Comments by "" (@jmitterii2) on "The Rational National"
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I can. A day or so after the election, woke up at 4 AM to get ready for work. Bedroom up stares, living room and kitchen down stares. I made some coffee, went up stares. Heard someone knocking at the door... though perhaps pizza delivery person has the wrong address? Went down stares, door has a stupid ass window on it, could make out a person but they were kneeling.
I was about to unlock and open the door until the nut job starts banging on the door trying to force it open screaming at me. I screamed, you have the wrong house! And ran into my kitchen and grabbed a knife turned of all my lights, patio slider door at the kitchen I quickly pulled the blinds.
Still screaming something incoherent, banging on my door. I waited in terror. My phone even rifle (only fire arm) up stares.
We had a rash of burglaries recently in the Boise area here in Idaho. One guy who confronted a burglar got shot in the arm by the burglar.
I waited for a while in the kitchen after a few minutes of silence and dashed thru the living room then up stares which is directly in front of the door that has the huge door window. Got up stares, grabbed my phone to call the police department.
Felt like a nightmare come to life. Terrifying. And I'm a guy.
Anyway, the cops told me other people from my town house had called and that police were on the way. Half hour later the police were there and I saw the guy being taken in, the police apparently consoling him, a youngish mid 20's early 30's looking guy in a US flag beanie. The cops asked if he ranted about Trump losing or something... I told them I couldn't make out what he said, perhaps he was drunk.
And I'm a white mid 30's vet. Born and raised and have lived most of my life in Idaho, and have had other sort of similar experiences as a teen living with my parents in an apparently rough neighborhood, couple drive by shootings, and a couple neighbors being stormed by the swat team using flash bangs.
So no. I know exactly how she felt. It's terrifying.
Even in small low populated states. It's America.
We're a fucking quagmire of a country.
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This is the absurdity I was concerned when the real-estate crash happened.
IT was never that people bought dozens of homes and realized they only needed one.
They bought one. And couldn't afford that.
What should have happened: Banks were all insolvent therefore they all should have been nationalized. All mortgages should have been recalculated to no more than 1.5 times gross income and interest rates recalculated at 3% or so; keeping people in their homes.
Developer loans should have also had the same recalculations as they bought land at bubble prices; then provided a major works subsidy in developing water, sewer, electricity; and require cities to do what they once did; develop. Instead of force this to developers who add this to the price of the lot and home.
A major house and apartment building program should have been implemented in every city and town in the US.
The nationalized bank could then be spun off to credit union banks. And a complete prohibition on lending more than 1.5 to 2.5 times income on homes.
Rental co-ops subsidies in all towns and cities to support rental housing using a similar model of Vienna Austria.
It's an absurdity the way we do our housing, healthcare, and higher education. We have many examples on how other nations from Finland, Vienna Austria, Germany, UK, Australia, Japan, etc. do it with lower prices, better quality, and more supply than we do.
Our system is nothing but a casino bubble bust bullshit on an open fire.
Our taxes are nearly the same as German total taxes, and its even more when you add our insurance premiums we pay and even more so when you add any copays or deductibles in using this so call insurance that is often employer sponsored.
So our taxes are about the same, sometimes less such as most provinces in Canada a person making $60K gross USD pays less in taxes than we do and that's including their universal healthcare payroll tax portion, and not counting our employer sponsored insurance premiums with our taxes.
We can make things work correctly: better quality, lower price, and more supply. These other nations provide ample examples on how.
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They're stuck watching the fucked up 6 nationwide network propaganda stations. So they remain uninformed and deliberately mislead. This isn't just an African-American elderly phenomena, but cuts across all elderly people of our idiot nation. Us younger folks cross check what the 6 stations offer as news, and we discover it's usually really slanted, or simply absent of various events happening... tourists visiting France right now upset because they have no idea about the general strikes nor even the now two year old yellow jacket protests... in the US oligarchs of any political strata don't want people to get an idea.
Similar to the fact that just across the boarder to Canada, even Mexico, even Cuba let alone most of all of Europe east and west, Japan to Australia enjoy a universal healthcare system that is cheaper than our racketeering one, and far more effective than our own.
It's impossible for us younger people who have traveled probably a bit more, or at least came in contact with people in other countries, probably have internet buddies all over the place, and live in economic idiocy of diminishing wages and cost of living that's become so absurd as working people forced to live in their fucking cars that they can't piss on our leg and tell us it's raining.
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Since 2000, every study demonstrates universal healthcare was by far cheaper and better quality than private healthcare WHO and Mirror Mirror Reports by the Common Wealth Fund.
