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My coworker just said he hates Americans
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During break for my Ideology class today I was talking with someone about how ridiculous and out of control the US bashing was. We're both critical of the government, the people, the history, etc.... but reasonably so and when it's appropriate. But there are a few people that are anti-capitalist or anti-Iraq war or just anti-US in general that seem to lack any capacity to temper their opinions. It's gotten to the point where I find myself defending Bush or Americans. Look what they've done to me!
And an example of how ridiculous the teacher herself can be: she was saying that tarriffs and such (ie, canada/US relations) is "as bad" as war itself. I understand some semblance of an analogy but she was dead serious. I spoke out but kept it to "I disagree." She replied "I'm glad you do." *boggle*
Go talk about fucking cars or something.
And an example of how ridiculous the teacher herself can be: she was saying that tarriffs and such (ie, canada/US relations) is "as bad" as war itself. I understand some semblance of an analogy but she was dead serious. I spoke out but kept it to "I disagree." She replied "I'm glad you do." *boggle*
Dumbest shit I've EVER read.Gek54 said:
Wait, THAT'S the dumbest shit I've ever read.Gek54 said:
Go talk about fucking cars or something.
Particle Physicist
between a quark and a baryon
i want a geopolitical penis so all the kids on my block can envy me. 
Drinky Crow said:
I hate "fair weather" Americans. When money's rolling in and there's good stuff on cable you don't hear a peep from them. Something blows up and suddenly the flags are out and freedom is #1.
Same mentality as people who start rooting for a team when they make the playoffs.
All of the comments like this confuse me. I'm not sure if you're supporting what I wrote or calling it a brilliant piece of trolling. It certianly isn't a brilliant piece of trolling. If someone tires to argue against it, it automatically makes them a weakling suffering from penis envy.AeroGod said:
Particle Physicist
between a quark and a baryon
Raoul Duke said:
i hate the current government.. not the country nor the people. america has truly provided a wealth of opportunities for many. i definitely appreciate whats its done for my family.
No, I hate the people too. I didn't previously, but I have slowly come to the realization that the majority of the people in this country are good for nothing lazy fucks who don't give a shit about anything other than their immediate surroundings and predicament. Slack jawed yokels incapable of abstract thought or use of logic, they take up valuable oxygen, road space and theatre seats that I could be using.quadriplegicjon said:
No one wants to get off their lazy asses long enough to tell the Government that it's fucked beyond all belief. Thomas Jefferson would weep, but Suzie Q. Homemaker can't be bothered with Revolution- the episode of Friends where Ross plays rugby is on! Benjamin Franklin would roll over in his grave, but Buford the Budweiser swilling redneck wife/sister abuser could care less- he's too busy watching NASCAR and screaming, "TURN LEFT, JUNIOR, TURN LEFT! HOT DAMN BOBBY RAY, DID YOU SEE JUNIOR TURN LEFT!!!"
America is a nation of no good fat and lazy ingrates. We consume more resources in a week than most other people do in a month, and take it for granted. We plug ourselves in to our distracto boxes with 300 channels of worthless shit or sit in front of a fucking computer screen all day and read what people in power want us to know, see what they want us to see and hear what they want us to hear. ARE WE NOT ENTERTAINED? We are Rome, all over again. We have lost our way from making the proud kneel to becoming the proud. And we will pay.
Greenpanda
Banned
NLB2 said:
This might have been written in sarcasm, but it's actually true.
Do The Mario
Unconfirmed Member
I dont hate Americans I feel sorry for them.
Raoul Duke said:
Wow, this is original :| If you are going to attempt to be clever or witty, at least be somewhat original instead of spending the time to type out 10 hackneyed ideas.
OMFG America today is Rome1!!11 We 4 teh doomd!!! Phat 'n Lazie!
If anyone else is up for revolution... I'm down. I try and talk my roomates into it every once in a while, but they just look at me like I'm nuts. "Are you crazy?! I've not beaten Mercenaries yet!"
I don't know how far we would get... but maybe our failed revolution will wake everyone up.
I don't know how far we would get... but maybe our failed revolution will wake everyone up.
Do The Mario
Unconfirmed Member
I have a question.
