Maybe you should perform surgeries yourself then. Wouldn't want to reap the benefits of someone else's actions.rednose1 said:As to the whole "just pay it in taxes" issue, I'm in the branch of people who would rather reap the benefits of my actions.
The reality, of course, is that you're never going to pay for just yourself under any system or just your actions. So while it's nice to talk about yourself like you're some sort of island, it will never be the case.
There's actually nothing stopping tax incentives for just that, so if that's your only issue....If you care about your health, you should be rewarded with better rates.
It should, but I'd note reliance on fast food largely stems from an impoverished nation. People usually don't choose the circumstances of their own birth, and we have millions of families who rely on fast food as a staple due to cost issues. It's very libertarian to be callous and say "you could choose to eat better," but the fact remains we don't have a system sufficient to make healty eating a viable choice compared to the "dollar menu."Granted, some people have factors outside their control, but the prevalence of fast food in todays culture scares me.
What you end up with is a one-choice system, and you're punishing people for making that choice wrong without any viable alternative.
Maybe "work harder," but that implies a nation where you can't work 40 hours a week and still qualify for food stamps because you're below the poverty level.
A bunch of people do choose to eat shit. A ton more choose, basically, to eat.
Rand Paul's solution is elegant. "Shop around."ninjaRiv said:It baffles me, it really does. Sick and dying people can't get the surgery and medicine they need to save their lives because they're poor. It's crazy that a "civilised" country does this, isn't it? And there are people in America who fight for this, for a system where people die of treatable illnesses. I'm not saying anywhere's perfect but, shit... This could really do with being fixed. It should be paid for through taxes. There should be tighter restrictions on suing hospitals. People who ***** and moan about taxes that save lives, man. They're the same people who like how much is spent on the army, as far as I can tell.
Obviously, the free market solves everything. I mean, why can't heart surgery work just like contact lenses?
I think you're being unfair to the right wing. Selfish is the new black, my friend. We're a borderline sociopoathic nation, and it's not tied to one party.The Unworthy Gentleman said:Regardless, American refusal to pay more taxes for a system that only benefits them and other people is ridiculous. The fact "I don't want to pay for someone else's injuries" is used as an argument against it just shows how selfish the right wing is.
We're also a nation of hypocrites, as selfish people will deny aid for others and demand it for themselves. Just look at the number of Senators who denied aid to Hurricane Sandy victims because "fiscal responsibility" who have turned around and begged for aid in their own states. Granted, there's a tendency towards these being red states, but it's not universal.