So, with the irrelevant debate about healthcare and affordable care act (names of bills in Congress have little to do with honest description), I thought, OK, let me check out the easy, helpful calculator some outfit has online. How would they know if I lied about smoking? I quit for hours, sometimes years, at a time.
It doesn't make much difference anyway. Most likely being in California yields a different result than being in Texas or some other state. The actual premium is close to the amount of money I made last year. I live cheaply, and could probably cut that by 20% or so with no reduction in quality of life.
Then I see that I can get this subsidy, that whatever, some kind of California medicaid thing, etc. Even "earned income tax credit"---which really means the opposite; they pay me for not earning much income.
I did that one time--filed tax and took the credit. I still feel terrible for it. The American taxpayer does not owe me an income. I can live cheaply. I had a car and a pack of cigarettes, and a cat. Really, the world is responsible to me for things not germane to my survival?
OK. So, here's the deal. I can get insurance that YOU pay for as long as I fill out all the government stuff, disclose all my details, etc.
The thing is I do not want anything like that from the state. I do not want to depend on the state for such things. I like it that they may even be confused about who and where I am. I hate dealing with governmental agencies. I do not trust them any more than I would a crime syndicate or gang.
Obviously the insurance game had some corruption and sneaky practices. I never had much trouble, but I rarely had to use health insurance when I had it.
It is another case in which there is some problem, then a bizarre cure is embraced which is worse than the disease.
That "we have to take action" bs which is used by politicians and government types to grab more money and power. Climate change? Oh my God, we must act! Let's tax stuff! That'll fix it.
world's greatest and greenest scientist. Family fortune made in tobacco, coal, politics and selling carbon indulgences. his education in government, divinity school, and law uniquely qualify him as the world's premier climate expert, and best judge of effective solutions to keep climate trends where they belong
This guy is an actual climate scientist from MIT, used to be at Harvard, which puts him on a credential par with anyone involved in various international committees devoted to selling theories to justify taxing air and expanding their own influence and importance.
“I think that the latest IPCC (the UN climate committee--intergovernmental panel on climate change) report has truly sunk to level of hilarious incoherence,” Dr. Richard Lindzen told Climate Depot, a global warming skeptic news site. “They are proclaiming increased confidence in their models as the discrepancies between their models and observations increase.”
The Associated Press obtained documents that show the Obama administration and some European governments pressured UN climate scientists to downplay or even omit data that shows the world hasn’t warmed in over a decade.
“[I]n attributing warming to man, they fail to point out that the warming has been small, and totally consistent with there being nothing to be alarmed about,” Lindzen said. “It is quite amazing to see the contortions the IPCC has to go through in order to keep the international climate agenda going.”
I won't argue the science of climate because I have never studied it to any degree, and I don't care to do that. I will argue that governments of the world are hardly the best source of truth or solutions when it comes to such matters---most matters. I will also point out that few people who depend upon tax money and alarm for their livelihood and position want to bite the hand that feeds them.
Every day I see these mock debates which seem designed increase central control over people and things, while reducing standard of living, mobility and choice. And people sucker for it.
Even those pushing the healthcare act---I am sick of the term obamacare--he seems to get a big ego boost from that---even the people pushing it in Congress did not know exactly how it worked or even what was in the bill. They admitted that. Obviously whoever owns these representatives had a vested interest in pushing it through. And to put the IRS in charge of getting it done? WTF?
So, I can do the smart thing; violate my own sense of right and wrong, by doing exactly what they want me to do, which is become dependent upon you for income, insurance, and whatever else you can't really afford. In return all I need do is subject all my decisions and choices to government approval, put up with having to prove how sorry and useless I am so that I can qualify for the max, and maybe vote democrat, though it really makes little difference. Right now, it is a safer bet to be a registered dem if the IRS is involved.
I actually registered libertarian; more as a statement than anything. I don't know that the libertarian party is going to hold to solid beliefs, although, unlike the democrats or republicans, they can and do articulate a specific, consistent philosophy. OK, dems do, too; they promote more extreme control of everything except abortion, and sometimes marijuana. I have no idea what republicans think because they seem to be pretend opponents to democrats' nonsense, yet they do more to sell that bs than anyone, with a few exceptions.
“I think that the latest IPCC (the UN climate committee--intergovernmental panel on climate change) report has truly sunk to level of hilarious incoherence,” Dr. Richard Lindzen told Climate Depot, a global warming skeptic news site. “They are proclaiming increased confidence in their models as the discrepancies between their models and observations increase.”
The Associated Press obtained documents that show the Obama administration and some European governments pressured UN climate scientists to downplay or even omit data that shows the world hasn’t warmed in over a decade.
“[I]n attributing warming to man, they fail to point out that the warming has been small, and totally consistent with there being nothing to be alarmed about,” Lindzen said. “It is quite amazing to see the contortions the IPCC has to go through in order to keep the international climate agenda going.”
