SOC said:
Maybe our unwillingness derives from the considerably larger population. It costs way more for us to do it, taking away from things that actually matter.
My point was that the unwillingness rather finds it's origins in a different view on social matters between Europe and the US. AFAIK, the USA is (was) viewed by many Americans as "the land of opportunity where one is able to build a successfull life if he's willing to work for it".
I'm just not convinced that such reasoning is in accordance with reality, but hey, that's just my opinion.
In the West, a larger population should mean a larger GDP. If not, something's very wrong.
SOC said:
The "lazies" are in large part the product of liberal Democrats constantly providing them more and more incentives to leech from the system, and thereby vote Democrat.
I agree with you on that lazy people will keep trying to profit from a social system.
I just don't think that everyone who has trouble in life an needs some way of social care is a "lazy" as "Dr. House" calls them, and I certainly don't think their number is so large that it is responsable for the way the healthcare / social system (dis)functions, weither in the US or in Europe.
SOC said:
It's the politicians who profit from the people, not the people necessarily existing to profit from the system.
True.
SOC said:
Dreamfighter said:
So what about people like listed below (only a few examples):
1 people who had an accident and aren't able to work anymore?
2 people who were born with a handicap?
3 people who lost their job because of outsourcing labour to low-wage countries, or due to a financial/economic crach, or due to bad management?
4 people who fought in a war and came home with mental issues?
5 people who were victim of natural or man-induced catastrophes?
1. Depends on the circumstances. If you're permanently disabled and no longer useful at any skill whatsoever, that's one thing. If you break your leg and will miss a month of standing behind the Taco Bell counter, you can always sell yourself to a union to get benefits covering that.
2. The family's burden to pay, not mine. How often do you know beforehand anyway these days? That roughly translates to things you are directly bringing upon yourself.
3. Tough crap, that's called capitalism.
4. You already get disability benefits and care.
5. That's called insurance.
1. I meant permenantly disabled.
2. The family's burden to pay for? Any idea about the costs to raise, educate, and sustain life of people with a severe physical or mental handicap?
Families who don't have a wealthy income, how should these people manage?
Shouldn't a modern society which considers itself successfull and civilised not be willing to contribute a bit to making the life of the handicaped a bit more worthfull? If we're back to the "everyone for himself"-mentality, well, there's much hope left for the planet and the human race. Not that I am an idealist, but I consider myself no egoïst either.
The Nazis' solution towards the handicaped was to deport them to concentration camps for extermination. Don't understand me wrong; I'm not saying you're a Nazi or think like them, I only want to bring in remind the most radical inhumane solution.
3. IMO, pure Capitalism without a social system is as bad for a society as Communism in North-Korea.
4. Probably, I'm not very familiar on how that is organised in the US. I had doubts how efficient/sufficient it would be.
5. I wonder if the people in the Ukraine were insured against the Tsjernobyl-catastrophy. Or the fishermen against the BP oil-disaster on your shores.
The list contained - as I said - just a few examples. I don't have the time or willingness to discuss every possible case. It's not the forum's purpose and I don't want the server to crash.
SOC said:
Wow, now I'm a Nazi for not wanting to let others take more of my money away. Wow.
I wasn't referring to you, but to the dear "Dr. House".
For his remark about sending the US' homeless "on a one-way-ticket to Europe". Even if meant sarcastically, such expressions remind me of the Deportation-practices used by the Nazis.