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Terry, Socialism is alive and well here in the USA already. And we all want a little piece of it. If we cut government by 50%, and spend the money on infrastructure and medical, and I assume you mean healthcare, those are every bit a social program as any other. We all benefit from social programs to some extent, and as much as we like to think this is a pure capitalist nation, it isn’t.
This is why there is no one way to govern, and some people are always going to think they are getting shortchanged. Taxes are a necessary evil. The redistribution of wealth has gone on since the beginning of time. It would only be nice if more of us could enjoy the benefits.
A flat tax is what would be at least closer to fair for the rich and poor. It will never happen in our lifetime! Too many people would be on the unemployment line with a flat tax and the IRS would be one of the hardest hit. Not to mention accountants and tax lawyers.
The inheritance tax to me is a load of bull. Paying taxes on money that has been already taxed seems unAmerican. So, we can rant and rave, call for the stoppage of wasteful overseas spending all we want. New ways to spend our treasury will come along, and then we will have something else new to complain about.
Nobody is ever truly free in a democracy as well as a dictatorship.The whole point of this discussion brought up by Lotus was about the real estate taxes in Costa Rica. I know I will pay whatever they tell me I have to pay if I want to live there. It is their country, and I will abide by its laws. It just seems like the right thing to do.
The simple solution, and I’m sure there are no simple solutions, is to state the real value of your property and pay the tax. It is still a huge bargain compared to the USA’s real estate taxes.
Until Costa Rica uses assessed valuation on properties, this problem will continue.
All of us rich, or middle income, should pay what Costa Rica determines is our fair share.Scott, I did not know that. I did read also that Churchill was not entirely thrilled with the present form of government during his time. This is why his statement did not say democracy was the “Best” form of government. He thought it would hold up until another came along.
In the biography by Jon Lee Anderson, who happens to be British, and spent four years in Cuba researching Guevara’s life, he has a somewhat different take on the killing of Che. There was a CIA operative present, I believe his name was Rodriguez, and told the Bolivians the US wanted to take Che to Panama alive. The Bolivians sent down the order to kill Che. Rodriguez waited for the CIA to talk the Bolivians out of it, but word did not come. The Bolivians wanted him dead to kill off any hopes of revolution. That is why they buried him in an unmarked grave and it was decades before his body was found and returned to Cuba.Roark, I disagree with your assessment of Guevara on some points. His life started out as one of privilege, and he lived an upper middle class life in Argentina, and became an MD. In his travels as a young person he saw injustice towards poor indigenous people of South America, and Central America. Some of this was perpetrated by the USA Anaconda mining company and the United Fruit company. There were definitely injustices. He became a revolutionary after witnessing the USA’s involvement in setting up governments in Latin America.
I don’t think he was a coward. On the contrary he was in the front lines of Cuba’s revolution more than most of the soldiers. You could call him a murderer, as most will, but this business of war and nation building we are involved in can give us the same stain.
As far as his deserving assassination is concerned, a martyr was created by his assassination and the mystique of Che lives on all over the globe. A couple of years ago a friend of mine was in England on vacation. There was an exhibit of Che’s life and many of his artifacts, and he decided to stop in to take a look. The placed was packed with people. In Europe there seems to be a great amount of interest and admiration for Che.
In the USA we have all seen the image of Che on T-shirts, sported about by our youth. In fact I saw one just the other day.
So, by assassination, an icon was created. It endures in the minds of those who are not satisfied with the status quo, and his memory will endure for generations to come.
I personally did not agree with his methods of a violent revolution, or the system of government he tried to install around the world. He too after all, did not especially like what Cuba had finally turned out to become. Still, he saw things that were wrong in the world and chose to do something about it, albeit a flawed attempt.
Man has tried for thousands of years to bring change to societies all over the world. Some do good, some are despotic, and some, despite being well intentioned, screw it up. This will probably continue as long as man is on the face of the earth.
Remember, “One man’s terrorist, is another man’s freedom fighter.” It is all a matter of perspective.Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried.
– Winston ChurchillI’ve read many biographies about the American presidents, and the Argentine Ernesto “Che” Guevara. Many have started with dreams and ideals to form the better and more perfect government. In all cases they suffered from the same human condition we are all born to. The frailties of man will always lead to imperfect governance.