If I was an American citizen and I needed a new liver but didnt have insurance what would happen to me?
Some Americans I was talking to said they had great health care but I dont think they realized I was talking about public health care.
If I was an American citizen and I needed a new liver but didnt have insurance what would happen to me?
Some Americans I was talking to said they had great health care but I dont think they realized I was talking about public health care.
psycho_snake
I went to WAGs boutique and all I got was a sniff
I have nothing agains Americans, just the government. What they have done to Iraq and the iraqi people is just appauling.
Do The Mario
Unconfirmed Member
Drozmight said:
Wow thats terrible.
Not to convert everything in public hospital beds (which Australian politicians do) but wouldnt 300 billion dollars be enough to set up the base of a public healthcare system?
I would assume more Americans have died because of lack of medical care then terrorism?
Do The Mario
Unconfirmed Member
commish said:
Why dont you want people who cant afford health care and medicine to get it free (or in the case of medicine subsidized)?
Why isnt it a path you want America to take?
Yeah, enough for about 6-8 months...:lol
Sorry, but people should have to pay for health care (i.e., the services of another human being) just like they do everything else in life. Should it be as expensive as it is currently? Hell no. But instead of examining the reasons why it's that expensive, people just keep beating the drum for socialized medicine, which is abhorrent for various reasons imo. Personally, I do not believe that anyone who legitimately cannot afford medical care should be left to die or suffer serious health consequences as a result of their inability to pay; none of this necessitates a socialized system, however. The shame of the current national discourse on health care is that there is no discussion of viable alternatives taking place beyond A) socialized medicine (ethically and financially untenable), B) the continuance of the current "managed care" paradigm (which is bursting at the seams already and is also riddled with ethical/financial issues), or C) "free market" medicine (which is unethical and inhumane for many of the reasons stated herein; this is "sink or swim" medicine-- if you can't afford it, tough luck).
Talk to any ER physician in the country and they will tell you literally dozens of stories about people who came into the emergency room for "free" care (mandated by law, mind you) with no insurance, claiming that they couldn't afford it, while their Navigator sits outside with chrome rims, or they chat on their $130/mo cell phone or feed their $100+/week cigarette habit. Sorry, but before you ask another man to render you a service of his own charity, you had best be damn sure that you've made an honest effort to afford to help yourself. I, and many other Americans, will not allow our entire health care system to be turned upside down so people like this-- people who did not prioritize their lives correctly-- can live off of our tax dollar. No, sorry.
Now, the pertinent question is: are situations such as this the rule, or the exception? Well, they may not be the rule, but they're prevalent enough to not exactly be called "exceptions", either. There are certainly millions of people who do not live extravagantly and who have made every effort at affording insurance for their families who just cannot do so-- these people, I feel for; the plight of these people needs to be addressed. But I will not subsidize someone who indulges in what are by all accounts luxuries while they choose to forgo a "necessity" (I mean, health care is a "necessity", correct? That's what everyone's always bleating about, is it not? Shouldn't "necessity" trump "luxury", then? It would seem to follow...) This is to say nothing of the fact that it is absolutely indefensible to expect the American tax base to have to pay for socialized medicine while care will still be guaranteed for illegal aliens, who by some estimates already cost hospitals roughly $5-8 billion per year. I should have to subsidize illegality? Sorry, but no. And since none of these (and numerous other) policies will change, I cannot support socialized medicine. If you think we can set up some sort of makeshift socialized system to meet basic health care needs (which we already have, btw-- they're called "clinics") and it will not be exploited by people such as I've described, then you've obviously never lived in America.
The ends of socialized medicine (i.e., care for all people) are noble and desirable, and I've never taken issue with this; its means and its attendant features, however, leave a lot to be desired imo, both ethically and financially (for an example of the troubling ethical dilemmas that obtain under socialized systems-- and even under our current third-party payor system-- consider what happens when the interests of the payor and the interests of the patient do not coincide; what happens? Whose interests prevail? European nations are increasingly realizing that this is a problem, particularly with the elderly and the critically ill). I understand that you've been weaned on such a system, and so it seems like "the best possible system" to you, but take a moment to consider some of the implications of what I've said. Personally, I don't think that any of the three commonly proffered systems (socialized medicine, "managed care" such as in the US, or "free market" medicine) are "the best possible system" for various reasons, so don't take this post as a bash on socialized systems and an implicit endorsement of the US' policy, because it's not.
