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Call up a law firm and ask them how much it will cost to defend a major lawsuit; your average bog-standard employment lawsuit costs about $75k-125k to defend to summary judgement, twice that if it goes to trial - and that's if you win. $100k is go-away money.

You see, that's what people think health insurance is: just a way to get others to pay for their problems. Socialism and its "single payer" system will arrive eventually, it will just take a while. First, all the people who have insurance now will stop buying it. Insurance costs $6400/year while the fee for not having it is $700. Furthermore, many states have already passed nullification laws prohibiting the federal government from charging you the above fee, so if you live in, say, Idaho, you will not have to pay a thing. Then, when you get cancer, you can simply go to any insurance company and buy coverage at that point; the company will be forbidden to turn you down for this preexisting condition. Then employers will eventually start doing the same thing. The fee for employers not providing insurance is higher, $3200, but it is still higher than the coverage premiums. So the boss will tell you to just buy insurance when you need it and take an extra $2000/year raise (or not).

The insurance companies will start losing lots of money, since only the sick will be subscribed, and will raise your premiums. If price controls are instituted (and they will be), the insurance companies will start going bankrupt. Then we can have another huge bailout bill for the "too big to fail" ones, which will then end up being mostly owned and financed by the government. They will stay that way because there is no way to turn a profit when you stop being "insurance" and become "entitlement". Then we'll get another health reform bill, where the government will step in, raise everyone's taxes and just pay for health care itself, like most of the other countries do.

Of course, you'll have to contend with various problems that will bring, like long waiting times, care rationing, and "for your own good" legislation. But at least, everyone will finally be equal.

> Did you also resent having your money taken at gunpoint to go into Iraq? Afghanistan?

Damn right I do! Neither Iraq nor Afganistan have any ambition to invade the US, nor did they ever. We're in Iraq to control the oilfields and to build huge military bases there. We do that to keep telling the Middle East to do our bidding and to create profits for Haliburton and its ilk. We're in Afganistan because US oil companies want to build a pipeline there. Or, at least, they did, before it became obvious that Afganistan will never become the sort of stable country where such a project can succeed. Neither of these goals does anything to enhance my personal safety and security. They're just about the power elite grabbing more power. Why should I pay for that?

> To fund your local fire and police departments?

To fund them to oppress and terrorize us? If you have ever had to deal with the police, you'd swear not to ever, under any circumstances, call them again. And as for the fire department, why should I pay to put out your fire? In most cases, it will have been your own stupid fault for leaving candles around (it's the single major cause of fires).

> To provide clean drinking water in your community?

Clean drinking water is not free. Maybe you don't know that if you live in an apartment, since the landlord pays the city water bill for you. Out in the country many people have their own wells and don't have to pay for water. If the city government did not provide the water service, someone would start a company doing it if it were cheaper to do so than to have everyone install their own well.

> To provide education for the children in your neighborhood?

Who's providing education? The quality of public schooling is atrocious. And with all the government propaganda children are exposed to in public schools, there is no friggin way I'm sending my child there, and I certainly don't recommend anyone else to do so. Instead get together with your neighbors and homeschool your kids. If you stagger your days off, four adults could educate their children while working full time. Your kids will likely have a better relationship with you and be happier too, if you just spend more time with them.

> It is THE COMMUNITY that you live in, that allows for a rule of law, so that when your neighbor
> decides that he doesn't love you as much as he loves his other neighbors and decides that he
> should roll up in your house and take all your possessions in the dead of night, that there
> is a system in place to protect you from that.

Contrary to what you government advocates belive, most people respect private property. I have no interest in robbing my neighbors, and I know they have no interest in robbing me. If you live in a neighborhood where they do, maybe it's time to move.

Furthermore, you don't need an official police force to prevent such things, even if you do decide you need to. Back in the middle ages, a small village in the middle of nowhere would have been able to handle the above situation just fine. The neighbors get together and confront the thief, and he'll probably apologize and never do it again.

If you really want to have a police force, a private police force works much better than a squad of government goons. For an example see the special police of San Francisco; it's a private police force (although it does have official recognition), funded entirely through subscriptions by individuals and business in the area.

> The COMMUNITY is what allows you to live a non-third-world existence.

The lack of excessive population growth is what allows me to live a non-third-world

non compete employment agreement are not viewed very favorably in California.

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/08/08/california-supreme-c-1.html

http://www.workforce.com/section/03/feature/25/82/12/index.html

http://www.employlaw.com/noncompete.htm

Demon Speed: The Danger of Hidden Methamphetamine Use

To be fair, Costco competes with the club store branch of Walmart, which is Sam's Club. I believe employees at Sam's Club are paid more than those at Walmart stores.

But to your point, it is possible to be a profitable company and not abuse your employees and suppliers. Trader Joes is a privately held grocery store/health food store company that pays employees far above the industry average. Also, many suppliers like to do business with TJs, since they pay in cash, instead of stretching out the supplier for 90 days or more.

• Do I know what is expected of me?
• Do I have the right materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
• At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
• In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
• Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
• Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
• At work, do my opinions seem to count?
• Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?
• Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
• Do I have a best friend at work?
• In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?
• This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?

You could always just break down barriers with a little spanking, like this company tried...

http://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/24/35/ 90.html