Currently, even our medicaid and medicare program are unable to negotiate prices themselves, instead must follow whatever private insurance companies have negotiated regionally... most idiotic concept ever, why not let private banks have access the Bureau of Printing and Engraving via the US Treasury to issue money at a discount or just for free and get paid a dividend by the very open cookie jar... oh wait, the Federal Reserve catering directly and only to private banks lending to them overnight loans at discount rates, and most recently buying $4 trillion in bad debts from these private banks and a combination of US Treasury bonds directly to keep interest rates down. And still paying out to the same banks 6% of proceeds from the Federal Reserve... side topic, but seriously we need to essentially give private banks access to the printing press so they can essentially be promised profits and liquidity to run day to day... free market my hairy ass. And that's fine, so long as its stable. But let's not kid ourselves, no market is "free" or "let it be". And when they are, they don't tend to last very long.
Currently we already spend $3.3 trillion in consumer spending total both private and public on healthcare, or 17.1% of GDP 2017, total GDP 2017 was $19.390 trillion.
$32 trillion over 10 years is already at least a trillion dollars less... but likely would be even less over all if such a universal system could actually negotiate prices itself since medical insurance companies would no longer exist; and provide the new universal healthcare system the ability to buy out and develop its own hospitals, and even pharma factories including Rx and appliances production should the hustlers of few oligopolies of big hospital and big pharma not want to meet sensible negotiations.
Fact of the matter, healthcare violates all of the competitive market principles, so it shouldn't be a surprise for profit motive in this sector utterly fails to provide best quality at the lowest possible prices; instead it does quite the opposite. As empirical (logical) economics would forecast.
Reason why other sectors that violate one or all severely the competitive market principles are often not for profit motive supplied or if such exists do so extremely poorly... utilities like water, sewer, trash, electricity are natural monopolies, and yes idiot US has many private monopolies in utilities, and based on the private vs public cities and counties, the private for profit legal monopolies tend to charge more than the public owned supply. Hence why most places still have public sewer, water, and electricity; we're not complete dimwits only halfwits.
For profit motive only works better than public ownership when in sectors that don't violate the competitive market principles and rules/laws/regulations ensure competitive market principles are not broken and are upheld like consumer protections providing perfect knowledge of reviews, quality controls via inspections, certifications, requiring full disclosure of contents and agreements to operations, etc.
US, the people in general, and the oligarchs themselves have capitalized on not thinking empirically/logically/scientifically about anything, especially economics. Such idiot nonthinking has become the robber barons escape from their cave they were put in when we nearly went either fascist or authoritarian communist Stalin/Mao style in the 1930's until about 1970's. Now the robber barons are out of their hole and they want their idiot brainwashed buffoon loving masses to do as oligarch says. Keep'em all halfwits, intelligent or thoughtful enough to do labor for me and buy my stuff. But not smart enough to ask questions and understand how to discern answers to those questions, and don't even give them a chance to even think of such questions... such blasphemy can't even enter your mind... just roast your mind on some sports or music or how about drink yourself into an oblivion or clog your face with some fast food fried and grease.
https://interactives.commonwealthfund.org/2017/july/mirror-mirror/
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In all nations, universal medical programs often cover everything (dental, body, vision) is more affordable than our idiot system by 50% per capita. We spend double than all other wealthy countries... all other wealthy countries have universal healthcare... and we have shittier healthcare for our double the per capita price.
Both employers and employees pay less for full coverage in these universal medical programs than our idiot bogus bullshit private insurance nonsense.
https://interactives.commonwealthfund.org/2017/july/mirror-mirror/
Employers' portion they pay on universal healthcare is actually cheaper than our system of private insurance on all other wealthy nations (that all have a universal healthcare program).
We're at an economic disadvantage because we don't.
Additionally, only sector benefiting is the insurance and big pharma.
The disadvantage of our it system also effects many hospitals and clinics; both non-profit hospitals and clinics and for profit ones. Hence why you have several hospitals and clinics closing up nationwide.
It would be cheaper for all employers to go on a universal system.
Case in point, Canada is overall cheaper one employers and employees which has universal healthcare program that excludes dental and vision, they get private insurance for dental and vision. Similar to our Medicare/medicaid portion that has the same exclusions (dental and vision) hence why elderly an disabled on those programs get the "Advantage plus" insurance plans.
Current figures 2018
USA
Employer portion 1.45% and Employee portion 1.45%
Then employers and employees pay private insurance:
$13,049 (70 percent) for family coverage (with employees contributing $5,714)
or a HDHP with a savings option, the average employer contribution was $5,004 for single coverage (82 percent), while the employee contribution was $1,020.
https://squareup.com/townsquare/payroll-taxes-defined
https://www.griffinbenefits.com/employeebenefitsblog/what-is-the-average-employer-contribution-to-health-insurance-premiums
Canada
Employer portion 2.324% and Employee portion 1.66%
Canadians usually get extended insurance that covers Rx, dental, and vision on average from $1,000 a year to $2,000 a year premium. Employers often pay a portion, but tends to be as little as 10% for the extra insurance.
https://home.kpmg.com/xx/en/home/insights/2011/12/canada-other-taxes-levies.html
https://home.kpmg.com/xx/en/home/insights/2011/12/canada-other-taxes-levies.html
https://interactives.commonwealthfund.org/2017/july/mirror-mirror/
In the US, we pay double that of any other nation per capita, and just to be insured employers and employees pay double.