Health care is a finite resource, and as such is subject to the same economic laws and pressures that everything else is-- there are only so many doctors, nurses, hospital beds, and imaging machines; further, for its provision, some pretty expert people have to do some pretty expert work, and these people deserve to make livings commensurate with their expertise, dedication, and value. Canada and European nations are becoming ever more aware of this fact as these resources dwindle due to an aging population, inadequate compensation, and rising expectations on the part of the public (and Americans are the absolute worst-- read: most demanding-- when it comes to "getting the very best care"; they're insatiable. You think an American with cancer is going to wait 6 months for chemotherapy, or a person in need of a hip replacement is going to wait 6-8 months for OR space to be available? Yeah, maybe they'll wait in court with their lawyer :lol). You cannot have a system which inherently denies the very real, limited nature of these resources while simultaneously expecting both immediate access and the very best care. It's just not feasible. Now, this does not mean that I feel that only those who can afford it should get care-- quite the contrary, actually, though I will not go into it here (I've already rambled long enough
). But it is foolish for proponents of socialized medicine to sidestep or gloss over the very real problems with such systems, the same way that it is foolish for an American to gloss over the very real problems with our system; no real progress can be made without an honest examination of the issues imo.Since this post has already long enough, I'll spare you the details about what my personal "plan" would be. If you'd care to hear it, you can always do a search for my posts with these sorts of keywords; I'm sure you'd find it. Sorry for the length, but this is something I feel very strongly about (unfortunately, I feel "very strongly" about many things, and this is why 90% of my posts are of this length
). Anyway, off to class. Bah Loki you keep on hating on socialised healthcare but you never really articulate the reason why. Canadian healthcare proves that it's far from financially untenable so there's that argument gone (we have universal healthcare AND A SURPLUS 111!!!one!!!), the only one left is the ethical one. Edit: I don't want to know your plan. Let's just concentrate on your ethical problems with it and hell if you want to take up the financial bit then feel free.
Anyway. No one likes the French. They're much like the Americans that way. Diff is that the French know it but don't give a fuck while the American's just don't know it and even when they find out they just can't bring themselves to believe it.
Please note that the preceedign paragraph was full of huge generalisations kthxbye.
Anyway. No one likes the French. They're much like the Americans that way. Diff is that the French know it but don't give a fuck while the American's just don't know it and even when they find out they just can't bring themselves to believe it.
Please note that the preceedign paragraph was full of huge generalisations kthxbye.
Drinky Crow
Banned
Loki, *government* can be (and is) exploited. Should we not pay for THAT, either? Or are you going to rebut with "well, that's not to say I'm *for* anarchy, but I do find the concept of government ethically reprehensible and I won't support it"?
I don't find your "ethical" oppositions tp socialized healthcare particularly compelling, and in fact I find them terribly contradictory.
I don't find your "ethical" oppositions tp socialized healthcare particularly compelling, and in fact I find them terribly contradictory.
Socialized healthcare works in most industrialized Western countries with life expectancy and child mortality rate better than they are in the US in many of those countries.
http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa042000b.htm
As long as those countries can afford it, I don't know what the Count of Consicion is complaining about. The system works, is still a bargain and is accessible to 99.9998% of the population. If Loki wants to keep his precious status quo and have only a minority of people afford the 'best health care system in the world' for the sake of his politics, then let him screw his fellow citizens.
http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa042000b.htm
As long as those countries can afford it, I don't know what the Count of Consicion is complaining about. The system works, is still a bargain and is accessible to 99.9998% of the population. If Loki wants to keep his precious status quo and have only a minority of people afford the 'best health care system in the world' for the sake of his politics, then let him screw his fellow citizens.
Loki said:No, I've articulated my reasoning numerous times, including above. Whether you've chosen to read what I've said is a different matter.
Well fair enough. I have resorted to skimming through your posts and you did address them so great.
Anyway your biggest beef (both ethical and financial) seems to stem from
Well don't you see that universal health care makes this sort of problem for obsolete for two reasons.
