The Small Rants Thread IX: Leaping into the Well of Darkness

[littha]

But here's what i don't get... If i do have insurance, shouldn't i be taken somewhere my insurance covers? Who makes this sort of decisions? If i'm unconscious and i do have insurance (assuming i have the proper documentation in my person), how am i liable for a decision that wasn't mine to make, given that i took the proper precautions?

It simply boggles my mind. I don't see any way someone should be held accountable for something like this. This shit's unreal.

This is one of the reasons I could never really live in the US....

The NHS may be a barely functional and extremely expensive idea but at least I don't have to worry about shit like that.

[brujon]

I much prefer paying higher taxes and planning life around that, than to suddenly be hit by hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills and having to declare bankruptcy.

EDIT:

To avoid a double post...

http://www.reddit.com/r/news/comments/2myfb6/woman_who_received_over_100k_in_donations_after/

I'm raging so hard right now. SO HARD.

[dman11235]

yeah....me too.  But here, taxes are always bad, because they don't do anything, in the mind of the conservative voter.  To them, all government programs that are fed by taxes are instead fed by magic, and all taxes do are punish you for existing in the US.  Over there, you have high taxes because, I don't know, corruption?  But there's no way those taxes actually DO anything, because taxes are bad, right?  People here often don't make the connection of taxes=benefits.  I'd say most anti-tax people don't even know that taxes pay for roads.

[Kuroimaken]

Over here we have high taxes because FUCK YOU THAT'S WHY. Our taxpayer reais go nowhere save for the pockets of politicians.

[dman11235]

except for the taxes that DO go somewhere.  Even though Brazil is really corrupt compared to the US (which is still pretty corrupt), some tax money DOES go where it's supposed to.  Otherwise, there would be no police, no roads, no nothing.  People here don't get that.  They make the argument against government run insurance/healthcare by saying "I don't want my tax dollars going to free healthcare for some schmuck!" without realizing that THEY ARE THAT SCHMUCK.    They see taxes as money spent, for nothing, not money spent for any benefit.  They don't understand that all the things they don't want gone are funded by taxes.

[FireInTheSky]

except for the taxes that DO go somewhere.  Even though Brazil is really corrupt compared to the US (which is still pretty corrupt), some tax money DOES go where it's supposed to.  Otherwise, there would be no police, no roads, no nothing.  People here don't get that.  They make the argument against government run insurance/healthcare by saying "I don't want my tax dollars going to free healthcare for some schmuck!" without realizing that THEY ARE THAT SCHMUCK.    They see taxes as money spent, for nothing, not money spent for any benefit.  They don't understand that all the things they don't want gone are funded by taxes.

WHAT ARE YA, SOME KINDA COMMIE?!?!? 

(click to show/hide)

Isn't it ironic that the emoji I used is red?

[Raineh Daze]

except for the taxes that DO go somewhere.  Even though Brazil is really corrupt compared to the US (which is still pretty corrupt), some tax money DOES go where it's supposed to.  Otherwise, there would be no police, no roads, no nothing.  People here don't get that.  They make the argument against government run insurance/healthcare by saying "I don't want my tax dollars going to free healthcare for some schmuck!" without realizing that THEY ARE THAT SCHMUCK.    They see taxes as money spent, for nothing, not money spent for any benefit.  They don't understand that all the things they don't want gone are funded by taxes.

WHAT ARE YA, SOME KINDA COMMIE?!?!? 

(click to show/hide)

Isn't it ironic that the emoji I used is red?

Yes?

[Kuroimaken]

except for the taxes that DO go somewhere.  Even though Brazil is really corrupt compared to the US (which is still pretty corrupt), some tax money DOES go where it's supposed to.  Otherwise, there would be no police, no roads, no nothing.  People here don't get that.  They make the argument against government run insurance/healthcare by saying "I don't want my tax dollars going to free healthcare for some schmuck!" without realizing that THEY ARE THAT SCHMUCK.    They see taxes as money spent, for nothing, not money spent for any benefit.  They don't understand that all the things they don't want gone are funded by taxes.

The amount of money that goes where it's supposed to is trite compared to the amount of money the country makes. According to a number of polls, we're currently ranked 16th in the world in terms of how overtaxed we get. Our GDP and the amount of taxes we pay are both inconsistent with our quality of life in general. Yes, SOME of those taxes go where they're supposed to, but the rest goes into politician pockets.

I get your point that public service isn't powered by magic. What I'm arguing is that in our case at least, said service is grossly deficitary because only a very small portion of that money goes where it's supposed to, and the taxes are really fucking high here. (It'd be a different problem if said taxes were going where they're supposed to.)

[Kuroimaken]

Stupid not still fully healed sinuses, making me squirt blood out my nostrils mid-singing.

[dman11235]

Oh, I know, I was just saying that it's not a black and white issue.  So many people, mainly people on TV, keep claiming that ALL taxation is bad.  And ALL government spending is bad.  And then complain when the military drops in budget by .0000001%.  Or heck, even raises by 1% instead of a more American 219765%.  But don't pay it in taxes.

(and yes, I am some sort of commie.  I like governments protects and serving me)

[Kuroimaken]

It's kinda what governments are supposed to do, or at least supposed to keep people in line by not killing each other. It's when you start controlling the shit outta people you have a problem.

[trappedslider]

i prefer a government that helps me stay alive no matter the cost..but i'm selfish like that lol and i honestly believe that if we tossed money at health problems like we toss money at blowing stuff up we'd have a number of health issues under control and or even cured.

[Kuroimaken]

As a general rule, that should work. If the money is well-spent.

Ever played Civilization?

[trappedslider]

As a general rule, that should work. If the money is well-spent.

Ever played Civilization?

Only Civ II gold edition and Civ V

[Kuroimaken]

Simply put, some buildings are more efficient than others, and some are situational in usage at best.

Same thing goes with administering nation-wide programs. If you want to make sure the money's well-spent you have to know the problems you face inside and out first.

[Jackinthegreen]

Simply put, some buildings are more efficient than others, and some are situational in usage at best.

Same thing goes with administering nation-wide programs. If you want to make sure the money's well-spent you have to know the problems you face inside and out first.

And knowing the problems is severely obfuscated by corruption, government, and lack of funding to the biggest things like heart disease and such.

[Kuroimaken]

Which is to say, even if you have big bucks to make a change, you need operational control anyway.

[littha]

And knowing the problems is severely obfuscated by corruption, government, and lack of funding to the biggest things like heart disease and such.

Heart disease for example would involve a lot of dead money. a real campaign against it would have to involve a lot of information distribution (expensive and not directly effective) in the hope that people changed their diets for the better or a series of bans and restrictions on large varieties of foods which would be monstrously unpopular and probably only slightly more effective.

Sure there are drugs and treatments to fund too but to get a real change to happen in relation to heart disease you would need to cut obesity.

[Kuroimaken]

Alternatively, we could research food that is good for you AND doesn't taste like absolute crap. Yes, the problem lies in excess consumption, but if a healthy diet tastes just as good as a bad one, then at the end of the day, you'd only pick the bad diet out of self-destructive impulse.

[Raineh Daze]

Alternatively, we could research food that is good for you AND doesn't taste like absolute crap. Yes, the problem lies in excess consumption, but if a healthy diet tastes just as good as a bad one, then at the end of the day, you'd only pick the bad diet out of self-destructive impulse.

Or convenience. Healthy diets tend to include the phrase 'fresh food' and 'low in salt'. Neither of these things tend to be renowned for keeping for long periods of time. On top of that, there's the time consumption to make these foods. :/