I won't argue the science of climate because I have never studied it to any degree, and I don't care to do that. I will argue that governments of the world are hardly the best source of truth or solutions when it comes to such matters---most matters. I will also point out that few people who depend upon tax money and alarm for their livelihood and position want to bite the hand that feeds them.
Every day I see these mock debates which seem designed increase central control over people and things, while reducing standard of living, mobility and choice. And people sucker for it.
Even those pushing the healthcare act---I am sick of the term obamacare--he seems to get a big ego boost from that---even the people pushing it in Congress did not know exactly how it worked or even what was in the bill. They admitted that. Obviously whoever owns these representatives had a vested interest in pushing it through. And to put the IRS in charge of getting it done? WTF?
So, I can do the smart thing; violate my own sense of right and wrong, by doing exactly what they want me to do, which is become dependent upon you for income, insurance, and whatever else you can't really afford. In return all I need do is subject all my decisions and choices to government approval, put up with having to prove how sorry and useless I am so that I can qualify for the max, and maybe vote democrat, though it really makes little difference. Right now, it is a safer bet to be a registered dem if the IRS is involved.
I actually registered libertarian; more as a statement than anything. I don't know that the libertarian party is going to hold to solid beliefs, although, unlike the democrats or republicans, they can and do articulate a specific, consistent philosophy. OK, dems do, too; they promote more extreme control of everything except abortion, and sometimes marijuana. I have no idea what republicans think because they seem to be pretend opponents to democrats' nonsense, yet they do more to sell that bs than anyone, with a few exceptions.
I'll ignore the whole thing. More than likely I'll move in a few years unless I make some serious money. California is a good place for the very poor and happily government-dependent, and the very rich. No good for mid to lower mid income range, especially if I do not want my life to be overly enmeshed with the state. That appears to be their design.
You may think I am nuts, and I may think you are a coward. When this sort of thing crosses the line of the individual's sovereignty far enough, you either quit cooperating or you just go along. Both choices carry their dangers.
Geez, according to Homeland security, libertarians and those who do not see the state as an answer to all things are terror threats. That's rich, considering that they seem to be in competition with the irs to see who can be most abusive and intrusive in their attack on the citizens of this country.
if words are missing s d or r, it is because they don't work half the time and I miss it as I type. I try to catch it.
I've never seen so much blatant propaganda, demagoguery, lies, and insulting paternalism from the state pushed on us all at one time. It does influence how people think and behave.
Taking it from an observed behavior point of view, I'd say this is not a good thing. But I do love the backlash. The internet helps that a lot. That is why those scumballs in DC are dying to regulate, control and monitor the web way more than they do now.
Best to get while the getting is good.
In short: the corrupt elements of the healthcare/insurance world were rank amateurs compared to the outfit we've now got running that show.
Not really a new thing.
Many people buy into the bs. Suckers!!
.just a side note: it didn't take long before I could not stand to watch or hear the last three presidents
Did that class me as a racist then, too? Or only now? Bush made me cringe, so did Clinton, and Bush 1. Obama makes me cringe big time. I don't think race is the issue. I think power and lying is, and has been. And really, the last 2 presidents, W and O, project an air of oblivious incompetence that is painful to watch. I rarely agreed with clinton, but he didn't have that air about him
You may think I am nuts, and I may think you are a coward. When this sort of thing crosses the line of the individual's sovereignty far enough, you either quit cooperating or you just go along. Both choices carry their dangers.
Geez, according to Homeland security, libertarians and those who do not see the state as an answer to all things are terror threats. That's rich, considering that they seem to be in competition with the irs to see who can be most abusive and intrusive in their attack on the citizens of this country.
if words are missing s d or r, it is because they don't work half the time and I miss it as I type. I try to catch it.
I've never seen so much blatant propaganda, demagoguery, lies, and insulting paternalism from the state pushed on us all at one time. It does influence how people think and behave.
Taking it from an observed behavior point of view, I'd say this is not a good thing. But I do love the backlash. The internet helps that a lot. That is why those scumballs in DC are dying to regulate, control and monitor the web way more than they do now.
Best to get while the getting is good.
In short: the corrupt elements of the healthcare/insurance world were rank amateurs compared to the outfit we've now got running that show.
Not really a new thing.
Many people buy into the bs. Suckers!!
.just a side note: it didn't take long before I could not stand to watch or hear the last three presidents
Did that class me as a racist then, too? Or only now? Bush made me cringe, so did Clinton, and Bush 1. Obama makes me cringe big time. I don't think race is the issue. I think power and lying is, and has been. And really, the last 2 presidents, W and O, project an air of oblivious incompetence that is painful to watch. I rarely agreed with clinton, but he didn't have that air about him
