Kindness Deficit

[dai bread]

Beautifully put, Selma.

[Haggis@wk]

Swedes turn to Right to reshape role of the state

” Mr Reinfeldt, 41, based his appeal around reforming rather than overhauling Sweden’s social welfare system, with plans to cut the sickness benefits that account for 16 per cent of public spending.


His attack on Sweden’s hidden unemployment among the long-term sick, the early retired and those on pointless government schemes struck a chord with younger Swedes struggling to find work.
Mr Reinfeldt’s campaign was watched closely by centre-right parties across Europe, who will have been buoyed by the way that he beat the left on their home territory of popular state-funded health, education and social care services.”

As I said, TANSTAAFL. Don’t think this campaign is isolated in Europe as more and more deficit spending is required to keep up social services that they haven’t been able to afford for decades. Most of these countries have already made budget cuts years ago that I believe qualified as cutting through the fat into the muscle. I.e. defense cuts and infrastructure.

Of all the European nations, only Norway can afford their nanny-state structure, which is financed by North Sea oil. Every other highly socialized nation survives on deficit spending despite restrictions by the EU. France and Germany reneged on fiscal-responsibility requirements, and the rest of Europe didn't do much better.

And this is not happening in a vacuum, Two weeks ago a prominent French politician running for president also called for reform of the current system in France.

”M Sarkozy, 51, the Interior Minister and leader of the Union for a Popular Majority (UMP), President Chirac’s party, blamed the Sixties generation for squandering France’s heritage and creating a sense of entitlement and despair among the young. He would, he promised, create a new, better-educated France of hard workers and entrepreneurs.”

Whether he's serious or not is a question for another time, (he IS French) but he at least realizes that a lot of people in France are begining to wonder about a society and economy that has been stagnant for more than a decade.

Socialism doesn’t work.

[Shapley]

Health Care Tourism

[piqaboo]

The Constitution is very clear on what the government can, and can't do.

I beg to differ. That's partly why we have a supreme court, and definitely why the Supreme Court changes its mind from time to time.
I concede it tried to be clear.

I still think the society as a whole gains more than it spends from provided a certain (to be discussed, but not on this board because we cant get that far) level of universal health care. In particular, vaccinations, eye & hearing exams, annual check ups.

Likewise, we gain more from universal childhood education than we spend. We gain a literate workforce, and a lower crime rate.

And this horse aint dead, but its so far across the finish line it cant figure why its still being flogged. :confused horse icon:

[piqaboo]

Shap, interesting article.
Capitalism at work, indeed.

Will be interesting to see if Dr's who do operations abroad for Americans will find it easier to get certified to practice here, and if they choose to move here.

Hmmm, bargain basement plastic surgery?????

[Shapley]

Likewise, we gain more from universal childhood education than we spend. We gain a literate workforce, and a lower crime rate.

True. But for over a century that was the domain of the States. It can be well argued (but not here, I'm tired of the whole shebang) that the quality of public education has dropped significantly since the Federal government has become involved. That's also my argument for health care. The various States are free to emplement it if they choose, or not if the choose. The Federal government doesn't have that authority - but some in Washington want it, and they won't let a little thing like the Constitution stand in the way of creating it.

V/R
Shapley

[OperaTenor]

And just how is universal health care in violation of the Constitution?

[Shapley]

I said I'm tired of the discussion. The answer is in my previous posts.

V/R
Shapley

[OperaTenor]

So it was never answered.

A claim without basis, and selective at that.

[Shapley]

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

[OperaTenor]

Like I said selective. There are other institutions of the Federal government you have no problem with, even to the extent of benefitting from them, that are not in accordance with that amendment.

I believe your previous assertion was riddled with holes pointed out by others as well.

[Shapley]

Article I, Section 8.

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes;

To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;

To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States;

To establish post offices and post roads;

To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;

To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court;

To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations;

To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;

To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years;

To provide and maintain a navy;

To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;

To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings;--And

To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.

[OperaTenor]

Hmm, don't see any provision for Medicaid anywhere in there...

[Shapley]

I've already addressed that, too.

[Shapley]

Medicaid Information

Medicaid is a state administered program and each state sets its own guidelines regarding eligibility and services. Read more about your state Medicaid program. (See Related Links inside CMS at the bottom of the page.)

[OperaTenor]

Oh, so the federal government doesn't mandate that states have a Medicaid program?

No federal tax dollars fund it, either?

Knock me over with a feather!

[barfle]

Hmm, don't see any provision for Medicaid anywhere in there...

Or an army for more than two years at a time.

[Shapley]

Oh, so the federal government doesn't mandate that states have a Medicaid program?

No federal tax dollars fund it, either?

Knock me over with a feather!

I've already addressed that, too. Are you just trying to goad me into keeping this argument alive? If you want my answers to that, go back and read my posts. There's really nothing new I can add, I think I've made my position clear enough - several times, in fact.

V/R
Shapley

[barfle]

Is this a dead horse? Either way, I think you'll enjoy it.

In the beginning God covered the earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, with green, yellow and red vegetables of all kinds so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

Then using God's bountiful gifts, Satan created Dairy Ice Cream and Magnums.

And Satan said, "You want hot fudge with that?"

And Man said, "Yes!"

And Woman said, "I'll have one too with chocolate chips."

And lo, they gained 10 pounds.

And God created the healthy yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair.

And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat and sugar from the cane and combined them.

And Woman went from size 12 to size 14.

So God said, "Try my fresh green salad."

And Satan presented Blue Cheese dressing and garlic croutons on the side.

And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said, "I have sent you healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them."

And Satan brought forth deep fried coconut king prawns, butter-dipped lobster chunks and chicken fried steak, so big it needed its own platter.

And Man's cholesterol went through the roof.

Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with potassium and good nutrition.

Then Satan peeled off the healthy skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep fried them in animal fats adding copious quantities of salt.

And Man put on more pounds.

God then brought forth running shoes so that his Children might lose those extra pounds.

And Satan came forth with a cable T.V. with remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels.

And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering light and started wearing stretch jogging suits.

Then God gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite.

And Satan created McDonald's and the 99¢ double cheeseburger.

Then Satan said, "You want fries with that?" and Man replied, "Yes, and super size 'em."

And Satan said, "It is good." And Man and Woman went into cardiac arrest.

God sighed ......... and created quadruple by-pass surgery.

Then Satan chuckled, and created HMOs.

[analog]

"Then Satan chuckled, and created HMOs."

This strikes a resonance with me.

A HMO 'administratively discharged' me from a hospital four days after my first heart attack. All medication was stopped and predictably I had another before they could get me out the door. It was two alert nurses, Nancy and Peg, kept me alive.

It was 1995, the HMO was AVMED, and I know just how frustrated Cap'n Ahab felt stabbing at that whale: "From the pit of Hell I curse at thee, with my last breath I strike at thee....."

It's been twelve years. I should get over it, for anger kills.

Thank you Nancy and Peg, wherever you are.

On a happier note, here's to life!!!! Celebrate it every day.