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Originally Posted by Etacovda
Arken - totally agree; the problem isnt neccarily with the substances.
"On your best day you could not be as diligent, compassonate, considerate & focused as a true believer"
I find that insulting - because I dont believe there is a god, I don't have a chance to be as good as one that does? That sir, is biggoted. I suggest you take the foot out of their "a$$'s" and put in your mouth.
Killernoodle : "The simple fact is that people like me will end up paying for people that live unhealthy lifestyles, whether we like it or not and that, my friend, is what is wrong with this country. Ideally, people should pay for their own medicare and have that part of the taxes removed. Medicare is too much of a socialist idea and penalizes the healthy people more than the unhealthy."
Honestly, this is full of inexperience. Or perhaps I'm not overly familiar with how it all works over there.
Fine, lets say tomorrow, through no fault of your own, you develop heart and liver problems, through a natural condition. The cost is 60,000 for transplants. You cant afford it. You die. Hows that justice for you? Well, its your own justice...
You're American, right? Thats the EXACT view that a lot of people outside of your country see of it - capitalism is just going too far in your country. Through no fault of all the people, but from people like you who think in that manner.
Because someone isnt healthy, they shouldnt have a chance to live their lives? Because someone isn't well off, they should die? I'll take a stab in the dark and say your parents are well off. I come from a poor family, and with your scheme health care, both my mother and father would be dead; some times, life isn't good to people, and no matter what they do, they can't change that. They shouldnt be punished.
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As far as legalisation goes, I'm against it. If you want to risk it, and do it, then fine, go ahead. Perhaps the punishments could be a bit on the softer side, but as it is, you're not going to stop anyone.
I believe that alcohol is a worse drug, along with tobacco. Much worse. Its blatently obvious how many problems stem from smoking and alcohol abuse; yet people still blame dope for the issues of society. Anyone thats actually been open enough to try it (yes, I have - not my cup of tea, but then, neither is drinking) will realise what kind of drug it is, and how it could effect certain people.
On a side note - what about advertising and society? should society be blamed for anorexia, obesity etc?
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In regards to arrogance, I agree with you. To assume someone is in possesion of better character because they try hard to live up to their fairy tale versus someone who doesn't buy into fairy tales to begin with, is arrogant.
But in regards to socialism in society, I am against it. Goverments are the most ethically craven institutions in existence. Corporations can be considered evil sure, but they do not aim nuclear weapons at each other, imprison and murder people they don't agree with, or committ genocide. Those evils are all exclusive to goverments.
Goverments are also the most fiscally irresponsible institutions. There is not one goverment in the world today that is not "deficit spending." Which is a snazzy word for taking out loans. The U.S. Goverment does it today, and our debt has exploded since 1971, primarily because of socialist programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and the collapse of financial solvency in Social Security. In the U.S., there is coming a day of reckoning with these bills, and it will happen before 2020. These programs will collapse, and we will rid ourselves of them when we have no other choice. The U.S. will have to face reality on these debts, as every goverment eventually does. Usually when a goverment goes belly up like that, society falls apart. Fortunately the U.S. is rich enough, free enough, and culturally flexible enough to deal with these kinds of crises, and overcome them, which is unique amongst countries in history.
Look at your country: The New Zealand goverment this year will float a loan worth 2.5% of NZ's GDP. Your goverment owes $33 billion USD to
foreigners . That's 40% of New Zealand's GDP! If NZ's credit is any good, those I.O.U.'s are racking up interest around 5% a year, which is about $1.7 billion a year, or 2% of GDP every year. Your goverment in other words will float a loan this year to pay off the interest on loans floated years before. Sounds about as responsible as a teeny bop managing her credit card.
As far as foreign opinion about Americans being "too capitalist," perhaps that would explain our society, which is free enough with its thoughts and property to build a society that dominates all nations in financial, technological, and military might, has the world's most diverse culture, and the oldest surviving goverment other than the United Kingdom. Perhaps that foreign opinion is wrong. Look at the results.