Quoting skipnet50:

Quote:
the socialist system IS a failure and will always be so, it is nothing more than a step child to Communism

And where's your evidence to support this claim? Other users have already posted examples of socialist governments that are successful.
And you do realise that communism came out of socialism, not the other way round?

Yes, I do, north. Half the problems you are struggling with in the UK is a result of the Socialistic bent your Government has taken. One thing I would tell any and everybody. The Government is NOT your nanny, it is NOT their job to provide for YOU and YOURS, that is your job. The power and trust you place in Centralized Government the more liberty you lose. The founding fathers of the US wrote extensively about the dangers of Centralized government grown to powerful.

Take the debate for example, that has raged in this country for thirty years relative to abortion. Is it the business of the CENTRAL Federal government to deal with this issue...NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it is NOT. Shoulkd there be laws relative to abortion...perhaps...but THAT is a decision to be made by the State and Local jurisdictions NOT the Federal government.

The biggest failing in this country's government the last forty years is that with the democrat Congress and sometimes Democrat WH, many things have been taken under the wing of the Central bureaucracy and taken them away from the states. Education is an example, under the HEW Dept, there was a system for some central guidance relative to standards but thgta is all, now ist is not only standards (to a cgoking point) but ALSO a large portion of State education funding comes from...the FEDERAL government, so now they have a hammer to use. Funding for Education and overall direction is STRICTLY a state and loocal matter with minimal invilvement by the central government.

Don't get me started, I don't want to discuss politics. And this is not the place, here I try to have fun whenever I can and decompress.It consumes much of my life especially now during the silly season.

Skip

Quoting northbloke:

Quote:

Especially when you get posts like Skip's that really need responding to!

That was what I was trying to avoid doing, despite there being a huge desire to 'take the bait'.

Any country where a chronic asthmatic or a diabetic has to skip taking medicine as they cannot afford the prescription or the insurance, needs to begin questioning their health system, or probably more pertinent the huge profit making health and insurance companies that are screwing the public.

My belief is we should all be concerned about the health and welfare of our fellow man, I would hate to live in a society where we didn't care that a neighbour could not receive immediate medical relief, or that they were assessed on their income, race, sexuality or beliefs.

I've been in the gutter and got a hand up, and that opportunity should be available to everyone who decides to take it.

IMO 

I didn't say the system here was perfect. That is an area that does need to be addressed. That said, however, even that problem has been caused by a poltical party that has become very interested in making the cebtral Government as big as possible. I am not going to say that FDR had ulterior motives, i don't believe he did. However, we now know that the Social Security system which he created was full of unintended consequences which his party has manipulated to great negative effect over the years, with the end result being the situation that richie has described so eloquently.

So, how do you fix it. There are some very good, though painful ways to deal with it and i am frankly not sure which approach I favor...yet.

Skip

Quoting skipnet50:

Quote:
Mikkel:
The US system is doing just fine thank you very much. We MAY hit a bump in the road, but that is normal and uncomfortable, but nothing unusual. I work for Skip NOT the Government so that they can give my money to somebody else...that is MY CHOICE. And I resent thatour Government does that at all, I have family memebers that need my help, so that they don't have to worry about trying to get a pittance from Government. Yes, the socialist system IS a failure and will always be so, it is nothing more than a step child to Communism and under that system "They pretend to pay us so we pretend to work".

I am not getting paid by the government, nor am I "pretending" to work, thank you very much. In Denmark, If you don't have a job, you can get some money, so you don't end up on the street or starve to death. When I go to university (for free), I have the possibility of getting some money each month from the government so I don't have to work on the side and can concentrate on my studies. The beauty is that everyone no matter where or what they come from can get the education they want. You don't need rich parents to get a university degree here. No one gets pity-money, they get money to help them survive and get on with their lives and THAT is why this system is so successful.

Quote:

55% Million millions without health care insurance. That number is INFLATED and grossly so. It includes ILLEGAL aliens which milk our system and should go HOME, it also includes children which while disappointing, let's face it the children are the RESPONSIBILITY of the parents, they cannot get health insurance their parents do. I have carried health insurance with EVERY employer I have ever had, that is the FIRST thing I always make sure is dealt with because my children and my wife are the most important things to me and it is MY job to provide for them, not the people of the United States.

I think that is the difference between the U.S. and countries like mine. I believe that everyone should have equal opportunities, that my country is rich enough to provide for its people. Sometimes when you hear a heartbreaking story on TV or elsewhere and you have the possibility to help by donating a buck or two, you do, because you feel sorry that some people have to suffer and because it is a part of human nature (I hope and believe). But what about all the stories and fates you don't hear about? When we pay taxes, all these strangers are taken care of because we acknowledge that not everyone are so lucky to be born in a rich home.

You're lucky. You can provide for your family and through your job you are insured so you don't need to worry about getting ill. But what about the poor souls who don't have a job and an insurance? It's not your problem you say. No it's not. But in my country, they're not really my problem either because they are taken care of through the tax I pay. The difference is that no one has to suffer here.

Quote:

Have you ever been here, Mikkel. Yes, I say so. Pittsburgh is one of the finest examples, not too many years ago that city and its environs was filthy, courtesy of the steel mills. Yes many if not kost of the steel mills have closed, but compared to what they used to have that city is now a spectacular example of getting it's act together a cleaning up its environment.

I have been to your country, yes, but what I see when visiting is not really of importance here. Neither is Pittsburgh. Facts about the country as a whole are important.

Quote:

The power and trust you place in Centralized Government the more liberty you lose

Please enlighten me: What are the liberties that my socialist government have robbed me of that you enjoy?

Skip, I just think we see the world differently and we will probably never agree. I don't want to judge you or your country, I just want to tell you that alternatives to the american way of doing things may not be that bad at all.

Quoting skipnet50:

Quote:
Yes, the socialist system IS a failure and will always be so, it is nothing more than a step child to Communism and under that system "They pretend to pay us so we pretend to work".

While you might know about the US system, you seem to know very little about the European systems.

I have become completely offended by the bashing of one political party in this thread.

Skip, your comments are out of line.

Quoting EnryWiki:

Quote:
Quoting northbloke:

Quote:
In 2000 the World Health Organisation ranked the US's health care 37th (France and Italy took the top 2 spots).

Glad to hear that (but even we are not perfect either).     

Sometimes you have to settle with "we suck less"