Volmari Report This Comment Date: October 21, 2009 05:57AM
Maybe you americans are not doing it right. Works for us finnish people, and we
really don't have to work that hard for it... Give it a shot maybe, without
going all nuts and yealling "commie/hippie/muslim/whatever" every time
he opens his mouth?
BTW here's an explanation on how Obama won the Nobel...
Seeker Report This Comment Date: October 21, 2009 09:18AM
I'm with you Volmari. It works here in Denmark too. We don't abandon the poor.
jgoins Report This Comment Date: October 21, 2009 12:17PM
But does it abandon the elderly and disabled?
Seeker Report This Comment Date: October 21, 2009 12:48PM
In Denmark we don't abandon the elderly and disabled either, I'm proud to say.
However. there is a catch of course. We pay the highest rate of taxation in the
world, in average approximately 60 %. When we buy something we pay 25 % VAT plus
excise duty. Gas is app. 2 dollars per litre, and we pay 180 % tax when we buy a
car, i.e. a car costs nearly tree times as much here as in USA (that's why we
drive small cars with small motors).
quasi Report This Comment Date: October 21, 2009 04:28PM
So, after working for over 30 years, paying my taxes, raising my family (single
parent since 1992), paying for medical insurance which I rarely used for years
& years (I don't like doctors but occasionally they are necessary), I
suddenly lost my job over office politics and the bad economy last Jan. and have
been out of work since though I'm looking every day - there's just nothing
happening here. If I get seriously ill or injured do I just lay down and die?
Which is worse, accidental euthanasia due to bureaucratic bullshit or suffering
and death due to purposely ignorring the need. No one wants to coddle the true
freeloaders, though attempting to weed them out adds greatly to the
bureauracracy, but the costs need to be brought under control. My only health
problem at this point is a bad back which goes back over 20 years. I've worked
in spite of the problem btu because I had surgery for it 20 years and I don't
know how many insurance plans ago, even if I can get some insurance under the
current system if I need any other treatment I'm still SOL because it's a
pre-existing condition.
A few years ago a coworker of mine was seriously injurred on the job. Workman's
comp took care of his injuries but while he was out of work he was in danger of
losing his own medical insurance because he had no money for it. I only learned
afterword that he was able to keep his coverage because I had anonimously
donated my Christmas bonus to him.
My mom has pretty good coverage thanks to my late father's retirement benefits
and medicare but this year the provider is changing and her deductable is
doubling. And what if the new provider decides to be a pain about pre-existing
conditions which in her case is alzheimers.
I'm not one to be on Barry's bandwagon and I don't like using one of his
bullshit slogans, but this is one area that has to change because good people
are already suffering and dieing.
jgoins Report This Comment Date: October 22, 2009 10:23AM
Quasi your situation is the same as many other Americans and I commend you for
surviving thus far. For years before I became disabled I was self employed and
I just couldn't afford insurance fortunately I never got sick and when my family
did I had to pay for it myself. None of the plans they are coming up with will
do anything for those in our situation who just can't afford the insurance at
all. Granted there are those who are free loaders but they are a very small
minority and the rest of us should not suffer because of them. This
administration will never do anything for the people because it does nothing for
their pocketbooks.