For the sake of this discussion, let's assume that universal health care and free education are in fact rights. We then encounter a problem that all advocates of state funded services fail to address and that is: What is an acceptable minimum standard of health care or education? Once an "acceptable" standard is somehow arrived at, then every incumbent government is lobbied by vested interest groups to maintain or broaden the acceptable minimum standards. Now as no person's needs are identical to another, the solution usually arrived at is a compromise, or in other words some are serviced at the expense of others. This is the very same situation Sanders is currently opposing, his policies would not change that, they would merely redirect the favouritism. I can't see a connection between increasing public spending and increasing our wages. I don't know, those figures may be correct. There is some debate about it, The Washington Post says Sanders is telling fibs. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ncome-is-going-to-top-1-percent-of-americans/ I can't help you out there jp, I have no idea and unfortunately I am of the opinion that anyone who runs for public office is a touch sociopathic.
I had to google fiduciary. :lol: Now I know you hold a different position to mine, but a politician is not a fiduciary because we do not have a contract with them - regardless of how many magna cartas, constitutions and bills of rights have been signed on our behalf. No argument from me there. I just have a problem with governments taking the responsibility upon themselves to educate people.
I missed this in your post yesterday, your method of quoting makes it a little hard to find your writings. I thought we have publicly funded elections. If you mean the corrupted process of buying political favours all the time pretending it doesn't really exist, then again, you've got no argument from me. I'm much happier to see a society where it is acknowledged that local cops accept bribes for example as routine, rather than a society which sweeps corruption under the carpet by pretending it doesn't exist or calling it another name ie political donations.
I think he's referring to making public funded elections exclusive. Not allowing corporate giants to make absurd donations. Not allowing these greedy lobbyists to buy elections. Bernie Sanders has been raising funds exclusively from "the people"....you know....the way it SHOULD be....
I'm not clear on why this matters. At the end of the day you still have the government taking taxes. You still have the problem that no matter what happens you can't please everyone. After all, right now a great many people in this country receive tax money in one form or another. Basically, all you are saying is that corporations might not get the subsidies that they currently are. But then, the more subsidies a corporation gets, the more jobs it can usually provide. So the incentive is still there for politicians to "help them out" regardless if they have received donations or not. And you still have the problem that the government needs to fire up the economy for people to be able to pay the taxes it needs to function and still have a good life. Which means it will have no effect on the boom/bust cycle. Are you sure you're not engaging in magical thinking? EDIT: oh and the fact there is only 2 to choose from regardless.
Super Pacs is why it matters & they should be completely obliterated. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Px91RakxIM Watch this and tell me what you think....something's gotta change....
Check out this string of comments: I reckon we should have to pay to vote. And you should be able to pay and vote as often as you like. Maybe that would prevent people like "praisethecow" and "Blood Lust" from having any say in matters in which they are completely ignorant.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5vOKKMipSA[/youtube] New poll shows he can beat the Republican party. Scandalous Hillary? Not so much.
Depressing stuff this thread is. Here I am wanting to flee Norway as a refugee from socialism, but even the US is succumbing to the greatest evil the world has ever seen. NZ and Australia seems somewhat free still though. I know mr. shmorgan will consider scandinavia a success story, but I can guarantee you that it will not last. We actually have had pretty high business freedom here, but lots of redistribution. The former is history, the latter is increasing. The reason this has worked thus far is mostly because of the oil (we pump up more pr. capita than Saudi Arabia), but also the strong work ethic of the generation over me. Due to falling prices and the demographic problems facing all european countries, we are in HUGE trouble. And socialised medicine is the worst path you could ever take. Try and find the average waiting time for a simple procedure here in Norway. It's (almost) free, but it's substandard and you need to be patient. Google the word "korridorpasienter". That literally means hall patient. There are way to few rooms in Norwegian hospitals. Basically all you need to know about our healthcare system can be learned by a quick glance at the supply and demand curve. (Mandatory health insurance is of course the light version.) I hope you consider reading Atlas Shrugged at some point mr. shmorgan.
Thank you for your input. I will check into Atlas Shrugged for another perspective - would be cool to find an audiobook version. To be fair - nearly ALL countries are in trouble. corridor patients is the translation for the word "korridorpasienter"...but I didn't see any information to what you were referring to. I'll tell you why Socialized medicine is a better version of what we have now though. Here in the USA, it's WAY more expensive than other countries to get medication. Pharma is allowed to set prices anyway they deem fit, and can double the price of medicine for no other reason than more $$$. That's just sick!!! That's the reason 25% of all prescriptions here don't get filled !!! So while I can understand the downside of free healthcare - I still think it's worth looking at.
The codeine i take each year i pay a grand total of $40 (for the year). If i was paying for it in the states it would cost me around $30,000. Just for the math it is 580X30mg per month , and a quick google i found 100 tabs for $40.27USD so a total of $28027.92 USD or roughly $42000NZD. I am glad we have free health care here
Here in NZ we can get 12.5mg and ibuprofen over the counter as Nurofen+. The 30mg are on prescription for a gut problem and i am going to have a break from them over xmas so i can bring my tolerance BACK DOWN TO EARTH. 18 a day is a huge amount but dihydrocodeine , oxycodone and morphine do not work for me thankfully. They get me high as hell but that's about it. Little bro codeine though works just perfect. Pity i do not still hang with all the junkies of my youth, just think of all the silver and gold they could be buying me
I hope you do, it's quite a long one - but a true page turner that is both eye opening and entertaining. I meant google pictures. My point was that every hospital in Norway is full of them. I know that the US spends a lot more pr capita on health care, and whereas I don't approve of you system either, the world benefits heavily. The profit motive is the reason all procedures and medicine gets developed in the US. The rest of the world is truly freeloading of your (expensive) innovation. You should also know that although some people get a much worse option, the richest Europeans all leave for the US or asia when they need treatments not available in the europe. The death squads have decided some options is not cheap enough here. Whereas many countries truly are in trouble, the US still has a diversified economy, with many profitable sectors. If you elected a true libertarian (Gary Johnson, possibly Rand Paul), I would move there in an instant.
The Fountainhead is an alternative if the size of Atlas Shrugged is daunting. Anthem is another recommendation.
The prices on "generic" medications is starting to skyrocket. (For no reason other than greed) So much for the USA having a less expensive option on medication. The monopoly is real, and extremely powerful. ALSO - did you hear about the hollistic doctors that mysteriously died, and/or went missing??? Recently 5 hollistic doctors who treated some serious diseases & illness WITHOUT big pharma....died within a month of each other. And 5 others are "missing". WTF is going on here? Tragic & Sickening to the core.
Check the cost to administer the UK and the USA HEALTH funds and you will find that the US is more than double that of the US. Regards Errol 43
