Any of you upset over your healthcare law?

[BrianG]

A "short" story illustrating what the USA is coming to. It was supposedly originally for Australia, but whatever. Author unknown.

Originally Posted by Author Unknown

The Squirrel and The Grasshopper


REST OF THE WORLD VERSION

The squirrel works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building and improving his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks he's a fool, and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the squirrel is warm and well fed. The shivering grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

THE END


THE AUSTRALIAN VERSION

The squirrel works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks he's a fool, and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the squirrel is warm and well fed.

A social worker finds the shivering grasshopper, calls a press conference and demands to know why the squirrel should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others less fortunate, like the grasshopper, are cold and starving.

The ABC shows up to provide live coverage of the shivering grasshopper; with cuts to a video of the squirrel in his comfortable warm home with a table laden with food.

The Australian press informs people that they should be ashamed that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so while others have plenty.

The Labour Party, Greenpeace, Animal Rights and The Grasshopper Housing Commission of Australia demonstrate in front of the squirrel's house.

The ABC, interrupting a cultural festival special from St Kilda with breaking news, broadcasts a multi cultural choir singing "We Shall Overcome".

Bill Shorten rants in an interview with Laurie Oakes that the squirrel got rich off the backs of grasshoppers, and calls for an immediate tax hike on the squirrel to make him pay his "fair share" and increases the charge for squirrels to enter Melbourne city centre.

In response to pressure from the media, the Government drafts the Economic Equity and Grasshopper Anti Discrimination Act, retroactive to the beginning of the summer. The squirrel's taxes are reassessed. He is taken to court and fined for failing to hire grasshoppers as builders,
for the work he was doing on his home, and an additional fine for contempt when he told the court the grasshopper did not want to work.

The grasshopper is provided with a Housing Commission house, financial aid to furnish it and an account with a local taxi firm to ensure he can be socially mobile. The squirrel's food is seized and re-distributed to the more needy members of society - in this case the grasshopper.

Without enough money to buy more food, to pay the fine and his newly imposed retroactive taxes, the squirrel has to downsize and start building a new home.

The local authority takes over his old home and utilises it as a temporary home for asylum seeking cats who had hijacked a plane to get to Australia as they had to share their country of origin with mice.

On arrival they tried to blow up the airport because of Australians' apparent love of dogs.

The cats had been arrested for the international offence of hijacking and attempted bombing but were immediately released because the police fed them pilchards instead of salmon whilst in custody.

Initial moves to make then return them to their own country were abandoned because it was feared they would face death by the mice.

The cats devise and start a scam to obtain money from people's credit cards.

A 60 Minutes special shows the grasshopper finishing up the last of the squirrel's food, though spring is still months away, while the Housing Commission house he is in, crumbles around him because he hasn't bothered to maintain it. He is shown to be taking drugs.

Inadequate government funding is blamed for the grasshopper's drug "Illness".

The cats seek recompense in the Australian courts for their treatment since arrival in Australia .

The grasshopper gets arrested for stabbing an old dog during a burglary to get money for his drugs habit. He is imprisoned but released immediately because he has been in custody for a few weeks. He is placed in the care of the probation service to monitor and supervise him.

Within a few weeks he has killed a guinea pig in a botched robbery.

A commission of enquiry, that will eventually cost $10 million and state the obvious, is set up.

Additional money is put into funding a drug rehabilitation scheme for grasshoppers.

Legal aid for lawyers representing asylum seekers is increased.

The asylum seeking cats are praised by the government for enriching Australia 's multicultural diversity and dogs are criticised by the government for failing to befriend the cats.

The grasshopper dies of a drug overdose.

The usual sections of the press blame it on the obvious failure of government to address the root causes of despair arising from social inequity and his traumatic experience of prison.

They call for the resignation of a minister.

The cats are paid $1 million each because their rights were infringed when the government failed to inform them there were mice in Australia .

The squirrel, the dogs and the victims of the hijacking, the bombing, the burglaries and robberies have to pay an additional percentage on their credit cards to cover losses, their taxes are increased to pay for law and order, and they are told that they will have to work beyond 65 because of a shortfall in government funds.

THE END

My question is: When will enough be enough? I mean taxpayers are gonna take only so much of this kind of crap before they go postal. Ever see the movie "Falling Down"? I can totally sympathize.

[slimthelineman]

or we can all be "american" and quit our jobs so the gov. and other workers will take care of us! nothin like livin in the land of the freeloaders. viva la revolucion!

[TexasSP]

A revolution has happened before.

