14/08/09 DMFA#Filler STOP FALLING APART!

[Succubus_1982]

Well thats cheapy tacky tabloid journalists for you, if they can sell newspapers they don't care how many feet they tread on in the process

[ChaosMageX]

Anyone can hate Canada (except Canadians) after watching the final episode of King of the Hill, "Uh-oh Canada".

If all Canadians are ungrateful bastards like the guy in that episode...

Wait, wait, I shouldn't be saying this, because right now Canada has a much better health care system than we do.

Yes, clearly a cartoon knows us so very well. C'mon buddy, start making south park references now. There's no doot aboot it being correct!

No, no, no, I'd rather make Aqua Teen Hunger Force references about Canada and that satanic doll...

Okay, seriously now.  I apologize to you and anyone else who took my pathetic stab at humor seriously.  In the future I will attempt to phrase things better so that people aren't as likely to take offense at what I say.

In truth, I actually like Canada a lot.  I consider it one of the safe havens to retreat to if the USA truly goes down the political toilet.

And, regarding my comments on health care, they were based around some figures I heard on Lou Dobbs a few nights ago, figures  having to do current average life spans and and percent income costs of health care for the USA, Canada, and various European countries.  Right now I am attempting to look up those figures so that I can post them here, but I probably won't find.

Again, I apologize for making such assumptions based on figures I saw on television.  Really, one's health care doesn't just depend on the government, but how well insured you are and/or whether or not you come from a well-to-do family that can afford above average health care.

I do remember one thing, though, and that was the fact that in some countries, like the Netherlands, it is required by law for every person to have health insurance, and those countries appear to be doing well in general health.  Again, I need to attempt to locate figures to verify this, but these too may indeed be highly controversial.

[Turnsky]

our healthcare system is far from perfect (god knows i know) but it heavily subsidizes medications for those below certain income thresholds, and even then you can get a rebate on some of the higher priced stuff, doctors appointments (those aren't bulk billed) and whatnot.

being on unemployment benefits means i only haveta pay 5.30 for prescription medications.

the glasses i got were heavily subsidized by medicare, and what i got donations for via kind folks was what i hadta pay above what medicare was paying for..

that said, we do pay for the medicare system via taxes and whatnot.

http://medicare.gov.au/

i'm more curious to how it stacks up against the medicare systems of other countries, personally.

[Rafe]

To be fair, the NHS is far from perfect, though what the FUD campaigns I've seen are conveniently ignoring is that you can bypass the NHS if you choose and go private, in which case you'll be in the same kind of position as in the US.

You're right about the NHS allowing private insurance as an option, but you're wrong about the proposed US system being the same. 

If you listen closely, they say, in very carefully chosen words, that you will be allowed to keep "you current health insurance".  Unfortunately, for people who want to make ANY changes, like getting better insurance, or getting any insurance if you don't  happen to have it right now, you're out of luck.  You have to get the government plan, no choice, no options. 

Given this "any changes and you lose it" provision, private insurance will disappear pretty quickly for everyone.

[ChaosMageX]

To be fair, the NHS is far from perfect, though what the FUD campaigns I've seen are conveniently ignoring is that you can bypass the NHS if you choose and go private, in which case you'll be in the same kind of position as in the US.

You're right about the NHS allowing private insurance as an option, but you're wrong about the proposed US system being the same. 

If you listen closely, they say, in very carefully chosen words, that you will be allowed to keep "you current health insurance".  Unfortunately, for people who want to make ANY changes, like getting better insurance, or getting any insurance if you don't  happen to have it right now, you're out of luck.  You have to get the government plan, no choice, no options. 

Given this "any changes and you lose it" provision, private insurance will disappear pretty quickly for everyone.

Wow, I had no idea it was that bad.  What's the deal for the people who are college students and don't have fully independent insurance yet?

[Naldru]

Given statements that it is hoped that the competition will cause private insurers to offer better plans, it would appear that they expect many people to go to private plans.  I have a hard time in trusting comments from people who come up with statements that Hawking would be dead if he had to use the British public health system.  Or when the press somehow converts a clause stating that the insurance companies should facilitate rapid electronic payments to doctors into a statement that the government will have access to your private bank accounts.

[Rafe]

There is one, very telling reason not to believe the people pushing the government-run health plan:

If it is going to be such a great plan, why not let people CHOOSE, like responsible adults, whether they want to be part of it or not?  If it turns out to cost less, and give better results than private plans, great!  If not, the current system would still exist as a backup.

But no, having people make choices about their most personal health decisions is not what these people want.  Just imagine the kinds of power that will be demanded, for "the best of reasons" of course, over everything from the food you eat to the way you live.  Giving your life-affecting decisions over to people like this, as well meaning as they might be, is a huge mistake. 

C. S. Lewis, (among other things,writer of the Narnia stories), put it very nicely:

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busy-bodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."

[Amber Williams]

Should I even bother asking why this thread has devolved into politics or should I just move it to General?

[Shadrok]

I had that problem a with my old glasses back in Middle school and High school where the bridge would brake right above the nose piece on the left side. My dad would solder the frame back together till I could get a replacement. Even had to sometimes solder them a second time as they would brake again before we could get a replacement.

As for my current pair, it's a Flexon and I've had it for 9 or 10 years now with no problems (got to love Titanium ) They've even been hit with an airbag and a large spiral drawing pad (a 18x24 sized one which bloodied my nose when the airbag went off).

