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There is a lot on controversy going on here because the CEO of RBS (an 82% state owned bank since the 'crash') was awarded a million pound bonus on to of his 1.2 million a year. He has now decided not to take it.
I don't think this has anything to do with morality but much to do with jealousy! People are jealous of his success and money, they are not morally outraged, they just fool themselves they are.
If I employed a man or woman and their work stopped me losing money and GAINED me 2 BILLION, I would expect a decent person to be morally outraged if I only rewarded him with a 1.2 million salary and a 1 million bonus!
Now what I DO object to is the fact the USA govt and UK govt bailed the failing banks out. I especially wish that people would remember that it was a RIGHT WING US govt that bailed out the USA banks.
I find it astonishing that less fuss was made about that by the American people than they do at the 'evil' of healthcare for all! Oh, yes, we will pay billions to stop a bank failing, and keep the rich rich, and making them richer, but NO, fuck you, die if you can't afford health care. Yes, we will have socialised military, agriculture, education but healthcare? Are you insane? Um, yes i suppose I am by your terms!
Most people wrongly assume I am a lefty. It would be wrong to assume I am a righty. I am neither.
What gets me about the 'small government' people, is that they say they do not want, and rightly so, a government directing their lives. Yet they want to control the lives of OTHERS! They want to control people's sexual behaviour, they do not want ALL to have the same rights, they do not want women to have control of their own bodies. I think their belief in 'small government' is bulldust.
What about the idea that helping out the poor, the unemployed, the sick etc be left to charity.
ARE YOU KIDDING?
This will mean that people will be more controlled that by a government that cares for it's people REGARDLESS.
Oh no. Charities will refuse to help people they do not approve of. And YOU may think it would not affect you because YOU are not a 'minority' but you can bet your life that the day will come when YOU will not be approved of and if you end up in the shit, you will be denied care, compassion, help because YOU will not be approved of because if left to charity, the basis upon which people will be helped will be completely arbitrary.
It is morally reprehensible to allow people to suffer and die, to be homeless, jobless, and sick and not help them.
We live in a capitalist system and part of it will always be that there will be unemployment and the underprivileged, and the old, the sick, the disabled. AND those of lower mental capacity.
This is the BIG lie that people have swallowed: that we each can through our own endeavour become rich. That is NOT true. It assumes we all have an IQ high enough, have good health, and have talent enough in the RIGHT thing that will bring riches to us.
We also shamefully look down upon those people in low paid job doing work we look down upon yet these people ALLOW us to live the way we do! Bin-men, sewage workers, road workers etc are all vital to our way of life.
I think that we need to take care of our fellows. there are those whose attitude to the sick, the mentally challenged, the disabled etc is 'tough , we don't don't owe them anything'. I can't say anything to that except that mankind does NOT need such people.
NONE of us exists in a vacuum. We all exist with the help of others. Had human beings not become altruistic, I would not be writing this and you would not be reading this. We would not exist.
We all have a right to be who we are. WE have a right to live without a government telling us who we can be or what we should think. We have the right to be as free as is possible. (Total freedom is not possible-anrachy will destroy us all-the more freedom the less security. It is a balancing act.) Government has NO right to dictate to people how they live with Each other, how they raise families, who they marry etc.
It is right that we, the people, care for the people, and that we therefore allow Government to provide, with our money, healthcare, education, security. Laws to stop the strong destroying the weak.
We must find a way of stopping individuals elected to govern us becoming powerful and controlling. They must ALWAYS be reminded they are OUR servants, we are not theirs. We need make sure ORDINARY people make up the majority of government. Being governed by people who are most rich is clearly not working! Nor will it ever. Likewise, we can't be governed those who think we should all be the same and that no one be rewarded for excellence.
I am fully aware that my thoughts are just that. i am not smart enough to organize a raffle let alone a government! I am smart enough to know right from wrong and it is simply wrong that we do not care for our fellows and that we try an control who people are.
It was very cold and windy and although I wore my thermal vest and hose, I froze. The judge wasn't enamoured with Whitney and she was 4th. That is the way dog showing is. Up one minute, down the next. Not all judges know what they are looking at.
My comment re the USA health care drew only one outlandish and angry comment. Not bad going is it that! (as they say up north).
How it works here: those who work all pay National Insurance. The more one earns the more one pays. It doesn't break anyone. And EVERYONE gets medical care and drugs. No it isn't perfect, but we do not have people go bankrupt to pay for treatment, no one is denied treatment, no one is afraid to go to the hospital or doctor for money reasons.
The imperfections in our system, the idiocies, the unfairness, and all of that, exist, but they are nothing compared to what we know of the USA system-from Americans who have suffered through it or because of it.
There is nothing intrinsicly wrong with everyone who works contributing to healthcare for themselves and everyone else. John has paid the contributions all of his life. He is now 62. Until recently, he never took any benefit from it because his health was always good. I on the other hand have never been well enough to work and have not paid any contributions but have received much healthcare provision and financial benefits. some people object to that strongly. I can only assume they think people like me should be put down.
