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by Lizard_King 08/16/2003, 11:08pm PDT |
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I need clarification wrote:
Didn't you just say "even one kid... *sniff*... is too many!" while raising a rather limp-wristed fist?
So the difference from 76m to 6m doesn't merit mention? Not even a modification of your sweeping declarations?
My point with the one child statement should have been obvious: you can get emotional about things, or you can face the actual numbers and see where the greatest good can be done. My reflex in that direction will always be to allow people to make a maximum of their own decisions, and that includes their money.
And stop saying things like, "cold-hearted capitalism is what allows treatments for congenital heart disease to exist." That's stupid. Most medical research is done in universities, and France (AIDS!).
No, it's not. Had there not been rich people for whom these treatments were once luxuries, much like with now basic amenities like running water and electricity, there would not have been medical progress at the rate it has happened.
Anyway, my point is that if we're truly the Greatest Nation On Earth Ever, we should act like it. There's absolutely nothing wrong with providing the population with easy access to education and healthcare regardless of their economic situation. Why would you want it any other way? What possible upside is there to someone not having that access? You seem to answer that question every single time with "NOT WITH MY DOLLARS THEY DON'T!!" Then with whose? How can they contribute to a medical savings account if they're having trouble paying the rent?
The reason is that money doesn't simply wither under the mattresses of the rich, middle class, or most normal people awaiting an enlightened government official's redistribution. You seem to have great difficulty understanding that the uses people put their own money, whether it is in big-screen tv's or healthcare, is the most efficient use of that money for that individual.
You continue with histrionics about how poor people have no money, an abundantly obvious point that you seem to think trumps all others. It doesn't. That they don't is a sad reality. That other people should be penalized to subsidize them only makes it worse; unearned money is the most straightforward path to creating a corrupt society. That some government program is going to be the one that's going to change all that, after a track record of nothing but failure in the long run, is foolish and once again doesn't cover the very basic concept of opportunity cost.
No one's advocating a free ride, just free education and some sort of consistent healthcare.
Government programs work fine for straightforward, short term goals. Like rural electrification. Free education beyond the fundamentals only guarantees universal mediocre-to-bad education; the focus should be on removing the American fetish with college degrees, and let people learn as far as they are willing to work for it beyond reading, writing, and basic arithmetic.
I have no illusions that free healthcare will prove any less worthless.
Once again, I posted the initial link not because I am a huge fan of any sort of universal healthcare plan; simply as a possible compromise between libertarians (me) and commies (you). BDR has done a good job of substantively dissecting it, so I think it can be discarded as an option with the addition of the initial caveat about the current status of the insurance business. |
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What do you commies make of this? by Lizard_King 08/12/2003, 8:25pm PDT 
caveat by Lizard_King 08/12/2003, 8:30pm PDT 
