AR Master on 22/3/2010 at 05:29
Quote Posted by CCCToad
Short term, not too much unless you don't have health insurance.
In that case, prepare to be slapped with an additional fine. If you are an employer who doesn't offer insurance, expect a fine of up to $2000 per worker.
lol have fun being fired as an employee and rehired soley as a "contractor" or permatemp
Vae on 22/3/2010 at 05:30
Quote Posted by Renzatic
Does this mean we're communists now? :o
No, just socialists with less liberty and freedom, sending us on the road to bankruptcy...so relax.
Volitions Advocate on 22/3/2010 at 06:05
I'm not a Yank so I don't know the details about the health care system down there. and I know that Russell Brands comment about how "in britain we don't let people die in the streets because we have free health care" is oversimplified (what do you expect from a comedian) But being that I am Canadian and have had "free" health care for my whole life I've got to say that it's not that bad. There are some things, especially in Alberta, that do not work well, but overall it's a much better system than basically throwing you to the wolves.
The one thing I've noticed when talking to Americans is that they are terrified of their own government. I think government dabbling in the public sector is a good thing. Yeah it means higher taxes, but it isn't going to break you. Most people wave this big flag around and says " NO GOVERNMENT IN *insert whatever here*" My life is much better because I pay the government to take care of me. They don't get it right all the time, but they learn. And as far as the house of representatives not being representative. Thats what letters are for. Cool and calm headed appeals will carry so much more weight than swearing and protest signs. if everybody wrote their opinions to their representative it forces his/her hand. Where I live people complain a lot about such and such a person not doing enough or not taking a certain position on a subject, but nobody goes through the formal process to let their representative know what they want. That's the kind of thing that needs to be done in order to break them out of going with the party.
Anyway... i suppose that seems a little idealized. Personally I think congrats are in order. I'll be a big change that is going to not work very well for the first little while, but you'll work it out and it'll be good to be a lower middle class family when you loose fingers at work and dont' have to choose which ones to stitch back on based on how much they cost. Because imho that is Barbarism.
CCCToad on 22/3/2010 at 06:16
Rest of the post I won't really address( it would be ranting on a tangent if I did), but for whats its worth I've heard that there was letter writing and it didn't do anything: the letter writing in regards to the healthcare bill was overwhelming against it. The most favorable ratio I heard of through the alumnus-gossip chain was 4-5 against for each positive, all the way up to 20 negative for each positive.
At the end of the day, the pressure to vote along party lines trumps anything else for this issue.
Volitions Advocate on 22/3/2010 at 06:25
and that's a very valid point. as I said i'm not an american and i dont really understand how it all works. But i suppose, as previously stated. If they didn't follow the wishes of their constituents then they'll be voted out next term.
although for the life of me I can't understand why you woudln't want public health care. if you were the everyman.
Muzman on 22/3/2010 at 06:36
The partisan Kool Aid was drunk a long time ago, it would seem. 'Capital F' Freedom to so many seems to have nothing whatsoever to do with the actual concept of individualism, social and economic freedom, conservative liberalism or anything of that sort but is merely whatever the extreme Right says it is.
Fafhrd on 22/3/2010 at 07:11
Quote Posted by Tonamel
The bigger stuff, like the public insurance option, don't kick in for another four years because they have to build the infrastructure to support them.
Is there an actual public option in this bill, or is it just the government mediated group exchange? I can't seem to find anything beyond subsidies for low-income families to pay for the mandated health coverage and the exchange for small businesses in any of the news stories about the bill.
Mr.Duck on 22/3/2010 at 07:24
Just be thankful your "free health" services aren't close to shitty as Mexico's (Goddamed IMSS...)
Nicker on 22/3/2010 at 08:17
Quote Posted by Vae
No, just socialists with less liberty and freedom, sending us on the road to bankruptcy...so relax.
Do you have street lights? Schools. A fire department? Sewers?
Congratulations. You are already socialist. It's all part of living in a society, being social primates and all that.
Now you have the freedom not to have to choose between a home or life saving surgery. You can have both! What a personal burden.
Iraq is a faster road to bankruptcy than looking after your citizens ever will be.
Congratulations USA! Humanity welcomes you all to the 21st Century.
Vae on 22/3/2010 at 09:54
Quote Posted by Nicker
Do you have street lights? Schools. A fire department? Sewers?
Congratulations. You are already socialist. It's all part of living in a society, being social primates and all that.
Even if the new health bill ever takes affect, the USA will still only qualify as a quasi-socialized nation at best. The current public works (fire dept, roads, etc) constitute only a tiny fraction of our economy...not even enough to qualify the US as a quasi-socialized nation by itself.
Quote:
Now you have the freedom not to have to choose between a home or life saving surgery. You can have both! What a personal burden.
We already have that with private insurance. There is no need to choose. You obviously are not clued in on US domestic operations.
Quote:
Iraq is a faster road to bankruptcy than looking after your citizens ever will be.
Actually, the situation in Iraq is looking good these days...with a good possibility that our investment will pay off.
Quote:
Congratulations USA! Humanity welcomes you all to the 21st Century.
The United States of America is the most advanced and innovative civilization in the history of mankind, and has raised the quality of life for most of humanity...and we didn't get there because of socialism.
