i would love to see this country move to being an actual democracy. They could start by say, guaranteeing everyone the right to health. That would be nice. 30% of people in the US without insurance are between the ages of 19 and 29. why? because of ...
a. the shitty economy. they can't find jobs
b. stringent insurance company rules knocking them off their parents insurance, even if they are still in school
c. they can find jobs, and jobs they love, but they are at small businesses that can't afford insurance because it costs the low low price of your firstborn child.
It's obscene. Much smaller democracies offer free national health care, and we are supposed to be pioneers in liberty? In Sweden, birth control is FREE! absolutely FREE! In between the ages of 15 and 19, only 10 out of every 1000 girls becomes pregnant. Knock that number up to 70 per 1000 in the US. The United States has both the highest teenage pregnancy rate and highest teenage abortion rate in the developed world. I have insurance, and it still costs me $15/month for my pills. Go to Planned Parenthood, the only alternative for low-income females without insurance, and you still have to fork over $21/month. Some assinine politicians bitch and moan about abortion and how it is so BLASPHEMOUS, yet what they hell are they doing for me? A whole lotta nothing. Instead of giving me free health benefits, they are smashing the economy and making sure that any form of health insurance stays well out of my reach.
thanks a lot boys. just don't bitch about the teenage pregnancy rate. that's your own doing.
before we hail Sweden and all move there, remember that it has the highest suicide rate in the world. You give some, you lose some.
Lauren, you are referring to a socialist system where everything is provided, not a democracy. In a democracy people are free to make choices. I can't believe you bitch about paying 15 a month for your pills! Grow up! As a taxpayer and wage earner, I have no desire to subsidize your birth control methods. Abstance is free and the best birth control of all!
Fine, don't subsidize birth control. Instead, subsidize all the care we must provide to orphaned children, children born with drug addictions, etc. You are totally totally right. It is so much better to have children born to parents who don't want them and can't care for them than to help the problem at the root. Yeah. That's cheaper.
As far as this idea not being part of a democratic system, I don't see where you are going. Because of the fact that we provide welfare to low income families makes us socialists? The fact that we finance and provide funding to presidential campaigns makes us socialist? Our government does provides things to its citizen, that is what an organized government is for, socialist or not.
Having a nationalized healthcare plan that is similar to a PPO would in no way encrouch on the freedom of a person to choose what sort of medical care they would prefer.
btw, abstitence is free and the best birth control of all? I think you need to grow up, because that is not reality. People have sex. As a grown woman, I have no qualms about my sexual activity, or feel the need to supress it. The abstinence argument might work on 13 year olds, but come on. Is it fair for me to assume you're a guy? Well, tell you what, why don't we all just move to condoms? I know what a wild, pleasurable experience those are. Not a problem for you, don't mind the condom? Well, watch out for the vast majority of the male population that would rather be hung by their toenails than wear a rubber.
In the ideal world, we wouldn't have to worry about teenage pregnancy and abortion because everyone would be responsible. Unfortunately, we don't occupy that world. Not even close. So, while it sucks here, why don't we lend each other a hand?
Because "lending Each other a hand" is not what I choose to work for. I am a responsible priofessional Law enforcement worker. I see the dredges of society every day, however, even if I gave all of my pay to charity, it would not solve the problem. The plain truth is that in a truly democratic society...there are choices to be made, and you are held accountable for those choices. The fact that YOU choose to be sexually active, does not require ME to subsidize your lifestyle, or the choices you make. The fact the alcoholic on the street who chooses to pan handle, and then spend whatever funds nieve people give him on booze, does not mean I should provide him with "three hots and a cot." These are choices people make, and are free to make in a truly deomcratic, not socialist society. I suggest that if you think Canada's health care system is so good, resign your citezenship and move, for you see, in a truly democratic society, that is your CHOICE. But don't expect me to foot the bill for the movers!
well, i foot the bill for your salary, and you don't see me bitching.
too much of our taxes goes to throwing money at the wrong social problems. we should throw more of it at the root of problems. if we had better programs for people living below the poverty level to help them get trained, get educated, and get jobs, you could bet we would see a difference in crime, abortion, and homelessness. More children would be born into stable homes, and so would begin the positive domino effect of those children being able to get trained, get educated, and get jobs.
you're right. the 50 cents you throw at a bum isn't going to fix it. the "three hots and a cot" you offer will do nothing but prolong the problem. but if you help the bum out with some job training, he might be able to move back into society. and i hardly call this charity. i call it civility.
if you offer low-income teenage girls free birth control, they will likely NOT become teenage mothers, giving birth to children that are immediately brought into the cycle of poverty.
those children never even have a choice. and that is NOT democratic.
you'll likely say they have a choice. but do they really? In a realistic scenario, they are raised in a household where there is one parent who works extended hours. They receive little or no discipline, no guidance. Their free-will is allowed to run amok. If you ever give humans a chance to utilize their free-will unchecked, they will always go outside of the bounds of what is "proper". If you are christian, that is why we are no longer in eden.
our government makes plenty of decisions without consulting me personally. i am forced to subsidized activities that i would prefer we were not involved in. being democratic is not about allowing everyone a choice, it is about allowing everyone an opinion. a democracy looks out for the good of its people, and responds to the needs of the majority. it can in no way respond to all the personal preferences of its citizens. it is simply my personal belief that a nationalized healthcare system (and by this i am refering to all healthcare, not just birth control) is in the best interests of the majority. disagree all you like, that is your opinion, and i am entitled to mine.