Re: What do you commies make of this? by Fussbett 08/13/2003, 2:11am PDT 
Re: What do you commies make of this? by Lizard_King 08/13/2003, 2:08pm PDT 
Re: What do you commies make of this? by Fussbett 08/13/2003, 4:31pm PDT 
Re: What do you commies make of this? by Lizard_King 08/13/2003, 10:41pm PDT 
Re: What do you commies make of this? by Chairman Mao 08/14/2003, 12:03am PDT 
Re: What do you commies make of this? by Lizard_King 08/14/2003, 12:37am PDT 
It's as if I never paid income tax... by Fussbett 08/14/2003, 12:08am PDT 
Re: It's as if I never paid income tax... by Lizard_King 08/14/2003, 12:42am PDT 
Think of it as insurance insurance by Senor Barborito 08/14/2003, 2:56am PDT 
I do by Lizard_King 08/14/2003, 3:51am PDT 
Well why didn't you just say that in the first place? by creativepig 08/14/2003, 6:50am PDT 
Because that wasn't the point by Lizard_King 08/14/2003, 7:13am PDT 
You are assuming you will never be poor by Senor Barborito 08/14/2003, 11:33am PDT 
Seconded. by Chairman Mao 08/14/2003, 12:10pm PDT 
Directed at L_K, not SB... NT by Chairman Mao 08/14/2003, 12:10pm PDT 
Re: Seconded. by Lizard_King 08/14/2003, 4:14pm PDT 
Awwwww by Chairman Mao 08/15/2003, 3:39pm PDT 
Re: Awwwww by Lizard_King 08/15/2003, 10:42pm PDT 
Re: Awwwww by Chairman Mao 08/15/2003, 11:19pm PDT 
Re: Awwwww by Lizard_King 08/16/2003, 2:41am PDT 
Re: It's as if I never paid income tax... by Fussbett 08/14/2003, 3:04pm PDT 
Ferenginar, not Vulcan, but yeah NT by Senor Barborito 08/14/2003, 3:27pm PDT 
Re: It's as if I never paid income tax... by Lizard_King 08/14/2003, 4:18pm PDT 
Re: It's as if I never paid income tax... by I need clarification 08/14/2003, 6:01pm PDT 
Re: It's as if I never paid income tax... by Lizard_King 08/14/2003, 9:37pm PDT 
Re: It's as if I never paid income tax... by foogla 08/15/2003, 4:44am PDT 
Re: It's as if I never paid income tax... by Lizard_King 08/16/2003, 4:53am PDT 
Re: It's as if I never paid income tax... by foogla 08/16/2003, 6:59am PDT 
Do you even read the posts you respond to? Or just choose not to respond? by I need clarification 08/16/2003, 5:04am PDT 
Re: Do you even read the posts you respond to? Or just choose not to respond? by Lizard_King 08/16/2003, 5:08am PDT 
Re: Do you even read the posts you respond to? Or just choose not to respond? by I need clarification 08/16/2003, 1:48pm PDT 
Re: Do you even read the posts you respond to? Or just choose not to respond? by Lizard_King 08/16/2003, 1:59pm PDT 
Re: Do you even read the posts you respond to? Or just choose not to respond? by I need clarification 08/16/2003, 6:29pm PDT 
Re: Do you even read the posts you respond to? Or just choose not to respond? by Lizard_King 08/16/2003, 6:39pm PDT 
We Now Pause for a Word From Our Sponsors by Bitter 08/16/2003, 8:30pm PDT 
That did sound a bit high. NT by Lizard_King 08/16/2003, 8:43pm PDT 
Fucking subheadings vs titles by Lizard_King 08/16/2003, 8:47pm PDT 
Re: Fucking subheadings vs titles by I need clarification 08/16/2003, 10:17pm PDT 
Re: Fucking subheadings vs titles by Lizard_King 08/16/2003, 11:08pm PDT 
Creexul by Fussbett 08/16/2003, 11:14pm PDT 
Re: Creexul by Flurgendorf J. Creexul 08/17/2003, 12:09am PDT 
I snipped your insulting ending. by Fussbett 08/16/2003, 4:31am PDT 
Re: I snipped your insulting ending. by Lizard_King 08/16/2003, 4:50am PDT 
What? by Fussbett 08/16/2003, 5:28am PDT 
Re: What? by foogla 08/16/2003, 7:06am PDT 
Oh! by Fussbett 08/16/2003, 1:31pm PDT 
If we're going to make broad generalizations and metaphors by Senor Barborito 08/16/2003, 7:20am PDT 
I LIKE PIRATE METAPHORS NT by Entropy Stew 08/16/2003, 9:29am PDT 
Are you abandoning Nazis for pirates? by I need clarification 08/16/2003, 1:43pm PDT 
