I have no real compulsion to work. As long as I have the basics covered, I’m cool with life. So if the government wants to make sure I can always get healthcare up to modern standards without me lifting a finger to pay for it, why should I even make the attempt to keep a job? The government is going to give all the care I need to me anyway, as per hypothesis, and I couldn’t get any more effective essential care (I don’t care about cosmetic surgery or similar.) if I were rich, also as per hypothesis.
I have no interest in the philosophy behind my actions. The categorical imperative is uncategorically denied for the purposes of this thread. (You can still raise such issues, I’ll simply point and laugh at you. ;))
You have just come to realize the obvious, yet often overlooked, reason why there will never be a successful large-scale communism-based society, and why what we have now is about as good as it is going to get, flaws and all. Without incentive, how do you convince someone to do something? The common good means nothing unless you can take care of your own needs and wants. Nobody can force you to disregard your basic human nature.
Chicks. Chicks dig the boat. And the 'Vette. So you make enough money to keep the boat & the 'Vette in working order.
Or, spend it on adding to your anime collection. Whatever.
Look, friend, if you want to drop out of the workforce, I really don’t care. That probably, indirectly, helps me get a job, as someone moves into whatever job you were doing, & someone moves into whatever job they were doing. If you’re somehow not leaving a vacancy, then apparently we’re doing fine without you working. I’m not going to pretend that work ennobles you or anything. I really don’t care if you don’t.
I get sick today, go see doctor today or next.
OR
I get sick today, consult nurse, then consult doctor, then scheduled for appoint in one day to one month in the future. :eek:
Yep, you’re right. Boy, when you’re right, you’re right. Due north of you is 30-odd million people, all lying on their lazy butts and not doing a lick of work because they have universal medical care. Yesss indeedy how did you ever get so smart about this stuff?
Oh wait, the balance of trade between Canada and the US has Canada in the surplus position. Canada has been running economic surpluses year-over-year for quite a while while the US has been running deficits. And we created 90,000 jobs in January. And the US at ten times our size? 111,000 jobs - a whole 21,000 more.
Food and housing the gov’t will also pay for. I think the OP is willing to forgo spending money.
Is that the attitude you’re gonna take when your gigantic army swoops in to defend you from the invading Austrailians? Wait. How much does your country spend on armed forces every year?
We don’t need no steenkin’ armied forcus. You ever had boiling maple syrup poured on you? Hm? Thought not. Well just you ponder that before you try any of this ‘invading’ goofiness.
So I can just go home now? Cool. I’ll tell my boss.
Look: your government already provides you with lots of things in return for your taxes. Roads. Police protection. Fire departments. National defense. Welfare, so you don’t starve to death. Social security. How is paying for healthcare significantly different? Is it just that, because it isn’t done in America, it therefore must be unnatural, ungodly and un-American?
I’m looking and I don’t see that anywhere in the OP. If he wants to restate that he’s welcome to, but it ceases to be a debate about universal healthcare and becomes one about Fantasy Gumdrop Land.
We have ‘universal healthcare’ in the UK - it stinks.
I must confess I can see your point. If it is deemed that a certain percentage of the work force must be unemployed, then it seems a bit dim to have someone who wants a job being unemployed, and someone who does not want to work being employed.
Not my idea, a rather smart friend came up with it a long time ago.
Why, what a balanced and nuanced viewpoint! Allow me to retort, assuming I can summon up the same level of sophisticated argument…
We have universal healthcare (as opposed to ‘universal healthcare’ in quotes, which is presumably slang for ‘vile commie plot’) in the UK. It rocks.
Ahem.
In all seriousness, the British healthcare system is far from perfect; I personally think something a little more akin to the French model of health insurance would be preferable, but it does what it is suppossed to, which is provide a basic minimum standard of healthcare to the entire population regardless of their economic status. I, for one, am very glad it does, and think that, physically, socially, and ethically speaking, it makes us a better society.
As far as the OP goes, as others have already pointed out, you will lose much of your quality of life; sure, you can sponge off the state and remain healthy, but without any kind of money to spend on personal goods, good luck keeping happy and diverted.
Exactly. And that’s why every single country with universal healthcare is financially bankrupt and their entire populations do absolutely nothing all day, just lie down and rake in the benefits. Americans: you can still stop this!
Well you obviously have not had medical problems in the UK.
As it happens I consider BUPA etc disgraceful, they leech on the core of the NHS, consultants run their private businesses on NHS premises and in NHS time.
In my view you cannot mix public and private enterprise, personally I would abolish private practise in the UK - although practically I would compromize and bar all private practise individuals from NHS premises.
In my view the NHS sucks - I sincerely hope that you never have reason to come to the same conclusion.
I thought this was a mis-posting, but I couldn’t find the thread about communism you were referring to. As others have pointed out, having universal health care has nothing to do with communism because you still have rent and/or mortgage, food, utilities, luxuries etc. to pay for.
Nor does is centrally plan the economy - the most striking and ill conceived idea in communism (they had some wacky ones, but the planned economy among the wackier).
