Authoritarism in Hungary and Poland

[TrustMe]

13 minutes ago, Yama said:

Several years ago, our then-Minister of Finance suggested that "use of cash should be discontinued" because "electronic money is so much easier to track"...

Didn't Sweden go cash less? I remember reading it somewhere.

 

 

 

[Ssnake]

Yes, with that exact argument, that cash is for criminals only.

[Harold Jones]

Given that Norway has a the government provided universal healthcare plan, I suppose one use for grocery data would be to start sending gentle reminders to people who spend too much money on fizzy drinks and fattening snacks or other such unhealthy things. 

[rmgill]

22 hours ago, Harold Jones said:

Given that Norway has a the government provided universal healthcare plan, I suppose one use for grocery data would be to start sending gentle reminders to people who spend too much money on fizzy drinks and fattening snacks or other such unhealthy things. 

'We're sorry, your request for insulin has been denied. You've purchased too many fattyMcFat Drinks over the past 10 years.'


The golden rule is that he who has the gold makes the rules. This is why I dislike public health care. 

[EchoFiveMike]

Given the number, and far worse the common personality traits of fatty mcfats I interact with, no pity for them here.

Personal responsibility or die.  S/F....Ken M

 

 

 

[Ssnake]

And yet, if I could choose a country and year but would receive a random social stratum and randomized health, I'd pick Norway over the US any time between 1980 and now. All these horror stories about "death panels" and denied treatment invariably come from Americans, and I suspect from Americans with no clue how Norway or Western Europe actually work. At the same time it's US insurance companies that routinely delay necessary treatment. Curious, that.

[Mikel2]

Many people see the US healthcare system as capitalism in action.  In reality it has been corrupted by many decades of federal and state regulations, which were engineered to short-circuit the free market in every possible way.

For example, the "healthcare insurance provided by employer" model is a result of FDR's wage controls, which forced companies to add perks in order attract employees.  Before FDR, consumers paid their medical bills in cash, with no armies of middle men in between.

I got really angry when the GOP in 2016 went from "repeal Obamacare" to "repeal and replace".     There is 90 years worth of fed and state regulations that need to be repealed.

[rmgill]

4 hours ago, EchoFiveMike said:

Given the number, and far worse the common personality traits of fatty mcfats I interact with, no pity for them here.

Personal responsibility or die.  S/F....Ken M

They'll probably also use it to look at other spending habits for other political reasons. 

[rmgill]

4 hours ago, Ssnake said:

And yet, if I could choose a country and year but would receive a random social stratum and randomized health, I'd pick Norway over the US any time between 1980 and now. All these horror stories about "death panels" and denied treatment invariably come from Americans, and I suspect from Americans with no clue how Norway or Western Europe actually work. At the same time it's US insurance companies that routinely delay necessary treatment. Curious, that.

Actually a lot of that has to do with knowing how the US works. 

Come over here and look at local/state/federal govenrment corruption. USPS is a ripe example of that. See also the US VA system. 

[BansheeOne]

Here's the really funny thing: We've had dozens of pages debating how Australia and Canada have become As Bad As China due to their COVID restrictions (probably hundreds if you swept out the main COVID thread); ten alone about Trudeau literally being the new Hitler for invoking emergency powers against protesters before they were rescinded ahead of Parliament voting them down, with posters pointedly asking what had become of the Hungary and Poland thread, suggesting that what was really needed was a "Authoritarism in Canada" one. However, when self-avowed China fan Viktor Orban has himself voted some emergency powers to bypass parliament for countering COVID, then when noone complains too loudly repeats the same, then likes it so much he has it extended on different grounds before they sunset, some of the same posters rather talk at length on this thread about ... Norway's statistics agency collecting data on supermarket purchases. 😁

[DB]

Anyhoo, dog flatulence aside.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61808473

When you flee Russia due to demands for protection racket money from the local bandit warlord, don't pick Hungary as your destination.

[Ivanhoe]

Ironically, the US is floundering with their handling of Russian emigres/refugees;

https://hindustannewshub.com/russia-ukraine-news/russians-break-record-for-attempted-illegal-escape-to-us-the-moscow-times/

I assume the friction between CBP and the current administration is adding to the CF. 

Irony being ironic, if Solzhenitsyn tried to emigrate today, he'd be labeled a dirty fascist Rooskie and denied entry. On the positive side, the US is probably not going to ship any Russians back to Russia. 

