Current Events > This is why socialism kills motivation and drive

(+) Yeah! (+)

---

Stop defending Bezo
---

Oh man socialists REKT
---

Yeah, because billionaires are really struggling to get by, take a few hundred million from them and they'll starve to death in the streets. Oh wait.
---

Is there anything more annoying than conservatism in meme format?
---

Imagine having to provide for anyone but yourself lmao
---

gunplagirl posted...

Yeah, because billionaires are really struggling to get by, take a few hundred million from them and they'll starve to death in the streets. Oh wait.

It's about the average person sacrificing and struggling to go the extra mile to get a better job just do the system can take more and give it to slackers
---

gunplagirl posted...

Yeah, because billionaires are really struggling to get by, take a few hundred million from them and they'll starve to death in the streets. Oh wait.

"wah wah wah billionaires waaaaaaaaah"

lmao thanks facebook grandparent, give me another

---

Spooking posted...

Lazy people who either refuse to go to work, or are apart of unions and refuse to work.

Apart
Did you mean
A part
---

I make a good amount over 100k a year in a low cost of living area and I'm still terrified of getting cancer or some other serious illness that puts me in the hospital.

Seems to me like Bernie and Warren primarily want to change how we fund safety nets so that they actually, you know, safety net.

Which helps us be free as individuals rather than slaves to employers who control our access to healthcare.
---

Annihilated posted...

gunplagirl posted...

Yeah, because billionaires are really struggling to get by, take a few hundred million from them and they'll starve to death in the streets. Oh wait.

"wah wah wah billionaires waaaaaaaaah"

Hey 2 more days until you become invincible and hit for 7777 with every attack
---

Sounds like capitalism, except there's extra income.
---

Sounds about right
---

John_Galt posted...

Sounds about right

*Works hard at an in-demand job at a hot company*

*Gets cancer and goes bankrupt, or parents get sick and can't work and need children to support them until death*

How is this fair in a civilized technologically superior country in 2019?
---

gunplagirl posted...

Yeah, because billionaires are really struggling to get by, take a few hundred million from them and they'll starve to death in the streets. Oh wait.

"If you don't need it, it doesn't matter if I don't deserve it, I should still have it."
---

gunplagirl posted...

Annihilated posted...

gunplagirl posted...

Yeah, because billionaires are really struggling to get by, take a few hundred million from them and they'll starve to death in the streets. Oh wait.

"wah wah wah billionaires waaaaaaaaah"

Hey 2 more days until you become invincible and hit for 7777 with every attack

guys IDF so lets fucking hope not

---

Who is actually advocating for total wealth redistribution and everyone having exactly the same amount of money?

Are we going to call taxes socialism?
---

pls posted...

I make a good amount over 100k a year in a low cost of living area and I'm still terrified of getting cancer or some other serious illness that puts me in the hospital.

Seems to me like Bernie and Warren primarily want to change how we fund safety nets so that they actually, you know, safety net.

Which helps us be free as individuals rather than slaves to employers who control our access to healthcare.

I think a good safety net would be financial responsibility
---

If you work hard and still struggle to make ends meet due to family circumstances, some bad choices in the past, or just plain bad luck

F*** you go die in a pit
---

dartman posted...

I think a good safety net would be financial responsibility

Financial responsibility, like never getting cancer!

---

dartman posted...

pls posted...

I make a good amount over 100k a year in a low cost of living area and I'm still terrified of getting cancer or some other serious illness that puts me in the hospital.

Seems to me like Bernie and Warren primarily want to change how we fund safety nets so that they actually, you know, safety net.

Which helps us be free as individuals rather than slaves to employers who control our access to healthcare.

I think a good safety net would be financial responsibility

I have a good amount of money saved, good health insurance, and my salary will likely remain pretty high for the rest of my working career.

I could still get fucked over by cancer or if my parents get cancer.

Imagine the risk for the people who aren't in my position but are still working hard and diligently saving a good percentage of their income.

There's only so much financial responsibility an individual can muster up. It's just unreasonable to expect regular people to be able to tank the burden of paying for health services.

A government can provide that infrastructure efficiently, abstracted away from our day to day living. The same way it does roads and military and other things we don't even need to think about. I'm okay with that even if it means more taxation, since I won't have premiums or deductibles or the worry in the back of my head.