Other nations are much better than Canada, UK dentistry, vision, and Rx covered.... in fact Germany, France, Sweden, and many other nations make no distinction on medical coverage, all is covered. Seems to be an idiot North American thing to separate dental, vision, and everything else, so most of Europe and Asia (Japan) cover everything under their single universal health program... medical insurance in these countries are relegated to only life insurance policies and insurance for extra income in case of disability.
Many other countries do even better job in their programs by including all medical (dental, vision, and everything else).
US spends about double per capita on medical, and gets the worst results in all criteria which includes access, healthcare outcomes, equity, administrative, care process for every year the CWF conducts its survey, most recent figures at the website below.
https://interactives.commonwealthfund.org/2017/july/mirror-mirror/
Our system is a joke. A racketeering monster. Hurting essentially all sectors so a few sectors can be parasites. And most importantly making our lives more miserable should health problems creep up. And it is hurting our overall competitive advantage, as our employers and we ourselves pay more than any other nation for far the worst medical of all other wealthy nations.
We could easily have a full coverage program similar to Germany's at about 5.5% matching payroll tax, taking the place of the matching 1.49% medicare/medicaid.
We could extend that coverage to all health (dental and vision and everything else) for that price. You would not need deductibles whatsoever. And copays would be limited as they are in Norway and Sweden to no more than annual total of $300 a year, and each copay being about $20 per Rx, office visit, OR, dental visit, tooth filling, etc.
And for the price of 7%, no copays or deductibles whatsoever.
In our hands what exactly we want. But we certainly want something better, because all those proposals are cheaper than what we currently have, and actually provide much more than what we get for our over paying now.
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I did a breakdown on an individuals taxes on taxable income $50K (after deductions).
US you pay more taxes than Germany, UK, Japan, Austria, Sweden, and Australia.
And we pay additional to insurance for medical coverage that doesn't cover everything, only the premium.
I was spurred to do so when I was working with an international group of people; one from China, another from Japan, another from Sweden, another from Germany. The Chinese guy was looking over my pay stub and said wow! You pay lots in taxes. What do you get for it?
I said well you pay taxes too. And all of them got in on it to compare each others taxes and and other withholding. Their taxes were lower and included universal healthcare, some even includes higher education like Sweden, Germany, Austria, and the UK.
All I could say was... we we have roads. The German said, we invented the Autobahn, don't give me that. I then said, we have a bloated military... that's all I got.
I still get my Rx from Germany to this day because same price $160 will get me over a year supply 200 tablets vs only a month or so supply in the US or 20 tablets that are $200 per Rx.
I did a sketch on $50K with exact same budget on food and clothing and entertainment to capture their VAT (sales) tax as well as their income tax and payroll taxes.
We pay more than they do on every front; Federal, payroll, state, sales tax, property tax, etc. And then we pay additional to premiums, again not including using that so called medical coverage when it requires meeting deductibles, copays, etc.
I checked for married and dependents; Germany specifically gets huge tax deductions larger than ours about $7,500 per dependent if I remember right. So their taxable incomes are lower too. So the $50K taxable figure I compared, means a German grosses even more, makes even more money than $50K by far if they have dependents and/or are married; their standard deductions are even more generous than ours.
We're an idiot nation being fucked in every orifice of our body and then some.
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Senator Joe Manchin (name like that you would think it would be a republican wearing a monocle), already in dispute about the other $1,400 or $2,000 in stimulus.
The true colors come out. DNC have proven time and time again over the past 30 years they're better at passing GOP and robber baron policies than those that help the working persons:
1) H.R.6521 - Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008
2) NAFTA
3) 1994 Crime Bill
4) Repeal Glass–Steagall Act of 1933 under the The Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act (GLBA) 1999
5) Welfare reform act of 1996 which destroyed public housing and HUD development leading to the ridiculously unsustainable rent and housing prices costing more than the 20% to 30% sustainable levels, now costing 40% to 60% of monthly incomes. In the worst areas as high as 80% to 90% of take home pay, hence the record numbers of working people living in RV's, tents, cars, etc. often with an entire family of kids and wife.