What about those born with longer term health issues, Cystic fibrosis for example? Here they would still live a good life and would not be broke paying for treatment, or not get it because they could not afford to.
John cannot pay insurance for me as someone suggested. Even now that we have Civil Partnerships (marriage under another name), he still couldn't.
I cannot get private health insurance because of my health problems. Even if I could, it does not cover the cost of drugs.
The person who suggests I know nothing of the USA system knows nothing about me. I know it is true that millions have no healthcare provision. I personally know Americans who go without medical needs because of the lack of money and also those who go bankrupt due to health costs. Not everything about the USA is wonderful and to suggest that those of us who see that are mad, bad, and dangerous is plain silly and does nothing to enhance anyone's view of the American people. I know for a fact some of you are quite nice with working brains. ;-)
In a private email, I was taking it all in until it got the part about Mr President Obama being a Marxist.....then I sort of got that look one gets when one realises the person one is talking with is away with the fairies.
Do try and play nice if you are going to leave comments. As the top of my blog page says, I don't censor if you have a different viewpoint. So when some choose to make claims that I 'won't publish this' they do so in the certain knowledge that they do not know me but make assumptions anyway. Really, if you are going to make judgements about me, one should at least have a rudimentary knowledge of me! Don't you think? I will censor if you are abusive, make ad hominem attacks, and some sail pretty close to the wind in that respect. I don't find it necessary to attack you in order to share my thoughts,or disagree with you, so please feel free to do likewise.
I am so glad I do not suffer from Patriotism. The one indoctrination I managed to escape. It is, like all indoctrination, nothing but harmful.
I heard someone say yesterday that all human beings are the same, it is only our beliefs that separate us. How true and simply put. I also liked Yarnhog's 'the difference between conservatives and progressive's is that conservatives base their politics upon the fear people are bad, and that progressives base theri's on the hope people are good.' Short and to the point. Thanks Yarnhog.
We watch the news and of course USA news is big here because the USA is a big deal around the world. So much so that i think we should be included in being allowed to vote for your President.
But I digress. The big news story is Obama's attempts at reform of your medical system, where so many either don't have medical care or go broke paying for it.
What really puzzles us, makes our mouths drop open, is people banging on about 'if we provide health care for all we will be like Russia.'!!!!
Huh? Are the Americans so paranoid about communism still? Just what are you taught about the rest of the world? Are you taught anything other than to fear and hate? Have the Right so contaminated the system that people truly believe that socialized medicine is evil and next to Communism? That it is only a short step from there to being overrun by the Russians or Chinese?
I am well aware that the news shows what it wants and of course hearing these xenophobes and ignorant twits screaming abuse at those who are trying to take care of ALL people makes for more interesting news.
I also know enough Americans to know that not all think this way. Enough though do otherwise you'd have a civilised health care system. Plus I read enough blogs where this type of twaddle is written. Honestly, there are those who still believe that Obama is really a Muslim terrorist out to undermine the USA. (Those that do undermine the USA are those people who say he is etc)
I recall back in 97 when I stayed in a farm B&B in Maine that the two people who owned it did not have medical insurance and not eligible for Medicare. I was astounded and just hoped they wouldn't get sick. Being humans, I am sure they did and I am equally sure they were stuffed when they did having no means to pay for treatment or for insurance.
I know that were I a USA citizen,I'd be up s**t creek without a paddle. I don't' pay for my treatment or my drugs. If I had to, I'd have to go without. I can't get private health insurance here because of my health. Only well people get it.
As with so many things, only the wealthy get their needs and rights met. This is simply unconscionable.
Fear of Russia is no reason to allow 50 million people to not be cared for. Once the medical system is overhauled, perhaps they could do something about education and get religion out of it! Religion is where this nonsense stems from and I find oh so strange that a country that purports to follow the Prince of Peace (and Love and Compassion and Forgiveness) is a country that allows this wicked state of affairs to exist and also has the barbaric death penalty. I think it no wonder hatred of the Middle East is so strong. The two are much alike.
I mean, so many millions say they believe that a man lived inside a whale? That a man who believed this, (and that we all sprung from a man and woman who only had two sons, one of which was slain), was voted President, leader of the world's most powerful nation, not once, but TWICE!!!
Equalled, almost, by our own Blair who lied and lied and played poodle to your man, who now becomes a RC because he thinks that confessing to a priest and then saying a few prayers absolves him. You only have to see his drawn and haunted face to know that not even he believes this.
The fact that both men purported to be followers of Jesus Christ, and all he stood for, did what they did is astounding. Although nothing new of course.
EDIT: IF YOU ARE GOING TO COMMENT, DO MAKE SURE YOU ACTUALLY READ THIS FIRST!!! THE DISSENTERS CLEARLY DIDN'T READ THE POST AND SHOT OFF THEIR COMMENTS WITHOUT READING PROPERLY. THE POST MAKES IT VERY CLEAR THAT THE WRITER KNOWS NOT ALL AMERICANS THINK ALIKE. DUH! YOU SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT BY YOUR SLOPPY READING.
