responsibity to better yourself with skills, education or something to make yourself more valuable so YOU can afford it.
Its not my responsibilty to pay more money out of my pocket so those who ARE NOT personally responsible or held accoutable for themselves to get yet another handout.
Why is it insane? I'm of the opinion that one should be able to earn as much as they can obtain legally.
Yes, although monopolies and collusion are illegal, interlocking directorates are not - an example of how having enough money in this country permits you to influence legislation in your favor.
That should be changed.
Heads of corporations get ridiculous pay raises even when they fail, and if stockholders protest, they get the goldern parachutes.
Yeah, you are right. This stuff should be illegal.
It is like Nero fiddling away while Rome burns.
It is like Marie Antoinette telling the poor masses to eat cake when they cannot even afford bread.
Some people fail to forget that you are personally responsible for yourself and that includes paying for your own healthcare.
I dont want the government handing me healthcare, then they control your life and your death.
People need to really look into what it has done to Canada, its been a total disaster and that is why Canadians are coming to American for treatments.
If you cannot afford healthcare or your employer doesnt offer it, its is your responsibity to better yourself with skills, education or something to make yourself more valuable so YOU can afford it.
Its not my responsibilty to pay more money out of my pocket so those who ARE NOT personally responsible or held accoutable for themselves to get yet another handout.
I used to agree with you, but most members of the middle class are responsible people. Some are probably your neighbors. Your kids are marrying some of them. Your mom and dad may be middle class.
Bringing to mind, there are people who have done as you say, they worked for many years for a company that continued health insurance during retirement. A few years into retirement, and they cut back and some dropped the insurance for retirees. These people are left in old age with eithere benefits which would end up bankrupting them if they get a serious ailment, or no insurance at all.
Nobody can find a company or job that GUARANTEES health care. Companies can drop that little perk in a flash. What should the employee do when, company after company, no matter which job he switches to, if he is lucky enough to have such a marketable skill to do this, these perks are dropped?
You are somehow living in the fantasy land of yesteryear. Some people will not wake up to the reality of our situation until they are left with a loved one who is dying for lack of care.
It is no longer the case that people without benefits are somehow lazy or unskilled.
You seem like an intelligent person. Perhaps this may be part of our problem. About 7 years ago my company had a layoff and outsourced practically our entire operation. We were offered packages which varied depending on our seniority.
I, personally, am in good shape, but some of my associates have a really rough time finding, being older and well paid, work commensurate with their experience. Many companies are outsourcing, so many skilled employees are flooding the market. To top that off, last I heard, for one person private health insurance is about $600 monthly.
When you are already hard pressed trying to find work, sometimes these people had to take a cut in pay for a job with no insurance offering, and had to take a second job just to pay for the insurance. I do not know how the single moms managed this.
I think our companies must compete with companies overseas and it is unfair to expect them to do that AND pay for medical insurance when their competition does not. The only answer, the only way we can hope to compete and keep jobs in the US, is for the government to take over this function.
I am not trying to call you a heartless sob for not caring for your neighbors and family members, who may, indeed, be irresponsible. I am asking you to look at the US economy tanking, our loss of productivity in this country, the bleeding of our jobs to other countries.
Unless we wish to turn into some rinky-dink third world republic, we had better make some changes to maintain some competitiveness on the international market, and fast.
Look at this another way, just compare the standard of living of most of those nations with national health care to the standard of living of those without it. Which do you prefer?
There are some burdens that it is now unfair to put on business, which leaves society as a whole to lift ourselves out.
Private insurance is a bogus alternative. Anyone knows that group insurance gives bargaining power in a capitalist market. That's just how it works. Anyone purchasing private individual insurance is purchasing the most expensive policy. The insurance companies just love that people are being put into this position because they make out like bandits.
Last edited by goldengrain; 02-13-2008 at 08:52 PM..
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