That's predominately what Bernie and Warren want. (Hopefully Bernie gets the nomination since his climate plan is way better, but still)
---

MorbidFaithless posted...

dartman posted...

I think a good safety net would be financial responsibility

Financial responsibility, like never getting cancer!

Forget actually getting sick. Just the premiums for insurance have been going up faster than wages.
---

MorbidFaithless posted...

dartman posted...

I think a good safety net would be financial responsibility

Financial responsibility, like never getting cancer!

Or not being black.
---

Spooking posted...

Antifar posted...

Just the premiums for insurance have been going up faster than wages.

All thanks to Obamacare. We told you it would happen.

Nah it's predominately because insurance companies are greedy as fuck.
---

konokonohamaru posted...

If you work hard and still struggle to make ends meet due to family circumstances, some bad choices in the past, or just plain bad luck

F*** you go die in a pit

Your bad choices are your bad choices not mine. Circumstances sure could be beyond your control and life isnt exactly fair but why is it now my responsibility to pay your way?
---

Eww gross. Someone ripped a massive disgusting fart right between post #21 and post #23
---

pls posted...

Spooking posted...

Antifar posted...

Just the premiums for insurance have been going up faster than wages.

All thanks to Obamacare. We told you it would happen.

Nah it's predominately because insurance companies are greedy as fuck.

Companies are greedy everywhere. To solve the problem of high premiums we have to ask why health insurance specifically is so fucked up, besides just blaming greed
---

Machete posted...

Eww gross. Someone ripped a massive disgusting fart right between post #21 and post #23

...

lmao
---

dartman posted...

pls posted...

I make a good amount over 100k a year in a low cost of living area and I'm still terrified of getting cancer or some other serious illness that puts me in the hospital.

Seems to me like Bernie and Warren primarily want to change how we fund safety nets so that they actually, you know, safety net.

Which helps us be free as individuals rather than slaves to employers who control our access to healthcare.

I think a good safety net would be financial responsibility

Yeah just save more money so you can afford that 6 figure hospital bill for your cancer treatment, simple stuff yo
---

Spooking posted...

Antifar posted...

Just the premiums for insurance have been going up faster than wages.

All thanks to Obamacare. We told you it would happen.

Obamacare was a deeply flawed plan, I agree.
---

konokonohamaru posted...

Companies are greedy everywhere. To solve the problem of high premiums we have to ask why health insurance specifically is so f***ed up, besides just blaming greed

Incorrect. Most other companies, like car companies and phone companies, are a lot more receptive to the laws of supply and demand. If Apple's phones are too expensive, people won't buy them because they don't need the latest and greatest iPhone. That's arguably why Apple priced the base model iPhone 11 and why Google sells their cheaper Pixel models.

Health insurance is not actually remotely as receptive to that. It's an inelastic demand curve and they know it. They gouge people and become rich by taking working American's incomes via insane premiums and high deductibles.

They make a record profit each year. They love Obamacare-type laws because they continue to enshrine the concept of private health insurance, when really it should be nationalized the way any piece of core infrastructure/service is. It's 2019, we need to be civilized.
---

dartman posted...

konokonohamaru posted...

If you work hard and still struggle to make ends meet due to family circumstances, some bad choices in the past, or just plain bad luck

F*** you go die in a pit

Your bad choices are your bad choices not mine. Circumstances sure could be beyond your control and life isnt exactly fair but why is it now my responsibility to pay your way?

Ideally, because lazy moochers who don't want to help, but do want to profit off of other people's labor, don't get to eat the food that other people work their asses off to procure or prepare.
---

pls posted...

konokonohamaru posted...

Companies are greedy everywhere. To solve the problem of high premiums we have to ask why health insurance specifically is so f***ed up, besides just blaming greed

Incorrect. Most other companies, like car companies and phone companies, are a lot more receptive to the laws of supply and demand. If Apple's phones are too expensive, people won't buy them because they don't need the latest and greatest iPhone. That's arguably why Apple priced the base model iPhone 11 and why Google sells their cheaper Pixel models.

Health insurance is not actually remotely as receptive to that. It's an inelastic demand curve and they know it. They gouge people and become rich by taking working American's incomes via insane premiums and high deductibles.

