Obamacare: Do Expats Need To Buy Health Insurance?

[Jaredberryman]

I think most of the rest of the world is genuinely amazed at the lengts Republicans/Libertarians (aka republicans who don't mind if you smoke dope and don't like wars) will go to in order to preserve the ludicrously top heavy wealth distribution in the US. The Democrats of course play the same game but with a different tactical approach. It is assumed that the social contract between a citizen and a nation should include use of taxes to provide health care at a very minimum to subsidise health care for those who need it.

As much as the peronist's and UBA graduates abuse the term "neo liberal" here, the Repubtarians abuse the term "socialist" even more greviously in the US. When a debate is reduced to internet memes and throwing around terms like "socialism" for susbsidised health care for the poor in the country with the worlds least equitable wealth distribution then it's time to duck out.

Not sure you understand U.S. politics entirely. There are very few true libertarian republicans. Some things that Ron Paul (a libertarian republican) believes should happen:

-Downsizing of the federal government
-Abolition of the FED because it is immoral (true)
-Reduction of the military to a self defensive group
-Federalism, the managing of social programs by states instead of the federal government, along with education and a host of other things
-Abolish income tax
-Disentanglement from foreign affairs
-Deregulation of business, especially for small business

The reason that libertarians want to do this things is precisely because of the power imbalance that the rich have agains the poor and middle class. By removing the center of power of the federal government, and transferring most powers to the states, you thereby remove the power of the richest in a big way. The most powerful corporate groups in the U.S. are the bankers, the war industry, and the energy industries. These measures would cut their heads off more or less, except in the case of energy (one point I'm not so onboard with on the platform of the libertarians). Libertarianism is federalism. The USA is NOT Europe. We have a massive population. The only thing that the federal government in the U.S. has been capable of is abusing tax payers money, putting us into massive debt, pilfering off our money to their friends, and killing people left and right for decades. The Federal government is incapable of managing almost anything well, and Obamacare will be another albatross on the average person's neck before it is all said and done. By allowing the states and local governments to manage social programs, you thereby ensure that these governments are much more accountable to citizens and ensure better service. A state that charges a small income tax can do far more far more efficiently for its members than the federal government possibly can. States and local governments are better able to provide employment and benefits as well.

If I consider my home state, we have an awesome program called CHIP that provides full medical coverage for children in low income homes for 50$ a month. It is fantastic. No federal government needed. The United States was set up in this manner, and trying to imitate Europe will not work for us. We are too big, vast, with a large population, different cultures, and different geographies.

Also, you cannot compare libertarians to Republicans. For the most part, Republicans and Democrats are the same sort of deal. As you can see, I would never see the Republican party implementing any of the above measures.

 

[dennisr]

Same old sh.t, different day: Affordable Care Act. Politics is like a broken record with any new social program. A few quotes from the thirties, like 1936. Politicians were talking about evils of Social Security.

"Never in the history of the world, has any measure been … so insidiously designed as to prevent business recovery [and] to enslave workers."

"............. called the program “unjust, unworkable, stupidly drafted and wastefully financed."

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2013/10/shutdown-the-hysterical-style-in-american-politics.html

 

[GS_Dirtboy]

Not sure you understand U.S. politics entirely. There are very few true libertarian republicans. Some things that Ron Paul (a libertarian republican) believes should happen:

-Downsizing of the federal government
-Abolition of the FED because it is immoral (true)
-Reduction of the military to a self defensive group
-Federalism, the managing of social programs by states instead of the federal government, along with education and a host of other things
-Abolish income tax
-Disentanglement from foreign affairs
-Deregulation of business, especially for small business

snip.

Correct!

Unfortunately Ron Paul was completely un-electable. The American population doesn't vote on reason. It votes on emotion. Electing Ron Paul would be like electing Ron Howard. Only when the current 2-party system actually succeeds in driving us completely into the ground will people wake up - and even then I'm not sure.