It's funny how so many of us on here come from different paths, have different views, and different philosophies, yet we all agree that our government is royally screwing us. Maybe we all should stop letting the media and politicians pigeonhole us as liberals, conservatives, independents, progressives, neo-cons, libertarians, etc. and start working together to get our rights back and our government under control. One thing I will never understand is how so many people will vote the same way, year after year for the same party no matter what. They identify themselves as democrats/republicans and refuse to actually look at the candidate running. I know so many that don't agree with Obama on a single issue, yet they voted for him because their families are democrat, they've always been democrat, and you just have to vote democrat.

It's funny that even though myself and many of my friends have greatly different views and opinions, as friends with a common interest with can come to a reasonable agreement on things. It's kind of like marriage, if one side always gets its way and the other is left hanging, in the end no one is happy.

[BrianG]

Originally Posted by slimthelineman

or we can all be "american" and quit our jobs so the gov. and other workers will take care of us! nothin like livin in the land of the freeloaders. viva la revolucion!

Amen! Better yet, have everyone work wherever and just have 100% of your paycheck go to the gov't and then they can decide where it should go.

I say the working Americans should just let all the immigrants into the country, and then move to their now unpopulated country. Fix it up and then patrol the borders with instructions to shoot to kill on sight anyone trying to get back over. Then let the US gov't try to get money from all the non workers. This would be easier than trying to weed out all the parasites already here. Sometimes it's better to burn a field to the ground and start over than to try to pick out the weeds...

[phildogg]

Originally Posted by TexasSP

It's a joke, just like our president and our congress. A ploy to gain more power for government under the guise of "helping us".

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not"

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them"

"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government"

"To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical"

"When we get piled upon one another in large cities as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe"

All quotes by Thomas Jefferson.

The problem with health care is not the providers, but the government and insurance companies. When the government only will pay via medicare 1/3 of what is billed, provider must then charge 3 times the rate to get what they require. When on the other side government requires that everyone be billed equally, well their you have it.

When frivolous lawsuits abound to such a degree that most doctors pay more in malpractice insurance than what they take home, well there you have it.

When the government interferes and creates boundaries in which insurance companies can provide, costs rise. Not alloying companies to compete across state lines and the like raises costs and our prices.

The bill does not fix the biggest issues in health care.

1. Preexisting conditions
2. Tort Reform
3. Allowing freer competition between providers and insurers

Government entering into business of any sort other than governing is a huge conflict of interest at best. If they are so great at running the insurance industry why does medicare and medicaid suck? Why is our military health care system so poor? Why do congress and the president get special plans not available to any of us?

I like your thinking.

[nitrostarter]

What are you guys talking about immigrants? Don't you know that if they come from ANY part of the North or South American continents that they are going to be consider USA citizens? Com'n guys!


It's just complete and utter bullshit! I make the suggestion that every working American adjust their withholding rates to Married and 9 therefore the least amount of money is withheld from their check and the government gets zilch! zero!

All these politicians were so for this bill and that its necessary for the American people! Then why the hell is there a provision in this 3000 page bill that state all congressman and higher governmental authorities DO NOT have to participate in this bill and are exempt from any penalties. WTF? Momma always said "Don't shoot it if you won't eat it!" Maybe if they a-hole nut job, no term limit screw ups would have to participate in the bills they put into law, maybe just maybe they would realize how screwed up they are. I'm willing to bet that if these politicians had to participate in Social Security or Medicare, these systems would be fixed and in pristine running order!

What really scares me about this health insurance bill is the factor that it requires all financial institutions to provide the IRS with you bank account information along with the power to make debits and credits to your accounts whenever they see fits, i.e. penalties for not paying or having insurance. That's the scary part!

Also, don't know if you guys caught wind of the bill they squeaked in a few weeks back, but there is now an EXIT TAX for any US citizen permanently moving to a country outside of the US. The exit tax is a whopping 55% on every asset you own! whether you like it or not. And now with this health insurance bill granting government access to bank accounts, its very well possible for them to take their 55%!!

I think the only way to resolve this if these lawsuits don't hold up in court is to start a civil uprising! I know that on April 15th many cities around here are holding Tea Parties again in revolution to all this mishap. Everyone should get out and let there voices be heard!

[BrianG]

Originally Posted by nitrostarter

...Also, don't know if you guys caught wind of the bill they squeaked in a few weeks back, but there is now an EXIT TAX for any US citizen permanently moving to a country outside of the US. The exit tax is a whopping 55% on every asset you own! whether you like it or not. And now with this health insurance bill granting government access to bank accounts, its very well possible for them to take their 55%!!

lol, let them try that. W/D all funds from bank accounts and close them (or leave very little in there). Sell your house/car/etc and get a temporary apartment and use public transport until you leave. Then just get a plane ticket to wherever you want to go and don't come back.

