Since they have no choice, I find your attitude a little odd.
Excuse me? Are you saying that Medicare-aged Americans are NOT free to buy private insurance like they do now for supplemental coverage?
Dave in Houston
On Fri, 23 Jul 2010 01:07:33 -0500, "ChairMan" wrote the following:
He isn't.
Because you don't get total domination over hundreds of billions of dollars that way. His (sleeper Muslim/Socialist) way, the gov't takes over.
-- Exercise ferments the humors, casts them into their proper channels, throws off redundancies, and helps nature in those secret distributions, without which the body cannot subsist in its vigor, nor the soul act with cheerfulness. -- Joseph Addison, The Spectator, July 12, 1711
"Dave in Texas" wrote in news:TRg2o.347054$ snipped-for-privacy@en-nntp-03.am.easynews.com:
Isn't Medicare an insurance program forced on everyone with salary/wages?
And what is statism? As a naturalized citizen I pride myself on my knowledge of English, but that one escapes me.
ntp-03.am2.easynews.com:
Your knowledge is clearly lacking.
Is there insurance available for seniors? Are companies *allowed* to provide it? No, it is *NOT* a choice.
In news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com, Larry Jaques spewed forth:
follow the money
" snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com" wrote in news:7d0f4f8f-625f-4b4d- snipped-for-privacy@x21g2000yqa.googlegroups.com:
Thank you for the education. I'm not for statism, then. Nor for anarchism. Individualism is fine, as long as there is more compassion and responsibility than greed.
Now *that* we can all agree with!
Except that you *are* a statist. You demand that government do more, not less.
...for I'm not going to *DO* anything.
Is there insurance available for seniors? Are companies *allowed* to provide it? No, it is *NOT* a choice.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Yes, insurance Is available for seniors. Yes, companies are allowed to provide it. Yes, there are choices. They may not be choices you personally approve, but there are choices. When pointing out the flaws in policy and government, sticking to Real Issues is better than going after myths.
...for I'm not going to *DO* anything.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Certainly nothing that anyone with a brain will be happy with.
Huh?
"Individuals entitled to monthly [Social Security] benefits which confer eligibility for HI [Hospital Insurance] may not waive HI entitlement. The only way to avoid HI entitlement is through withdrawal of the monthly benefit application. Withdrawal requires repayment of all RSDI [Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance] and HI benefit payments made."
Employers are not allowed to offer competing insurance, though I can't find a reference now. A former cow-orker ran into this at my PPoE when he turned 65.
My wife is still working and has employer supplied health insurance that covers her and me at 67. She is 65. No problems whatsoever. I suspect that your former employers Insurance was to blame.
1) Starting in the near future, I will lose the right to choose the type of health insurance I buy, or even whether I want to buy insurance. If I don't buy the government approved version, I will be fined. Seems like a loss of freedom to me, how about you? You OK with the government ordering you to buy a product by force of law? Don't bother with the automobile insurance analogy -- that dog don't hunt. If I don't own a car, I don't have to buy auto insurance. If a person has a pulse, they will be required to buy health insurance or pay a fine -- that is, unless they are part of one of the protected classes. Then I will get to help subsidize their purchase of health insurance. 2) If The One's vision of Cap and Tax passes, I will lose more freedom of mobility, comfort, and other elements of my daily life as the huge carbon taxes will "necessarily cause my electric bills to skyrocket [his words, not mine]", cost of transportation to skyrocket, and all other goods to increase in cost because of these taxes. 3) Planned tax increases as the tax cuts expire and The One's minions ponder a VAT tax and other tax increases will further decrease my ability to exercise my economic freedom to purchase, save, or invest as more of that which I work to earn will be taken from me by an ever-increasing government. 4) Additional regulation of the financial industry that just passed is going to do little to protect my investments but is going to add further restrictions upon the banks with whom I do business, credit cards companies that I might use, and stifle my consumer choices because of exceedingly over-arching regulations imposed on businesses that will hit small businesses hardest, driving many of them out of business.
As far as that snarky Medicare question, I don't know, I'm not old enough to qualify to collect benefits from the system THAT I'VE FRICKIN' PAID INTO BY FORCE OF LAW FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS, and there's no telling if there will be anything available when I am old enough to qualify. I may be one of the lucky ones who will have been forced to pay for the benefits of others while congress bought votes by generously expanding benefits and who will have to then buy my own coverage when I am old enough because the system will be bankrupt. Thanks so much for your support of politicians who felt that charity was using my money to buy the goodwill of others, my generation really appreciates your support of those weasels.
Greed is good.
As one ancient worthy said, "If not for greed, no man would marry, build a home, or father a child."
Greed compared to altruism is like comparing dynamite with a bowling ball. It is very difficult to cause substantial harm with a bowling ball. It *IS* easier to cause great harm with dynamite, but, when used properly, much good can result.
In other words, the problem is with the outcome, not the motivation.
As for "compassion," consider Jonas Salk peering through his microscope during those long nights of search and discovery. He no doubt had many incentives for his dedication, but I'll bet at least once the thought "If I can whip this, then the money will roll in and I can do the kind of research I want without having to suck up to all those bureaucrats and grant applications!" crossed his mind.
So, to some degree, greed helped eliminate Polio during my lifetime.
"HeyBub" wrote in news:adSdnahHXKyhTtfRnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com:
To Heybub and Keith:
I may be some kind of statist to you, but I'm all for individual initiative, daring and some greed as well. I am also for a context wherein personal advantage doesn't come at the cost of kicking everyone else down under the mud. If that doesn't come voluntarily, then there is a need for "regulation". Perhaps that's why we have laws, rather than anarchy.
I know at least 1 contemporary to Salk (he hopes) who does indeed work not only because doing good and increasing knowledge is fulfilling him, but also because of what you say about grant applications. In fact Charlie told me he buys lottery tickets just for that. He is now a big professor at Harvard. I am proud to know Charles N. Serhan personally!
"Lobby Dosser" wrote in news:i2dip1$ct4$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:
Wife is a few months older, doesn't work. My employment supplies health insurance for both of us now (with my copayment of premiums), and the same will be when I retire (soon). We were advised then to keep copaying the insurance, taking Medicare A (which we did when attaining 65), and declining the supplemental parts, etc.
Clearly there is a choice, especially when you have the "right" employer ...
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.