Socialism -- a pathway to disaster

[metis]

And there is a reason why more and more Canadians cross the border for medical care.

And why I see so many American cars at Canadian pharmacies. We're in Canada a lot since it's only a 20 minute drive from where we live, and we actually almost moved there in the early 1970's.

And, btw, all Canadians are covered with having insurance and, unlike here in the States, they generally don't have personal bankruptcies based on medical expenses. Plus, they have better overall outcomes according to the W.H.O. stats. The Saskatchewan doctor who designed their system is the most popular historical figure in Canada according to a poll I saw about 5 or so years ago, and they ain't getting rid of theirs to mimic ours, let me tell ya!

Frankly, I'd much rather have theirs than ours any day of the week and twice on Sunday. There's more that I can add if you wish.

 

[Sand Dancer]

And compare the European impact vs US impact. There is a reason that England got out of the European Common Market. And there is a reason why more and more Canadians cross the border for medical care.

Some do, most don't. They would never trade with us.

 

[metis]

Some do, most don't. They would never trade with us.

Exactly. And the proof of that is that they're not even trying to be like us on this.

And I would also suggest that if we were to seriously ask Jesus on this, I would think that he would side with the countries that believe all people, not just some or even just most, should be provided with basic healthcare, one way or the other.

And we know that charities alone simply cannot handle the healthcare issue because if it coulda been done, it woulda been done by at least some countries.

 

[Kenny]

And why I see so many American cars at Canadian pharmacies. We're in Canada a lot since it's only a 20 minute drive from where we live, and we actually almost moved there in the early 1970's.

And, btw, all Canadians are covered with having insurance and, unlike here in the States, they generally don't have personal bankruptcies based on medical expenses. Plus, they have better overall outcomes according to the W.H.O. stats. The Saskatchewan doctor who designed their system is the most popular historical figure in Canada according to a poll I saw about 5 or so years ago, and they ain't getting rid of theirs to mimic ours, let me tell ya!

Frankly, I'd much rather have theirs than ours any day of the week and twice on Sunday. There's more that I can add if you wish.

LOL... there are pro's and con's to every system. It just depends on how fast you want your service, I guess.

But Canada still is a capitalist society... Hey, my Canadian cousins, well done!

 

[Sand Dancer]

LOL... there are pro's and con's to every system. It just depends on how fast you want your service, I guess.

But Canada still is a capitalist society... Hey, my Canadian cousins, well done!

Capitalism is fine, as long as it has government oversight.

 

[Mock Turtle]

'The rich are to blame for climate change' ... Climate change: The rich are to blame, international study finds

The rich are primarily to blame for the global climate crisis, a study by the University of Leeds of 86 countries claims. The wealthiest tenth of people consume about 20 times more energy overall than the bottom ten, wherever they live. The gulf is greatest in transport, where the top tenth gobble 187 times more fuel than the poorest tenth, the research says. That’s because people on the lowest incomes can rarely afford to drive. The researchers found that the richer people became, the more energy they typically use. And it was replicated across all countries. And they warn that, unless there's a significant policy change, household energy consumption could double from 2011 levels by 2050. That's even if energy efficiency improves.

But they are worth it/deserve it of course.

The researchers combined European Union and World Bank data to calculate how different income groups spend their money. They say it’s the first study of its kind. It found that in transport the richest tenth of consumers use more than half the energy. This reflects previous research showing that 15% of UK travellers take 70% of all flights. The ultra-rich fly by far furthest, while 57% of the UK population does not fly abroad at all.

The study is likely to ignite future UN climate negotiations, where the issue of equity is always bitterly contentious. In the USA, libertarian politicians have typically portrayed climate change as a harbinger of global socialism. But Professor Kevin Anderson, from the Tyndall Centre in Manchester, who was not involved in the study, told BBC News: “This study tells relatively wealthy people like us what we don’t want to hear. The climate issue is framed by us high emitters – the politicians, business people, journalists, academics. When we say there’s no appetite for higher taxes on flying, we mean WE don’t want to fly less. The same is true about our cars and the size our homes. We have convinced ourselves that our lives are normal, yet the numbers tell a very different story,” he said.

Socialism - a pathway to disaster. Really?

 

[metis]

LOL... there are pro's and con's to every system. It just depends on how fast you want your service, I guess.

