I'm trying to think of ideas for UHC in America and I'd like to get some objective facts on existing systems in France, Canada and England. I think I have some info on Japan, but wow, there's nothing objective for these other countries. A billion editorials and political opinions but no "these are the benefits, these are the restrictions", etc.

I wonder sometimes, considering how hard it is to find concrete information, if anyone has ever given an informed opinion on these issues.

Ah well, I guess I should just be using Google to find info on the Kardashians. Plenty of stuff on that.

First let's start with the chain of hypocrisy here.

It's 2008 and you are a working class stiff just making ends meet, starting a job at the Acme Widget Sales store. Acme Widget Sales has just done a credit check on you to make sure that your credit history is good, and they've inferred from this that you're a responsible worker. Irresponsible workers damage productivity, ya know.

Little do you know that the owner, Richie, has a bit of a gambling problem (totally not like Terry from "Men of a Certain Age" ).

Well, 6 months into your employment, it turns out that Richie has to let you go due to "unforeseen financial circumstances". Then he fights your unemployment insurance because he doesn't want to pay extra taxes next year. It takes weeks to get through this and get your unemployment insurance.

You can't find work for the next 2 years hence. 2,000 resumes and 180 interviews later, your unemployment insurance runs out. You've already ditched paying your credit cards and you live like an absolute pauper, no cable TV, no cell phone, no Internet, but now you have no money coming in at all. Miraculously, though, Joey's Widgets, another company, decides they want to hire.

Facing eviction, you go in search of the only job opening around, and they do a credit check.

The only thing they see now is that your credit is ruined.

Nobody at Joey's Widgets knows that your former boss had a gambling problem, which directly led to you losing your job. They just know your credit is ruined.

No job for you! Say hello to homelessness!



Wouldn't it be nice of employers were forced to submit to intrusive background and credit checks? Even if it didn't preclude them from opening a business, which would in fact be analogous to what they inflict upon job applicants, the Government could make it so employees know more of the risks they're getting into by choosing one employer with a GAMBLING PROBLEM over one that doesn't have a gambling problem?

There are some people who believe that America should accept lower standards of living because we use too many of the world's resources, and that for us to oppose this is to be selfish.

The "reasoning" behind this is that other nations would be kept in poverty if we were to maintain our standard of living.

Of course the way I see it, the whole concept of offshoring can't even survive if other populations aren't impoverished. When they become better off, there's no supply of cheap labor. Their export-based economy will evaporate, and then what? Or better yet, our economy will collapse, and then they won't have anywhere to export their stuff to. Then what?

To rip off Margaret Thatcher: There's only so far the Third World can go by taking other people's jobs. When that blood vein runs out, then what?

And just so you don't think I'm making this up, I shall name names even at risk of censure.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=52324

I just gotta know what kind of Democratic Party I'm a part of... a family that cares about its own, or one that sells its own people out for the sake of others.

It's nice to see a company that advertises RURAL outsourcing as an alternative to FOREIGN outsourcing.

Rural outsourcing often pays less but it beats shipping jobs out of the country.

Again, thank you!

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http://seasteading.org

The Seasteading Institute is an organization dedicated to developing an offshore artificial island where Government regulations cannot be enforced. John Galt would most certainly approve. So why aren't Libertarians rushing to donate to this cause? They should. Their dream world awaits them, all they need to do is take action!

Present this to them and make sure to ask why they decline to pursue their dream. This should be a fun little hunt.

Now the mother demanded that they remove her kid from the duffel bag. I for one would not demand it. I would do it myself. And God help anyone who got in my way.

http://news.yahoo.com/school-accused-putting-autistic-student-bag-182229844.html

School accused of putting autistic student in bag

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A 9-year-old autistic boy who misbehaved at school was stuffed into a duffel bag and the drawstring pulled tight, according to his mother, who said she found him wiggling inside as a teacher's aide stood by.

The mother of fourth-grader Christopher Baker said her son called out to her when she walked up to him in the bag Dec. 14. The case has spurred an online petition calling for the firing of school employees responsible.

"He was treated like trash and thrown in the hallway," Chris' mother, Sandra Baker, said Thursday. She did not know how exactly how long he had been in the bag, but probably not more than 20 minutes.

[img][/img]

To the bottom of the ocean, that is! LOL.

I have hair on my head and that pie in the sky I'm shooting for is a fair and just society for all!

(Bald folks are always welcome!)

Oh, and...
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Note to mods: I invoke the "Yankee Doodle" historical example as justification.

Thanks, "Old and In The Way" - good idea for a thread title!

So now the first thing a visitor sees when they come to the DU is this:

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>>> MOST DISCUSSED <<<
President Obama Richly Deserves to Be Dumped
233 | Better Believe It
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WTF?! I've been trying to play nice with the "Dump Obama" / Obama hater crowd but this has gone far enough. The damage that has been done should be clearly obvious.

"President Obama Richly Deserves to Be Dumped"? That needs to be hidden. Go take it to the Freepers or whatever if you want Obama kicked out of office. Or stuff it until the 2016 election season.

In my opinion the DU isn't here so that people can do the Republicans' job for them!

Kick and record if you think it's CRAZY or just downright IMPRACTICAL to call for Obama to be Primaried or any of that mess.

Remember Anderson in 1980, Perot in 1992 and Nader in 2000. Don't let the Democrats be the victim of the next disruptor candidate! And remember to vote SUPER PROGRESSIVE in 2016 and in EVERY other election!

Show this to your local Republicans.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Georgia-school-overcomes-hunger-to-claim-state-t?urn=highschool-wp10283

Wed Dec 21 02:51pm EST

Georgia school overcomes hunger to claim state title
By Cameron Smith

Usually, when an analyst says that a team was hungry for a state title, they mean that in a figurative sense. In the case of the Burke County (Ga.) High football team, that phrase meant something quite a bit more literal: The players were actually hungry.

As reported by CBS News, one of Georgia's newly crowned champions made a quantum leap in performance in 2011, and its coach has little doubt that better nutrition -- mostly in the form of simple access to more food -- was a big part of the improvement.

"We're probably like most small towns in America right now -- you know, we're struggling," Burke County football coach Eric Parker told CBS. "So, bringing food home and putting it on the table for a lot of our people, you know, that's a big deal.

"We had kids who literally by Tuesday had to be removed from practice because of the intensity and the amount of energy they were having to expend."