[sunday]

5 hours ago, Ivanhoe said:

Irony being ironic, if Solzhenitsyn tried to emigrate today, he'd be labeled a dirty fascist Rooskie and denied entry. (...)

Because Totalitarianism is on the rise in America, perhaps?

[Skywalkre]

On 6/14/2022 at 5:43 PM, Mikel2 said:

Many people see the US healthcare system as capitalism in action.  In reality it has been corrupted by many decades of federal and state regulations, which were engineered to short-circuit the free market in every possible way.

For example, the "healthcare insurance provided by employer" model is a result of FDR's wage controls, which forced companies to add perks in order attract employees.  Before FDR, consumers paid their medical bills in cash, with no armies of middle men in between.

I got really angry when the GOP in 2016 went from "repeal Obamacare" to "repeal and replace".     There is 90 years worth of fed and state regulations that need to be repealed.

I think your bolded bit is still, sadly, the default argument many on the right make (and only because they're making a knee-jerk reaction to something someone on the left is saying, not that they really understand the issue and believe it).

I'm just relieved to see the rest of your post.  Between this and some other comments in recent months here on TN I think it's finally starting to sink in to some on the right that our system is FUBAR and in desperate need of an overhaul. 

Unfortunately I still think that swell is too far behind.  If things keep going like they are we'll likely see some universal system eventually adopted only because folks everywhere are growing tired of the current mess and no better alternative or fixes were put forward (by the right... because we already know the left is mostly for universal care).

[Mikel2]

7 minutes ago, Skywalkre said:

I think your bolded bit is still, sadly, the default argument many on the right make (and only because they're making a knee-jerk reaction to something someone on the left is saying, not that they really understand the issue and believe it).

I'm just relieved to see the rest of your post.  Between this and some other comments in recent months here on TN I think it's finally starting to sink in to some on the right that our system is FUBAR and in desperate need of an overhaul. 

Unfortunately I still think that swell is too far behind.  If things keep going like they are we'll likely see some universal system eventually adopted only because folks everywhere are growing tired of the current mess and no better alternative or fixes were put forward (by the right... because we already know the left is mostly for universal care).

 

I think many people on both sides of the aisle grossly misjudge how regulated and infiltrated by public money the US healthcare system is.  The left thinks it's the wild west and many on the right think it's the free market in action, when it is neither.

I don't want more regulation or plans from either party.  We need to repeal most legislation that has been passed in the last century, both at the federal and state level, and let the free market work its magic.

[Skywalkre]

6 minutes ago, Mikel2 said:

 

I think many people on both sides of the aisle grossly misjudge how regulated and infiltrated by public money the US healthcare system is.  The left thinks it's the wild west and many on the right think it's the free market in action, when it is neither.

Agreed.

6 minutes ago, Mikel2 said:

I don't want more regulation or plans from either party.  We need to repeal most legislation that has been passed in the last century, both at the federal and state level, and let the free market work its magic.

Repealing would be a plan of action... something the Rs haven't had going back to even the Obamacare debates.  I've basically argued for moving towards free market and seeing what happens over what we have now.  In our system of special interests being the ones who largely dictate what becomes law it'll be a tough fight to push against them to make change.

Like I said... I'm afraid inaction will lead to things continuing how they're going and folks just getting so fed up the politicians on the left who want a universal system will finally win out.

[lucklucky]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/06/20/spanish-city-makes-urinating-sea-offence/

[sunday]

Well, looks like this thread was somewhat needed...

[lucklucky]

Quote

Government declares war on holiday homes

Landlords will be banned from using buy-to-lets for short-term lets

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/buy-to-let/government-declares-war-holiday-homes/#comment

 

[Mikel2]

And this is the the conservatives?

[TrustMe]

Yes, the Telegraph is basically a mouth piece for the Conservative party.

[lucklucky]

20 hours ago, Mikel2 said:

And this is the the conservatives?

Indeed... Conservatives in UK are very fond of Control Economy.

[rmgill]

2 hours ago, lucklucky said:

Indeed... Conservatives in UK are very fond of Control Economy.

I rather think many British are rather fond of control regardless of party. 

[lucklucky]

https://legalinsurrection.com/2022/07/netherlands-police-open-fire-at-farmers-protesting-globalist-climate-change-restrictions/

[sunday]

Total hoax, but as this is tanknet, no chance should be lost of seeing a Sherman Firefly rolling.