Thread: The imitaors!

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

Heck, let's just not tax anyone at all and see if the government stops spending. If it is going to spend far more than it takes in anyway, why collect at all? Just keep printing more and borrowing from others

Assuming you're not serious. You're aware that runaway deficits eventually strangle the economy?

j

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

Heck, let's just not tax anyone at all and see if the government stops spending. If it is going to spend far more than it takes in anyway, why collect at all? Just keep printing more and borrowing from others

Wish i had thought of that... i still like making the poor lift themselves up by their own bootstraps!

Originally Posted by Nord Jim

Assuming you're not serious. You're aware that runaway deficits eventually strangle the economy?

j

how do you think we got the poor to start with they waste their money on pleasures like food, clothing and housing as opposed to using it for the common weal!

The government needs money to run the country, so through some means, they have to get it.
A proportional income tax is probably the fairest solution, because everyone has to pay a given % of their income.

Because the poor pay less in absolute terms, it makes it easier for them to build a better life, hopefully achieving more income, and ultimately paying more taxes.

I don't mind the government running our medical system and welfare. For one thing, they're good at it. We can discuss the inherent socialism all day, but at the end of the day, the system works. furthermore, everyone can enjoy decent healthcare and dental care without worry about bankruptcy.
The key here is that everyone pays a given % of income to tax, and everyone gets to enjoy the benefits.

Originally Posted by Bruno

The government needs money to run the country, so through some means, they have to get it.
A proportional income tax is probably the fairest solution, because everyone has to pay a given % of their income.

Because the poor pay less in absolute terms, it makes it easier for them to build a better life, hopefully achieving more income, and ultimately paying more taxes.

I don't mind the government running our medical system and welfare. For one thing, they're good at it. We can discuss the inherent socialism all day, but at the end of the day, the system works. furthermore, everyone can enjoy decent healthcare and dental care without worry about bankruptcy.
The key here is that everyone pays a given % of income to tax, and everyone gets to enjoy the benefits.

May I ask how long the average person has to wait for an MRI in Belgium? How about a necessary surgery?

Depends on how you enter the hospital.
If you come through ER and it IS an emergency, you get an MRI as soon as they can move you to the MRI room. same for Xray and other tests. When my wife twisted her ankle in a sports accident, we went to the ER (on a sunday afternoon) and they did the Xrays within the hour.

A couple of years ago she had a pain in her lower abdomen, which the doctor thought needed attention, so he sent her to a specialist. He saw her the next week, did some tests, and ordered a scheduled (i.e. non emergency) MRI which took 10 days. It could have been done sooner, but the appointment would have been at a less convenient timeslot.

If you need emergency surgery, you get it as soon as they can get the right surgeon scrubbed and ready. If he is on site it's a matter of 1 to 2 hours max. If they have to page one (e.g. sunday night) it can take a couple of hours, but for life threatening emergencies there is always an ER surgeon on site.

Now, if you need non-critical surgery, it gets scheduled by the specialist, and you get surgery somewhere within 1-3 weeks.

I just did a quick internet search, and apparently the EU is flocking to Belgium for its outstanding and quick turnover times for medical care! Kind of like the countries close to the USA flocking here for the same reasons!

I've also read that almost every other government run service in Belgium is run very poorly.

Originally Posted by JMS

I've also read that almost every other government run service in Belgium is run very poorly.

Well then we all better drop to our knees and thank God that they have not nationalized their breweries..... yet!

Originally Posted by syslight

Well then we all better drop to our knees and thank God that they have not nationalized their breweries..... yet!

I bow to a superior intelligence Sir!