I've also had my last glasses break at the center of the nose bridge while cleaning them...the shocking thing was that they're flexon brand glasses and shouldn't do that.

Yeah that is strange for Flexons, unless it's the nose piece framing (where the silicon cushions for the nose mount) that snapped, since on mine that isn't Titanium as it bends and doesn't spring back. Also I believe the hinges are not titanium as they act the same way.

[Kenji]

Potato. And I say that completely devoid of alcohol which this thread would drive you to.
I swear.

[Anri]

Potatos make vodka!

[candide]

Anyone can hate Canada (except Canadians) after watching the final episode of King of the Hill, "Uh-oh Canada".

If all Canadians are ungrateful bastards like the guy in that episode...

Wait, wait, I shouldn't be saying this, because right now Canada has a much better health care system than we do.

And will continue to do so for years to come.


Things might finally change when the for-profit extortionInsurance companies are charging employers so much for health insurance that every small & medium-sized employer would go bankrupt trying to provide it, so they all drop it as a benefit.  Then we'll have to wait until over 66% of the U.S. has no health insurance, at which point there might be enough voters to outweight the bribescontributions that Congresscritters receive from the Insurance Industry.  Maybe.

Yes, clearly a cartoon knows us so very well. C'mon buddy, start making south park references now. There's no doot aboot it being correct!

Especially considering that anyone with a brain in their head and without cotton in their ears can hear that you guys say, "aboat", not "aboot". 

To be fair, the NHS is far from perfect, though what the FUD campaigns I've seen are conveniently ignoring is that you can bypass the NHS if you choose and go private, in which case you'll be in the same kind of position as in the US.

Which is to say, screwed unless you're rich and healthy. 


My other half related to me something that a friend of his experienced.  This guy went to a town meeting with his congressman, to ask said congresscritter about something of local interest.  As in:  not healthcare reform.  Of course, there were plenty of insurance company shillsprotesters there.  One of them held up a sign that said, "Keep government out of my Medicare."

When my spouse told me that, my brain screeched to a halt.  Once it recovered from the utter bewilderment, I sputtered, "Never mind walk and chew gum ... how does someone like that walk and breathe at the same time?!?!?!?!?!?!"


I'd tell the story about how it took 4 years to get insurance to do its !@$$^&* job and pay a bill it was supposed to, but this post is getting too long.

[Amber Williams]

....yeah...time for this thread to head to General.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

....yeah...time for this thread to head to General.

Sure you didn't mean Abandoned Mine?

[Amber Williams]

I'm sure this is just stop one in a "around the board" tour until it reaches its final destination. I'll let one of the othe mods decide where this thread goes to next.

[Denji]

I'm sure this is just stop one in a "around the board" tour until it reaches its final destination. I'll let one of the othe mods decide where this thread goes to next.

Topic roulette?

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Which is to say, screwed unless you're rich and healthy. 

o/~ The rich stay healthy, while the sick stay poor... o/~

Admittedly, I was at a U2 concert last night, so that's probably why that leaps into mind...

....yeah...time for this thread to head to General.

Shame. I was hoping it'd shape up and fly right. Oh, well.


How about the Arena, just for a change?

[Amber Williams]

It can be  scavenger hunt. You gotta find the thread to keep posting in it as it tours the forum.

[hapless]

http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php/topic,6395.0.html

Viva las permalinks!

//h

[Succubus_1982]

didn't need a permalink it just showed up as the most recently posted topic 

[Amber Williams]

This is a good plan. Perhaps people will actually post on this board section now.

[ooklah]

Found it! 

[Rafe]

...My other half related to me something that a friend of his experienced.  This guy went to a town meeting with his congressman, to ask said congresscritter about something of local interest.  As in:  not healthcare reform.  Of course, there were plenty of insurance company shillsprotesters there.  One of them held up a sign that said, "Keep government out of my Medicare."

When my spouse told me that, my brain screeched to a halt.  Once it recovered from the utter bewilderment, I sputtered, "Never mind walk and chew gum ... how does someone like that walk and breathe at the same time?!?!?!?!?!?!"

Taking money from Medicare and Medicaid is exactly what the plan is.  Haven't you been watching the Obama press conferences since June?  The man said it himself.  The plan is to take around $500 billion from Medicare and Medicaid, and by making the whole system "less wasteful and more efficient", they will somehow magically come up with the money.  Things like just paying doctors less for doing the same amount of work.  That's sure to increase the number of doctors participating.

Yes, that well-know federal government efficiency will save us billions.  And if not, all those newly insured people will now get priority over grandma's hip replacement.

[bill]

posting in a bad thread

[bradypodidae]

posting in a bad thread

hmm... I thought posting in a thread just for the sake of posting would be frowned upon, especially if the post did nothing to advance the original premise of the thread or took the thread off on a tangent into areas

Never mind, I think I'll just skip this one.

[hapless]

Time for a change. Next call?

The Twilight Zone?

//h

[Succubus_1982]

Wow you're good hapless I was checking all the boards even those hidden from the main index and I didn't find this till after you posted in it.

[Mao]

This thread is terribad.

[VSMIT]

This thread is terribad.

This thread is awesome, you mean.  Nothing beats a good scavenger hunt.

[Anri]

It just needs more vodka!