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Are you suggesting that the United States provide the following to all of its citizens?
Guaranteed minimum income?
Guaranteed, government paid health insurance?
Guaranteed minimum retirement income?
Guaranteed paid vacation benefits?
Guaranteed paid sick leave benefits?
Are these some of the things you would prefer the government provide?
America already guarantee minimum income , it's the minimum wage
America also guarantee minimum retirment income , it's called social
security.
HI (Health Insurances) will become a reality within the next 5 to 20 years
Guaranteed Paid Vacation Pay And Sick Leave Most Likely Will Probably Never Be A Federal Policy Here In The United States , well (IMHO) at least.
But really what the Federal Government should really do is re-enact the
great depression era WPA Program and just totally scrap the welfare to workfare program and force people that sincerely genuinely need Housing and Food Subsidy to aid themselves in that pursue by working in a Federally Sponsored Homes building and farming program for the "Low Income"
No, I do not know any "western" country that doesn't provide what you said. Then again, I have never really compared as it is meaningless to me.
The United States was not intended to be, nor is, a socialistic country like the other "western" countries you mentioned either.
So, in order to make my position clear - I DO NOT SUPPORT GUARANTEED: Income, vacation, health insurance, income, retirement income, sick leave.
IMO, it is up to the individual to provide these things for themselves and their families.
The only thing I really want the US Government to provide for is National Defense and issues related to interstate commerece.
My income, my retirement, my vacations etc are up to me - not society
Socialist, uh? Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, etc have all right-wing PM's and Presidents, yet they would never think about cutting social programs. You believe "I am doing fine, screw the others". Apart from moral issues, you don't really realise how mistaken you are until the sh*t hits the fan in ways of sorrounding poverty, violence and urban decay. Come on, some inner city ghettos look like Somalia, gang violence is rampants and you can buy coke in each corner, yet a 21 yo student can go to jail for smoking pot in his dorm!!
America already guarantee minimum income , it's the minimum wage
And, if one is not working? If they are injured or sick and cannot work?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Howest2008
America also guarantee minimum retirment income , it's called social security.
Millions of Americans will not social security for a variety of reasons including they gave up their rights to social security and have not paid into it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Howest2008
HI (Health Insurances) will become a reality within the next 5 to 20 years
I disagree. IMO, there will not be a government sponsored health insurance program
There will be changes to make existing health insurance more affordable though - within the next 2 years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Howest2008
Guaranteed Paid Vacation Pay And Sick Leave Most Likely Will Probably Never Be A Federal Policy Here In The United States , well (IMHO) at least.
And, I thank God about that - the government should not be involved with this foolishness
Socialist, uh? Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, etc have all right-wing PM's and Presidents, yet they would never think about cutting social programs.
fiksi - I appreciate your post. I know many Europeans who having moved to the US due to a job transfer etc who feel similar to you. I also find it strange how defensive people get confronted with the less than rosy side of the US.
A lot of people who are defensive haven't seen much of this side of the US and don't really know how it is for those who struggle with poverty. I have, I grew up in a low income blue-collar family for much of my life and know what it is to see friends get beat up by gangs, get pregnant young, etc. I managed to do fairly well for myself, but I have a family member who has struggled with poverty for most of her life, and the stories she told about how she was treated when she had to apply for public assistance when she was left single with children made me want to go over to the welfare office with a baseball bat. The reaction she would get in the grocery store when she would buy food for her children with food stamps was deplorable (I saw it first hand). We have some serious problems here, but the biggest problem is the dehumanizing of the poor. If you can just dismiss them as lazy, monstrous leeches, then it is easier to ignore the systems that are currently in place that keeps them poor.
Oh, and don't get me started on healthcare, again, I know personally more than one person who has been bankrupted by the system and recall the bitter fights my parents would have when one of us had to go to the doctor when we were ill (because they didn't know how they were going to pay for our visit). And when I say bankrupted, I mean literally, as in having to declare bankruptcy due to her medical bills.
But everything is fine? Right? Let's cut more taxes for the wealthy, cut those 'leeches' off welfare and get rid of all those social programs while we are at it, and maintain the healthcare status quo.
What if you were a manual worker, working 8+ hours a day, and your employer provided you NO vacation, NO sickdays, MINIMUM salary, and no pension?
What if you got sick and got fired?
COuld you "provide" vacation for yourself, your family? You couldn't... millions of people are in that situation, yet you don't care.
BUT, when that factory worker goes nuts and shoots a few people... then Americans are SHOCKED. Why did he do that? He had a job...
Yes, a job... 5$ job, no benefits... utter poverty. He LIVED in neghbourhood where he dodged bullets.
Think about that.
Better yet..your employer caps your hours so you always qualify as part-time and not full time.
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America already guarantee minimum income , it's the minimum wage
Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, etc have all right-wing PM's and Presidents, yet they would never think about cutting social programs. You believe "I am doing fine, screw the others". Apart from moral issues, you don't really realise how mistaken you are until the sh*t hits the fan in ways of sorrounding poverty, violence and urban decay. Come on, some inner city ghettos look like Somalia, gang violence is rampants and you can buy coke in each corner, yet a 21 yo student can go to jail for smoking pot in his dorm!!
