(September 2, 2009 at 2:58 pm)Tiberius Wrote:

(September 2, 2009 at 1:18 pm)Saerules Wrote: That is where i am referring to it being bad. And the government needs to either be a meritocracy with its populace armed according to its physically and mentally stable population... or the government needs to be involved enough (police and in some cases military) with its people that it has the power it requires to neutralize threats.

Indeed, which is why I'm a libertarian and not an anarchist. I like to think of libertarianism as "organised anarchy" in a way. People need a government to support the police force and the healthcare, all the necessary things for a society to function properly. They should stop when they are preventing people from exercising their individual liberties, and preventing people from earning as much as they want to support their family.

I completely agree with that bolded statement, from entirely personal experience. My bank accounts, medical forms, housing options, and schooling are all 100% controlled by my parents. I have zero possibility of altering this without emancipation, which i will probably have to go to court over.

I have everything all set up for me to move into, so that i can begin a transformation which my parents will not allow me to undergo (But which i absolutely MUST undergo, and soon, to ensure smooth transition), and so that i will be closer to a collage, with free room and board (so long as i help keep the family's house clean, and help out in general, which i already do for them), and my license and car will both be made available to me in 7 months (=time of high-school graduation with 10 collage credits to my name already, in valid fields for my future jobs).

And what can't i do? Exactly all of that... i will be graduating high-school a year and a half earlier than most people... but i am held back from my life by conservativity.

Saerules: That's about how you'll feel if the government takes over healthcare and forces private companies out of business. You are also very young and when you are eighteen you will be your own boss. I'm sure your parents feel like they are helping you. You'll be eighteen before you know it and I promise you that even though you will have a lot of fun being an adult...you'll think back on your childhood and wish you could go back now and then. My parents got me a new car when I was 16. The day I got my license I went to the dealership to pick it out. A year later and a few speeding tickets later I totaled it passing three cars on a wet country road going about 75MPH. It's not always fun to be cut lose at a young age. Those speeding tickets and accident almost cost me my license, a few hundred dollars in fees and court costs, and a hell of a lot more for my insurance coverage. I think they are trying to protect you from things like that.

(September 2, 2009 at 8:57 pm)dry land fish Wrote: Saerules: That's about how you'll feel if the government takes over healthcare and forces private companies out of business. You are also very young and when you are eighteen you will be your own boss. I'm sure your parents feel like they are helping you. You'll be eighteen before you know it and I promise you that even though you will have a lot of fun being an adult...you'll think back on your childhood and wish you could go back now and then. My parents got me a new car when I was 16. The day I got my license I went to the dealership to pick it out. A year later and a few speeding tickets later I totaled it passing three cars on a wet country road going about 75MPH. It's not always fun to be cut lose at a young age. Those speeding tickets and accident almost cost me my license, a few hundred dollars in fees and court costs, and a hell of a lot more for my insurance coverage. I think they are trying to protect you from things like that.

I am British.

Here the American health care system is a horror tale told in the dark on camping trips.
Private companies do not care one jot about helping people they care about money and that is all.

My middle child has been in hospital for months at a time on multiple occasions.
The service was good on the NHS and more importantly free at the point of usage.

The only contribution I make is a modest affordable amount in taxes.
If the same happened in America I would be on the street, I am not highly paid but probably earn too much for medicare.

The system you have now is the worlds most expensive with one of the lowest rankings in the developed world.

The NHS might not be perfect but it is many many times better than the American alternative.