Thinking in terms of the social contract, we arrive at what are the 2 main questions. First, what is the extent of the responsibilty of the individual to the society? Second, what is the extent of the responsibilty of the society to the individual?
Great Point Plato, and I agree that simplifies this debate.
I have to say that as an individual, who is submitting to Govt rule over myself, paying taxes, not commiting crimes, etc, the Govt should in fact be responsible for what I cannot afford or do. The reason being, that if i am doing all that can be done to contribute to society and its progression, the same society should be doing all it can to help me even moreso beyond just healthcare. But I'll stick to this realm for the sake of subject.
Some will probably counter that most aren't doing all they can to "contribute, like work or pay taxes. Well, the lazy factor is out of the window. In this economy things are so a
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KissOfDeath (Fearless Blue)
All worlds
Wendy, what gives you the right to tell Doug to settle down? He felt passionate in his response just as you did in your initial post and those following. I don't use game forums to state my political or religious views. On such topics you should expect heated and/or passionate responses, and heaven help us all,,,,,it has brought Nix back from the dead...... YIKES!
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Inanna (Little Upsilon)
All worlds
Kiss try minding your business. I don't care what you think about what my rights are. What gives you the right to question me?
I don't think we need to have a problem here.
Is that heated enuff for you? Moving right along, Next Customer!!
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Tyr (Little Upsilon)
All worlds
From this side of the pond it looks like the 'christian' vote or the bible belt as I have heard it called carries a certain weight in US elections.
However US health care seems very unchristian.
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Zodiac Empress (Little Upsilon)
All worlds
Source? If the above is to be used as a source (as it was) - and longevity is to be used as a means to quantify the quality of healthcare rahter than the quality of lifestyle - it is worth noting the number of highly-ranked nations which possess socialised healthcare in comparison to the ones that do not.
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Solomon Grundy (Fearless Blue)
All worlds
Tyr, the American political system is a farce, it isn't real.
"Politics in America today is identical to pro wrestling, and what I mean by that is in front of the cameras and the public we all hate each other... Yet behind the scenes we all are friends, going out to dinner together and It's all a work, it's show bizz and that's what you have today in politics. The Democrats and Republicans aren't really opposed to each other."
Jesse Ventura
Former Minnesota Governor
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8Caps8 (White Giant)
All worlds
Look at the false left-right dichotomy generate 70 posts of division and hate in a couple days on an inactive forum. Wow, just wow. No wonder the elites get away with anything. Bread and circuses for all!
As too the debate itself, since the insurance companies back obama and his plan, you can be sure that's not a good sign.
Solomon, do you listen to alex jones' show because it sounds like it. I can tell you are above the banal theatre that is american politics. All folks like us care about is liberty from corrupt bankers and rouge governments, and that liberty has been slipping away ever since the 1913 fed takeover, and before that even.
BTW it's toker420 from chat, I've changed handles and countries.
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Solomon Grundy (Fearless Blue)
All worlds
Alex Jones is a great American.
I don't listen to him or his radio show out of Texas like I should, nevertheless I revere him as a great American.
The Jesse Ventura thing gives me a little hope, he's not NWO and he was able to take Minnesota. That means that they don't have total control (yet) and at the community level we can start to take America back. As he's proven, states are achievable.
As soon as we're officially in the North American Union I will consider Michigan an independent and foreign occupied nation and encourage the same line of thinking in my friends, family and neighbors. Detroit was French, not British. Michigan joined the United States of America, not the New World Order.
America, the land of the free and home of the brave, we wont have one without the other.
K
Kali Rivers (Fearless Blue)
All worlds
just reading back
Ummagumma: "Damn straight I do Inanna. Why should I share my hard earned capitalist (I'm going to work hard for it) dollars with socialists (I'm entitled to it)."
Did you mind them using your hard earned $ to bail out merchant banks & investment houses whose egregious behaviour are probably the cause of the current US financial meltdown? No socialists involved there.
US Government does not quickly wake up to itself, down the track - say 10-15 years the Chinese will be telling us all what to do
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Inanna (Little Upsilon)
All worlds
Wait, why didn't anyone tell me "Solomon" was
Jesse Ventura!?!?!
Famous People play SC hmmmmmm. . . .
JkJk Solomon. LooooL
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Ummagumma (Little Upsilon)
All worlds
Yes I did mind Kali. Sure there were socialism involved. Bush acted like a damn socialist with bailouts. In fact it all started with socialst policies in the first place compounded by capitalist greed.
Sure, I recognize the inherent greed in capitalism but YOU took my quote out of context. I also said a successful society must have along with its free market SOME socialism. Just not the dominating force as is what is happening slowly today.
And may I remind you that the meltdown was mostly started with Freddie and Fannie giving loans to anything with 2 legs ("Aren't I entitled to it?"), as a result of being forced by the ilk of Barney Frank,SEIU,Acorn, etc... facilitated by policies of a "compassionate conservative" in office , not just the "egregious behavior" by banks .
I would have let the meltdown happen. Shake it up, survival of the fittest. Didn't want no damn bailouts.
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Zodiac Empress (Little Upsilon)
All worlds
When capitalism falls down - as any system does from time to time - the "hardliners" always blame "socialism."
It would be amusing were it not so entirely misguided.
The current meltdown was caused in part by banks giving people mortgages they couldn't afford. Not out of any misguided desire to help them, but with the thought of intrest-incurred profits well and truly in mind; the more they loan, the more money they make. Greed got them into this mess, not any attempt at offering a handout.
And the governments of the world, learning from history and realising that the "survival of the most fit" protectionist attitude of past recessions has been entirely bogus, stepped in and supported the system as best they could in order to minimise the problem.
Its also amazing how many people synonymise "capitalism" with the free market concept.