There isn’t much else we can do as a people but continue to try to make government more responsive to our needs. It may never happen, but we must dust ourselves off and keep the pressure on our elected officials to do better.Pretty scary link, Scott. I wonder if in fifty or so years what any country will be like? Globalism has certainly changed the way governments operate. Fear seems not only to have a grip on citizens, but its leaders as well.
Society is evolutionary, and it never goes back to what it once was. Incremental erosion of rights are not noticed until you look at them years later from a historical perspective.
Costa Rica, by having its citizens vote on CAFTA(TLC), will have allowed its own government to get off the hook if the agreement turns out to be a bad thing. Certain things require the best minds a country has to decide what is beneficial for its future generations. I think many will be voting blind on this deal and not really understanding the implications of what will become of their country.
When a government, any government, abdicates their responsibility to govern, the people should question why they did elect them to office in the first place.Five intelligent people of the Pacheco administration looked at it, (Committee of Notables) including Franklin Chang, NASA Astronaut and Costa Rica’s developmental head for part of NASA’s plasma engine. They came away with no real opinion because they had difficulty with it. If these guys, and I believe there were five, couldn’t figure it out, how would anyone else.
I have not read it and most likely will not. For the life of me I can’t figure out why Arias would want to put his country in a position that is so unclear as to make any effort to get any advantage with this agreement virtually impossible. It must be so filled with legalese and other loopholes that any thing can be justified, in trade regulations, on the fly. And we know who will come out on top.
Costa Rica may be in a position of being screwed by either signing or not. At the very least, the terms should be worded in plain language so the electorate that has the responsibility of voting on this agreement will be able to make a somewhat informed decision.
My feeling, if you can’t understand it, renegotiate it, if you can’t renegotiate, simply don’t sign.Lotus, I agree. Healthcare, if it can be managed with minimal corruption, is beneficial to this country, not detrimental. We all benefit by a healthier populous.
Sometimes the losers in government run healthcare turn out to be Doctors. By being told what they can and cannot charge for services. This has always been the rub with governmental healthcare. Some doctors, and I know I’ll get some heat on this, have run the business of medicine like an elite club. $200k or more for medical school and you’re in. I can understand how they feel they are entitled to make a good living, but why do you think most hospitals are bringing over residents from countries like India, only having to pay them $80k a year. The cost of educating an MD is too high here, and they expect to be paid at a higher rate. Consequently, the patient or the insurance company ultimately bears that cost. The entire system needs to be looked at and revamped.
Here’s another thing I’ll catch a tongue lashing on. In Cuba, they educate doctors all day long for free, if they are intellectually qualified. As was reported this week in the English speaking Costa Rica media, 100 US students attend Cuba’s medical school and 18 more will join them this year. Total cost charged by Cuba, $0. It may be a publicity stunt by Fidel, but you can’t argue with the outcome.
If a doctor did not have student loans as big as a mortgage, maybe it would be a little cheaper to visit one.Roark, It is not a question of “Serfdom,” or anything of the sort. In a civilized country like ours, it is natural for us to want to be helpful and benevolent to all people whether they are here illegally or not. If they got here illegally it is our fault they got here by not protecting our borders. I don’t want to sound like a Spiderman movie but “With great power comes great responsibility.” The government is of, by and FOR the people. When did it stop being for the people? At the very least for its citizens. They created this mess of high healthcare over the last 40 or 50 years anyway. So why not do something about it. With all the Porkbarrel waste you think some of the funds could be redirected.
If you are in Costa Rica, visiting for example, and need emergency services, they will provide it I’m told. Civilized isn’t it? And you didn’t have to be a contributor to their tax base.
Lotus is right about not making this a political football. In the US everyone should have healthcare. End of story. I don’t like putting a price on compassion and human kindness.As far as the transmission, you’re mixing apples with oranges. I’ll let it go at that.
Access to healthcare is a relative thing. If you go to an emergency room you still get the bill if you have no healthcare. They can’t deny you the service but you still have to pay. The average emergency room visit here is $400 to $600 and if you are admitted, the sky’s the limit. They will hound you and send you to collection. My son has been down that road after coming off our insurance. The average single insured here is about $325 a month, and there are many that cannot afford it. Family plans can go $600 and more. So there is an argument for universal healthcare. One of the best ways, my own doctor once suggested, is to have the government set up their plan and have private insurance compete. This should bring down the rates, although services may suffer somewhat, at least those not covered now will have access to healthcare.
