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 do not think it right that someone can get a boob job and face lift and someone else can not even get basic medical care. IMHO we need to nationalize medical care in the USA like they did in Great Britain.
Why the USA doesn't have national health care (NHC)...
The countries that have UHC/NHC and lower health care costs tax much more regressively than does the US.
Pay close attention to what that scatter plot chart at that link tells us... Note that the highest levels of redistribution including UHC/NHC are provided by countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Belgium) in which taxes are flat (everyone pays the same tax rate) or regressive (shown as the negative values along the bottom axis, meaning a greater tax burden is placed on those with lower incomes). And note where the USA falls on the graph. The USA has the most progressive tax system and therefore is least able to fund things like UHC because the US tax base is too narrow and overly dependent on a very small percentage at the top.
"...the progressivity of countries' tax codes is negatively correlated with the amount of redistribution they do."
That's very succinct, and as we can see from the research... true.
I would also advise you read the book recommended in the WaPo article, Growing Public, by Peter H Lindert, PhD. It, too, explains why it takes regressive taxation to develop, grow, and fund government social program spending programs like UHC/NHC to the point that effective redistribution actually takes place. Note that it does not in the US due to our overly progressive tax system.
If you want UHC/NHC, free college, extended paid family leave, etc., the US needs to change the way we tax and move to a Euro-style regressive tax system.
The last thing we need is extended paid family leave. Raise the base wage instead and reward people who work. So many FMLA abusers where I work because our company pays for it (which they should not) .. oh I've got a migraine.. I can't come in. Doctors approve them X days a month of FMLA. It creates a lot of hardship for the people who actually show up.
Why should people get paid to not be at work? Spend responsibly and save money for a rainy day fund.
I would support more money for mental health and even expanded Medicaid and health care coverage but I draw the line with paying people to not work, paid leave, etc. Too many abusers. They can have UNPAID time off, which is what FMLA is.
Then you should not be opposed to more spending of your tax dollars to support the mental well being of the US population, right?
And you should not be opposed to Medicaid expansion in states that have still yet to expanded it, right?
If you are opposed to those items or any tax funded expenditure of mental health services, then I am going to have a really hard time believing that you want to help solve the root of all these recent mass shootings, which I hear the right contribute to mental health.
People should be paying for their own mental health treatment. Taxpayers are not liable for people being nuts.
People should be paying for their own mental health treatment. Taxpayers are not liable for people being nuts.
Well, I suppose when someone who is "nuts" and was never treated because they didn't have access to mental health care, shoots you - we can see if your obtuse, idiotic take still stands.
Then you should not be opposed to more spending of your tax dollars to support the mental well being of the US population, right?
And you should not be opposed to Medicaid expansion in states that have still yet to expanded it, right?
If you are opposed to those items or any tax funded expenditure of mental health services, then I am going to have a really hard time believing that you want to help solve the root of all these recent mass shootings, which I hear the right contribute to mental health.
Sure, let's just throw more money at these issues. First off, you are making the assumption that those that need access to mental health the most, actually know, or want to be helped.
Let's use this latest nutcase in TX for an example. Let's just say they had access to the best health care that can be provided, and it was free (well for them), does it mean this individual would have seek it out help and get treated ?
We can provide all the social nets we can, put it still requires the individual to want to get help. This is why the number one thing that can help, is a solid family foundation. Loved ones that will push and guide an individual to get help.
Next, we need to bring back institutions. Ones that are two tiered. Involuntary and voluntary. Mentally ill people, and addicts get involuntarily admitted (if they've committed any crimes) and they have to work towards moving to the voluntary side. Once moved, there should be programs to help them get GED's, or training so they can attain some skills and eventually enter the workforce.
Let’s be realistic about what we’re dealing with with regards to school shootings. Every time there’s one of these Democrats come out and they sing a lot a few guns or a few ammunition types and they say we need more laws. But let’s look at the devious, often extremely intelligent, extremely demented mind of those who plan school shootings. No, I’m not going to turn my ears off to others ideas I’m simply going to explain to you that these laws are not gonna stop the mind and will of someone who wants to do this. You could pass another dozen gun laws and restrictions and my knowledge of things would tell me it won’t make it one bit harder for someone who wants to go into a school and shoot a bunch of kids any harder. They’ll still find a way to do this. Taking guns, or putting more restrictions on the least likely people to ever commit a gun crime is not the answer. Because each time you pass one of these laws that’s all you’re doing. So I ask you, do you really want to stop these mass shootings because you’re going about it the wrong way?
We have to beef up security in our schools. If I run into a Las Vegas casino and I want to start mass shooting people I’m not gonna get very far because the casino has about 2 to 3 dozen armed security guards on the property. If I go into an airport to do the same thing I’m not gonna get very far in there either. These are secure facilities. With the school, we could quite easily make it even more secure than these places. We could make it secure to even first get on the property or in the parking lot. And then even much more secure to get in the building and once you’re in the building there are armed officers waiting to greet you. It wouldn’t cost that much money.
That’s how you stop these things from happening. Not by passing a law to put some slight restriction on some legal gun Owners rights who lives out in the hills somewhere in Alabama or Kentucky. It’s not going to stop school shootings.
Let’s be realistic about what we’re dealing with with regards to school shootings. Every time there’s one of these Democrats come out and they sing a lot a few guns or a few ammunition types and they say we need more laws. But let’s look at the devious, often extremely intelligent, extremely demented mind of those who plan school shootings. No, I’m not going to turn my ears off to others ideas I’m simply going to explain to you that these laws are not gonna stop the mind and will of someone who wants to do this. You could pass another dozen gun laws and restrictions and my knowledge of things would tell me it won’t make it one bit harder for someone who wants to go into a school and shoot a bunch of kids any harder. They’ll still find a way to do this. Taking guns, or putting more restrictions on the least likely people to ever commit a gun crime is not the answer. Because each time you pass one of these laws that’s all you’re doing. So I ask you, do you really want to stop these mass shootings because you’re going about it the wrong way?
We have to beef up security in our schools. If I run into a Las Vegas casino and I want to start mass shooting people I’m not gonna get very far because the casino has about 2 to 3 dozen armed security guards on the property. If I go into an airport to do the same thing I’m not gonna get very far in there either. These are secure facilities. With the school, we could quite easily make it even more secure than these places. We could make it secure to even first get on the property or in the parking lot. And then even much more secure to get in the building and once you’re in the building there are armed officers waiting to greet you. It wouldn’t cost that much money.
That’s how you stop these things from happening. Not by passing a law to put some slight restriction on some legal gun Owners rights who lives out in the hills somewhere in Alabama or Kentucky. It’s not going to stop school shootings.
There's a double edged sword there though. The same guns that may protect your child from a mad gunman can also be pointed at your child next time a new vaccine needs to be administered or a new pronoun policy needs to be enforced.
It starts in the home, the lack of parental guidance and communication, not an excuse there is no male figure. Many parents are doing their own thing and want to be "friends" with their kids, they give them anything they want, except attention. Social media also does more harm than good. Kids addiction to it has resulted in depression, anger and isolation. Add to that the media attention given to these tragic mass shootings and copy cats emerge.
Unfortunately social media corporations are in bed with the government and the government instead of really looking for the cause, throws more money at it and their party applaudes, but nothing changes.
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.
Imo