Like you eluded to, what many people fail to truly grasp is the 1) The origin of the Federal System and 2) How vast, dense, and diverse our population is. Many Argentines are completely baffled that US States can have different laws on the same subject. The Federal System works because it serves the people closest to it. Laws that would be appropriate for a community in Southern California are completely non-representative of a community in rural Alabama.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

Correct!

Unfortunately Ron Paul was completely un-electable. The American population doesn't vote on reason. It votes on emotion. Electing Ron Paul would be like electing Ron Howard. Only when the current 2-party system actually succeeds in driving us completely into the ground will people wake up - and even then I'm not sure.

Like you eluded to, what many people fail to truly grasp is the 1) The origin of the Federal System and 2) How vast, dense, and diverse our population is. Many Argentines are completely baffled that US States can have different laws on the same subject. The Federal System works because it serves the people closest to it. Laws that would be appropriate for a community in Southern California are completely non-representative of a community in rural Alabama.

Ron Paul was unelectable because he's a nutcase though, in some ways, he's an amiable one.

 

[sleslie23]

Ron Paul was unelectable because he's a nutcase though, in some ways, he's an amiable one.

I don't disagree with you, but can you elaborate on which of his policies were "nuts." The policies that Tex an GS pointed out seem more than reasonable to me.

I think the last GOP whack pack shows how disfunctional US politics really is. Ron Paul was the sane one of the bunch. Just like Putin is the sane one in the Syrian issue. That's the world we live in folks.

 

[ARbound]

I've been saying for a long time that if Texas/South/etc. want's to leave they're more than welcome to. I would love to
kick them out to be honest. If they like living in the 1800's then all the power to them, but stop getting in the way of
progress and leave already.

All the people who hate government, taxes, socialized medicine, believe in "personal responsibility: etc. are encouraged
to catch the next flight to Mogadishu and return to the "Good ol' days". All the guns, none of the government, and all
the personal responsibility you could ever want! Libertarian paradise.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

I don't disagree with you, but can you elaborate on which of his policies were "nuts." The policies that Tex an GS pointed out seem more than reasonable to me.

I think the last GOP whack pack shows how disfunctional US politics really is. Ron Paul was the sane one of the bunch. Just like Putin is the sane one in the Syrian issue. That's the world we live in folks.

Paul is that rare Republican who is not wrong on everything.

 

[Lulu-Kyoko]

Oh and Canada thing - well, the only thing I can say in my n1 experience is my 35 YO friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. In the 13 months since her initial diagnosis, she has had her double masectomy, chemo and reconstructive surgery. Zero wait time. Maybe she is the anomaly but the system certainly worked in her case.

No, your friend is not an anomaly. My best friend was also diagnosed with breast cancer at age 35. In Montreal (where the film Barbarian Invasions takes place). Her treatment took about 18 months in total and there was no wait time to speak of. She started treatment about two weeks after being diagnosed.

 

[Lulu-Kyoko]

As much as the peronist's and UBA graduates abuse the term "neo liberal" here, the Repubtarians abuse the term "socialist" even more greviously in the US. When a debate is reduced to internet memes and throwing around terms like "socialism" for susbsidised health care for the poor in the country with the worlds least equitable wealth distribution then it's time to duck out.

I teach a course on the history of political ideologies-- in Canada, where we are constantly exposed to US media and US political discourse, plus of course deal with our own problems-- and it is crazy how much time I have to spend on clarifying what "socialism" is and is not... ditto for "liberalism" though and all its many variants (classical liberalism, neoliberalism, welfare liberalism, libertarianism).

 

[camberiu]

Ron Paul was unelectable because he's a nutcase though, in some ways, he's an amiable one.

Yeah, unlike the "sane one" that was elected who spies on all Americans (while denying doing so), spied on the press, sent weapons to Mexican drug dealers, threatens to attack Syria, using drones to strike and kill civilian rescuers , etc....

It is a fine day for mankind when the humane and honest ones are the crazies and the sane ones are the lying blood thirsty warmongers.