I'm pretty sure it's the legal shit - ie, no limit on how much people can be liable for anything so massive insurance costs - that is fucking it up for you guys but I don't know for sure, C might be able to shed some light on it next time she posts in June.

Well, we have limits on Medicare here, I assume same in NZ...  And theres legislated damages limits in place as well here

No, what's fucking it up is the goddam conservatives who think no one should be allowed to get anything for nothing yet they don't want across the board sales tax hikes to pay for it, meaning we'd all pay for it.

What they REALLY mean is we can't just give healthcare to the niggers and the wetbacks cuz next thing ya know, they'll want us to stop calling them niggers and wetbacks.

Uppity niggers and wetbacks...

We dont get universal health care for nothing either... cent and a half per tax dollar, above income tax. In effect, my top marginal tax rate is 41.5%, my effective tax rate is closer to 25%.

We dont have the same nigger and wetback issues though. Just Kiwi's and boaties...

Would a half decent national health care scheme be really that bad a thing for the US? The rest of the developed world seems to like theirs.

And it's doing great things for this outbreak, too!

A national health scheme and pig flu are not related.

But when I get my flu vaccination for no money down at the time, I'll remember what my Medicare isnt doing for me.

btw, as a fat chick, dying from swine flu would be so epic.

irony will also be when sexist men and police officers die from it.

cops, oddly enough, usually love me. sexist men, not so much. but then, i go out of my way to annoy them mightily. i'm hoping they'll have a stroke from pure rage and i can soothe their trophy wives, who also love me.

No, what's fucking it up is the goddam conservatives who think no one should be allowed to get anything for nothing yet they don't want across the board sales tax hikes to pay for it, meaning we'd all pay for it.

What they REALLY mean is we can't just give healthcare to the niggers and the wetbacks cuz next thing ya know, they'll want us to stop calling them niggers and wetbacks.

Uppity niggers and wetbacks...

i find this really funny, since the majority of peole getting free health care in new mexico were mexicans. they were packing the joint and not paying a dollar for it. and people say we don't have free healthcare. even when uninsured i never paid a dollar for health care. hell, i pay more for health care when i'm insured.

okay, triple post. i know. get over it.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LR454443.htm

I didn't realise Swine Flu was real until I saw it on the news yesterday. For the past few days I thought people were joking.

What's the deal with Madagascar, anyway?  I keep hearing people talk about it in reference to the swine flu, but never how they connect.  I haven't been watching the news as much since I started playing Star Ocean: TLH so I guess I missed that part of the hubub.

Thanks for starting a 2nd thread on the subject. Really.

~giggle

Thanks for starting a 2nd thread on the subject. Really.

Was there another thread?  I looked but didn't see it.

Edit:  Oh, whoops, I see it now, my bad.  The heat's getting to my head.

Edit part deux:  Well I was gonna try to merge it to Zoomie's thread but I don't know how or possibly don't have the authority, so I'll ust lock it and repost my post in that thread.

What's the deal with Madagascar, anyway?  I keep hearing people talk about it in reference to the swine flu, but never how they connect.  I haven't been watching the news as much since I started playing Star Ocean: TLH so I guess I missed that part of the hubub.

We are getting the first warnings on Aust. TV now.

DECENT HEALTHCARE FOR EVERY PERSON AND SOUND DECISIONS THAT ARE GOOD FOR OUR NATION LEADS TO COMMUNISM! ZOMG

A " clinical " presence  in all international airports. Flights from Mexico are being screened, none of the flights from the USA are being screened and the passengers don't even KNOW about the flu. Have no idea that the word pandemic is being used..... we could be fucked.

150 dead in Mexico, 40 cases in the USA.

We are now at pandemic level 4  ( tech its not a pandemic untill 6 ).

Guess whos watching the news right now.

don't do that. it's just depressing.

That's not as many cases as in New Zealand.

I KNEW the casual Kiwi attitude to life would come back and bite them someday. Best biosecurity on the planet, biggest fuckups manning it...

At least this flu is treatable by TamiFlu - unlike the bird flu

If the abalone get sick you KNOW they going step it up. sooo like the good book says. DON'T PANIC !

Right - Mad Cow Disease would get a military response... a few students? "Please stay home for a few days mate, you'll be right in no time"

i think this is just another ploy by the green people to stop us from flying and eating meat.

IT'S PEOPLE!!! SWINE FLU IS PEOPLE!!!

Time to nuke Mexico!

Time to nuke Mexico!

That won't solve anything!
...well...

We'd be able to use geiger counters, rather than constructing a big fence.

But just think...radioactive cocaine!!!!!!!

On a more serious note...  dense human populations living in close proximity to dense animal population combined with poor sanitation guarantees that we're going to be hit with stuff like this every once in a while.