1. Since all Canadians are entitled to medical care (it's a right) there's no cheating of the system.
More importantly for your line of thought
2. People not entitled to care are very easily weeded out. Don't have a Social Insurance Number? Pay up.
Also as for
Canadian system takes care of this too. They paid tax on the Navigator, they pay taxes for their cellphone service and they paid taxes on cigarettes. Money that goes to healthcare (and in the case of cigarettes, all of it does). If you're richer then you have contributed your fair share to the program through income tax and if you like the luxuries then every luxury purchase increases your contribution.
:shrug: so don't guarantee it. Of course you guys can AFFORD it and afford it easily, but it's well within your right to deny it. We do.
Never glossed over the problems actually, there is no perfect system after all. Every system has it's pros and cons.
The only question y'see is which pros are most important to you and which cons are you willing to live with. Having quality of health care recieved tied to how much you can pay is abhorrent to me. The alternative is good (not best) quality for everyone, and brother I'll take it gladly.
Good healthcare and education should not be limited to a subsection of any population. That's an oligarchy that is.
Do The Mario said:
Haha exactly. And think that there are idiots who make fun of Canada's health care system because it "raises the taxes". I can't imagine what kind of animal would prefer to leave a person to die helpless, than pay a couple of dollars more in taxes. I also can't imagine how stupid can a person be, not to be able to understand that the taxes favor the common people who don't have millions in their bank accounts.
NLB2 said:
Let me get this straight. You know that the war started for the oil, you still support USA's actions and you think that the only reason behind the world's hate towards USA is envy? So if a serial murder kills a couple of hundrend people, the only reason for you to hate him is because of envy that you're not powerful enough to do the same? Tell me you're kidding, please.
As a Canadian, I'm indifferent to Americans, as I would rather judge them from a person by person angle. If I were to group everyone into one single identity, I would say I would be on the dislike side.
Visiting America is a whole different experience when you're coming from Canada, seems like a lot of americans are rude, ignorant, arrogant and impolite. (plus, not to be vain and all, but so many americans are overweight! it's insane) I mean when me and my friends visit Seattle (one of the more civilized parts of the US), and we take all of our generalizations of americans, it seems very easy to apply them. And none of those generalizations are a good thing.
Still though, person by person I prefer. Because some americans are awesome, some are total dicks, like every population on the earth.
As for America itself, I definitely and absolutely dislike your country.
Visiting America is a whole different experience when you're coming from Canada, seems like a lot of americans are rude, ignorant, arrogant and impolite. (plus, not to be vain and all, but so many americans are overweight! it's insane) I mean when me and my friends visit Seattle (one of the more civilized parts of the US), and we take all of our generalizations of americans, it seems very easy to apply them. And none of those generalizations are a good thing.
Still though, person by person I prefer. Because some americans are awesome, some are total dicks, like every population on the earth.
As for America itself, I definitely and absolutely dislike your country.
RevenantKioku
PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS oh god i am drowning in them
Raoul Duke said:
I'm not sure if I exactly get this. What exactly is wrong with taking care of those within your immediate surroundings?
And what exactly do we do to help fix the country? Vote? Protest? I'm fairly ignorant on government related issues, and thus try to stay out of posting in these threads, but I'm not following you here.
the one thing that always gets me riled up is when some one form western Europe, Canada, or Austarilia poses the question: Why doesn't the US have public healthcare?
If you want to know the short answer, it's because we're too busy supporting a military that not only protects us, but protects Western Europe, Canada, and Australia. You can try to deny it but every one knows that if you fuck with them you fuck with us. Sure they'll take their terrorist pot-shots but no one wants to fight a war against the US, and therefore Western Europe, Canada, or Australia.
If you want to know the short answer, it's because we're too busy supporting a military that not only protects us, but protects Western Europe, Canada, and Australia. You can try to deny it but every one knows that if you fuck with them you fuck with us. Sure they'll take their terrorist pot-shots but no one wants to fight a war against the US, and therefore Western Europe, Canada, or Australia.
I always find it amazing how the view from inside of the US is so different from the view outside. The power of the US media is stagering. The concept of the people that are subjected to US media is night and day to those that aren't. The day all those American guns get pointed at that box in the living room will be a good day.
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