6) Affordable Care Act that was a give away to private insurance never dealt with pharma and hospital pricing and sustainability; devoid of public option with price controls that ALL other nations rely upon as healthcare has a blatant inelastic demand curve: people will pay any price, demand doesn't vanish based on price, to stay healthy, not feel pain, nor die; you can't rely on the hidden hand or rather the price via demand curve. It does not respond the same way. the demand curve is completely inelastic. And then when you do, it's barbaric because it means they're choosing cheaper incorrect medication, or skipping meds like insulin to pay rent or food, or other basics.
Quite literally ACA was a GOP sponsored plan by Bob Dole, and was actually enacted by republican Governor Mitt Romney in Massachusetts: it did not solve any of the affordability problems regarding healthcare in that state, nor did it, it only assisted big pharma and hospitals to ensure they got some if not all money for rendering services even after patients filed medical bankruptcies.
7) Congress altered 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(8) 2005 making private students not dischargeable in Chapter 7. This coupled with PUBLIC LAW 98-353—JULY 10, 1984 that had made public student loans non-discharchable in chapter 7.
So... yeah, I'm hoping.
But if past is prologue.... which it usually is... in 4 to 8 years we'll have someone even more insane than Trump.
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In the US, if you didn't have coverage, they would have simply given you pain medication and a timeline on how long to expect to live and a brochure describing tying up end of life "final wishes" ie. picking out your tomb stone, coffin, funeral home, cremation or embalming, etc.
Seriously, not a joke. I know people who had severe cancers, they'll immediately classify you with terminal illness if you have little to no insurance. Even when you're on medicare at elderly age with a supplement insurance like my grandpa. He got lung cancer. They treated him with some radio therapy. But changed their minds and decided he was terminal, sent him home on morphine, and my mom and aunts helped him linger on for about 6 months until he died.
The experience I have had and watched others have in our idiot country has been very bad. We're among the worst countries on medical. My experience with Germany, Japan, and UK is completely night and day different. UK being the best out of all of them, and its completely provided by the government. Some of Germany is the same with lots of private pharmacies and clinics. And Japan also mix of non-profit clinics (for profit medical establishments are prohibited) and government operated with rates strictly set, and 30% of non-elderly co-pay is payed by mandatory insurance; elderly pay 10% copay and that is waived if poor or covered with supplemental insurance. MRI in Japan is $98 USD compared to MRI in the US still at $1,200 USD.
Talk about a racket in good ol' 'Merkah! Derp duh derp duh do!
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The biggest problem though is for most states and nation-wide, unions are only 6% of the private workforce. You can't just strengthen union bargaining, but have to make it easier to start them. Because right now, they carry no influence on other non-union workplaces as there's not enough of them to do so. Case in point, a prior employer has union and non-union workers. The unionized workforce portion had substantial pay contract for their work starting no lower than $21 as high as $38 an hour rate depending on their job function and differential pay scale for working late, middle of the night, and weekend. And in the contract a promised 0.74 increase every year for that 5 year contract. And on call work promised to pay 2 hours even if the work only took a few minutes, to compensate for having leave to work on call.
Compared with the same company with the non-union part of the company, the lowest starting pay was $12.00 an hour and capped at $17.00. No differentials. No on call 2 hours work even if it only took less than two hours to complete the work. Pay was arbitrary and hidden from other workers unless you asked them directly how much they get paid, and it broke down that most were pay first 5 years about $13.50, 10 years 16.00 an hour. And 20 years nearing their cap at $17.00. The company was highly profitable and could easily afford to pay these 20 workers the same rate as union contract, but they could get away with it since that group wasn't union. There is very littler pressure even within the company to "compete".
So the goal needs to be to make it easier to start unions, and expand unions to other divisions in a company.
Potential solutions:
1) make right to work legislation illegal. a) all union workers must pay their union dues, no free riders.
2) To get people okay with union dues. a) establish caps and expenses that unions can do with such dues; no racketeering from union bosses or union organizations.
3) Just make union dues essentially not be a factor by subsidizing those via government; a) government pays for the legal services that unions need. Which is essentially what 90% of union dues go toward anyway: lawyers to assist in contracts and holding decisions in union meetings as legally binding changes, and enforcing union contracts with grievance processes. Just have the government pick up the usually small tab for union dues instead of making the workers to do it would drop any perceived sense of loss of money that causes this contention within the workers to unionize.
Union dues have been a huge contention used within workers (usually irrationally because the dues are often small as $20 a month) and by management spread such contention to prevent or bust up unions. Take that weapon of contention off the table.
And it becomes a nothing to lose only to gain proposition; you'd be absolutely stupid no excuses to not join or start a union. You can't pretend $20 month ($240 year) union due is too expensive as it only provides a minimum $41K a year wage, so you would rather pay $0 monthly due and make $29K to 35K a year instead.
Peoples ability to do math and think rationally is astoundingly poor.
It's surprises me we're not all still nomads wiping our asses with our hands.
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