But Canada still is a capitalist society... Hey, my Canadian cousins, well done!

Canada has a "mixed economy" that has better funded safety-net programs ("socialistic") that includes universal healthcare that's both governmental and private. Thus, being the pragmatist that I am, I'm going with programs that work and provide the help for all who need help, not a one-size-fits-all approach. And, imo, speed is far less important than helping all whom are in need.

 

[Kenny]

Capitalism is fine, as long as it has government oversight.

AGREED!!!! And then we need people oversight over the government.

 

[Kenny]

Canada has a "mixed economy" that has better funded safety-net programs ("socialistic") that includes universal healthcare that's both governmental and private. Thus, being the pragmatist that I am, I'm going with programs that work and provide the help for all who need help, not a one-size-fits-all approach. And, imo, speed is far less important than helping all whom are in need.

I like the government AND private. The push here is just government and no matter how you slice it, it always falls short if there is no private involvement.

 

[metis]

I like the government AND private. The push here is just government and no matter how you slice it, it always falls short if there is no private involvement.

That's the difference between Bernie and Biden, whereas the latter wants to do what you wish for above. If the government ("Medicare for all") were to work out better, then there would be an evolution in that direction. If not, it likely would swing back the other way.

BTW, just to be clear, my wife and I aren't swingers, so don't get any crazy ideas!

 

[SkepticThinker]

Again... you failed to read carefully our discussion. Socialism doesn't work. Capitalism isn't a "no tax" for infrastructure, which you failed to realize, it is simply a system for production that generally rewards those who work harder or have more to contribute.

Socialism produces more lazy people. Why should I work an extra 5 hours if I get the same if I don't? It is already proven.

You, on the other hand, are a Marxist which was proven not to work.

But, variety is the spice of life. Marxism gives greater value to liberty found in capitalism.

It sounds like you're confusing socialism with communism.

 

[Sand Dancer]

AGREED!!!! And then we need people oversight over the government.

People are the government.

 

[metis]

People are the government.

And the overseers of the government.

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

Well. Looks like with recent events, we're seeing disaster - not just a path to it - directly because of Capitalism, and the absolute, stubborn refusal to implement socialism.

 

[Milton Platt]

I have proposed a middle ground several times. I have suggested using premiums such as the case with smokers. People on RF ignore it or attempt to shame me over someone's free choice and life style choices. Another example I have made is for people that take part in risky sports activities. For example a few years ago some of Canada's Olympic ski and snowboard team members rented a helicopter to drop them off on a side of a mountain. This was not at a resort. One broke his leg. SAR had to be sent to rescue him. He should pay for some of those costs as he put himself in the middle of nowhere willingly and paid for it.




My focus is on who pays more and why not coverage. Again back to the smoker example. A smoker gets the same coverage but pays more due to their poor choice.

Seriously you are the first user that have even bothered to respond along these lines instead of grandstanding. Thanks.

This is a serious topic that has begged for resolution for decades. At the end of the day, we now have a congress that consistently spends money they don't have (and then reduces taxes as a means of increasing revenue???) and squabbles over an idiotic wall as Rome burns.

 

[Yerda]

They're capitalist countries.

As would America be if Bernie Sanders got to enact every part on his platform.

 

[Revoltingest]

As would America be if Bernie Sanders got to enact every part on his platform.

Bernie isn't really a socialist. It's just a label.
I was willing to vote for him because he wouldn't ever get his full platform.
Instead, I think his peaceful foreign policy would be of great economic benefit.

 

[dfnj]

Bernie isn't really a socialist. It's just a label.
I was willing to vote for him because he wouldn't ever get his full platform.
Instead, I think his peaceful foreign policy would be of great economic benefit.

Bernie has pretty strong views on corporate greed:

 

[Revoltingest]

Bernie has pretty strong views on corporate greed:

That could be just pandering.
As we can see on RF, many people hate corporations,
& want to fleece them. But were Bernie to become Prez,
he'd have to face the real world because Congress would
not share such extreme views.

 

[dfnj]

That could be just pandering.
As we can see on RF, many people hate corporations,
& want to fleece them. But were Bernie to become Prez,
he'd have to face the real world because Congress would
not share such extreme views.

Instead of "fleece" them, how about we return tax rates back to Bill Clinton levels the last time we had a budget surplus.