@83. goy:
Your claim that compulsory insurance is tantamount to slavery makes me wonder who pays your unemployment insurance premiums. You claim the government has no authority to perform these tasks, but decades of jurisprudence make clear that it can and does. I understand you hold a different view of the government’s authority – but that doesn’t change the facts on the ground.
And if you are going to talk about slavery – stop-loss and selective service really are tantamount to slavery. Taxes alone are not. There is a distinction.
Asking me to STFU because I don’t agree with your narrow view is just rude – didn’t we cover the issue of profanity already? That’s not the moral high ground you are standing in, sir.
84. venividivici:
Slippery slope arguments are lazy and meaningless. Legislation is not a natural process – it is a human activity that involves compromise and accommodation, and does not follow any predetermined path. Go ahead and ban kiddy porn – I’m not really very concerned that you will drive Playboy and Sports Illustrated out of business by doing so.
As far as your euthanasia worries, I live in a state where physician assisted suicide is safe, legal and rare, and I like the idea. So you won’t scare me much by claiming that the government is willing to foot the bill.
When it comes to the numbers, it’s funny how you can’t count. Please compare like with like. We’re talking about the whole cost – not just the employee portion. If you can’t understand that, let me know – heck, the numbers are yours!
As far as effectiveness, you are right, I didn’t cite any numbers – I figured you knew how to do research since you came up with a cost breakdown for the countries in question. But given your inability to parse your own post, here’s a link for you. And here’s some empirical data:
#37 – USA
#30 – Canada
#18 – UK
#25 – Germany
#1 – France
#17 – Netherlands
#20 – Switzerland
So, the time for debate is over now. I don’t do non-empirical debates.
How convenient for you that you declare your own word the last. Wake up and smell the data.
Peace.
DS