A little story about affording healthcare and what it means to not be able to. And this is absolutely true. My son worked in a pharmacy where he had to deliver some medication to a gentleman who was quite ill at home. My son suggested he go to a hospital because he did not look all that good. He said he did not have health insurance because he could not afford it and did not want to pay to go to the hospital. He said he had these symptoms before and it should pass. Well, he died the next day of an inflamed pancreas.
So as much as I don’t like socialized (public) or “Government” run healthcare, there is a need for it in the wealthiest country on earth as there is in poorer nations. There may not be a perfect system out there, but there has to be a way for people to have affordable access to at least life saving services.
I think we can agree if we have to bear the taxes in order to pay for healthcare, It would be a small price to pay to save our fellow countrymen’s lives. And who knows, someday we may find ourselves in a position of need too.Diego, We’re still in the US for a while yet. Haven’t actually decided on a location. My wife likes to be close to amenities, and I like the Campo. The one thing we both agree on is the beach is a great place to visit but a bit too hot for us.
So far we have only checked out the Central Valley and Mid-Pacific side.
Next visit will most likely take us to the northern Pacific, just to see what it is like.Lotus, I like your plan! I think you may have figured out how to have your cake and eat it too. Simplicity is something I would love to achieve too. That is the hardest part of living in the US. We are bombarded by consumer driven advertising and feel we need all the toys to be truly happy, when the real issue is to become happy with ourselves first.
Lotus, I was just listening to Bob Brinker not 10 minutes ago. He likes the treasuries even though the yields have come down. It is all about quality. Critical mass is what he enjoys seeing achieved. When you have enough capital to pay your way in retirement.
I didn’t catch the entire program, but he seems concerned about the future as well. the subprime lending market has done a tremendous amount of damage and we are not even through it yet.
Nobody has a crystal ball and no “Expert” has all the answers. It just flies in the face of rational thinking that the situation today is as good as it was in years past.
I wish everyone well in their investing strategies. None of us want to see a 1929 scenario develop.There is more to be gloomy about today than ever before. We hear about a vibrant economy, but what are the realities. The dollar is devalued to encourage foreign trade. What do we even have to sell them at a discount when manufacturing has gone overseas? Along with the jobs! The dollar can’t even advance against the Colon.
We’re shoving money down a rathole in a war that has no end in sight. This means our kids will be left the burden of picking up the tab. Never mind that historically a recession always follows a war, when it does end.
Real estate taxes are increasing like never before. I just read our county executive has said our county property taxes will go up by 20% plus this next year. Great news, huh? I wish I could get raises in that realm.
Then we get to the real estate market. Equity dropping by 10% or more and that appears just for starters. And still homes are not affordable for new buyers. Lenders will tighten their policies, requiring larger down payments. More money taken is out of investments to be redirected into home purchases.
Now, down to the harsh reality. Baby Boomers will be retiring in record numbers shortly. Where do you think they will be getting the funds to keep their lifestyle going? They will of course be dipping into retirement funds, mostly from stock related investments. What effect do you think that will have on the market? It has to have a negative effect. More money out, less money in, because these youngsters are not investing at the same rate as their parents did.
I don’t think in light of what we see happening in our own lives, and see and read in the news, anything truly positive can been said. Scott, I believe, is only commenting on what he sees and reads as well. A positive outlook is nice to have, but it should not prevent you from using logic and common sense.
Pain and pleasure rule the vagaries of the stock market. Most of that is worked out in “Fear.” Fear of losing, or fear of missing out on the big boom. Panic is the result of “Fear” not optimism. That is what we are seeing play out in the market right now. Many people don’t have the cold calculating nerve or the professional wisdom to invest. When I lost mine, along with my money, I got out.
Things may recover, they usually do. The question you have to ask, as Scott pointed out, is, will there be enough time before I retire?The last plane to come down was the flight over Pennsyvania, in a remote wooded area. The Air Force was following it for over an hour. The official story was passengers overtaking the cockpit and bringing the plane down. I remember seeing the news the next day and someone was shown fishing circuit boards out of a lake a mile away from the impact zone. It was never shown again. Also the wreckage and impact crater was very small for a commercial airliner. Draw your own conclusions.
