This one is a little different.... . Two Different Versions.... ............ .... Two Different Morals OLD VERSION Theantworks hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. Thegrasshopperthinks theantis a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.. Come winter, theantis warm and well fed. Thegrasshopperhas no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold. MORAL OF THE STORY:Be responsible for yourself! MODERN VERSION Theantworks hard in the withering heat and the rain all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. Thegrasshopperthinks theantis a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the shiveringgrasshoppercalls a press conference and demands to know why theantshould be allowed to be warm and well fed while he is cold and starving. CBS, NBC , PBS, CNN,andABCshow up to provide pictures of the shiveringgrasshoppernext to a video of theantin his comfortable home with a table filled with food. America is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poorgrasshopperis allowed to suffer so? Kermit the Frogappears onOprahwith thegrasshopperand everybody cries when they sing, 'It's Not Easy BeingGreen.' ACORNstages a demonstration in front of theant'shouse where the news stations film the group singing,“We shall overcome.”ThenRev. Jeremiah Wrighthas the group kneel down to pray to God for thegrasshopper'ssake. President Obamacondemns theantand blamesPresident Bush, President Reagan, Christopher Columbus, and the Popefor thegrasshopper'splight. Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reidexclaim in an interview withLarry Kingthat the anthas gotten rich off the back ofthegrasshopper,and both call for an immediate tax hike on theantto make him pay his fair share. Finally, theEEOCdrafts theEconomic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer. Theantis fined for failing to hire a proportionate number ofgreen bugsand, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by theGovernmentGreen Czarand given to thegrasshopper. The story ends as we see thegrasshopperand his free-loading friends finishing up the last bits of theant’sfood while the government house he is in, which, as you recall, just happens to be theant'sold house, crumbles around them because thegrasshopperdoesn't maintain it. Theanthas disappeared in the snow, never to be seen again. Thegrasshopperis found dead in a drug related incident, and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang ofspiderswho terrorize the ramshackle, once prosperous and once peaceful, neighborhood.. The entireNationcollapses bringing the rest of the free world with it. MORAL OF THE STORY:Be careful how you vote in 2010. Jamie
Just maybe there's some glimmer of hope out there. It appears that the hijacking of the medical system is on the critical list and maybe some degree of intelligence may be returning to DC. I can only hope that there is a future for my kids and grand kids that allows them to follow their own course. Some startling statistics for you. Last year the top 1% of taxpayers paid more in taxes than the bottom 95%. A mere 5% of the population paid 75% of all the taxes. In a society that is supposed to reward hard work and effort, this is a recipe for disaster.
Disgusting isn't it...... that a country that lauds itself as the land of equality and opportunity for the last 200 years has it's wealth in the hands of so few people. And that's a top rate of (what?) 35%. Imagine what the figures would look like if the top earners paid a proper rate of tax like 50%. It clearly isnt rewarding hard work and effort, because if it was then the tax bill wouldnt be so skewed. Unless, of course you are saying that only 1% of taxpayers actually work hard. I really can not get my head around this US ethos that those that make the most money are also those that work the hardest. A guy who digs ditches 60 hours a week works hard, a single mother who looks after a disabled child works hard. Not the fat cats pulling in multi million bonuses for sitting in board meetings.