[slimthelineman]

Originally Posted by nitrostarter

What are you guys talking about immigrants? Don't you know that if they come from ANY part of the North or South American continents that they are going to be consider USA citizens? Com'n guys!


It's just complete and utter bullshit! I make the suggestion that every working American adjust their withholding rates to Married and 9 therefore the least amount of money is withheld from their check and the government gets zilch! zero!

All these politicians were so for this bill and that its necessary for the American people! Then why the hell is there a provision in this 3000 page bill that state all congressman and higher governmental authorities DO NOT have to participate in this bill and are exempt from any penalties. WTF? Momma always said "Don't shoot it if you won't eat it!" Maybe if they a-hole nut job, no term limit screw ups would have to participate in the bills they put into law, maybe just maybe they would realize how screwed up they are. I'm willing to bet that if these politicians had to participate in Social Security or Medicare, these systems would be fixed and in pristine running order!

What really scares me about this health insurance bill is the factor that it requires all financial institutions to provide the IRS with you bank account information along with the power to make debits and credits to your accounts whenever they see fits, i.e. penalties for not paying or having insurance. That's the scary part!

Also, don't know if you guys caught wind of the bill they squeaked in a few weeks back, but there is now an EXIT TAX for any US citizen permanently moving to a country outside of the US. The exit tax is a whopping 55% on every asset you own! whether you like it or not. And now with this health insurance bill granting government access to bank accounts, its very well possible for them to take their 55%!!

I think the only way to resolve this if these lawsuits don't hold up in court is to start a civil uprising! I know that on April 15th many cities around here are holding Tea Parties again in revolution to all this mishap. Everyone should get out and let there voices be heard!

word i think everyone should do just that claim maried 9. come and get it! your putting a gun to my head and saying "buy my healthcare" mess w/ the bull and ya get the horns son! lets bankrupt the government and not pay taxes. what are they gonna do? im sure they will have some reason to attack their own citezens but at that point does it really matter anymore? government is way corrupt. might work better if the officials werent so overpayed. 150-200k salary cap for government officials anyone? i think its about time for this whole sham to do what everyone keeps promising, the government WORKS FOR THE PEOPLE not their pocket books. in the end there are WAAAAYYYYYY more of us....... (sorry guys know the diablo isnt a fav but couldnt help it)

[Bondonutz]

Originally Posted by pb4ugo

Then how do you have a couple grand worth of RC equipment (some quite recent) listed in your sig?

Whats it to you anyway ?
Regardless where my money comes from, it's a job that's required to have health insurance and it be somewhat affordable.

[georgec]

I come from a long line of southern yellow dog democrats and was the first to break from that tradition after the Jimmy Carter debacle. Most here are too young to remember that era, but that was the time of the first gas lines and double digit inflation and the same double digit unemployment and interest rates. We are once again heading in that same direction with the same ideology that almost brought our country to its knees back then. You cannot tax a city, county, state nor this country in to prosperity!

[Bondonutz]

Originally Posted by georgec

I come from a long line of southern yellow dog democrats and was the first to break from that tradition after the Jimmy Carter debacle. Most here are too young to remember that era, but that was the time of the first gas lines and double digit inflation and the same double digit unemployment and interest rates. We are once again heading in that same direction with the same ideology that almost brought our country to its knees back then. You cannot tax a city, county, state nor this country in to prosperity!

I was very young during that era and don't remember much of it well, but I do remember my parents grief over the happenings and waiting in line for fuel w/Mom for hours for 10gls. No fill ups were allowed.

[ClodMaxx]

Originally Posted by pb4ugo

Then how do you have a couple grand worth of RC equipment (some quite recent) listed in your sig?

i think we're all guilty of going a bit beyond our budgets for r/c

[georgec]

Yea those times were tough. I was a young man just starting out on my own, but with the skills my father taught me and the faith my mother instilled in me I was able to make it trough those tough times. Those very things that pulled me trough then, I believe to be what is missing today!

[Bondonutz]

Originally Posted by georgec

Yea those times were tough. I was a young man just starting out on my own, but with the skills my father taught me and the faith my mother instilled in me I was able to make it trough those tough times. Those very things that that pulled me trough then, I believe to be what is missing today!

Well said

[lutach]

Originally Posted by zeropointbug

I am curious what you guys are thinking about your grand new $1,000,000,000,000 Health-care reform Law that is going to cost you roughly $15,000 a year per person. With 14 States filing suits to challenge it, I am surprised the whole nation is not up in arms... maybe soon?

I can always go back to Brasil if things goes south even further . Anyone is more then welcomed as well.