They make a record profit each year. They love Obamacare-type laws because they continue to enshrine the concept of private health insurance, when really it should be nationalized the way any piece of core infrastructure/service is. It's 2019, we need to be civilized.

Apple is trash though
---

Machete posted...

pls posted...

konokonohamaru posted...

Companies are greedy everywhere. To solve the problem of high premiums we have to ask why health insurance specifically is so f***ed up, besides just blaming greed

Incorrect. Most other companies, like car companies and phone companies, are a lot more receptive to the laws of supply and demand. If Apple's phones are too expensive, people won't buy them because they don't need the latest and greatest iPhone. That's arguably why Apple priced the base model iPhone 11 and why Google sells their cheaper Pixel models.

Health insurance is not actually remotely as receptive to that. It's an inelastic demand curve and they know it. They gouge people and become rich by taking working American's incomes via insane premiums and high deductibles.

They make a record profit each year. They love Obamacare-type laws because they continue to enshrine the concept of private health insurance, when really it should be nationalized the way any piece of core infrastructure/service is. It's 2019, we need to be civilized.

Apple is trash though

Thanks for the completely irrelevant and unsolicited opinion.
---

dartman posted...

konokonohamaru posted...

If you work hard and still struggle to make ends meet due to family circumstances, some bad choices in the past, or just plain bad luck

F*** you go die in a pit

Your bad choices are your bad choices not mine. Circumstances sure could be beyond your control and life isnt exactly fair but why is it now my responsibility to pay your way?

Whose responsibility should it be if circumstances get beyond personal control? What if the person needing help is a child or elderly?
---

pls posted...

Spooking posted...

Antifar posted...

Just the premiums for insurance have been going up faster than wages.

All thanks to Obamacare. We told you it would happen.

Nah it's predominately because insurance companies are greedy as fuck.

---

employer based healthcare is the worst form of healthcare we could have and yet here we are
---

pls posted...

Machete posted...

pls posted...

konokonohamaru posted...

Companies are greedy everywhere. To solve the problem of high premiums we have to ask why health insurance specifically is so f***ed up, besides just blaming greed

Incorrect. Most other companies, like car companies and phone companies, are a lot more receptive to the laws of supply and demand. If Apple's phones are too expensive, people won't buy them because they don't need the latest and greatest iPhone. That's arguably why Apple priced the base model iPhone 11 and why Google sells their cheaper Pixel models.

Health insurance is not actually remotely as receptive to that. It's an inelastic demand curve and they know it. They gouge people and become rich by taking working American's incomes via insane premiums and high deductibles.

They make a record profit each year. They love Obamacare-type laws because they continue to enshrine the concept of private health insurance, when really it should be nationalized the way any piece of core infrastructure/service is. It's 2019, we need to be civilized.

Apple is trash though

Thanks for the completely irrelevant and unsolicited opinion.

You're welcome. I'm always more than happy to shit on Apple, the company that is overpriced and inferior to its competitors in every market it's in.
---

Machete posted...

pls posted...

Machete posted...

pls posted...

konokonohamaru posted...

Companies are greedy everywhere. To solve the problem of high premiums we have to ask why health insurance specifically is so f***ed up, besides just blaming greed

Incorrect. Most other companies, like car companies and phone companies, are a lot more receptive to the laws of supply and demand. If Apple's phones are too expensive, people won't buy them because they don't need the latest and greatest iPhone. That's arguably why Apple priced the base model iPhone 11 and why Google sells their cheaper Pixel models.

Health insurance is not actually remotely as receptive to that. It's an inelastic demand curve and they know it. They gouge people and become rich by taking working American's incomes via insane premiums and high deductibles.

They make a record profit each year. They love Obamacare-type laws because they continue to enshrine the concept of private health insurance, when really it should be nationalized the way any piece of core infrastructure/service is. It's 2019, we need to be civilized.

Apple is trash though

Thanks for the completely irrelevant and unsolicited opinion.

You're welcome. I'm always more than happy to shit on Apple, the company that is overpriced and inferior to its competitors in every market it's in.

iPhone 11 literally has the best camera for any phone on the market tho.
---

In regard to a post I can't see, it is against the rules to try and engage someone you have blocked just to try and get them to respond so you can mark them for engaging you despite the blocking. I've been informed that post was directed at me, and if that is true, it is a violation.
---

Toilet Paper USA
---

pls posted...

konokonohamaru posted...