I think Steve, it depends on how one defines hard work. Those of us with the gumption to start our own businesses would say that we probably work harder than the ditch digger because we don't leave the job at 5. With us it is a 24/7 commitment and we don't have a union to protect us from the evils of our customers. Add to that the responsibilty of having several families dependent on our success and failure and you can understand why the term "hard work" may be difficult to put into perspective. You mention a "more fair" rate of 50% as being a better system. Most countries in the world have reduced their tax rates because once you hit and pass 50% the tax burden becomes a confiscatory tax. The US is one of the only countries in the world that taxes world wide income. Most other countries do not. Here in the States we have a huge population of people who refuse to be accountable for their own actions. Too lazy to work? No sweat the government will take care of you. Do you smoke? Don't worry the government will take care of you when you get cancer. Too fat to get out of a chair? No problem, we'll pay you for the rest of your life and you can sit around and get fatter. Am I being heartless? No, I'm just sick of people who feel they're "entitled" to everything just because they exist. I go to a client's office in one of the worst parts of town and I see kids who live in the projects coming out of school and they are dressed better than my kids. Sorry, but that just isn't right. Our system here depends on an equal opportunity to become unequal. Now you can call that a greed motivated system and I would have to agree with you. But what is wrong with that? When the government takes from one group of people and gives to another just to buy their votes, then I think I have every right, and perhaps even a duty to get upset. The problem with the high tax rates is that it does actually destroy incentive and eventually you have everyone on the government payroll and no one left to pay the taxes. When that happens there will be no more US of A which means there will be no more tourists in other countries and no more aid to other countries and no big brother out there to help out those less fortunate or able to take care of themselves. Now I'll get off my soapbox and go back to work to pay my taxes!
It’s a common miss-conception that the wealthiest nation on earth callously neglects the poor – leaving them to die in the streets. In the past few decades, American Social Welfare programs (aka Entitlements) have rapidly ballooned and overwhelmed States like California, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Massachusetts. The ever expanding list of Government Social Welfare programs and culture of "give me more" (entitlements) has caused States to teeter on the brink of bankruptcy, not to mention blown-up the national debt to $12,329,073,662,897. That is how much the United States has borrowed, and how much we have to pay interest on. To put $12 trillion in perspective, our national debt is larger than the total economies of China, the United Kingdom, and Australia combined. Who will pay? Our Kids, their Kids, and their Kids…:ranting1: Now let's actually talk about how much of the federal budget goes towards Social Welfare programs and safety nets for the poor, elderly, and disabled. The facts are that over 52% of the Federal budget goes to pay for Social Security, Three health insurance programs — Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Safety net programs! http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1258 The total cost of American Social Welfare programs = $1.529 TRILLION!!! In comparison, the Defense and international security in 2008 was only 21% ($188 billion in 2008) of the national budget. The total also includes the cost of supporting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet, still Liberals and the Obama administration want to EXPAND Healthcare and Social Welfare programs!!!:banghead: Additionally the U.S. IRS says that nearly 46 million tax filers - one-third of all filers - had no tax liability in 2006 (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/13/obama-tax-cut-refunds-those-who-dont-pay/). That means its not the poor, elderly, or disabled that are paying taxes. It's the rich and middleclass!! These are the fallacies of the Democrats & liberalism that are fueling the rapidly growing anger in America right now :sauer005:
As a Canadian I hope I never have to use privatized health care. Here I know that if I need to go to a hospital I won't be turned away for any reason. And contrary to some of the information played out by the "fair and balanced Fox News" it doesn't mean that all prescriptions, optional procedures etc are covered. There are some things that we have to pay for as well. But guaranteeing someone that they will have treatment if they have a broken leg, cancer, heart attack etc. should be applauded as a good thing shouldn't it? I had a friend born with Cystic Fibrosis need a double lung transplant 3 years ago, her job? Bartender and a local nightclub. You don't get good health coverage in that profession! the province moved her into a specialized transplant facility, moved her fiance and parents into an apartment as well as paid basic bills during her stay. Total out of pocket cost and premiums she had to pay? 0 Some programs aren't so much as the ant helping the grasshopper but the healthy ant supporting the weak ant in a time of need.
As a Canadian, I hope you never have to experience the same problems by waiting 4 months for an MRI and finding you must cross the border to the U.S. to get the medical care that is rationed in Canada: Free Market Cure - A Short Course in Brain Surgery Or perhaps, you might be fortunate like Canadian Federal Politician Belinda Stronach who chose to get cancer treatment in California. The Toronto Star questioned her choice of US private care over Canadian public care. Stronach travels to U.S. for cancer treatment - thestar.com As an American, and with my Private Health Insurance Plan - I don't have to worry about either situation.
