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US Lawmakers Eyeing National ID Card
According to Wired (and no big surprise, considering the practicalities of implementing massive changes in medical finance), US lawmakers "are proposing a national identification card, a 'fraud-proof' Social Security card required for lawful employment in the United States. The proposal comes as the Department of Homeland Security is moving toward nationalizing driver licenses."
Despite what you learn from fables in grade school, rights come from society. You have a right to life- but that right won't stop a bullet. You have a right to free speech- but that won't stop a bullet, or a broken jaw. Rights are an ephermal idea with no basis in nature. The only natural "rights" are the laws of physics. Rights only have any force when society organizes itself in such a way as to enable enforcement of them. The way it does so is via a government. Which does put government in an interesting dual position- its job is to enforce the rights of all, but its great power makes it possible for it to be a horrible violator of them as well. That's why it requires constant citizen oversight and correctional systems.
That also means what your rights are is a reflection of what society decides they should be. This list can expand or contract over time. For example, progressives believe that the right to life must include a right to health (or at least health care, which is as close as humans can come to a right to health) or else proclaiming such a right is meaningless rhetoric. And it looks like we just won that one. Sixty years ago blacks didn't have the right to go to a white school, only the lunatic fringe would argue against that now. 200 years ago you had the right to own the most powerful weapon of the day, I doubt many people would argue for the right of a private citizen to own a nuke now. Yet many people do argue for a right to own lesser weapons (guns), and society has mostly agreed on that. Seventy years ago you didn't have Miranda rights, now you do and have a right to be informed of them. Rights change over time, as society dictates. Nothing will change that, all you can do is argue for those that you truely believe to be important, such as free speech, be preserved or added.
I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
What?!?! We have the highest per capita healthcare costs in the world!. Yes, higher than Germany, UK, Canada, and all the other "socialist" European countries.
Geez, educate yourself before you make a comment. It bothers the hell out of me when I see one of my fellow countrymen spewing out utter nonsense about foreign healthcare.
Ride the skies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_doctrine In many states, you can indeed use lethal force without further provocation.
There are a lot of big problems in our mishmash of vested interests that leads to so much wasted money.
* We have a legal system that allows for excessive damages in medical malpractice suits. This makes it mandatory for doctors to carry a heavy burden of insurance and that gets passed on to whoever is paying for the medical care. Doctors over-perform tests and over-prescribe drugs because of fear they may be sued.
* Prescription drugs are allowed to be marketed to consumers, driving demand and insurance costs where covered.
* Pharmaceutical prices are unregulated, allowing excessive profiteering.
* Hospitals are allowed to operate for profit. WTF?
* Hospitals are able to milk patients with inflated fees for basic items.
* Medical insurance companies are allowed to operate for profit.
* Mutual insurance companies are allowed to convert to for-profit status.
* Employer provided health insurance reduces the competitiveness among insurers because the employees don't directly feel the brunt of the costs and lack options from different providers that would drive costs down. This unnecessarily raises costs for private insurance. It remains to be seen how the new plan will save money here.
I am becoming gerund, destroyer of verbs.