Companies are greedy everywhere. To solve the problem of high premiums we have to ask why health insurance specifically is so f***ed up, besides just blaming greed

Incorrect. Most other companies, like car companies and phone companies, are a lot more receptive to the laws of supply and demand. If Apple's phones are too expensive, people won't buy them because they don't need the latest and greatest iPhone. That's arguably why Apple priced the base model iPhone 11 and why Google sells their cheaper Pixel models.

Health insurance is not actually remotely as receptive to that. It's an inelastic demand curve and they know it. They gouge people and become rich by taking working American's incomes via insane premiums and high deductibles.

They make a record profit each year. They love Obamacare-type laws because they continue to enshrine the concept of private health insurance, when really it should be nationalized the way any piece of core infrastructure/service is. It's 2019, we need to be civilized.

Well, I mean you just did the type of analysis I was hoping to see more of. Kudos. Car companies and phone companies aren't any less greedy than health insurance companies, they just face much more elastic demand curves and also more competition.

So some of the unique problems of healthcare are highly inelastic demand (partially due to the insurance based provision of healthcare), and also monopoly power of drug and medical device makers operating on generous patents.

So one solution would be to weaken the patent laws. Stop letting drug manufacturers re-patent the same drug if they change the form of the delivery (i.e. pill or tablet,etc).

Another solution is to increase price transparency so consumers can shop around for doctors/hospitals more easily.

I wouldn't mind a public option or single payer system either. In fact, countries that seem to have good healthcare systems that their people like, like Taiwan, have a public option + private supplemental insurance. I do think access to good healthcare should be a right of all citizens regardless of financial ability, and to achieve that we need to enforce risk-pooling
---

lightwarrior78 posted...

gunplagirl posted...

Yeah, because billionaires are really struggling to get by, take a few hundred million from them and they'll starve to death in the streets. Oh wait.

"If you don't need it, it doesn't matter if I don't deserve it, I should still have it."

@lightwarrior78

How do you think people become billionaires? They underpay their employees and use other methods to underpay everyone else while also stealing money and other things from the government.

Basically? It's our money and they stole it from us. Redistribution of the wealth they stole is preferable to the alternative solution to the rich.

But then, you're the type who brought up the word "deserve" with regard to billionaires and their hordes of wealth. Scenario: there's a button you can press. World hunger is solved, everyone gets a home, and everyone gets medical care covered without need for them to pay anything out of pocket BUT in exchange for this, the maximum amount of wealth any person is allowed to individually accumulate is 20 million dollars. I'm guessing you wouldn't press the button?
---

gunplagirl posted...

How do you think people become billionaires? They underpay their employees and use other methods to underpay everyone else while also stealing money and other things from the government.

Basically? It's our money and they stole it from us. Redistribution of the wealth they stole is preferable to the alternative solution to the rich.

But then, you're the type who brought up the word "deserve" with regard to billionaires and their hordes of wealth. Scenario: there's a button you can press. World hunger is solved, everyone gets a home, and everyone gets medical care covered without need for them to pay anything out of pocket BUT in exchange for this, the maximum amount of wealth any person is allowed to individually accumulate is 20 million dollars. I'm guessing you wouldn't press the button?

I mean I don't think they're stealing per se. They're playing within the rules that exist. It's conceivable that with time and education people will become enlightened and realize that they don't need a fifth yacht or a new beach house in a seventh exotic country when they can instead funnel that money to their employees and into noble ventures. Currently wages are set by the market and easily replaceable workers don't have much leverage for demanding more pay.

A maximum cap for wealth would probably never happen but 20 million is certainly a lot of money. You could live a good life in the most expensive parts of the world with that sum. But since I'm a huge Elon Musk fan and know that he personally invested considerably more than 20 million into saving Tesla and keeping SpaceX going, I don't see why such an arbitrary cap should be enforced by the law.

Maybe a couple billion as a cap would be more reasonable, since it still enables people to invest into capital intensive ventures like space exploration or electric vehicles or whatever other ventures will exist in the future.
---