That's beautiful. I WANT TO BE A PIRATE 2!!!! NT by Lizard_King 08/16/2003, 1:48pm PDT 
Movie Targets! by I need clarification 08/16/2003, 1:35pm PDT 
This is why the UK and Canada are now moving towards Swedish-style HC by Senor Barborito 08/13/2003, 4:39pm PDT 
Re: This is why the UK and Canada are now moving towards Swedish-style HC by Lizard_King 08/13/2003, 10:47pm PDT 
Good questions, glad we more or less agree on the basics, though. by Senor Barborito 08/14/2003, 2:53am PDT 
Re: Good questions, glad we more or less agree on the basics, though. by Lizard_King 08/14/2003, 3:58am PDT 
Re: Good questions, glad we more or less agree on the basics, though. by Senor Barborito 08/14/2003, 11:31am PDT 
Re: Good questions, glad we more or less agree on the basics, though. by godamit 08/15/2003, 5:06pm PDT 
Re: Good questions, glad we more or less agree on the basics, though. by Lizard_King 08/15/2003, 5:49pm PDT 
How about this: once you've got a greencard, you get healthcare by Senor Barborito 08/15/2003, 8:31pm PDT 
Within the framework you suggest by Lizard_King 08/16/2003, 2:44am PDT 
It's more of a 'welcome to America, now stop coughing up blood on our sidewalks' NT by Senor Barborito 08/16/2003, 3:06am PDT 
Can we get that printed on the Statue of Liberty? NT by Lizard_King 08/16/2003, 4:55am PDT 
Re: Good questions, glad we more or less agree on the basics, though. by Zebco Fuckface 08/14/2003, 1:33pm PDT 
I don't believe that for a second. Prove it, link it, and I still won't. NT by Senor Barborito 08/14/2003, 1:45pm PDT 
Overseas outsourcing? by Chairman Mao 08/14/2003, 1:56pm PDT 
IBM moving 5% of it's work force, as Mao said: fuck you. NT by Senor Barborito 08/14/2003, 1:58pm PDT 
He was being sarchastic, Barbie... by Chairman Mao 08/14/2003, 2:18pm PDT 
What is this sarcasm you speak of? NT by Senor Barborito 08/14/2003, 2:23pm PDT 
Re: He was being sarchastic, Barbie... by Zebco Fuckface 08/14/2003, 7:00pm PDT 
Re: What do you commies make of this? by Zebco Fuckface 08/14/2003, 12:02pm PDT 
Individual coverage by corax 08/14/2003, 1:23pm PDT 
Komrade BDR responds. by Bill Dungsroman 08/14/2003, 1:07pm PDT 
Re: Komrade BDR responds. by Lizard_King 08/14/2003, 4:22pm PDT 
It sure sucks to be rich. by Mischief Maker 08/14/2003, 7:11pm PDT 
That is the least funny thing I've read in a while. NT by Lizard_King 08/14/2003, 9:40pm PDT 
Couldn't you at least use Invisible text in your fake NT post? NT by Mischief Liberatzi 08/14/2003, 9:47pm PDT 
Re: Komrade BDR responds. by Bill Dungsroman 08/14/2003, 9:52pm PDT 
Re: Komrade BDR responds. by Lizard_King 08/14/2003, 10:46pm PDT 
I disagree!! by I need clarification 08/15/2003, 1:44pm PDT 
Re: Komrade BDR responds. by godamit 08/15/2003, 5:15pm PDT 
Hint: by Senor Barborito 08/15/2003, 8:35pm PDT 
I'm glad that was cathartic by Lizard_King 08/16/2003, 5:13am PDT 
Oh shut up by Senor Barborito 08/16/2003, 5:36pm PDT 
AND J00 THINK FIGHT CLUB IS ABOUT 2 BOSOM BUDDY TERREASTS!!!!!@@!!!!!! NT by Flick Filosopher 08/16/2003, 7:06pm PDT 
what I was getting at... by godamit 08/18/2003, 2:19pm PDT 
Good post. by Fussbett 08/18/2003, 2:31pm PDT 
Re: Good post. by godamit 08/18/2003, 3:54pm PDT 
Re: Komrade BDR responds. by Lizard_King 08/14/2003, 10:43pm PDT 
Re: Komrade BDR responds. by Bill Dungsroman 08/15/2003, 6:56pm PDT 
I forgot my favorite quote by Bill Dungsroman 08/15/2003, 8:08pm PDT 
Re: I forgot my favorite quote by Lizard_King 08/15/2003, 10:39pm PDT 
Medical Savings Accounts by Bitter 08/16/2003, 8:45pm PDT 
Huh. So, who clears the expense as justified? by Lizard_King 08/16/2003, 9:45pm PDT 
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