I respect your opinion, however I do look to my own friends and family for my comparisons. My father experienced tightness in his chest this summer and as a result went to the hospital. Within 10 days he was diagnosed with angina and treated with an angioplasty. At no time was his long term health impacted, his options for medical care limited by the state, nor was the quality of the physicians ever in question. Another friend whom I also referred to in getting a double lung transplant was also treated with the utmost professionalism and expediency. Her transplant became available on Christmas day roughly 3 years ago. Other than standard medical screenings for viability was her qualification for a transplant surgery EVER questioned. A good friend of mine has a nephew who has been undergoing a very difficult cancer treatment for the last 2 years. The best medical facility for his treatment is roughly 300 miles from their home and as a result the health care provider has been gracious enough to provide an apartment so that the family could be near while treatment is underway. The common complaints as to the availability of MRI's are that they aren't readily available. Primarily this is a result of people who are in discomfort but not medically urgent difficulty. For example someone whose knee is not quite right yet still can do most of the things that they want. If someone comes in who needs access more urgently they are bumped to the head of the line. Some jurisdictions like Calgary have began to allow private care clinics that will give these services to those who have the resources to pay extra for it. In effect there are options for optional care in effect even here. Care is not rationed but instead based on a triage model. Not to go into too much detail Belinda Stronach would have been given the same quality treatment at home as she got by travelling to the United States. Hers was a choice of comfort with the physicians. The point I want to make most about medical care in Canada is this. We do not have anything resembling a 'death pannel'. If you are in need of life saving treatment you will be treated and in a timely manner. If that means that hospitals who have agreements with facilities in the USA transfer patients when it make sense then they will do that. I won't sit here and claim that Michael Moore's Sicko is an accurate depiction of our health care system. We do have issues we need to address. BUT, 'exposes' such as those presented by Sean Hannity earlier this year are at minimum equally misleading. I have never known nor heard of anyone in this country denied care. Private vs. Public delivery is a philosophical difference I have with many Americans. But I do take exception with the statement that public health care is 'rationed' because it is not.
By current law in the US no one, repeat, no one can be denied life saving treatment at any Emergency Room. So one should die in the streets unless there is some reason they don't want to be known in the "system". And Universal health care won’t fix that. Steve, I'm sure you're still sending half your income back to the UK right? I mean since it's the right thing to do. I'm sorry but I just get a little tired of people around the world telling the US that they have no right to tell the rest of the world how to act in their own countries but then have no problem tell the US how to run its country. If everything in your home countries is soooo wonderful, going so well and you have your act sooo together then why don't you step up to the plate and start supporting the rest of the world. Then we can keep our tax dollars at home and afford the universal coverage you all want us to have. We can stop paying half of the UN's bills. Canada - you want to pick up that tab? How about the billions we send to Africa every year. UK - you take that one... And the list goes on…. If you want to put some skin in the game and start sending your money the US Treasury then you can start telling us how to spend our tax dollars. Till then thanks but opinions are like assholes, everyone has one but I really don't want to have to inspect everyone's. Sorry if I sound a little over the top but I hear enough crap from the folks that live here and am getting a little tired of arguing with the peanut gallery. With the election of the 41st vote from Mass maybe now the Democrats will start talking to the other party instead of saying" we'll listen to you as long as you agree with us, otherwise we'll pass what we want and tell you to pound sand and call you the "no" party". We have all agreed that there are problems with the current system. Where we disagree is to the extent we trash the existing system for a new one. The Republicans say fix the problems in the current system and the Democrats say start with a whole different system. Till now without having to talk to the other party the Democrats have gone their merry way buying votes within their party to get it passed. Now they have to come out of the back rooms and show everyone what they are doing. That's all we've been asking for. Nothing more but for that we are called the party of the status quo, insensitive, cheap, and backwards. Jamie
